From Frozen to Fabulous!

Frozen foods have been around since the 1920’s, believe it or not. In this modern day, they are truly a far cry from their humble, vegetable, beginnings with Clarence Birdseye and his contemporaries. Just about any type or style of food can now be found in the freezer section of your local grocery. How you prepare them is plainly laid out on the package, but how you serve them can be another matter all together.

Let us take the simple burrito. While it can merely be heated and eaten, it can also be so much more. Lay out thawed burritos in a baking dish and cover them with chili and cheese, then bake until everything is heated through and the cheese is all melty. Serve up with freshly sliced avocado, sour cream, salsa or pico de gallo, and fresh greens for a more TexMex flair that feeds the soul as well as the stomach.

Have a taste for lasagne? Pick one up for supper tonight, but be sure to grab some extra mozzarella, grated dry cheese such as asiago or parmesan, pesto, and fresh basil. Cook the lasagne as directed, but when the cover comes off to allow the top cheese to melt and brown, smear on some pesto and sprinkle on the extra cheese before popping back in the oven for that last five or ten minutes. Serve with a fresh side salad featuring strips of fresh basil, and a warm and crusty garlic bread.

Pretty much everyone is aware of pigs in a blanket, or klobásníks. Sausage wrapped in a bit of dough and baked up for a hand sandwich. Use croissant pastry and fill it with sausage, cheese, cheese sticks, sliced chicken, or even sliced steak sauteed with onions and peppers for that Philly take.

Eggs are another ubequtious ingredient that many overlook. Crack some fresh eggs onto a frozen pizza before cooking for a sunny side up surprise. Add a fried egg to a cheeseburger, or make it scrambled if you prefer. Turn breakfast into dinner or dinner into breakfast!

Coffee is another kitchen wonder. If you have some leftover from the beginning of your day, use it to end your day in a delightful way. Put a scoop or two of ice cream into a dish or cup, then pour the cold coffee over it to make an Italian cafe classic – an affogato. Top with sliced almonds, whipped cream, even sprinkles to customize your dessert or evening sweet tooth offering.

Give these ideas a try, or better yet, try out your own. Let us know what you come up with so we can give your ideas a whirl in our own kitchen, too.

Enjoy!

— Ann Cathey

La King’s – Galveston, Texas

“Meet me at La King’s Confectionery.”

La King’s is an old fashioned ice cream parlour and candy factory on the historic Strand. Old time fountain delights, coffee, salt water taffy, lollipops, and so many chocolates! There’s even a case full of sugar-free (isomalt) chocolates for those of us who need an alternative to sugar.

The ambiance is definitely a bit of history, with huge wooden bars and barbacks serving as soda fountain, ice cream service, coffee shop, decorated with antique machines and containers of ingredients once used by La King’s. These fabulous antiques run down one side of the shop. The other side is covered in displays of candies, on tables and in refrigerated cabinets. Down the middle of the space are the nut roaster and popcorn machine, silly coin operated games, and white wireworks ice cream parlour tables and chairs. At the far end is the candy making demonstration area, only it’s not just a demonstration. La King’s prides itself in showing you how it’s done while they are actually making their products.According to their marketing material:

La King’s is your connection to a by-gone era. La King’s Confectionery goes back tot he 1920’s when James. H. King began his apprenticeship in candy making at the St. Regis Confectionery in Houston, Texas. He learned his craft well under the watchful eyes of “old-world masters”. Jimmy established his own business and eventually supplied stores throughout the south. He inspired his sons to learn the candy business with the sme pride and attention to detail.

In 1976, Jimmy’s oldest son, Jack, moved his family to the historic Strand in Galveston to recreate an old fashioned confectionery. With the help of his family, Jack created La King’s Confectionery. He has continued to use 19th century formulas and methods handed down to him, making confections using traditional equipment and procedures.

La King’s features a 1920’s soda fountain, serving malts, shakes, ice cream sodas, sundaes, splits, floats and your favorite fountain treats.

