New Restaurant Review

While it might not be really "new," but new to me so it qualifies in my book. A Taste of Chicago in Jonesboro, Arkansas is a small local eatery that focuses on the Chicago style of sandwiches and hot dogs, along with a few other choices like nachos. I could eat their Cheesy Italian sandwich every day and no longer fit into my car or house but it is really quite good. It is similar to what most restaurants in our area refer to as a "French dip" except it's already dipped in the au jus. What impressed me most about it was the au jus and roast beef didn't taste like the chef's favorite ingredient is salt. Most au jus served with a roast beef sandwich at other restaurants such as McAlisters or Quiznos has a heavily salted flavor.

The atmosphere is a little spartan at best, and clearly they're running the place on a tight budget when the drinks are Big K, but the food well overcomes those small challenges. They do provide Chicago newspapers and the restaurant appears very clean. Besides, with that big beefy sandwich or the two hot dog special, do you really need a 44 ounce big gulp of sugar?

Cruising - Part One of Several

If I'm going to dive into the good stuff of the cruise (the food) I think it's best to start at the beginning.

After spending the morning moving through the airport, we arrived at the ship about 3pm, all starving. With no trouble at all we were able to find the buffet available all afternoon to welcome you aboard. It was a good start with a variety of fresh seafood, meats, deserts, whatever your liking, all in abundance. The food overall was good in quality, excellent in presentation and ridiculous in massive quantities. As a complete picture for the entire cruise, I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

With a cruise, we had to choose in advance an early or later dinner time. This applies only if dining in the main restaurant, which we did the first night on board. Since we booked our cruise a bit last minute, we were assigned to early dining. Dinner the first night was very good, we could watch as we left port from the windows around us. The sunset was beautiful from there, if a bit blinding at times. One of my goals on the trip was to sample as many new dishes as possible. My new one for that evening was to taste the Terrine duckling with Ligonberry creme for an appetizer. It was a good way to start with the experiments!

That evening after dinner we found our new evening-hours home for the trip, the Martini Bar. One of their two signature items is the Martini Flight (photo at right). Comprised of six small or mini martinis, it's a way to sample a variety of the specialty martinis they offer. Included is a gray goose vodka martini, appletini, raspberry martini, raspberry lemonade martini, pineapple martini and their signature which had a mix of pineapple and orange. The presentation made this drink notably cool, but all of them were quite good.

The bar itself had two walls of ice, a bar made of ice and overhead lights that gradually changed hues. The atmosphere was relaxing and our waiter was a really friendly guy from Jamaica. He explained a bit of the crew's lifestyle and their daily routine. The cruise crew works long hours, but the pay apparently is reasonably well. They get to visit most ports, as well as have time off during the year to spend with family. He returns home about once every two weeks; another waiter said he goes home about two or three times a year. In some countries, the cruise ship pay is so significantly better than any job they can acquire otherwise, the compensation is worth the frequent distance from family. Most of the staff we spoke to had been in the cruise industry for five, ten or twenty years. Many had been with Celebrity for several of those years and commented how working there had only improved since Royal Caribbean purchased the company.

There's more to come...

Lessons of a First Time Cruiser

Monday evening I returned home from a 5 day cruise. It was the first time I've been on a cruise ship and I had a wonderful trip. For the uninitiated, I think it's important to share a few lessons I learned along the way. I'll post more later about all the adventures into both the culinary and cruising world I enjoyed.

Take extra time in selecting a cabin on the ship. While time in the room isn't usually plentiful, it should be a comfortable experience. A mid-ship location will get you convenient to everything, while a spot closer to either end will leave you with less foot-traffic wandering by your door at all hours.

A spot aft of the ship (in the rear) isn't necessarily quiet. It can be directly above the thrusters or engines, and when those big beasts roar into action it's noticeable. The bed will vibrate; just think, a vibrating bed for no extra cost but it does start and stop at random around 5am. Also as you pull into port the walls will rattle, the ceiling will rattle, your teeth rattle and the ice in your glass rattles, on some floors the ice breaks. This too occurs about 5am.

