Texas Taco

So in my last post, I mentioned we went on a drive up north and found the Round Tuit restaurant. What I didn't mention is that we also stopped off at Texas Taco on the way home for, yes, a taco. Steve has a thing about the place. Every time he drives by there, he has to stop in and get one even if he's just eaten. And we had both just eaten. He usually gets a fiesta pup which is a sabrett hotdog with chili, cheese and onions on a steamed bun. The tacos (as well as the burritos) are either beef or bean, shredded cheese, lettuce, onions and a bit of hot sauce. (There isn't much more than guacamole and stuff on the menu.) And at $2 each, even if they were terrible, it isn't a huge loss. The first time I had a taco there, and speaking just about the food, well...I was disappointed. To me, it tasted as though she opened up an Ortega taco kit. I later read that it was her grandmother's recipe. A texan thing. When I tasted it this time around, I have to say that the flavors were a little more diffused than what I remembered. And it wasn't an Ortega mix (I think).

I could understand the attraction to the place. From the outside to the inside, it's hard to miss this place. I've posted a link to an article with pics. The pics don't even show how vivid some of the colors are and the crazy things on her lawn. And on the inside, there was a general strange, dark feel to the place. (And do take a trip to the bathroom. Yes, do.) She has a strange collection of weird goods with mismatched tables and chairs to go along with it. The last time we went, I was sitting at the table (right next to the real life hot dog cart she stands behind) that had purple frillies hanging over the sides and onto my lap. Speaking of purple, there is a good deal of it on Rosemary Jamison, the owner. Her eye area is penciled in an exaggerated fashion. And she used to have purple hair, but this past weekend, it was just dark. And yes, with the crazy, purple eye make up. If you read up on her, she has had quite an interesting life and met many famous people. She plays a mix of alternative, funk and punk. WXCI 91.7 (Western Connecticut State University "Wescon") was on the radio playing "Now I want to be your dog" by the Stooges. So if you got a few bucks in your pocket, stop by Texas Taco just to see Rosemary and her place. Just a note: She no longer allows you to photograph the inside of her restaurant. So grab an eye full & a cheap snack and Eat Something Good!

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=18&RefID=18

Roadfood.com is a great site. I suggest you peruse it at your leisure. You may just salivate.

Texas Taco
2588 Route 22
Patterson, NY

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Classic Beef Pot Roast

I have been searching for a good pot roast recipe. I came across some very interesting ones but because we've never made one, we opted for a more basic recipe. Steve actually found the recipe, I was only turning up strange things. Like how can a pot roast not have potatoes in it? Right so, he found one that's actually from Cooking Light magazine. I didn't think they'd have such a hearty meal in a cooking light magazine. Anyway, our long-time dream came true as we smelled the wonderful smells in the kitchen.

Here's what I did. I took a chuck roast...one word. In my mind, I'd always thought that pot roasts were those big hunks of packaged meat, but this recipe called for a chuck roast which is sliced much like a london broil. Looked like a thick, giant steak. So I seasoned and browned the roast in the dutch oven. Then I removed it from the pan and cooked up the large diced onions. I let them get a little caramelized. The roast went back into the pan and I added the liquids and seasonings. Red Wine, Beef broth ( I used progresso from a blue box), dried thyme (recipe called for fresh but we didn't have any so I substituted), fresh chopped garlic & bay leaves. There ya have it. You bring it to a simmer, put the lid on it and throw it in the oven. After about an hour and a half, you throw in the potatoes (2" cut) and carrots (1" cut). Wait another agonizing hour and you have your final product.

We both enjoyed the meal very much. The potatoes were beautiful. Perfectly cooked. I thought the carrots were slightly overcooked but Steve thought they were perfect and loved them. Now the meat, the chuck roast. It was tender, however, not as tender as I expected it to be. It wasn't falling apart as easily as I would've liked. But it was tender enough to savor and enjoy. Some times it takes a bit of work to Eat Something Good!

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Salisbury Steak

I talked about it and then I did it. I found a recipe for salisbury steak and I made it for dinner last night. I've only had frozen entree ones before. There's some variation in taste and especially texture amongst them. But there was always the main idea of a meatloaf ee meat covered with a brown gravy. That's how I usually picture them. Our recipe last night took a little turn after reading the comments about the dish.

