New York City Birthday Trip Food Report

Paul's picture from Top of the Rock

Now that I am retired, I have a little more flexibility with my schedule.  As a result, I wanted to do something I had only dreamed about doing before - celebrating my birthday in New York City.  With the help of one current and a couple of former exchange students, I was able to do that a couple of weekends ago.  Although we did many of the major must-dos for first time visitors (my exchange student) to the city, this post will center on the food highlights during the weekend. 

The first food highlight was the pepperoni pizza from Prince Street Pizza - pictured below.  They are known for their squares of thick crust, fresh mozzarella, and lots of small, spicy pepperoni.  There's no room to sit, so it's best to take out - since many have to wait for the pepperoni.  When I arrived, the line was just inside the door, but the small room was packed.  They were waiting for more pepperoni to come out of the oven, so when you ordered they gave you a number.  The wait was only about 15 minutes and it was well worth it.  It is really one of the only things I ate that I still think about. 

Kenny Zhao and Paul eating their slice - not in the restaurant.  

Later that day, we met up with another former exchange student, Brian Han, and his sister, Sunny.  They met us at Carmine's in Times Square.  They are known for their family style, Italian food.  It was a great place for us to meet and visit.  Does anyone know why Brian gave my a UCONN sweatshirt for my birthday?

After the show that night, we stopped by Junior's Bakery for some cheesecake.  I love their specialty cheesecakes that combine layers of cake and cheesecake.  We tried several of the offerings.  My favorite was the Red Velvet Cheesecake.  In addition to a full service restaurant, if you just want cheesecake, they have two stand-alone bakeries on either side.  There's some seating outside or you can take to go. 

 My birthday was that Saturday and I had two special meals that day.  First, for lunch we went to Korea town and ate at a Korean Bar-B-Que restaurant, Jongro BBQ.  Since I was with two Koreans - they did not object and I wanted an education in eating Korean food.  In fact, if you want to see pure joy - watch a Korean in America when they see or get to eat Korean food.  Their food traditions are so different from ours that they really do miss the food from their home country. 

Paul and Brian trying to decide what to order.

Below is an example for the grill, meat, and accompaniments.  After the meat is grilled, you wrap it up in a lettuce leaf with sauces and veggies. Then, as Brian demonstrated, you stuff the entire ball into your mouth.  It was about the size of a softball.  I tried but could not do it.  I believe the purpose is to keep the juices in and get all of the flavors at once. 

Surprisingly, my favorite dish was the Kimchi Pancake (pictured below).  I was surprised, because I had only smelled Kimchi before and it smelled terrible.  I also liked the Kimchi soup that we had.  I guess I need to get over the smell and start enjoying Kimchi.  

For my birthday dinner, I wanted to eat at one of the top-rated restaurants in New York, Le Bernadin.  A French restaurant that has three Michelin stars (highest rating) and is number 17 on the World's Top 50 restaurants list.  Although very expensive, we chose the smallest and cheapest tasting menu.  First, let me say the setting and the service were wonderful.  They require a jacket for dinner, but this helps set the mood for a special occasion.  It is the perfect special occasion restaurant.  The attentive and personal service make you feel very special.  

As far as the food, we did the four course tasting menu which included two appetizers, one entree and a dessert course.  There were about 15 choices for appetizers and 8 for entrees.  Almost everything on the menu was seafood.  

First course:  poached langoustines with truffles

My entree was Japenese Wagu beef and Hawaiian Walu

The dessert was call Black Forest and included variations on cherries and chocolate.  

This was the chocolate mousse cake that they brought to me for my birthday.  