Being mid-ship is no guarantee of quiet either. Look at what is one floor above and below the cabin. If located directly one floor below there is a bar that doesn't close until 1 am where guests can partake in karaoke (poorly) right up until closing time, it's definitely going to be audible in the room and will also shake the floor. And the walls, depending on the song being butchered.

My room was an interior room, which overall has it's pros and cons. There's no window or balcony so the only light is what is overhead or from lamps. Lighting was more than adequate but there wasn't morning sun gleaming in to greet me. On the plus side, there wasn't any sun blinding me awake at 6am. It also makes a 3pm nap after a walking tour very nice. The interior rooms are less expensive, and for a first time cruise I think it was a good choice.

Enjoy the opportunities to let the ship photographers take pictures. The pictures will be available throughout the cruise, so the best time to buy pictures is at the very end. The ship I was on provided a free folio with a photo of the ship if I purchased four 8x10's anytime during the cruise. The pictures also make a great souvenir to bring back to family and are easier to pack for the trip home than a sombrero or an econo-size bottle of vodka or Mexican vanilla. Even if they're a bargain in Mexico, it's really no fun to go through the airport with anything liquid. If it's bigger than a thimble it must be packed and checked with luggage. I don't even want to think about the delay I could have faced going through customs...

Before the cruise, I had done a little research and found out that packing in a carry-on bag what I would be wearing the first night was a good idea. It did take a little time before the rest of the luggage arrived, so I was glad to have the items with me just in case.

It's impossible to try every single dish and every place to eat. I made a valiant effort, but failed. To keep from gaining an obscene amount of weight, I just sampled a little of everything. A sample is a couple of bites, not an entire serving. Speaking of servings, they are generous with the portions so it's very easy to lose a sense of how much is reasonable to eat. I can see how easily the average weight gain on a cruise is about five pounds. Food is available 24 hours, including room service!

The midnight buffet is worth trying at least once. Twice if there's something that strikes your fancy.

Take sunscreen and use it everywhere if the cruise is in the Caribbean. Even if you think you won't burn, you will without the sunscreen. Remember, if it's exposed to the sun, it can burn; this goes from the top of your head to your partially sandal covered feet.

Reserve any spa treatments or specialty restaurants as early as possible, preferably the day of embarkation. Excursions can be booked later, but if there's something specific that sounds exciting or very interesting, I think it is best to book in advance. I did and was glad I did so, it was one less thing to think about once the trip was underway.

Note the "Ship Time" and make sure to wear a watch set to that time when departing at port. It's entertaining to watch those souls who didn't want to be encumbered by the weight of a watch while off the ship make a frantic mad dash for the gangway as they realize it is rapidly leaving the dock. The ship does not delay it's departure because someone was drinking tequila shots in a bar in Cozumel and forgot that the bar clock was two hours behind the official "ship time." Those left behind have to find their own way to get to the next port, at their own expense. The moral of this tidbit: Don't miss the boat.

I had a great first time experience with the cruise and would certainly repeat the trip. I've actually been browsing around a little looking for the next one and where I'd like to go. I must admit my fear of not seeing land at certain points along the way faded rapidly once on board. Maybe it was just a mental barrier to not go until now, but I'm very glad I put my fear aside and took the plunge.

More on my first cruise is coming soon. My husband & I traveled with another couple and he has a few photos that I want to share here on his camera. I don't have access to those yet but surely he'll be getting me a copy of those pictures soon, right? (Ahem... hint, hint.)
After about the second day at sea my attempts at documentation of most meals tapered off a bit, but I'll cover things as much as possible based on fragments of notes and a blonde's happy memories.

Highway 9 is nice!

This weekend I had the opportunity to go back and see Highway 9 again. If you've read my blog in the past, you know I went there last year and was disappointed by the horrible condition of the road surface. It had been "resurfaced" with a layer of dusty chat. Since then, it's had a year of time and traffic to pack down the layer of loose mess and it's returned to a fun road to drive. I would still highly caution motorcyclists to use extreme caution taking this road as there are spots of loose rock in some of the curves.