I employed Steve last night for the parts I didn't want to deal with. Hehehe. For the steak, you mix together ground beef, egg, bread crumbs (we used japanese bread crumbs (panko)), 1/3 of the condensed french onion soup and s & p. I had Steve mix up the batch and shape them into loaves. Too cook, I changed around the directions a little. Instead of pan-frying them all the way though, I seared the meat on one side, flipped it over and poured the sauce on top. Then I threw it in the oven. Speaking of which. For the sauce, I combined the remaining condensed french onion soup, condensed cream of mushroom soup (added this as per people's suggestion - the recipe did not call for it), water, flour, ketchup (yes, ketchup), Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder and s & p. As I said, I poured this mix over the steaks and let them finish cooking in the oven.

I served herbed potato wedges with them. I had Steve wash two large russet potatoes and cut them into 8 wedges each. They looked like giant steak fries with the skin on them. To a plastic bag, I added olive oil, plenty of salt, black pepper, dried thyme and dried rosemary. I put the potatoes into the bag and made sure all the wedges got herbed n' oiled. Then I threw them onto a sheet pan. I stood them upright with the skin side down. I baked them up on a high'ish heat and then later cranked up the heat to try to get them crispier. Oh, and I nuked up some frozen Bird's Eye peas and also some corn.

The verdict. Ok. Steve enjoyed it as did I, however, I didn't love it. I'll tell you why. It was all in the sauce. First of all, I shouldn't have added the cream of mushroom. Sounded like a good idea and people swore by it. I shouldn't have followed their lead. And there was sort of a gross taste to the sauce. Steve thought the tang could've been from the onions in the french onion soup. But I quickly pointed out that it was really the ketchup and dried mustard combo that I didn't love. Sometimes I have burgers or hot dogs with both ketchup and mustard on them. Sometimes I'm just in that kind of mood. Last night, I wasn't. And I wasn't expecting it in this dish. A word about the texture. It was very good. Very, very good. It was uniformly soft and tender but still had a meatiness to it. I think the panko really helped. If I were to repeat this dish with changes, I'd do the steak part the same way. It was almost perfect. I thought the texture was great.

The potato wedges were good. At first, Steve didn't like them cause he thought the outsides were too leathery. I didn't get the crisp that I was looking for. But once he hit it with the sauce, he raved about them. I liked them right off the batt. I'll definitely do the potato wedges again. The peas and corn were fine. I think, however, that canned green beans would've been a better match for this trash meal.

Settle in for some down home cookin' and Eat Something Good!

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Beef Barley Soup

All winter long I've been wanting to try this soup recipe. I love beef barley soup though I think it's possible that I've only had it from a can. Hot soups are perfect on like snowy days. And we are expecting snow again. So last night, I cooked up a quick soup. Quick because there's little preparation and mostly simmering. Here's what I did.

First, I sauteed up some garlic (minced), onion (large dice), celery, carrot rounds and sliced mushrooms in a little canola oil. Then you add the beef broth (I used Progresso - the kind in a blue box), dried barley and small pieces of stew meat. Finally, you simmer it all together for about an hour or until the barley cooks through.

Steve loved the soup. I thought it was okay but I didn't love it. Here's the part I didn't love. I was hoping that the little bits of meat would be like yummy nuggets that would impart a salty, beefy flavor. Unfortunately, the way the recipe was written, there was little hope for the beef. Next time, I'm going to sear the meat beforehand and then sautee the veggies in the same pot afterwards. I'm also going to add more barley. It's safe to say, I'm going to double the amount. With these changes, the soup will improve and I'll Eat Something Good!

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Manwich Sloppy Joes

We had a total trash night. I was so looking forward to it. All day even. Sloppy, sloppy joes. All you do is brown some ground beef and then add the Manwich sauce from the can and heat through. It's sooo easy. I added a little salt & pepper to it as well. You know what it was? Those darned commercials. And we hadn't had sloppy joes in several years. The last few times we did, we used hamburger buns. The soft, squishy ones. When I was growing up, this place sold sloppy joes on hard rolls or kaiser rolls. I really liked them and so whenever I thought of sloppy joes, I thought of them on hard rolls. Steve resisted the idea a great deal. But in the end, he gave in and I made him a nice sandwich with wavy lay's potato chips.

