Food of Texas

Good morning!

I'm going to talk about public food, bought food, restaurant food, fast food today. I cannot compare home food because all my sisters and brothers in law are phenomenal cooks (or eaters), so don't want to get into that.

We decided that we'd eat Whataburgers for breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever we could find them, for we have no Whataburgers in California.  However, alas, I don't think that Whataburgers are what they were. 

But this brings me to a little-discussed point: even with chains, the actual quality of the food still depends on the individual stand itself. Its management, the training, the help, the cook, the actually cook of that day, still have great influence on what you're going to get to eat.

I think I'll just talk about three shrimp dishes today. I love shrimp but rarely eat it because Theodore doesn't like it (so too much trouble to make it at home for just me), and don't eat it out because I don't trust the restaurants to buy good shrimp and cook them well.

In San Antonio in a tiny Mexican cafe called Mi Ranchito Alegre, I decided to order Nachos con Camaron .  Wow, how delicious they were, and how well prepared.  They used medium sized shrimp and cut them in one or two pieces. These pieces were grilled or pan fried with flavorings.  For the base, they used the restaurant chips, not Fritos of course.  So, there was a base of fried tortilla pieces, the shrimp pieces, a sauce of tomato, chile, onions, chopped. And over all there was real cheese sprinkled and melted. This dish was unbelieveably delicious. I was very surprised at how good it was. Every part of it was prepared with care, and the result showed it.

Next, at the Vermilion in Brownsville, Texas (my home town) we had lunch with my sister's college pals, profs from the University of Texas (a jovial bunch) and a few  wives.  I ordered the shrimp cocktail, but this was no placid cup with a few shrimp hanging over the edge, filled with cocktail sauce. It was a platter with at least two dozen medium large cold shrimp and at least one avocado's worth of perfect cubes, swimming in a cold sauce that was a combination of the American and Mexican tastes, a bit sweet and a bit picante and just perfect.  I gobbled up the whole thing and expected to feel too full, but --there was something about this Texas food I ate--I ate much more than usual and many fried things, but gained not an ounce in two weeks.

The third good shrimp dish was on the way home somewhere near San Antonio.  We went to a Dairy Queen. We have now decided that DQ's burgers are better than Whataburgers. This DQ, like several others where we stopped, was operated by smiling, kind and friendly young people who seemed to be just naturally happy to be working and serving us food.

I ordered the "Shrimp in a Basket," something I'd ordinarily never approach in any kind of eatery that offered it.  It was perfect. It was served with french fries that were also quite perfect though I am not a french fry aficionada.  There were about fifteen good sized shrimp, tails on, breaded, perfectly fried. They were sizzlin' hot, served with a little container of Ken's Steak House Seafood Cocktail Sauce. It was cold and perfect. The shrimp were hot and perfect. I even complimented the chef upon leaving, asking to what extent he participated in putting the shrimp together. The girl said they come already prepared, and, "He fries 'em up."  Frying them up is not as easy as one might think. Temperature, timing, serving...all are important. He did a good job.

Over in Texas, everyone is still buying and eating Gulf Shrimp.  There's no doubt that the ones in Brownsville, the cold ones, were Gulf Shrimp.  Harder to tell with the others, especially the DQ ones. But--GOOD, GOOD.

That's all for today. Today is Wednesday and you know what that means--music, music, music. No. 2 gave me a new piece in Brownsville: Milhaud's Suite Francaise. so we shall play it today. SLOWLY.

Hasta mañana! YAZZYBEL