The change of seasons was noticeable and beautiful with the vast of hues of green, and with several overlook points you can see views that rival some of the best I've seen in the state. As it's a small, not heavily traveled stretch of road, there are no markers for the overlook spots, but if you watch for the wide shoulder areas on the right (heading north) you can stop for a moment to take it all in.

I did take advantage of a chance to get a picture of one of the most beautiful sights all day long. Those signs always make me smile.

Old Becomes New

Captain D's restaurants just recently opened a new location in our area and closed their old one. It's a good thing too. The old store was the type where you'd go through the drive-thru because you really just didn't want to see inside of the place. It had been there for many years and while it wasn't falling apart, it had such a coat of grease on everything and in every little nook about the only thing that could cleanse it would have been a dump truck of bleach. Maybe it was a candidate for that cleansing by a good coat of fire. I'm not sure what will happen to the old building, and while there's a little pang of nostalgia for the years I went there as a kid, I don't think it's disappearance would be a bad thing. But if someone else were to open a restaurant there, I'd recommend a sizable investment in cleaning solvents.

On to the new location. They've added a few grilled selections to their menu, which I ordered from this evening. The grilled Tilapia had a good flavor and the portion was more than adequate for me. It is served on a bed of rice, which while on the very mild side, was still flavorful enough to go well with the fish without overpowering it. As I'm trying to avoid the battered and deep fried world, I think it's a good alternative and will give me another choice on the list of fast food places I don't have to avoid.

I forgot a restaurant!

I somehow managed to forget a restaurant on our trip to Atlanta. After our stop at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, we had dinner at Santa Fe Cattle Company in Moody, Alabama. It was a good family restaurant with a fairly varied menu. The cheddar soup was good, as was the salad and grilled shrimp. At least the shrimp was as good a quality as to be expected that far inland.
What really stood out was the ceiling fan. It was labeled by the company name "Big Ass Fans." It was pretty huge, and since the ceiling wasn't all that high, it was a little strange if you looked up. Somewhat distracting but definitely added to the character of the decor.

Weekend in Atlanta - Part Two

It's taken a few years, but I think I've found a hotel chain that I can feel pretty confident if I reserve a room, I won't be terribly disappointed upon arrival. We stayed at the Country Inns & Suites in Atlanta; this was the second location in the area we've visited. (I would provide a link to the exact location but their website is down at the moment.) The hotel is new, the staff there was exceptionally friendly, the rooms were quiet and the breakfast was good. The thing I like about this particular chain is that I have almost come to expect this level of service at all their locations. Amazingly enough, I've yet to be disappointed. The price is always moderate, the rooms quiet and spacious enough and all seem to be well maintained. This particular location had the best iteration I've seen of the hotel "night light." Usually they consist of a flickering orange light tied to a light sensor but this one didn't flicker and had an on/off switch. I also like hotels that have the curved shower curtain bar. It keeps the curtain from blowing in and sticking to you when you're showering. Maybe it's just my inner germ freak coming out, but the idea of a shower curtain that's been rubbing on several someone else's smelly bodies as they shower then blowing back on me just has no appeal whatsoever. The shower curtain isn't an item I would expect to be changed out or even cleaned top to bottom between every single guest. I really should never take one of those CSI type flashlights into a hotel room if I ever want to travel again.

