At the Table

In general, I make notes on every recipe I make, whether it's in one of my many cookbooks, or on a recipe printed off from the web. Usually it gets dated, and possibly a short comment; but always, always, if it's worth making again, it also gets a star. And if it's REALLY good, it gets two stars! That's my system. Most of the recipes listed below got two-stars, and we've enjoyed them multiple times. 

Though I haven't been as good about sharing them here, I've continued to try lots of new recipes during the pandemic 'stay-home' time, and even as things have begun to open up. Here are some of our current favorites:

Smitten Kitchen

• Kale Salad with Percorino and Walnuts - I know. Kale, right? But something about this mix has had me hooked, and I've made it more times than I can count. 
• Simple Cauliflower Tacos - Another big surprise. Cauliflower + Tacos had never before been in our vocabulary. But in an effort to go meatless more often, we happened upon this keeper. Plus, it's quick and fun to make.
• Homesick Texan Carnitas - Yeah, not every night is meatless, and this recipe is so easy and so tasty, plus always seems to provide leftovers to share or enjoy another night.

Fine Cooking

• Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Basil - If there's one food I've incorporated more into our meal plans that I'd never had before, it's rainbow chard. It's a new favorite vegetable, and this recipe is a simple one to tweak depending on what you have on hand. (Also good with bacon, a little onion, or golden raisins or currants.)

NYT Cooking

• Roasted Cauliflower with Pancetta, Olives, and Crisp Parmesan - Can you tell we love cauliflower? The mix of flavors in this recipe are really a treat.

i am a food blog

Tik Tok Baked Feta Pasta - You've seen this one I'm sure. It was all over my Instagram feed for a while, and I finally just had to try it. And it was GOOD. Worth a try, for sure.

Half Baked Harvest

• One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake - This has been one of my very favorites - a little bit enchilada-y but different. And the baked tortilla chips on top make it.
• Creamy Bacon Tortellini with Charred Broccoli - Before dinner-time was even done, hubby asked me to please make this one again. Super tasty comfort food!

And maybe these didn't get two stars; but one for sure, and we'll make them again. We love a wedge salad and these both were really enjoyable variations.

• Mediterranean Wedge Salad from The Modern Proper
• Grilled Wedge Salad with Spicy Ranch Dressing from 101 Cookbooks

So, sorry I'm not a very good food photographer, and honestly, I forgot to take many food photos lately; but trust me, all these recipes are good ones! Be sure and tell us in the comments about any new favorites you're found!

At the Table

Wow! I kind of took a break from sharing new recipes I've tried during this stay-home time, didn't I? Admittedly, I did slow down a bit in the kitchen too, but there have definitely been some worth sharing, so let me catch up a bit.

New York Times Cooking has been a source of many good meals these past months. For one thing, we found that orzo, while not being a new ingredient to us, was definitely a good pasta shape for quick one-pot meals.

• One-Pan Orzo with Spinach and Feta

• Cheesy Baked Orzo with Marinara
• Skillet Chicken Thighs with Broccoli and Orzo

Sweet Potato and Gruyere Gratin was one we made for our mini-Thanksgiving dinner, and it was delish.

Colu Henry, who is a NYT Cooking contributor and author of  Back Pocket Pasta: Inspired Dinners to Cook on the Fly (which I still cook from regularly by the way) offered up the recipe for Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew, which we really enjoyed too. It also landed on the NYT Cooking's 20 Most Popular Recipes of 2020. [I'm a NYT Cooking subscriber, but I'm hoping you can access those links too.]

Not sure how we happened across Fine Cooking's Slow-Cooker Beef Chili with Beer and Lime Sour Cream, but it's a keeper. That Lime Sour Cream is a revelation.

I continue to follow Smitten Kitchen and we tried Sour Cream and Chive Fantails for Thanksgiving. They were really fun to make and I'll definitely keep these on the list of successes.

On Christmas, I also made up Small-Batch Eggnog just for fun and oh my it was good. We used dark rum in ours, but the recipe suggests several options, and there are lots of variations in the comments on Deb's post.

After ooh-ing and aah-ing over Amanda Jean's homemade pizza, she clued me in to the Thin-Crust Pizza Dough from Allrecipes. Oh yum. My pizza may not look too appealing, but it definitely was; and I really liked making pizza in a cast-iron skillet.

Finely, one of my very favorite new-to-me recipes is Half-Baked Harvest's One Pot Spicy Alla Vodka Pizza Pasta. SUCH good flavors! 'Pizza Pasta' describes it perfectly. It IS pasta, but it tastes like pizza. I don't know, but the combo is a winner.

So that's it for now. Feel free to check the Tuesday at the Table tab if you want to see what else I've been cooking. And leave any suggestions in the comments as always!

At the Table

It really surprised me, when I actually created a database of all the new recipes I've tried during quarantine, that they totaled over 50! I posted about my favorites in both May and June, so I figured why not just keep at it? There are also a couple of recipes that came out of my archives to make again, and they are so good that I figured I might as well share them here too.

• Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche from All Recipes is so easy to put together, made simpler if you go ahead and use a purchase frozen piecrust.

• Tomato Tart - from my mom's recipe file!

Pastry for single crust pie
3 large tomatoes -- cut into ½" slices
Salt to taste
2 Tb. Dijon mustard
3 Tb. chopped fresh mint
4 oz. Gruyere cheese - cut into 8 thin slices
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Line pastry in 10" pie or tart pan (I like an oblong tart pan with a removable bottom). Set in freezer 30 minutes.

Seed tomato slices; sprinkle with salt & place in colander to drain. After 30 minutes, remove tomatoes from colander & pat dry.

Preheat oven to 350°.With rubber spatula, spread mustard over bottom of tart shell & sprinkle with chopped mint. Top with cheese, then tomatoes. In bowl, beat together eggs & cream; season with salt & pepper & pour over the tomatoes. Bake till pale gold & custard is set, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes, then slice & serve. Though I like the Gruyere/mint version the best, you could also try substituting mozzarella & fresh basil.

So here are the best of the 'new' recipes I've been trying:

Back Pocket Pasta: Inspired Dinners to Cook on the Fly

• Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Sage - especially nice if you have sage in your herb garden.
• Creamy Zucchini and Sausage - simple and easy with flavors we love.

Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need

• The Greenest Green Salad - a new favorite; I just love the flavors & mix of ingredients.
• Green Goddess Dressing - have made this several times - for the Greenest salad, plus I really like it on hard-cooked eggs.
• Roasted Carrots with Burrata and Salsa Rustica - basically the reason I purchased this book - the salsa rustica is so bright & flavorful!

• Candy Pork - I made a mess of the kitchen with this one, so do use a pan with high sides; but oh so delicious, even left-over.

Smitten Kitchen Every Day

• Broccoli Melts - far exceeded my expectations!

Half Baked Harvest

• garlic parmesan herb butter polenta fries with lemon aioli - one of our very favorites of the whole bunch. I made creamy polenta for one meal, then made fries from the left-overs.

• crispy smashed potatoes with bacon vinaigrette - another of hubby's very favorites.

Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics

• Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts - actually I had made these before! Good as an appetizer or main dish.

• Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli - took regular ole broccoli up a notch.

Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes

• Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Fried Onions and Parsley - another version of smashed potatoes; I love fried onions so really really enjoyed this one.

Oh! And kudos to hubby for making King Arthur Baking Company's Beautiful Burger Buns. Twice. So yeah, we've been eating well.

Tuesday at the Table

So I've taken you through our time in Paris, to Beaune, Bern, the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and on to Munich. At long last, we reached Italy. On this trip, everything prior had been new to us, but Italy... Italy was familiar.

In Venice, where Al Peoceto Risorto is located in the Rialto fish market just a few steps from the famous bridge, we had the most delicious fish dinner. Not surprising, since we were surrounded by water. There was pasta too that night, and it was obviously so enticing I gobbled it down before getting a photo. But the fish dish - with vegetables, garlic cloves, and olives - and tiramisu, too, were a real treat, and just part of a magical night with our group.



And after discovering the Spritz aperitif last time we were in Venice, of course we had to hunt down where we'd first tried them, so we did that the first evening we were on our own. The tiny bar had changed hands, but the drinks were no less delicious, and we enjoyed chatting with the owner as he sat on the stoop, all the while watching the neighborhood play and stroll in the piazza. It wasn't easy leaving Art Cafe Venezia and our hosts Lucia and Andrea, not knowing when we'd be back. But you can bet we'll be thinking of them every time we enjoy a Spritz at home.



Then we were off to Florence, another city that held fond memories for us, as it was where we first stepped into Italy years ago. (You may remember me recreating that first trip in fabric.) Anyway, of course there's the pizza, much thinner, and simpler, if you will. But truly delicious. We lunched at Trattoria Zà Zà at the suggestion of our tour guide, and were not disappointed. Pizza everywhere we went came whole, uncut, and one pie per person. I guess we could have ignored the trend, but why? And then after lunch, we wandered over to EATALY, which we had visited first when we went to Chicago for a long weekend a few years ago. It was really a treat to visit one IN Italy.



Our tour ended in Rome, where for our final group dinner, we gathered at Cuoco e Camicia Ristorante, which was lovely and elegant, and where every bite was savored. The photos don't do justice but the Arancini (rice balls stuffed with cheese in tomato sauce), Orecchiette (with broccoli sauce, sausage, and cheese), and Tiramisu Chocolate Mouse were each exquisite.



