Category Archives: Dining

Dining

Challenge: dining on a dollar…or two!

Hard times call for drastic measures. Budgets are tight, and I realize I have cabinets full of condiments and ingredients waiting to be used. I’ve decided that it’s time to get creative. Utilizing an intial budget of $10 a week, I am resolved to craft tasty meals for one person each day, based around the notion that if I have to spend anything on ingredients that day…it will not exceed $2. Because of sites like AllRecipes.com, I’m inspired to come up with some creative plates based on as few ingredients as possible, yet be healthy and filling. Who would have thought something like Pad Thai Noodles, Garlic Parmesan Macaroni and Fried Rice could be found from my own cupboards yet still be deliciously homey?

This week I spent a total of $11 at the local grocery store. Milk, eggs, 2 boxes of pasta, an onion, a bag of peas and carrots, a jar of Ragu tomato sauce, 2 heads of garlic, and 8oz of shredded parmesan. I already whipped up my standard fried rice based on one theme ingredient: a can of whole water chestnuts. It turned out like my typical fried rice (garlic, onions, eggs, peas and carrots, pepper, garlic salt, dash of fish sauce and sweet soy), except I’m thinking I should have sliced the chestnuts for a more homogenous crunch throughout. And being the type of person who ends up making more than usual, I have enough leftover for another day! Yay me!

Bites and Finds, Dining

Charleston Cheesecake

I didn’t get to sample much of the local cuisine on my trip to SC this weekend, but I did manage to consume something that had “Charleston” in its name. Apparently it’s a signature dessert on many a Charleston menu…so it must be decidedly very “Charleston-ish”. Charleston cheesecake seemed to be largely caramel-based, something apparently found in great abundance in South Carolina. The cheesy creaminess had a dark brown sugar cast to it, caramel pervades the entire dish. Something I was pleased to find out: Charleston cheesecake pairs wonderfully with strawberries.
Dining, Recipes

Signature Fried Rice

For Shun:

2-2.5 cups of day-old steamed jasmine rice
4 lop cheong sausages (Chinese sausage) bias sliced
3 whole cloves peeled/chopped garlic
1.5 yellow onion, fine chopped
1 package of dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight and sliced into strips OR
1 15oz can of WHOLE straw mushrooms, peeled
4 jumbo eggs
1 small piece of fresh ginger root, julienned or thick shaved
1 8oz bag of frozen peas/carrots
1 15oz can of sweet baby corn spears
1 8oz can of sliced water chestnuts
1 crown of chopped broccoli (or 8oz bag frozen broccoli)
2-3 green onions, fine sliced
peanut oil
medium sweet soy sauce
powdered garlic
crushed pepper

Heat pan to medium-high heat and sear sausages until they sweat in the pan. Remove sausages from the pan when they are heated through, lightly browned. Add a tablespoon of peanut oil to the pan. Scramble 4 eggs in the peanut oil then remove.

Add more peanut oil to the pan and saute the julienned ginger root. Once they are golden brown, add the chopped garlic. When the garlic is light golden brown, add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the mushrooms and chopped broccoli to soak up some of the flavor. When the broccoli is tender crisp, add the baby corn and water chestnuts; cook until tender. If out of peanut oil, add some more at this stage.

Add the peas and carrots until heated through. Then add the rice. Make sure the rice isn’t cold or it will take forever to separate and stir. Drizzle medium sweet soy sauce throughout the mixture until it is lightly colored. Turn off the heat and continue to stir fry, season with powdered garlic and crushed pepper.

Toss in the scrambled eggs and sausages. Sprinkle green onions over the mixture and stir lightly. Remove from pan and serve warm. You can serve it by itself or with any meat or vegetable dish.

Dining, Reviews

Texas BBQ Two-step

Ricky Ray’s BBQ

3100 Independence Parkway, Suite 299
Plano, Texas 75075
(972) 867-2000

I spotted a Chowhounder’s single review of this place, and given its address on Independence Pkwy (north of my work) I decided to pay it a visit. I ended up circling nearly all of the strip malls on all corners of Parker and Independence when I finally saw the storefront facing Parker Road.

The restaurant didn’t smell of smoke like I expected, it was clean but spartan. A flat panel tv hung on a wall, providing the only diversion in an otherwise quiet dining room. I guess the crowds haven’t caught wind of this place yet.

I ordered the brisket dinner (requested moist and chopped) with onion rings and sweet potato fries. I was really looking forward to the fries, since I never had it served this way before. The fries were merely ordinary, with a slight hint of crunchy sweetness. The onion rings proved better, which was just as well, because it took them 15 minutes or more to finally deliver my order. The gent behind the counter showed me the goods before sealing and bagging it.

When I got home, I was rather disappointed with the quantity and fine chop of the brisket (hidden under triangles of buttered toast). It looked and tasted rather dry, definitely a far cry from the moist that I requested. The only thing redeeming about the brisket was the smoky flavor which permeated every bite. For $8.99 + tax, I have to say I wasn’t very impressed. Maybe I should’ve gone with the stuffed spud or ribs.

I’m willing to give Ricky Ray’s another try, but I’ll make sure to try the sausage or the ribs…but I’m not sure I’d give them another shot if they fail me again.

My rating: 2.0 stars
**

Big Daddy’s Roadhouse BBQ

1000 Highway 78
Lavon, TX 75166
(972) 843-5200

I was excited to learn that one of Texas Monthly’s top rated BBQ joints was a few miles north of home in Lavon. Armed with my wishlist, I drove up 78 to find this top 50 winner to sample their offerings.

Apparently word had gotten around. Big Daddy’s small parking lot was full and a line extended to the door. Granted, the roadhouse was a tiny converted general store, so the line was maybe 6-8 people long. But quarters were still tight; I had to hug the wall to avoid getting slammed in the back by the door.

I’d compare Big Daddy’s to scaled-down Rudy’s BBQ (my favorite BBQ outpost in Austin). But the accolades were posted everywhere on the walls, and there was a general feeling of approval in all of the patrons waiting at the counter. This felt like award-winning BBQ being served here.

When my turn finally came, I decided on the Large Family Pack: 2 pounds of moist brisket, which the man behind the counter happily complied with, and a rack of ribs (he pointed out it was his 2nd-to-last rack in-house). Along with the meats, I ordered their Southern Potato Salad, macaroni and corn on the cob.

When I finally sat down with a family of 4 to sample the goods…all thoughts of Rudy’s brisket vanished from my mind. Big Daddy’s moist and juicy brisket blew it away. The man behind the counter had given us both sliced and rough chopped, and the chopped version was more outstanding than the sliced. Even the 20 minute drive to Rowlett didn’t dry out the meat. The ribs were similarly outstanding, slipping off the bone, and just toothsome goodness. Big Daddy’s quickly skyrocketed to the top of my all-time best BBQ list.

But to be fair, none of the sides proved to be as memorable as the meats…which is fine. None of these should ever eclipse the stars of the BBQ pit. The potato salad proved to be mustardy (I should’ve ordered the mayo version) although it best counterpointed the sweetness of the meats. The corn and macaroni were forgettably bland.

That’s okay with me…I know what I’m going to Big Daddy’s for, and it isn’t for filler. Brisket is king here in Lavon; I’m thrilled to live just a short drive away.

Followup 7/19/08:
Hoping against hope that the moist and juicy brisket wasn’t a fluke, I headed out to Lavon for another pound of brisket. Again, the brisket wowed me (though I did wish it had a more flavorful crust). This is absolutely splendid brisket. Kudos to Big Daddy’s for consistency and marvelous meats.

My rating: 4.0 stars
****