While I was very pleased with the hotel, I'm struggling for positive words about the Georgia World Congress Center. The phrase "completely chaotic nightmare" immediately comes to mind, followed by "a vast monstrosity" and the notably inadequate signs for anything of consequence. I won't even go into the pain that is parking. There were numerous events at the facility, all going on at once and several were of similar interest areas, just adding to the confusion. I saw a lot of frustrated and utterly lost looks from others trying to find their way to an obscure location like "Building C, Rooms A through G." The bright spot in the locale was an unexpectedly good lunch. I had thought lunch that day would be an overpriced hot dog, chips and a bottled soda. Instead, we stumbled upon a food court of sorts with a nice variety of options available. I had a very good BBQ Brisket sandwich and bottled water (priced at the expected overcharged rate of $10 of course.) Avoid the Minestrone Soup though; my mom made the mistake of buying it first and I think someone who is on a low-salt diet might end up hospitalized after just one spoonful. Just around the corner was an Italian restaurant, with a full buffet for just under $20. It smelled good enough to make me wish I were still hungry.

The International Motorcycle Show, once we found it, was packed full of people and bikes of every flavor. Despite roaming through display after display and trying several to see how they fit, I've not found that elusive bike that says "take me home" yet. The Moto Guzzi did have a lot of appeal, but we'll see.

For dinner we went to Houck's Steak & Seafood Restaurant. I would highly recommend it! While I may be minding my girlish figure, I couldn't pass up sampling something called "The Best Shrimp in Georgia." It was really good shrimp, I'll give them that. The pork tenderloin was very good and the Red Velvet Cake made the entire trip worthwhile. What was most notable were the portions. Normally restaurants like to load plates with enough for three people, or they go the opposite extreme and provide about two bites, just to taunt your taste buds. The portions here didn't leave any of us hungry, they were sized just about right. It was a little out of the way to find but a sign just inside the door indicated they would be moving this spring to a new location. If you're in the area, I would suggest making a dinner reservation at Houck's anytime.

Wheee!

Out of all those crazy videos online, this video is probably one of the funniest yet simple I've seen thus far. I can't help but crack up every time I watch it. It also will give you a glimpse into my truly strange sense of humor.

This video is the other funniest clip I've seen, and if you watch it, just stay with it. You'll see why it's funny when they bring out the microphone. (At about 2 minutes you'll start laughing too.)

Just thought maybe someone besides me could use a good laugh tonight too!

A weekend trip to Atlanta - Part One

According to Wikipedia, a Vacation is "a pleasure trip away from home." While this trip was pleasurable, it wasn't quite as relaxing as I'd anticipated. Before I go on a long diatribe I should say that the food and hotel were both quite good overall. For most families, a car trip with your spouse and parents for eight hours each way for just for a long weekend would be a bit much togetherness, but we get along exceptionally well.

On the way, we stopped in for lunch at Abbays in Olive Branch, Mississippi. The restaurant opened about three years ago and is owned by a couple who, like my husband and I, eat out more than we probably should. They noticed the lack of vegetables available in the fast food restaurants they frequented and about three years later, Abbays became their answer to that unfulfilled market. I wish they had a location closer to me, as I'd be back often. Imagine your favorite local meat & three type restaurant with a quick service touch. It's a good concept that I hope works; they didn't seem to be short of business when we stopped in.

The next stop wasn't about food, it was about fun. (Not that food isn't fun!) Barber Motorsports Park Museum is one of the most spectacular collections of gas-powered ingenuity I've ever experienced. One could spend hours wandering through the endless motorcycles, sports cars, race cars and memorabilia. It's not just the size of the collection that is impressive; the presentation is really quite outstanding. It's five floors of goodness that will make any enthusiast happy. One other side benefit the museum has is the location. It overlooks the Barber Motorsports Park, and the day we visited the participants of the Porsche Driving Experience group were zipping along the track. Nice!

More details from this trip... coming soon.

Spam & Steak

I went on a short trip for the day to Memphis. I had tickets to see Spamalot at the Orpheum this afternoon. For a Monty Python fan, it's fantastic fun; for others not so much. Maybe it would be fun to the Python unacquainted, but I've been keen on their work for so long I can't recall what it's like to not laugh at their antics. It's not a musical for the whole family if your family includes kids. This one is for the adults with a slightly off sense of humor. Anyway, if an opportunity to see it comes along, I highly recommend the show. It's time well spent.