The easy to determine verdict. Yum! It tasted as I remembered it to be. I love sloppy joes and Manwich's original sauce is the best. Actually, I haven't tried the other varieties like barbecue. That one sounds sorta interesting to me. Hmmm...I don't even know if they have competitors in this field. Steve liked it on the hard roll, but he still prefers hamburger buns. I don't mind them on hamburger buns but you can't get as much meat on a sandwich and I think it's messier. The hard roll tends to soak up a little of the sauce making the sandwich more manageable. And pile the meat in the center'ish and don't go to the edges completely. Then you'll be happy and Eat Something Good!

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Wendy's Double Stack

I kept seeing those commercials for Wendy's double stack. I wanted to try one right away but for some reason I never got around to it. Well, as we were running errands the other day, we happen to pass one by. Neither of us had had breakfast so we were starving. I suggested we try the double stacks and went through the drive-thru. We each had one double stack, large fries and diet coke to share. The double stack was two square beef patties with american cheese, raw onion, ketchup and pickle chips. It was nice and hot and juicy. I liked the topping combination. Usually when I have burgers at home I just use a little sliced onion with ketchup. I never put pickles on it. I don't know why. It's most likely because I don't want to deal with pickles and having the smell of it on your fingers. Anyhow, if you're starved and eating on a budget and are not vegetarian or at all health conscious, then I recommend the double stack. Yeah, Eat Something Good!

Wendy's
1894 Route 6
Carmel, NY

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Broiled Swiss Cheeseburgers

Here's a cute little story. One day, Steve was sick. He had a bad cold. I called him up and he apologized for not being able to come down to see me. So, I went up there. We liked that idea. I asked him if he needed anything like cough syrup. He was so moved when I offered that to him. He said no one's ever done something like that for him. By the time I'd arrived there his spirits were lifted. I remember it was late fall on a day very soon after the rains. So the sun was shining but the ground was wet. Anyway, his mood lifted so much that he wanted to make us some cheeseburgers. Neither of us had too much money so I thought that it was an excellent idea. Little things made us very happy. And they still do. The barbecue. Sigh. Wasn't working. We had to run to our local hardware store. Then we had to get the propane tank filled. Oh, I think we had to go to the hardware store twice because we got the wrong size the first time. It was fun doing all that running around. All that to buy these 'flavor savor' bars. They're like these metal bars you put on the bottom to equally distribute the heat. Once we got that all set up, we were in business!

Steve made me one of the best burgers I'd ever eaten. I don't recall what kind of cheese he used, but I'm quite certain it was Land O' Lakes yellow american. I was so pleased that I decided to give them a name. Then, *ding*, the word 'Pucks' comes to mind. Yes, it has an association to hockey pucks and when referred to a burger - it's way, way too dry, inedible. Anyway, I thought it'd be funny and ironic to name his delicious cheeseburgers that. He was hip to the idea and it stuck around for a while. (Note: He does, on occasion, severely overcook the burgers. I do, too.)

Last night I made broiled swiss cheeseburgers. I used the same kind of meat we almost always get - ground chuck from our local little market. I made them into thin'ish, wide'ish patties. I salt & peppered both sides. Then Steve reminded me that I should probably elevate them somehow so they were closer to the broiler. I flipped over a half-sheet pan. About an inch thick. And threw the burgers on a wire rack over a broiling pan. It fits in perfectly. (And it's great for baking whole chickens.) I didn't wait for the top of the burgers to get charred because, with our oven, bad things happen. (Ie: Things gets overcooked.) So I flipped them when only a touch of browing occurred. I waited for the other side to become similar in color before I put the swiss cheese on top and back it went to the broiler. I only had it on for like a minute more before the cheese melted. On the side, we had salad. Greens mixed with the usual grape tomatoes (these were very small and I liked that) & red onions. We had it with Ken's lite bleu cheese dressing.