There was another course - lobster - not sure what happened to that picture.  I think I ate it before remembering to take a picture.  Also included was an amuse-bouche at the beginning of the meal.  This consisted of four small bites - including a very tasty tuna tartar and lobster with avocado cream.  Every part of the meal was delicious.  My only disappointment was the lack of bread service.  I had read in reviews about the delicious fresh bread that was brought around during dinner service.  Being a person that tries to avoid bread - except for special bread on special occasions - I had looked forward to this part of the meal.  After getting my entree and still no bread, I asked the waiter about it.  He said that a very usual thing had happened.  The baker was caught in traffic and had not made it to the restaurant.  We were at the first seating at 5:15.  He apologized and said he would check with the chef to see what could be done.  He came out a few minutes later with some focaccia bread and butter.  Although not what was usually offered, it did help me get full.  Also, after my dessert and my birthday dessert, they brought out a tray of small candies/desserts for each person.  That was a little overkill - but a nice final touch.  We probably should have gotten them to go.  Overall, a very nice evening at a first class restaurant with great company.  

My final food highlight was not as successful as I had hoped.  It ended up being the one that was the most difficult to achieve.  I wanted to take Paul to eat some soul food in Harlem.  Looking on Yelp, I decided on Amy Ruth's.   Now don't get me wrong, it was very good, but being from the South and eating food like this all of my life - including some of the best in New Orleans - it was not worth the time and trouble it took.  Part of the problem was getting to the location.  The subway that went directly there was under construction - so running out of time - I decided we should take an Uber.  That ended up costing about $15.  Once we got there, there were lots of people waiting outside.  It was one of those places where you put your name down and then wait.  There was no indication of how long the wait would be, but being the optimist - and already having spend $15 to get there - I decided we should stick it out.  Now this was the last thing we were doing before our flight on Sunday afternoon so we also had a time crunch.  After waiting over an hour, they finally called my name.  We quickly sat down and decided what to get.  I ordered the fried chicken with macaroni and cheese and collard greens - see below.  Paul ordered French Toast - so much for getting him to try some soul food in Harlem.  LOL.  Although I have had better fried chicken, the cornbread they served when we sat down was some of the best cornbread that I have ever eaten.  Since Paul doesn't like cornbread, I was able to eat both large pieces.  :)

After eating we raced to the airport to end this fantastic weekend.  I did bring a bag of goodies home - cinnamon raisin  bagel from Toasties, a cinnamon roll from Bouchon Bakery, and some pretzels I bought at a farmer's market.  New York City is a wonderful food town.  I'm glad I also live close to some great food because it is expensive to visit.  

Thanks for reading and I hope you are having some culinary adventures of your own.  

Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Food Recommendations

As stated in the previous post, I have spent a lot of time at the Strawberry Festival and as a result, have tasted most of the food on the grounds.  First let me say that you should buy your food on the festival grounds or from local businesses.  Do not purchase food from the large trailers and booths that come in just for the weekend for two reasons.  One the price will be substantially higher at those outside vendor booths and second, the booths on the festival grounds (and leading up to it on 6th street) are operated by local non-profit groups.  These organizations - not only give you great food at a great price - but they put the money back into the community and other great causes.  With that being said, all of my recommendations are found on the festival grounds. 

My Top 5 Must Haves

1.  Seafood Stuffed Potato.  This treat is a great value with lots of seafood and a large baked potato.  I believe that they cost about $8.  This booth is operated by A Touch of Class dance studio. 
2.  Red Beans and Rice Combo.  Another great deal.  For $5 you get a large serving of red beans and rice with your choice of a side - corn nuggets, fried okra, or fried pickets.  This is sold by the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity at SLU. 

My red beans from last year. 

3.  Funnel Cakes.  This is from Ponchatoula Junior High and they have been selling these for as long as I can remember.  They are freshly made and covered with a generous amount of powered sugar.  They are topped with a fresh Louisiana Strawberry.  This is my Saturday morning treat each year. 

4.  Fried Shrimp Poboy.  For about $8 you get a freshly made shrimp poboy dressed.  Also, at the same booth is the Fried Onion Mum.  These are also freshly fried and served with a dipping sauce.  This booth is operated by the Theta Xi fraternity at SLU. 

5.  Chocolate covered strawberries.   This is served by a First Pentecostal Church at the booth right next to our pizza booth.  They are hard to resist as they remind passers-by that they have them.  I must admit that sometimes I trade pizza for them or wait for a sale, but these strawberries are delicious.  Also at the same booth, I usually grab a grilled corn sometime during the weekend - another tasty treat. 