Afterward I went to dinner at Texas de Brazil. It's a smaller chain that is made with the carnivore in mind. Vegetarians might want to skip this meat-lovers palace. It's a Churrascaria, also known as a Steakhouse. There isn't a menu. Huh? Really, there is no menu. Forget buffets, this puts any other "buffet" to shame. For starters, there's a salad bar with a range of tastes that is far from what you'd expect to find on a mere "salad bar." I sampled the cheeses they offered and the grilled provolone was an interesting, tasty idea. The lobster bisque was quite good as well. After nibbling my way through what I'd call more of a sampler bar, the meats arrived. They bring out huge metal skewers of various cooked meats including leg of lamb, bbq pork ribs, bacon wrapped chicken and beef filets, sirloin, flank steak and more than I can possibly recall. The meats arrive one at a time, giving you time to sample each one before the next appears tableside. For sides, they bring to the table garlic mashed potatoes, sweet fried bananas, polenta cakes and Brazilian cheese bread; all of which are very good. Desert selections are scrumptious, and the tropical creme brulee had a touch of lime and tropical hints that made for a nice change of pace. I could go there for that and the chocolate cake. I even liked the Coconut pie; this coming from someone who doesn't like coconut speaks volumes. Overall, the food quality and atmosphere is nothing like the $19.95 all-u-can-eat buffets found throughout the south, and while the prices do reflect that difference, it's well worth the extra change. While it isn't on my personal Top 5 restaurants list, it's definitely a good place for an interesting dining experience. If anyone does leave hungry, the restaurant is hardly at fault. Maybe vegetarians will heed my advise and seek out other dining options.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

This weekend I went to a local BBQ restaurant for dinner, Demo's. Despite the widely varying tastes and types of BBQ, I've found the restaurants seem to have a few commonalities.

Let's start with the menu. In most southern style BBQ eateries, the menu includes two or maybe three types of meat and the same standard list of side items. The standard included add-ons to a dinner plate includes baked beans, slaw and either Texas toast or rolls. Don't forget that little pepper; in all my meals of BBQ, I've yet to dine with someone who failed to set it aside as though it's merely there for colorful decoration. Usually there's the option for a potato, fried or baked. Is there a BBQ menu rule that says "You must not serve macaroni and cheese"? Sometimes you find a restaurant like Corky's that goes out on a limb and serves *gasp* BBQ nachos or BBQ pizza. The one Southern Style BBQ restaurant I've found that steps out of this set formula for success is The Rib Crib. While they don't stray wildly off course on the side items, they do offer a broad range of meats.

The one really noticeable common feature I've found is the signs. It's more the propensity to have a great overabundance of them that I see often. If it's a chain of some sort, the quantities aren't so large. Next time you visit a local small BBQ joint, take a look around. How many signs do you see in clear view? This weekend, the place I visited started at the door. The first sign admonishes customers in line not to spend their time on a cell phone. After you step inside, another sign repeats the same message. It continues four times before you can place your order; apparently someone thinks it's not acceptable to have the social hour in line. While I understand the courtesy of not yapping into a cell phone while placing your order, is it necessary to berate the customer into submission? On the menu, two more signs in very large letters warn of the slaw that comes on all sandwiches unless you present your request in writing, signed and notarized. Even a placard mounted atop the cash register reminds you to make your slaw preferences clear. Another local BBQ establishment had a nice big notice on the door announcing a new law that went into effect last summer. "No Smoking by order of your Arkansas Governor." A clearly disgruntled smoker posted this message in place of the cheerful note stating "A Smoke-free environment for all our customers. We use Alpine air filters!" Yes, because you have a small box "filtering" the air in one corner of your restaurant, those twenty guys lighting one smoke after another two tables away from me aren't doing any damage to my lungs. Right. I also have an interest in a great new mountain resort in the Arkansas Delta that I'm sure you'd just love.

Do they find that every time one person makes some sort of fuss over the most minute little detail, they must shelter themselves from any further possible confrontation and put up another sign? Having that sign posted is a way they can say "Ha! See, I told you that's the rules" to that one ungrateful customer who has dared to cross their way of thinking. It's such an inviting touch to the decor.

