Summer Travels

First off, a quick off-site adventure in dairy: how to make queso blanco.

Well, loyal reader, I've enjoyed a good month and a half of traveling through our great (big) country. The Captain's Jetta has logged about 10,000 miles since my last post en route to the Northwoods of Wisconsin, El Paso, Corpus Christi, New Orleans, Memphis, New Hampshire and New York City. There was a ton of great food along the way, definitely some new things to try. Some memorable meals:

Hermann, MO: "Dave" burgers and venison steaks. (Dave was a cow on the farm last year).

El Paso, TX: Cattleman's Steakhouse. We were greeted at the door asking how we'd like our steak done. It was excellent, and the ranch was a nice place to stroll as the meal digested.

Corpus Christi, TX: A Mexican dinner including an avocado stuffed with seasoned beef and cheese, breaded and fried. Amazing and delicious; I'll be trying that one.

New Orleans, LA: Crawfish etouffee, alligator stew. The etouffee was sweet and creamy.

Memphis, TN: Best pulled pork I've ever had at The Pig on Beale. Super tender, juicy and tangy.

Chicago, IL: Tony's (70th & Pulaski) Italian Beef sandwich. There's still nothing else like it in the country.

Lake Tomahawk, WI: Pork steaks (from their amazing town butcher) and potato packages (recipe below). Good summertime feasting.

New London, NH: Pleasant Lake. If I had to pick one lake to drink, that would be it.

New York, NY: Greek! I tried some of Astoria's finest, including gigantes (stewed lima beans), grilled halloumi (cheese), and a really good portabello grilled with tomato and cheese on top. Also, Cevabdzinica Sarajevo (Astoria). Tasty little sausages served with warm, fluffy ljepina bread and onions. ChikaLicious was the most beautiful dessert I've ever seen being made; incredible. Mandoo Bar serves up a mean stone bowl bi bim bap.

Waffle House, USA: Pecan waffles, hash browns covered, diced and topped, and sweet tea (recipe below). Better and better the farther south you go.

You can't find good sweet tea in the North, so we Yankees have to brew our own. There's nothing like it on a steamy summer day.

Sweet Tea

2 qts filtered water
6 tea bags (I use plain, black tea; you can experiment)
pinch of baking soda (smoothes bitterness)
1 c sugar

Bring two cups of the water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and steep for five minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in the soda and sugar until dissolved. Pour the tea into a pitcher and top up with the rest of the water. Refrigerate until cold, and serve over ice.

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Growing up my mom made fantastic foil-wrapped potato packages to go with grilled meat. Filled with fresh garden vegetables and herbs, they were a delicious alternative to plain whole potatoes.

Potato Packages

For each:
20 inches aluminum foil
olive oil
1 medium-large potato, peeled, halfed lengthwise, and sliced to about 1/8"
a small handful each of fresh garden herbs and vegetables, such as:
scallions, thinly sliced
leeks, chopped
garlic, finely chopped
dill, coursely chopped
sweet peas
chives, finely chopped
basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, anything else on hand
1 T butter in pieces
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

The foil will be folded in half, so prepare the package on one half. Drizzle oil on the center of the foil and place the potatoes on. Add the vegetables and herbs, drizzle with a little more oil, dot with butter, and season. Fold the foil over the potatoes and crimp the edges to form a tight seal. Cook in a closed grill over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, longer if you want crispy browned bits. Remove to a plate and cover with a towel to keep hot until the rest of the meal is done.