The swiss cheeseburgers. They were damn good as per Steve. I was pretty pleased with them myself. I actually didn't cook the heck out of them. Let me tell you about the first bite. I took a big one and as I was doing it a whole bunch of oh-so-good brown liquid fell onto my cheap paper plate. (The white, uncoated kind.) It bursted with juices. Oh my goodness was my first thought. The juice leakage continued to happen until I was half-way through eating it. When Steve took his first bite, the same exact thing happened and he made happy noises after a slightly startled one. Oh, Steve had his burger with lettuce, red onion, mayo, ketchup, s&p. I had mine with red onion and get this, A-1 steak sauce. I crave the stuff every now and then though I only use it for steak. And I only have steak, real steak, once in a while. And I only use sauce occasionally for part of the steak - the rest I eat with just salt & pepper. The A-1 steak sauce and red onion combo was good. I was so used to having the thickness of ketchup that I wasn't prepared for all the sauce to get absorbed back into the bun. I had to add a little more. It was a nice departure from ketchup. I enjoyed it. Didn't love it though and I won't be craving one for a long while. The salad was just a salad last night. I couldn't care less about it after eating the delicious burger. I suppose I should've let the burgers sit for a few minutes so the juices would redistribute. I was too hungry to wait. And if you're hungry now, Eat Something Good!

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Soy-Marinated Steak Tips

Steve used to work up at Stewart airport. It was like construction management or something. They were building the new control tower there. It was sorta neat. I got to drive one of those bobcat things or bulldozer...I don't really know what it was. Steve tells me all the time but my memory always fails me. Anyway, his boss that we affectionately refer to as "uncle *insert name*" introduced Steve to steak tips. At least he introduced him to the idea of it. Neither of us had ever had them. Supposedly it's very popular in Boston. Anyone?

I used Sirloin streak tips. ( Remember they are big, long, fat strips of meat.) For the marinade, I threw together some olive oil, soy sauce (not the super dark kind but the lighter japanese kind), sugar in the raw, ground ginger, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried rosemary and freshly ground black pepper. I didn't want to add extra salt because, as you know, soy sauce is already salty. I put the marinade into a zip top plastic bag and shook it up so the contents mixed well and so the sugar would dissolve. (Sugar in the raw tend to be large granules.) I threw in the Sirloin steak tips whole and let it sit out for about an hour to marinade. (For those not in the know, red meat (like steaks) can sit out for about an hour before cooking - that's what I was taught.) To cook it, I used the broiler. I put the steaks on one of those wire rack things to keep the meat elevated so it wouldn't sit in its own juices and therefore not brown well. I served this with plain basmati rice and corn (frozen Bird's Eye.) Oh, and I served the sirloin steak tips whole. One strip is about six inches long and an inch thick. I know I'm repeating myself here.

The verdict. It was pretty good. I would've liked it to have been a little sweeter. I must go a little heavier on the sugar. Ok. But otherwise, Steve enjoyed it. He wasn't raving about it but he said it was good. The meat came out nicely. Steak Tips tend to be a little chewier if you don't cook it to well done so that's what I do. And nice little brown and burnt spots appeared. And the rice was nice and fluffy and the corn was sweet. All in all, it was a good meal.

Sidebar: I made an error in the first paragraph of my last blog 'Melts'. The correct version was that the tuna went with american cheese; Chicken went with provolone cheese. I apologize for the confusion it may have caused.

Other than that kiddies, Eat Something Good!

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Steak Salad

We use sirloin steak tips when making our salad. They're these six inch or so long pieces about 1" thick and wide. This is a salad that I've made many times before. It's an adaptation of a diner meal we used to get at the El dorado diner in Tarrytown, NY. It's grilled steak with salad greens including raddichio, grape tomatoes, red onions and crumbled gorgonzola cheese. I'm just realizing now that I forgot a critical ingredient: cannellini beans. I guess we missed it last night. I make a basic vinaigrette for it. My usual balsamic vinaigrette.

The steak was slightly overcooked but definitely edible. I cut the steak into managable pieces - actually did them the way Steve likes. I usually make em bigger. So the steak. I actually sorta liked the small charred pieces. They had a nice flavor. The red onions were mild, the tomatoes bursted and gorgonzola cheese just goes really well with the steak. We will be having this meal again and again and again. Okay, folks. Eat Something Good!

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Nathan's

The other day, we went to Nathan's to play video games. The one in Yonkers has an arcade. It's great. It's so loud in there. Anyway, we didn't eat there but it planted the seed. So yesterday, we had an early dinner at a different Nathan's but still a Nathan's. I had two hot dogs. One with mustard and sauerkraut. The other with just mustard. Steve had one with mustard & sauerkraut and one chili cheese dog. We both had fries and sodas to drink. Diet for me. *laugh* Anyway, it was a nice treat. Oh, I almost forgot. The one we go to is also has an Arthur Treacher's (sp?) there. We split a fish sandwich. I forgot what was on it. Like lettuce and tartar sauce, I think. It was good. The fish had a crunch to it unlike McDonald's filet-o-fish. Later on, I got the donut urge again and we stopped by Dunkin Donuts for a powdered jelly donut. Mmmm. I just wish they weren't like a cagillion calories. Ah well. Can't win em all. Eat Something Good!