Here's some I've seen over the years:

No checks below number #300.
No out of town checks.
No substitutions.
Do not use your cell phone while waiting in line.
(Directed to employees) No using cell phones or Ipods while on the clock!
Notice! All sandwiches served with slaw unless told otherwise.

My favorite is shown here at left. It was above by my seat at Cafe Klaser.
I know all about this rule, it comes "by order of your Arkansas Governor." I'm part of the informed public, thanks to the numerous signs at local BBQ restaurants.

Following my own advice

In earlier posts I've mentioned that eating "in" is the new way to eat "out." People are busy, and cooking is a duty (or pleasure) that falls by the wayside for many. I like cooking and find it relaxing, yet sometimes it's a fun challenge.
My advice for finding a new restaurant was to make a menu for the week and just start cooking. As my dear husband has pointed out to me, I haven't exactly followed that recommended plan. So I decided again this weekend that next week we'll eat at home a lot more. I made out a flexible menu for the week and headed off to procure what ingredients were missing. I decided to double the fun and try at least one or two new recipes. Again this came from the encouragement of my husband, that or he was just trying to find a way to reclaim space on the DVR. My refusal to let him delete new episodes of Good Eats might have been a bit of a motivator, so we are going to try a new recipe compliments of the program.

Tonight I thought I'd whip up a loaf of Whole Wheat Bread, thanks to my trusty new Blendtec blender. For the first time, the blender let me down. Maybe it was the recipe, or maybe it was my interpretation thereof. Either way, when you manage to overheat the Blendtec, something seriously is not right.

I hope the new recipes for the week go far better than tonight's experiment.

Embassy Suites in Memphis, TN

Sometimes you just need a change of scenery. Last Saturday afternoon, my husband and I decided that was what we needed and headed out of town for the night. We ended up in Memphis, Tennessee for dinner and checked in at the Embassy Suites just off Poplar on Shady Grove Road.

We did not have reservations, we just decided to surprise ourselves when we got there. After discussion over dinner at The American Cafe, we decided to check out a nearby Hilton. The Hilton was once the Adam's Mark, and before that the Omni Hotel. It's a round building, a unique architecture to the area. After staying there several years ago, at the time under the Adam's Mark name, I wasn't too impressed. It was in need of updating and just overall not that nice. I stepped into the lobby and my view was immediately changed. It clearly has been remodeled, at least in the front entrance areas. After searching for parking within a reasonable distance given the cold wind that night, we gave up and went just a short distance away to the Embassy Suites. The lobby is standard fare for the class of hotel, with an open atrium that all rooms overlook. In the atrium are walkways connecting various areas of the hotel, lined in plants. It's a nice touch compared to others of similar class, but I think the atrium aims to be in a Gaylord hotel when it grows up. I think I've come to the conclusion that all hotels with rooms that open to an atrium have both an upside and a definite drawback. On the upside is the wonderful view, especially in the layout such as found with the Gaylord properties. Their balcony rooms are well worth the extra few dollars to have a birds-eye view of the goregous gardens below. The downside? Noise. It seemed worse in the Embassy Suites, I presume due to a blend of architectural elements and their subsequent acoustical effects. Also I think being a more "family friendly" hotel, we saw several taking advantage of a trend: parents take the kids to a nice suite hotel and get a room for the kids to have their pajama party. Just make sure you request the room not next door to the 13 year old girl's birthday celebration. The design of the suites helps significantly, as the bedroom is at the back of the space and once you close the door, the sound all but disappears.

The included hot breakfast is better than the average hotel continental service. It's nice that it's not an additional cost. Admittedly, unless I'm staying someplace swanky, I look for the hotels that have a good breakfast included. I guess that makes me cheap, but when the basic Holiday Inn Express rates run in excess of $100 regularly, I like to know at least a glass of juice awaits my groggy head in the morning.