Other great options:

Strawberry Shortcake

Jambalaya

Crawfish Fettuccine

Fried Oyster Poboy
Smoked Turkey leg

Great for children:

Pizza

Hamburgers

Corn dogs

**Please don't quote me on the prices - my memory isn't the best.  I will also update this as soon as I see the list of food booths for this year.  I may have forgotten a few great options! 

Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival - PHS Key Club Pizza Booth

As some of you know, I have been working with the PHS Key Club for 30 years.  At least 25 of those years we have been selling pizzas at the Strawberry Festival as a fundraiser for the club.  We started with having pizzas delivered to the booth by Mr. B's pizza in Ponchatoula.  Mr. B's was owned by Jim Barker who was a member of the Ponchatoula Kiwanis Club - our sponsoring club.  He was a kind and generous man who was wonderful to work with.  After his untimely death and closure of his restaurant, we sough out another vendor.  Wanting to keep it local, we chose the only other pizza place in Ponchatoula at the time, Dominos.  Dominos agree to bring a cooking trailer to the grounds and make the pizzas right on the grounds.  Although the managers have changed over the years, Dominos has also been a good partner for us. 

Over the years, we have also relied on parent help - especially when we attended district convention the same weekend.  A few of the parents who ran the booth for us - while some of us were gone to convention - were the Peltiers (Stanley and Susan), the Raifords (David and Diane), the LeSaicherres (Jeff and Cathy, Ralf and Liz), and the Willies (Byron and Gloria).  Those are the ones that I can remember that ran the booth the entire weekend for us.  I was grateful for their help and we created a lasting bond - that exists to this day.  It's funny how hard work brings people together.  There have also been many other parents and PHS faculty members - including our current Faculty Advisor, Charlotte Dahmer - who have been a tremendous help. 

Although we make some money, it is also a great team-building and leadership activity for our students.  They are expected to work the booth with our officers helping to supervise.  It is also a service project.  We keep the prices low - $2.00/slice - so that families can feed their children.  It is also convenient to have fresh pizza just steps away from the great music acts performing on both stages.  We also get to enjoy the music. 

So come out and say hello and/or buy a slice of two of pizza - or just come say hello.  We are located on the back corner - near the funnel cakes and strawberry short cake. 

PS - Let me know if any former Key Club members want to help.  It can be just like old times.  :)

Here are a few pictures from the last several years.

King Cake Review

Dong Phuong Bakery

http://dpbakeshop.com/

I made the trip to this Vietnamese bakery the Friday before Mardi Gras.  Good thing I was able to place an order before they stop taking orders a week before.  There was a line a block long when a arrived soon after opening.  Because I had pre-ordered, I was able to walk-up and get my King Cakes and go.  In hindsight, I wish that I would have ordered more - there was a 5 cake limit and I only ordered two.  I was afraid that if I ordered more that I would try to eat all of them.  After my posting, a friend graciously offered to help me eat one that I had ordered.  It just so happened that when I delivered the King Cake to their home, his wife was in labor.  She had the baby later that day.  I will always refer to the baby as the "King Cake baby."  I ordered a pecan and cream cheese cake.  I shared half of each so that I could taste both.  First, let me say, that I loved the King Cakes.  They were a little different.  They are advertised as the perfect balance of sweet and savory.  I would say that the cake is like a Danish pastry - flaky with just a hint of sweetness.  The icing is a light and sweet cream cheese icing.  The filings were also very subtle.  The pecan was spread throughout the cake; whereas, the cream cheese just had one pocket of cream cheese that went through the entire cake.  It would be hard to say which was my favorite.  I will say that the icing is wonderful - probably the secret to their success.  I am anxious to try some of the fruit flavor next year and hope that the frenzy does not get any worse. 

King Cake

I can't believe that I have not posted about King Cakes.  I have been researching the subject for many years now and I was sure that I had already shared my thoughts. After searching, I could not find a post - so here it is. 

Luca and Takehiro having the first King Cake of the season on January 6 several years ago.  

King cake is eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus. (The plastic baby hidden inside king cakes today is a nod to this story.) King cake also appears on tables throughout the Carnival season, which runs from Epiphany to Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent).