Nathan's Famous
Cortlandt Town Center
3139 E. Main Street,
Mohegan Lake,NY

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Beef Patty Melt

We went to one of our regular'ish diners, Central Plaza Diner in Yonkers, NY. Anyway, we thought we'd have a nice repeat of the other day's meal - beef patty melts. (We had a surprisingly yummy one at IHOP.) Burger, swiss, fried onions on grilled rye. We had them with a side of fries, cole slaw, and a pickle. The patty melt at this diner was...a disappointment. I wanted to punch the chef a little. The onions. They were these big, diced chunks. Too big and they ruined the sandwich. Also they weren't cooked enough. I like to see a nice brown color on some pieces. Thin slices. With good carmelization going on. That's how I'd make it. Oh, we started off with a side of okay mozzarella sticks with a thin tomato sauce for dipping. Alrighty folks, Eat Something Good!

Central Plaza Diner
1686 Central Park Ave
Yonkers, NY 10710

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Cracker Barrel

As a pre-dinner snack, we stopped off at Dunkin' donuts. I was so psyched because I was completely in the mood for a jelly donut. Powdered. It was great. Only thing is, half of it landed on my fleece and on my jeans. Yes, the danger with eating jelly donuts is the possible gob factor messing you up. And it did me. I still have a very visible stain on my jeans. I think it was strawberry jelly. Anyway, I saw Hunt's ketchup packages for the first time there. I thought it was cool. I hope Hunt's makes a bigger name for itself in ketchup. I want to see Heinz' sweat a little. And, for no reason.

Cracker Barrel. We were starving. It was past 9p. I flipped through the menu and nothing was popping out at me. So when it came time to order, I just asked Steve to order me what he was having. He had one of their combination meals. Breakfast meal. Chicken fried steak with white gravy, biscuits, hash browns (shredded), over easy eggs, and grits. Steve also had a side of mac n cheese, I passed.

The meal was sufficient. Didn't win any culinary awards, but it was good. I decided that I don't love chicken fried steak. Steve does. That's why I started ordering them. But maybe it's just Cracker Barrel's that I don't love. It's very crunchy on the outside with tender'ish meat on the inside. It's like a cube steak texture. And the gravy. Too much but too little. Meaning. They give you a lot of it but it's like missing necessary flavor. There's a little smokiness to it from I suppose bacon but it's not a well, developed flavor. It's a little pasty. The hash brown potatoes weren't too bad. They were eh. I gave one of my eggs to Steve. And the rest of my hash browns. I was eating my grits plain whereas Steve makes his like his dad used to - butter, salt & pepper. It's good. He's made it for me at home that way before. But last night, I was needing at least one thing on my plate not to be heavily seasoned. The iced tea, unsweetened, was refreshing but could've been colder and with more ice.

We were too full for dessert. We usually split a short stack. And they give you warmed syrup and stuff. Yum. I like their pancakes cause they're literally fried. You can see and taste the diffference. When I first started out making pancakes, I used a little butter in the pan and produced a similar product. I started doing it dry after my grandmother gave me a mini lesson on how to flip pancakes. I love watching the bubbles forming along the edges and that immediate rise that hits when it's flipped over with some gusto. I think most diners prep it dry so when I get Cracker Barrel pancakes, they're extra yummy and good.

We hit the candy store afterwards. They have a great little shop. We went to the one in Fishkill, NY. In the spirit of halloween, we got tons of candy. We split this thing called a Pecan roll. Nougat rolled in pecans. It's light and sweet and pretty darn good. Steve was psyched cause we found him baked beans. Boston baked beans. I've had them before but I didn't think it was anything special. I found BB Bats. They updated the packaging but I always have trouble believing that they still exist whenever I stumble across some. I remember pulling my teeth out with these things. They are so sticky and so chewy. I split one with Sid last night. I know I shouldn't be giving him this junk. But as I say to Steve when he complains. I tell him, just as I expand his culinary horizons, I want to do the same for Sid. So he gets a taste of what I'm having. A little taste. Even if it's bad. Except for obvious things like chocolate and onions. Alrighty. I'm rambling! Oh we also had those orange jelly candies rolled in granulated sugar. (The ones that look like an orange segment.) And jelly belly jelly beans. I didn't love those. Too many different flavors combining weirdly in my mouth. Treat yourself right, Happy Halloween and Eat Something Good!