I'd rank this Embassy Suites as a reasonable value for the dollar. It includes a good hot breakfast with a larger than average selection of foods, a larger suite than in many hotels and with adequate parking. For families, it would be a suitable choice; for those seeking a quiet, relaxing space, I would look elsewhere.

I think my next trip I'll give the Hilton a try as the first impression did get my attention.

My Next Destination?

I've found my next trip, or at least how I want to get there. I just seem to be having trouble finding it on Google Maps...
Cartoon from Non Sequitur. Click the image to see a larger version.

Got Milk?

Every week I buy two half half-gallons of milk. I drink skim and my husband drinks whole. I say whole is like drinking a milkshake; he says skim is water with white and blue food coloring. I suppose we are both right in our own way. He finally has decided to make the jump to go to skim. To make it easier to change, I suggested that I buy 2% next time and just work his way down to skim.

Then at the encouragement of friends, I purchased a different brand of milk this week, Horizon. Their fat free milk is some of the best tasting milk I've ever found. It doesn't have the blue hue that most skim has and the consistency is more like that of 1% or 2%. Even the finicky husband likes it. It is definitely more expensive than the Kroger brand I've been buying, but there are several benefits that make it worth the purchase. Besides the great taste, the expiration date is much later thus the milk I've been pouring out after it expired isn't likely to happen. Since we both like it, I can now buy one carton instead of two. Being labeled "organic" isn't a sudden blessing turning a food or substance instantly healthy, but I'll go on the idea with milk that a cow fed better food and not pumped full of steroids probably produces a milk that's better for me to drink.

I think I'll go have a glass of milk...

Cheese Anyone?

I've been enjoying another of my culinary related Christmas gifts lately, a 3 month subscription to the Cheese of the Month club from Bedford Cheese Shop.

The first of the three months selection arrived recently. They sent three cheeses, selected according to Bedford's website "based on seasonality, quality, ripeness and for the manner in which they complement one another." All three were very good, one of which I will definitely add to my regular cheese purchases. Here's a little bit about each of the three:

Brescianella Stagionata - This one was described as "for those who love some stinky ooze." That description, combined with the definitely pungent aroma of the cheese left my husband a strong reason to not just avoid tasting it, but to leave the kitchen altogether. He and a friend claim their olfactory senses haven't lead them wrong thus far, and they'll keep trusting their evaluation of the situation at hand. In small portions the scent is less noticeable, and this is truly one of the creamiest cheeses I've ever eaten. Despite some who won't override their sense of smell, anyone I've shared this with liked it.

Colston Bassett Stilton - The prettiest cheese of the bunch, I've been wanting to try a good English Stilton to compare to the basic blue cheeses I can get at the local grocery store. The resemblance ends with appearance. Maybe that's too harsh... but this does have a far superior taste over any blue cheese I've had in the past. It's great with crackers.

Raschera - My favorite of the three, this semi-firm cheese has a good flavor that goes well with anything. It melts nicely, I topped a pita with turkey and the cheese one day for lunch. I've already found that I can get this one via Amazon if not locally. Yea!

In my travels, I'm finding that more and more of the tasty eats can come to you. The internet certainly makes it possible to expand your palate with a minimal effort. Not to worry though, I'll remain always ready for a trip to find good food straight from the source.

PS Thanks to my hubby for the great gift!

Sometimes enough is enough

Do you have any companies with whom you refuse to do business? It seems a lot of us do, for any number of reasons. How about restaurants where you do not dine? Until the new smoking ban took effect July 2006, there were a few of those in my area that I simply avoided. But what about other reasons, such as lousy service, bad food, or the worst of the crimes, poor cleanliness? Are they enough to make you stay away from a restaurant long-term, and if so, for how long?