After many years of tasting, re-tasting, and trying new contenders, here are my recommendations for King Cakes in the Hammond/Ponchatoula area.  I am going to have to declare a tie for the best because they are so different and yet so good. 

1.  Berrytown and Navarre's

These are my two go-to favorites.  Each for different reasons.  Berrytown uses a donut-like dough that has a nice cinnamon flavor.  As a result, all of their cakes are moist - which is one of the main issues with most other king cakes.  Their filled cakes sometimes go over the edge with delicious moistness - but that's part of the attraction.  On the other hand, Navarre's uses more of a brioche type dough that is plain and not as moist.  It is the perfect compliment to yumminess of their fillings (my favorites are blueberry cream cheese and pecan praline) and icing.

Here are some of the runner-ups that I have enjoyed over the years:

Bohnings Supermarket in Ponchatoula - this used to be my favorite - before Berrytown and Navarre's were available.  I need to try their new Chantilly King Cake - looks delicious. 

Doughlious Donuts - Almond Crunch King Cake - nice almond flavored icing with sliced almonds on top.

Ambrosia (BR) - Zulu King Cake - cream cheese, pecans, coconut, and chocolate.  What's not to love?

Bittersweet Confections (NO) - Chocolate King Cake - cream cheese filling with a dark chocolate icing. 

Rouses - cream cheese - traditional and consistent. 

Sucre - a beautiful king cake that is not too sweet, but very good.  I tasted this cake again recently and it is delicious.  Just a small layer of cream cheese and light cinnamon flavor.  Also the icing is almost translucent.  I saw where you can get these at Cupcake Concept is Hammond.

FOM Bakery - available at Sweet Rolls in Hammond.  Very good brioche style king cake that is moist with a nice cinnamon flavor and almond icing.

I have tried others - that I will not list - that did not impress.  The ones listed above are the ones that I would eat again. 

Future Research

In my online research, I also found a new one I need to try in the future.  A Ponchatoula King Cake from http://mauricefrenchpastries.com/

Although they misspelled the name, it is a nice gesture to our city and the strawberries.

Another King Cake on my must-try list (I have one ordered for Friday, February 9) is the current buzz-worthy king cake from Dong Phoung:  http://dpbakeshop.com/

New Stories related to the frenzy over these cakes:

http://www.nola.com/dining/index.ssf/2018/01/dong_phuong_king_cake_scalping.html

http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/entertainment_life/food_restaurants/article_2a8a0a46-06ce-11e8-90f0-ff3b50acad42.html

*I am driving to Dong Phuong Friday (Feb. 9) if anyone would like to come along.  Order first - if they still have some available.

PS - This research has got to stop soon.  I have got to get back on my diet. :)

Here are other lists of favorite king cakes:

https://www.louisianacookin.com/kings-king-cake-9-best-louisiana-king-cakes/

http://www.kwbbrlaw.com/blog/2018/02/02/kwbbrh-king-cake-contest-2018/

http://www.thenotsoblog.com/2011/01/top-five-places-buy-king-cake-nola/

https://nola.eater.com/maps/best-king-cakes-new-orleans-nola

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/article_9a8fc516-fc8c-11e7-9d7a-cf6396d7876b.html

Trey Yuen - The Future

I wanted to finish my series on the closing of the Hammond Trey Yuen with some ideas for moving forward.  Of course, the most obvious option to solve that longing for the food of Trey Yuen - especially the Tong Cho sauce which I can find anywhere else - is to go to their Mandeville location.  In August I had a few doctors appointments in Mandeville, I decided to make these appointments around lunch time so that I could get my Trey Yuen fix at the same time.  In my post-surgery world, I have been using doctor's visits as opportunities for Culinary Adventures. 

I am happy to report that the Mandeville location has most of the same lunch specials.  I like the get the Trey Yuen plate with Tong Cho pork instead of sweet and sour.  They happily obliged and my Tong Cho appetite was sedated.  I smile with happiness as I tasted the wonderful flavors again.  I would not have to go without forever.  In the course of two months, I visited the Mandeville location three times (every time I had an appointment in that direction).  I did ask if they did their lunch menu on any evenings and they said that they did not.  Everything was the same with my meal except that the plate seemed larger (so the portions not as heaping as in Hammond) and the wontons were cut into strips - which I liked.