Cracker Barrel
4 Merritt Blvd
Fishkill, NY 12524

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Beef Bourginon

I tried a new recipe last night. Steve stumbled across it. We were lured by the red wine in it. I used to make beef stew with plenty of veggies using wine. So, this recipe. First, I had to cut up the sirloin steak into 2" pieces. Then I had to slice up some bacon. To cook. I threw in onions and mushrooms (sliced) into butter and fried them a little and set them aside. Then I added the bacon to the same pot. Once you pull the crispy pieces out, you brown the meat. The recipe didn't specify whether to set the meat aside while adding flour to thicken the sauce. I did that cause I wanted it to be nicely browned all over. Then I added the meat back in and hit it with red wine, water, tomato paste, thyme and a little s&p. After an hour or so, you add the mushroom & onion mixture back into the stew. I forgot to re-add the crisped bacon bits so it wasn't exactly as the recipe called for. Really, the recipe wasn't very good. I was skeptical of the dish because of it. And it made one critical error. Tomato paste was listed among the ingredients, yet when you read the directions - there was no mention of it. Fortuately, it wasn't too hard to figure out what to do. The recipe suggested serving the dish with rice or noodles. I decided to make mashed potatoes. I used butter, half & half and cream cheese.

The verdict. We both loved it. Things always have a bit of a sophisticated flavor when using wine or other alcohol. Even beer, I think. The mashed potatoes were a little on the dry side but because the gravy was so plentiful and delicious, it wasn't a big deal. I also used white potatoes to make them cause they were around. I don't think it makes the best mashing potato. Next time I'm gonna use the usual russet potato and regular stew meat instead of sirloin. I use stew meat to make goulash and it tastes even better in my opinion. It also cuts costs. We have some leftover and we're going to have it as an appetizer before dinner tonight. Alrighty, I hope you guys have a good day and Eat Something Good!

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Steak burgers

When we go to our little local market (about a mile away), we usually get their ground chuck. I love it when Steve orders, he calls it chopped meat. I'm not sure why I get such a kick out of it. I always ask for the ground chuck. Anyway, off to the side they have prepackaged burgers. Steak burgers as it's written on the package. We were psyched all day long thinking about dinner. We had them very simply. Pan fried with american cheese and ketchup (also mayo for him.) Both on fresh kaiser rolls. The burgers were pretty big as were the rolls. They were poofier than usual. Still good.

On the side, we had Kay and Ray potato chips. Sometimes our little market carries strange, unusual products. We never see these anywhere else and they only get them once in a while there. The special thing about these chips are that they're fried in lard. Yes, you heard correctly. Lard. They are dark brown, thin and lightly salted. We were addicted to them when they first came out. They're even darker than Cape Cod Russet Brown (?) potato chips. I love those as well too. Maybe even more.

The verdict on the burger. Well, Steve couldn't stop apologizing for overcooking the burgers. He commented that not one drop of juice came out of it. That was true but I didn't think it was as bad as he made it out to be. He's done far more damage as I have in the past. And for some reason, I wasn't liking that he put so much cheese on it. On three bites, the center ones, I was overwhelmed with the flavor of Land O' Lakes yellow american cheese. I kept telling myself that that's about how much cheese I'd be eating if it were a grilled cheese sandwich and that made it a little better. It didn't occur to me to just take some of it off and feed it to Sid. About the chips, I mentioned that the Kay & Ray potato chips were thin. I didn't mention that they are possibly the thinnest potato chip I've ever had. Unfortunately you pay a small price for that. It settles during shipping and breaks up into smaller pieces more than regular chips. Nonetheless, they were a nice side to the burgers. See you guys later and Eat Something Good!

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Epstein's

You won't find real butter or cheese for that burger here, but you definitely won't miss it. Last night we were lured into Epstein's (kosher restaurant) for a simple hot dog. When the hostess seated us, I changed my mind about the hot dog and went for something I've enjoyed in the past. I had a hot open faced beef brisket sandwich with brown gravy and french fries. After Steve heard my order, he changed his mind on his own order and got what I got.