Our master candymaker will delight you with his old time specialties made right before your eyes on antique equipment. We make more than 50 candies from traditional recipes.

La King’s ice cream parlour makes and serves “Purity” ice cream. Purity was the first ice cream manufacturer in Texas, The company was founded in 1889 on Galveston Island.

In addition to all the wonderful sweets, La King’s also offers a full service coffee bar serving Duncan coffees. They also carry a full line of roasted Duncan beans in case you want to take some home. The Texas Pecan is a nice treat on a cold day!

The complete array of La King’s goodies may be ordered online and shipped to your home, or to others as a gift. Sweeten your day by visiting their website for more information on La King’s candies and other treats.

On the 1-5 scale, La King’s gets:
Cleanliness – 5
Service – 5
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – 4
Overall experience – 4.8

La King’s Confectionery
2323 The Strand
Galveston Island, Texas
409-762-6100

— Ann Cathey

Slow Cooker Recipes from Crock-Pot #5

I like to use slow cooker liners. Whenever I buy a box of them, there is invariably a little handout inside that includes a few recipes. They are great for folks starting out with slow cookers!

This sweet treat is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Apple Crisp
Cook time on Low: 4 hours
Cook time on High: 2 hours
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
6 cups apples, thinly sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp flour
2 cups bread crumbs, softened
1Tbs cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 lemon, juice and zest

Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine apples, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon zest.
2. In another bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and bread crumbs.
3. In the stoneware, layer one third of the bread crumb mixture, then one third of the apple mixture. Repeat layers of bread crumbs and apples and finish with a layer of breadcrumbs on top.
4. Cook as preferred until bubbly.

Notes:
While the recipe above does not specify how to soften the breadcrumbs, a tablespoon or two of a sweet white wine, hard cider, or mead are on my list to try out.

A dash of vanilla may be added to increase the richness of the dish, if desired.

Choose your apples according to what end result you want. Golden Delicious will add to the sweetness and be softer. Granny Smiths will give the dish a tart dash and cook up a little firmer.

Pears, raspberries, and blueberries will each add it’s own flavor signature to this dish. Experiment and see which you like best.

Peeling the apples is entirely up to you. The best nutritional value is found in the skins, but we are talking about a dessert dish, after all.

Adding a tablespoon of wheat germ to the breadcrumb mixture is a good way to add additional roughage to dish.

Serve like a traditional apple pie: shred a little cheddar on top while it’s hot, and sidecar with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. Think I am crazy? Try it and find out!

— Ann Cathey

Scoops – Brenham, TX

With all the recent uproar over Blue Bell Ice Cream, I thought I would let ya’ll know about a little place that serves Blue Bell by the dip, even on Sunday. It’s called Scoops.

Located in a little convenience store at the intersection of Texas State Highway 105 and US Highway 290 on the west side of Brenham, Scoops serves nothing but Blue Bell Ice Creams. they often carry flavors you can’t readily find at the grocery store, too. It seems to be the ONLY place to get Blue Bell on Sunday. Scoops is open every day from 9:00 am – 10:00 pm.

This is a great place to make a pit stop when heading to Austin from Houston or Conroe, or the other way around, along the 105 route. Not only is there Blue Bell, but there is a full convenience store with fuel, and a little gift shop on the other end of the strip that carries a lovely assortment of things to please.

The indoor dining area seats about 30, and there are a couple of picnic tables outside as well. These tables are shared with the convenience store’s hot meal diners, so it’s not all ice cream.

Don’t try to park in front as it’s always crowded. Go on around the back and make the walk – it’s not far. There are some steps to climb, just so you know. Other walking access is up the driveway on a moderately steep slope.

This is one of those little discoveries that makes travel a joy. Stop on by and give them a try!

On the 1-5 scale, Scoops gets:
Cleanliness – 4.5
Service – 4.5
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – 4
Overall experience – 4.6

–Ann Cathey