In addition to this option, I want to explore local options like China Lotus.  I have eaten their just a couple of times and been pleased.  I hear that they do their lunch menu on Sunday nights.  I also must admit that every now and then I visit one of the local Chinese buffets.  They are inexpensive, quick and easy meals.  Not sure which is my favorite - all three have pluses and minuses.  I am open to suggestions for other options.  For now, if you want as close as you can get to Trey Yuen of Hammond go to Trey Yuen in Mandeville. 

Food - A Family Legacy: The Coffee Pot

The Coffee Pot

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with my love of cooking and eating, but my dad's family owned and operated a diner in downtown Ponchatoula for about 40 years.  It opened in the early 30's and closed in the early 70's.  Below is an article in the paper that gives an early history of the restaurant and my grandfather, Paul Williams.  A special thanks to local historian, Jim Perrin, for finding this article and some of the pictures. 

It was a place that was open 24 hours a day.  For most of its history, it did not even have locks on the doors.  Later they began closing for Christmas, but my grandfather felt this was a service to those that needed a place to eat.  I remember hearing that the first time they closed the restaurant was when FDR died.  My grandmother, Mabel Varnado Williams, was a huge fan of the president and was too distraught to work. 

I have some memories of visiting the restaurant.  I would stop by on my way to swimming lessons at the town pool in Kiwanis Park.  At that time we lived on West Willow - just a few blocks from the restaurant.  I was especially fascinated with the milk dispensers and would enjoy chocolate milk as often as I could.  I remember a long curved counter and booths along the wall.  There was also a candy counter and maybe ice cream near the front.  I also remember my dad bringing home supper in large plastic jars.  My mom was the baker in her home growing up, but did not learn to cook.  We would joke that she didn't need to learn since dad could bring home leftovers from the restaurant each day.  I don't remember eating very much at the restaurant - just stopping by every now and then. It closed when I was around 11 years old - soon after my grandfather died.  By that time the downtown area of Ponchatoula was struggling, with the addition of the interstate, and my father had 5 children to support.  

Unfortunately, when it was time to close the restaurant, my dad was so ready to leave this all-consuming business that he did not keep very many items from the restaurant.  Also, unfortunately, he is no longer here to ask questions about the restaurant.  I will share some of the stories that he did share over the years in upcoming posts.   If you or someone you know has a memory or artifact from the restaurant, I would love to hear about it or see it. 

Here are a couple of other pictures of the restaurant:

This picture was taken when the Ideal Theatre was caught fire in downtown Ponchatoula.   His future wife (my mom) worked at the Ideal - he did not know it at the time. 

Here is picture from the 1955 PHS Greenback.  These were two class favorites that some may recognize as members of their family. 

Culinary Discoveries: Hawaii - Loco Moco

This blog series will feature discoveries that I have made in my travels - near and far - that I have incorporated into my cooking repertoire.  This discovery was made on a trip I took with my sister, Holly, to Hawaii several years ago.  The trip was one of those "free" trips if you listen to the timeshare presentation.  Although resisting the hard sale on one of the days of the trip was tough, the trip was wonderful.  Here a just a few pictures from the trip. 

Although I tried several new dishes on the trip - including attending a church pot luck that included included some traditional dishes like poke' - the dish that I loved and have repeated at home is "loco moco."  I had it the first day as we drove around looking for something to eat and stopped in a shopping center at a placed that looked like typical chain restaurant.  I saw a dish on the menu that intrigued me.  It was a series of bowls called - loco moco.  Each featured white rice, a freshly cooked hamburger pattie, and some type of gravy or in my choice - chili.  All of them also featured a fried egg or two on top.  Once you cut open the egg and mixed all of the ingredients together - it became a very satisfying meal.  One that I realized I could easily recreate at home.  On many occasions since - especially if I have leftover rice and/or make a pot of chili - I make this dish.  Since my first one was with chili I mostly make that version - but can imagine that the one with gravy is equally delicious.  