Whenever you go to Epstein's, they bring you pickles (2 kinds: one very garlicky and one salty and without much of a vinegar zing), fresh cole slaw (it's very slightly sweet and creamy like it'd just been made), and mini latkes (potato pancakes). These, usually good, weren't so good last night but we ate them anyways.

The beef brisket. Steve loved it. I thought it was pretty good but it could've used more gravy. And I thought the meat was just slighty dry. Steve said that's how it's supposed to be - that I was thinking about roast beef instead. *shrug* All I know is that I can't even come close to calling it succulent. Oh, the sandwich was served open on rye.

The fries. Love them. Many of the fries, medium cut (a little bigger than the size of Wendy's fries) lack crispiness. But that's the great part about it. They're still awesome. Every once in a while you get a fry with a little crisp and it's like rewarding to eat. The fries are dense and meaty but not too meaty.

To drink, I had what I always get here. One can of Dr. Brown's diet cream soda. Yum! Steve got Dr. Brown's celery soda. I have no idea how he can drink the stuff. It's ucky. It may, however, be interesting to make a fizzy bloody mary with it.

For dessert, we got a small container of assorted rugeluch (sp?). They were not dry but not as moist as some are. I wonder if they're moist because they don't bake them enough. I don't know. These were pretty good. I enjoyed them. Ok guys, do like I do and Eat something good!

Epstein's Kosher Delicatessen
387 N Central Ave
Hartsdale, NY 10530

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Meatball Inconsistency

I took Steve to the place that had great meatballs. It's in Yonker's NY. He hesitated a little but because I spoke so highly of it - he decided to give it a try. And oh my gosh. I was so embarrassed. The parm sucked. The meatballs were overcooked. Hard and a little dry. I was upset. This happened once before. I raved about Sal's pizza in Mamaroneck, NY and the day I took Steve there - the pizza was horrible. Soggy even. Again, I don't know what happened. Anyway, Steve always talks about consistency. We avoid many pizzerias in the area fearing that 'it won't be good this time'. And too many times we're proven correct in thinking so. We feel so rewarded when it's right on. So the meatball fiasco - what the heck happened to them? On a more positive note, their regular slice was very good and Steve said their white slice was excellent. So take my reviews with a grain of salt. It's always possible that the back up cook is there ruining business. Eat something good!

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the Blazer Pub

We drove for 45 minutes last night for a part for the pellet stove when there was a place 15 minutes away. Steve tries to be loyal to small, mom & pop businesses. He dislikes the large, mile a minute talking, sale, sale, sales people. Anyway, we got the part and decided to grab a bite as it was getting late. We had dinner after 9p.

This pub serves great burgers. They're often rated one of the best burgers in the area. I got one with swiss and bacon. Steve ordered the Blazer burger which came with lettuce, tomato, bacon, american cheese and fried onions. They put a good amount of fried onions on it so he gave me some. It was too much for one burger. Their onions were nicely fried with some "burnt" pieces. The burger was a little hard to eat. The meat patty itself is about an inch thick. And then with the stuff on top, it gets even taller. I must note that when it first appeared, it looked a little small. But when I picked it up and saw how thick it was and how heavy it was - I new I'd be sated. The fries, (which you have to order separately) are different from your typical fries. These were obviously hand cut wedges (and unevenly cut I might add.) They fry them beyond golden brown. It's a darker brown. They have a little crispiness to them on the outside. On the inside, it's a dense, meaty potato. This is one of those places that charges for each little item separately. There's a charge for lettuce and tomato even. And cole slaw which typically comes with a burger at a diner. But it's okay simply because this is a place that only does burgers and sandwiches and appetizers that include yummy buffalo wings.

We started with them. Steve wasn't loving the idea but I pressed on cause I really wanted them. And I thought they were delicious. The wings were good sized. Steve thought they were way big. I didn't think so. The buffalo sauce had just the right amount of heat for me. Not too hot but definitely not mild. Steve liked them but he didn't think they were anything to write home about. I have to admit that my taste buds are a little off these days as I'm feeling under the weather. Anyway, I washed the meal down with some diet coke (no beer for us last night) and I was content. I want you guys to feel content today so Eat something good!