Tonight I gave the one restaurant that has remained on my "avoid" list, Ruby Tuesday, another try. Without going into a long diatribe about the incident, let's sum up my last experience there as not at all good, leaving me feeling personally insulted. It was enough to make me walk away for at least a year. After that long, my frustration had softened and my memory had faded enough to let me give the restaurant another chance to win back my patrionage. After two visits, which I felt was more than generous, back to the avoidance list they returned. Fast forward to this evening, about another year later, and my next attempt to see if they'd improved. I vowed to be optimistic and not go into the meal with a grudge. To their advantage, I had good company to keep me distracted from what I would have otherwise deemed a lengthy wait for my meal. The food quality was as good, as expected. Their menu has changed, and while some of the new selections sound good, I do miss the bit of nutritional info they once provided. I suspect someone in Marketing tried that trick and when sales of the 1000 or more calorie higher priced dishes sharply declined, the menus were in for a rapid redesign. The service was the downfall; the waiter had about as much personality as a dull brown brick and had to be chased down for drink refills. If the restaurant had every table full I'd have probably been more forgiving, but with numerous empty tables, why the disappearing act?

Since the food was reasonably good, I'll probably not flat refuse to go the next time family or friends want to eat at Ruby Tuesday. They've got another chance to redeem themselves. If the service remains poor next time, I'll vote with my dining dollars and give them to a more appreciative business.

Hungry?

I came across a blog of interest and I thought I'd share. Evan, the site's owner, spend the entire month of November eating on $1 a day. What he learns along the way, detailed with his easy to read style, makes for a worthwhile read. You can visit his blog here.

Weather and Travel

I would love to go somewhere exciting this weekend, but with the weather forecast indicating enough rain to make me purchase ark-building materials, I think I'll stay home and see what experimental dishes arise from my kitchen.

Yesterday I stopped in at one of the best BBQ restaurants I've found anywhere, The Rib Crib. It's a smaller chain located in about eight states; the location I visited is in Searcy, Arkansas. What makes them unique to me is that they don't simply offer Pulled Pork and Beef Brisket, plated in 15 million different ways. Included on the menu besides the two classic standbys are two types of chicken, smoked turkey, smoked ham, ribs, polish sausage and even bologna. I haven't found anything bad on the menu, and after a few visits I can say the service is top-notch too.

(A "Create your own dinner" of brisket and pulled pork is what's shown here, not including the side items, from which there are plenty to choose. )

The Blender Tests

I couldn't wait long to try out the new blender (Blendtec, just got it in, see previous post for details if you missed it.) I picked two very different recipes from the included cookbook to test it's abilities. I would classify both as successful.

After a quick spin with 4 cups of ice just to see if it really did make snow and some thoughts of making snowcream, I dumped the ice and went forward with the experiments. Given the warmer winter we've had, I can't say snowcream is out of the running long-term. First I made Peanut Butter Ice Cream. The only advance preparation required is to make ice cubes out of non-dairy creamer. Toss those, peanut butter, a bit more creamer, vanilla and some sugar into the blender and press the "ice cream" button. A few seconds later you have Peanut Butter Ice Cream, but in more of a soft-serve texture. I put it in the freezer to firm up, which after about 3 hours made it very good. The only flaw in this experiment wasn't the blender or the recipe, but my idea to use natural peanut butter, which simply doesn't have the sweetness you need from the sugar in regular peanut butter to make an excellent ice cream.

My next choice was Taco Soup. The interesting ingredient was 3 tablespoons of unpopped popcorn kernels. Yes, unpopped, teeth chipping kernels. You'd never know they were there when the soup was complete, and it added a touch of a corn taste to the soup. I used hot water, where the instructions indicate from several of their soups you can use cold water; just press the Soups button two or three times. It comes out nice and hot. It makes a great base for soup, and to accomplish more complex or blended flavors, you could simmer the blended base for as long as you like. Just the idea that I could put together a fresh soup in a matter of minutes is great; it would be good for last minute or surprise guests or to make a quick batch for lunch.

The only complaint I can think of about the machine is that it is quite loud. You won't be chatting while making your soup or ice cream. Since it only takes about a minute and a half for most recipes, the break in conversation might be just what you needed.