I don't have a picture of the one that I had in Hawaii or ones that I have made since, but here are a few pictures I found that represent the dish.

Do you have any culinary discoveries that you have repeated once returning from a trip?  If so, feel free to share.   

Trey Yuen - Past and Future: Part 3 - Special Memories

Trey Yuen has been the place for some special memories.  One of the most consistent has been hosting the Ponchatoula High School Key Club's end of year banquet.  This is my 30th year with the PHS Key Club and we have probably done about 20 of our banquets at Trey Yuen.  I don't have digital pictures of the early days, but those were special times for me as I remember each group of outstanding students I had the privilege to work with.  Trey Yuen had a nice and large banquet room (we needed space for 80-100 at times) .  We used their buffet menu (Joe let me substitute Tong Cho for the sweet and sour sauce on the pork).  The students (and I) enjoyed going back for seconds.  Below is a group from about 5 years ago. 

We also held board meetings there at times.  Below is a picture of our officers at a board meeting in one of the private rooms.  They called them "VIP" rooms - which made them seem special. 

As I  mentioned in my first post, we have convinced my mother to come once or twice for special family get togethers at Trey Yuen.  When my sister, Holly comes to visit from Chattanooga, we like to all get together.  This time it was on a Monday night and we had to go to Trey Yuen.  Mom reluctantly agreed.  Just another example of how she will do anything for her children.

  For the family, we have also been to Don's, Café Nola, and Buddies - all great places for special events.  Still not sure where we can have our Key Club banquets with such a nice large room and reasonable (and filling) menu.   I guess it will be time for some new traditions.  The memories of these special occasions just helps to add to the feeling of loss - like a good friend who was always there for you when you needed them. 

Trey Yuen - Past and Future: Part 2 - Tong Cho

As I mentioned in Part 1 - I loved the food at Trey Yuen and there were a few items that I thought were outstanding.  I'm not sure when they started serving it, but ever since I tried their Tong Cho sauce, I was hooked.  I had to have it every time I went there.  It didn't matter what it was on - chicken, pork, shrimp, crawfish, or catfish - I loved it.  There was a time when they sold jars of the sauce and I bought it a few times.  However, with Trey Yuen's prices being so reasonable and the location so convenient, I usually just let them do the cooking.  The sauce was a sweet and slightly spicy dark brown sauce.  It was usually served with slices of carrots, bell peppers, and onions. 

One of my favorite combinations to get (from the lunch menu) was the Number 11 (fans will know what I am talking about) with Tong Cho pork instead of sweet and sour.  The number 11 (pictured below in front) included the sweet and sour pork, double happiness (they used to call it four happiness), fried rice, barbeque pork, egg roll and fried wontons.  All of this for a reasonable price.  It probably started at $5 or $6 years ago and probably was around $10 when they closed.  In addition to anything Tong Cho, I liked their egg roll with the duck sauce (haven't found a good substitute for that yet either), the wor wonton soup, and the sweet and sour soup. 

Even before they closed and much more now that they have closed, I have tried to find a recipe for this sauce.  I have not had time to try any of these recipes out yet, but there are others who have tried to copy (see below).  If someone else has cracked the code - please let me know.  It would really help me get over the closing of this restaurant. 

TONG CHO SAUCE - Recipe Circus

recipecircus.com/recipes/CookinKat/RECIPESTOTRY/TONG_CHO_SAUCE.html

TONG CHO SAUCE. Source of Recipe Internet Recipe Introduction Hopefully this is close to the famous Trey Yuen Tong Cho Sauce List of Ingredients Tamari Glaze

Recipe(tried): Trey Yuen Tong Cho (copycat recipe ...

www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/board_14/2013/SEP/38149.html

I adore trey yuen, ... so I cracked the code on this one. It's pretty close. TREY YUEN TONG CHO 1/2 bunch green onions, ... Tong Cho Sauce (sweet and sour sauce)

Recipe: Tong Cho Sauce (sweet and sour sauce ...

www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/board_14/2010/MAY/35178.html

ISO: Trey Yuen Tong Cho Sauce: Board: Copycat Recipe Requests at Recipelink.com: ... Tong Cho sauce is a sweet and sour sauce with the main components of sugar and ...