The Blazer Pub
Route 22
Purdys, NY 10578

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Hungarian Goulash

I slaved away at the stove yesterday. I made hungarian goulash. It's one of Steve's top 3 favorite dishes. I always save this dish for the fall and winter. I seldom make it in warm weather. Well I suppose most people don't do stews during the summer. Anyway, this one's really simple. Few ingredients. The basic goulash is just stew meat (my store prepackages hunks of meat (i think chuck) and labels it as 'stew meat'), lotsa yellow onions, tomato juice, paprika and s&p. Sautee the meat in a heavy pot with a combo of butter and olive oil. Get it nice and browned and set aside. To the drippings, add the onions and let it cook down good. Throw meat back in, cover with tomato juice and add paprika and s&p. Simmer for three hours.

You wouldn't believe how yummy the stuff is. I swear. The meat breaks down til it's fork tender and the sauce takes on a delicious beef and tomato flavor. A buttery tomato flavor if you can imagine that. Some goulash recipes call for veggies. I throw them in at the last 1/2 hour of cooking. I usually throw in chunks of potatoes (with the skin on), one green pepper cut into strips and Steve's favorite part, the zucchini cut into thick'ish rounds. I serve the goulash atop extra broad egg noodles. This dish is a winner if you have the time to keep an eye on it. Eat Something Good!

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Swanson's Swedish Meatballs

It was frozen food night yesterday. My mother used to buy these swanson dinners. The small ones. Not a full meal. This was back in the day that frozen foods came in tin (or whatever metal it was) trays. One side had meatballs in brown gravy and one side had mashed potatoes with some butter on it. Or something that mimicked butter. My mom has an aversion to ovens. Everything she cooks (which she seldom does) is stove top. Everything. And half the time it's fried. Anyway, she used to take the metal tray of food and heat it directly on the burner. Gas. Yes, with flames and all. Tell me how crazy that is.

So the swedish meatballs. I got them hoping they'd be like the ones my mom used to get but they weren't. I might have to say that they were better. It was Stouffer's (regular) swedish meatballs with pasta (fettuccine) in a sour cream sauce. I actually really enjoyed it after I hit it with some salt. Well, as you might have figured, one was not enough to satisfy my hunger. The next one I had I got out of the healthy section. They push it as being all natural but not low in calories. They were, however, low in calories. Only 170kcals. It was called Ethnic Gourmet which made me laugh a little. Don't know why exactly. Anyway, it was chicken tandoori with spinach served with brown rice with peas. Even though I wasn't really in the mood for indian food, it was good. They were pretty sparing with the chicken and it didn't quite meet my expectations for a good tandoori. I've only had it fresh from the tandoori oven with that oven ee flavor. The rest was good. The rice with peas surprised me a little. It wasn't at all wet or mushy. And though the super dark green color of spinach in indian foods sometimes frightens me, it always tastes pretty good.

Steve's selections were as follows. They were both Banquet Select Recipes. One was a smothered burrito served with rice and beans and the other was an enchilada combo meal. I tasted both. They were edible though I would never buy it again for myself. Steve was really digging it though. He liked the smothered burrito better than the enchilada.

We grazed all afternoon on bad for you things like pop tarts, kettle corn, chocolate...Things of that nature. Whatever you do today, Eat something good!

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IHOP

Yes the International House of Pancakes. That is where we had dinner last night. It'd been like over a year. Maybe more. I almost always get the same thing when I go there. The breakfast sampler. Two eggs, two bacon strip, two sausage links, two pieces of ham, 2 hashbrowns and two fluffy buttermilk pancakes. That's what Steve had. I strayed from the norm and got an actual non breakfast item. I don't know where this choice came from but I ordered a patty melt. Ya know, a burger with american cheese and fried onions grilled on rye. The last time I had one was over two years ago. For Steve's breakfast sampler, they usually give you hashbrowns - the kind McDonald's has, but this time they gave him the shredded kind. I like them but only when they're well done. And that was the problem with it, Steve always likes his home fries/ hash browns well done. My patty melt was very good. I was sorta surprised with it being IHOP and all. Steve loved it. I gave him some. The fries were good too.

For dessert, we had crepes. I had a strawberry crepe with cream cheese - it came with whipped cream on top too. Steve had an apple cinnamon crepe. They were both pretty good but I liked mine better because, as with my cheesecakes, I like strawberries with crepes. I like savory crepes as well. But they never seem to fill me up. Reminder: Eat Something Good!

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