My next post will be about another special connection that I had with Trey Yuen.  Great memories. 

Trey Yuen - Past and Future: Part 1

This is my first post in a long time.  I have recently retired and hope to be able to add more content.  I have continued to do research over the years, but have just not had time to share.  Today I would like to talk about Trey Yuen.  If you live in the Hammond area you know that the Hammond location has closed. 
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/livingston_tangipahoa/article_7e587fc6-460e-11e7-82cf-1bde0bec3dd3.html

I still can't imagine Hammond without Trey Yuen.  I have not even passed by the location since and I am not sure how I would react to the vacant spot.  You see I grew up with Trey Yuen and it was a major part of my life for the past 40 years.  My earliest memories are going to the China Inn location with friends in the late 70's and early 80's.  I also remember my excitement when they built their new building and called it Trey Yuen.  I'm not sure when they started doing their lunch menu on Monday nights, but you can't be from the Hammond area and not know about that.  Both the restaurant and take-out were slammed with business every Monday.  To me, Mondays were Trey Yuen night - only a true foodie would understand. :) Countless outings and take-out were done on a Monday night.  I remember family game nights on Mondays where we ordered take-out from Trey Yuen.  I will also never forget when they added the Wardline Road exit off of the Interstate 55.  I called it the Trey Yuen exit.  It gave us a straight shot to the restaurant.  I could get from my house to Trey Yuen in 10 minutes. 

Of course I didn't only go on Monday nights, their dinner menu was also great.  I had two different friends that moved out of state and when they would come back to visit we would go to Trey Yuen.  It was automatic - a tradition.  We would always get the Dynasty Dinner.  It included appetizers (soup and egg roll), entrée, and dessert (lotus banana).  Another time a group of us foodies (you could tell we liked food) had eaten dinner there and cleaned our plates - there was not a piece of food left.  When the waitress came and asked if she could box any leftovers we all started laughing because there was nothing left.  I'm not even sure if the waitress knew why we were laughing, but it became one of the inside jokes that we repeated over the years. 

We also had a few family events there.  My mom wasn't a fan, but we talked her into it once or twice.  It was also nice that one of the owners, Joe, would call me by name every time he saw me.  People want to feel appreciated and remembered.  He did a great job of that.  I felt that we were friends even though our only interactions were at the restaurant.

Now you may be wondering what all the fuss is about, but in their heyday - they were considered to have some of the best Chinese food in the United States.  It was a step above anything else that was available and that is why people fell in love with it.  Part 2 will explore some of my favorite menu items. 

Gumbo Weather and Christmas Eve Open House

Being from South Louisiana you can expect that gumbo is one of my go-to meals.  It is great on cold, wet, dreary days or any day.  It has also become part of a tradition I began about 15 years ago and that was to host a Christmas Even Open House for family and friends.  Gumbo is the main attraction.  Not just one gumbo, but three different kinds.  I wanted to provide an opportunity for extended family and friends to come together in a low stress environment.  I host it all day so that people can just stop by on their way to and fro on that busy day. 

The three gumbos that I do are:  Chicken and Andouille, Turkey, Sausage, and Shrimp, and Seafood (with shrimp and oysters).  My chicken and andouille is based on the Mr. B's Bistro Gumbo Ya-Ya recipe: http://www.mrbsbistro.com/recipes_gumbo.php. 

My Seafood gumbo is based on this recipe:  http://www.gumbopages.com/food/soups/seafood-gumbo.html.  One thing that I do special for the Christmas Eve gumbos is to make the roux by hand and the stocks for each gumbo.  Other times of the year, I use shortcuts like pre-made roux and chicken stock.  Let me know a favorite gumbo recipe of yours and I may decide to use it at next year's open house.  Also, feel free to stop by next Christmas Eve from 12 noon to 12 midnight. 

Food and Friends

The next best meals (after meals made by mom and eaten with family) are the ones eaten with friends.  If you know me, you know that I am an educator - over 30 years.  Although a challenging job, it is can be very rewarding.  Most people go into the field of education, to make a difference in the lives of children.  Helping a person learn and reach their full potential is one of life's greatest gifts.  The best gift you can give a teacher is to let them know the difference you made in their life.  Well, a former student of mine and Key Club president (I am the Key Club advisor), Parker Layrisson, has taken that appreciation to another level.  Not only does he and his beautiful wife (Brandie) attend my Christmas Eve open house, but they also offered to take me out to a restaurant of my choice.  Although I don't solicit invitations like this, I am smart enough not to refuse them.  I immediately knew which restaurant I wanted to try, one that Parker had mentioned to me before as his new favorite and one that was getting lots of national attention, Peche.  http://www.pecherestaurant.com/ 

It was also nice to go with Parker and Brandie since they had been before and enjoy eating as much as I do.  They knew what to get and we ordered lots of food.  Began with some raw oysters.  I don't normally order raw oysters but Parker was getting some and I told him I would eat one - so he only got a half dozen.  They were wonderful.  Fresh, salty, great sauce....and I ate three. It is probably the menu item I still think of the most often.

We also had the smoked tuna dip as a appetizer.  It was very good.  It is actually something can make at home.  Just have to figure out how to get the smoked tuna.  I ordered the grilled tuna with olive salad.  Another revelation of a dish.  The tuna was fresh and grilled perfectly, but the olive salad with the green olives - not like you get in a jar - made the dish special.  The side of sautéed kale was also delicious.

Grilled Tuna with Olive Salad

We also had a side of fried Brussel sprouts. My final revelation.  They were amazing.  I had tired them before and wondered why people like them so much.  It really depends on how they are cooked but these were delicious.  I have since tired to duplicate it at home and came close.  

My grilled tuna and their whole grilled fish and our fried brussel sprouts.

Since we were pigging out, we got dessert.  The pineapple upside down rum cake was also very good.  All in all a great meal.  Look forward to going back, but it would be hard not to order the same amazing food I had this time.  Thanks Parker and Brandi for a wonderful afternoon. 

The Best Meals of My Life!

As a foodie, you may wonder what I consider the best meals of my life.  You may expect a top 10 lists, but today I want to talk about some very special meals - the ones made every Sunday by my mother.  For was long as I can remember my mother has prepared Sunday lunch for the family.  When I was younger, it would be something quick since she had 5 children to get ready for Sunday school and church.  It would either be hot dogs or sloppy joes.  I would spend time in church trying to remember which Sunday it was (hot dog or sloppy joe Sunday) and anticipating those simple - but delicious meals.  As we began to grow up and leave the house, mother began preparing more complicated meals.  She started preparing things like roast and gravy with mashed potatoes or lasagna or stewed chicken with rice and potato salad.  She also always had a dessert - cake, pie, banana pudding, Mississippi mud pie, etc.  She did all of this while never being late for Sunday school and having it ready for the hungry family after church.  A combination of crockpots and over timers have helped over the year.  Now you may think that she could not possibly continue to do this every week, but at 76 years old she is still at it.


Mom's 76th Birthday Party at Middendorf's

She is an amazing women and she does it because of her love for the family.  She knows that by having lunch for us each Sunday, it will increase the chance that we attend church (since we don't have to worry about cooking ourselves).  It will also increase the chances that we would stay close as a family.  The brothers, sisters-in-laws, and nieces and nephews have spent time together that we probably would not have spent.  Family members also know that they can bring their friends with them - especially if the friends go to church with us before lunch.  Everyone is welcomed in Betty's house on Sunday and you can feel it.  You know the sad part is that we won't truly appreciate the lunches until after they are gone.

As you know, I host exchange students and everyone of them will tell you that one of things they miss the most when they leave are the Sunday lunches at mom's.  Here are some pictures from those Sunday lunches and I hope that you can get an idea of how special they are. 

 

 

The best meals in life are the ones made with love.  Thanks Mom for loving us enough to spend time each week making us a meal so that we can have great memories like these.