And then we were on our own for a day before flying home, so why not take a cooking class, right? We walked to Rimessa Roscioli, where our instructor Lily met us at the door. Wouldn't you know we were the only two that signed up that day, so we got a private lesson, from working in the kitchen with her to cut the guanciale for the Carbonara we'd make, to each rolling out and filling pasta, mixing and forming meatballs, and whipping up some Tiramisu for dessert. We ended up making three different pasta dishes - Amatriciana, Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe - and at the end, we sat and enjoyed wine-pairings as we ate what we'd created. SO MUCH great food, each dish better than the one before.



So that's the end of my little trip review.... makes me want to get into the kitchen and cook up a memory soon!

Tuesday at the Table

When a friend asked how the jet-lag was, I basically said it wasn't an issue, but I may have spoken too soon. I mean I'm making it through the days well enough, but when it IS time to sleep (or nap!) I'm sleeping SO hard. Can't get enough. But that's ok! It's great to be home. Yet the sleep thing reminds me that we're still catching up from pretty strenuous travel to amazing places. And I like being reminded.

We spent just one night in Beaune, an endearing little town in France's Burgundy region. According to Wikipedia, "The annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France. (The hospice structure, in the town center, being one of the best preserved renaissance buildings in Europe.)" Interesting! And we got to visit Hotel-Dieu and taste some great wine at a winery in town, Debray Domain. But the other thing Beaune is know for is.... beef bourguignon. So of course we had to hunt some down for dinner the one night we were there. Thankfully it wasn't hard. I did a google search for 'best beef bourguignon near me' (this is serious stuff!) and landed on Le Bistrot Bourguignon, and it did not disappoint. We arrived, though, before the kitchen opened (this is Europe, you know), and were intimidated by all the locals at the bar, and we actually walked away. But for reasons I don't remember, we turned and went back, and asked in our halting French if we could have a drink and wait. We apparently were understood well enough to be seated, enjoyed a delightful glass of wine while waiting for the kitchen to open, enjoying the restaurant's eclectic interior and the multitude of locals. That all led directly to a delicious salad with goat cheese on toast (remember, that's a favorite), and the much-anticipated beef bourguignon. Oh yum. It was everything we expected and more, and I really want to try making some at home and soon.

Bern, Switzerland wasn't a town we had anticipated seeing on our trip. It was an unexpected stop, and better yet, one of the best foodie moments of the whole trip. Except it wasn't actually the food. Oh, it was just fine - we actually had stopped in at Bread a Porter bakery for a quick, light lunch. We sat at a table out front to share our 'picnic' of sausage rolls, pretzel buns with salami, a mortadella sandwich, and some fresh-backed cookies, and that's when it happened. As there were very few tables, a young couple asked to join us. Gary & Kathryn were traveling from Dublin and we started chatting. We all shared about where we were from and where we were going, our families, and our jobs. In fact, we talked together so long, we had to race to meet up with our tour group. The encounter was even more unanticipated than our stop in Bern, and way more meaningful. And it left us with a warmth that we carried with us for days.

Then on we went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps. Undeniably gorgeous, and we spent quite the day walking up in the clouds. Besides making sure we tried a cup of true Swiss cocoa, we also enjoyed a fun demo of cheese fondue, and honestly that would have been enough of a meal for me.

We also tried Raclette, which didn't come in the specialty pan I had expected, but was mighty tasty nonetheless.

It was a few days later in Munich, Germany that we had a couple more encounters that stuck with us, at Oktoberfest of all places, where you literally had to shout to be heard over the din of music and thousands of voices. There, in a crowded beer hall (ie. the hall had a capacity of 6000!), we met Richard first, then later Sepina & George, all from Munich, and we were all eager to learn a bit about each other tho finding the right words wasn't easy for any of us. But worth it, oh yes, and memories were made that won't soon be forgotten. Sepina thanked us for letting her practice her English, which gave us all a chuckle as we parted ways.

So that was an overkill of a post I know, and I don't expect many of you are still with me. If so - thank you! I know of a few that enjoy those flavorful experiences as much as I do. And more than anything, I don't want to forget about those chance meetings shared around the table. They definitely added a something special to our days.

Tuesday at the Table

You travel to Europe, and you're pretty much guaranteed some food-related moments you don't want to forget. And I have many, and I hope to share a few of them here. Considering we traveled through several different countries, I thought I might try sharing them by location. Let's begin where our trip began.... in Paris.

Our first meal was on the historic market street, Rue Cler, at a little place aptly named Le Petit Cler, recommended by our hotel clerk. Petit indeed, with the tables so close together, they pulled each one away from the banquette so diners could be seated. That aside, everything about it was charming. We had tartine, basically open-faced sandwiches topped with exquisite French ingredients.

Though our trip was primarily a guided group tour, we arrived a few days early, and enjoyed a Wine & Cheese Lunch we had pre-arranged at O'Chateau wine bar. There were some 20+ attendees from all over the world, which was an added bonus to the delicious food and wine pairing. It proved a great "opportunity not only to taste good French products but also to get an education about them," exactly as advertised.

As luck would have it, there was a very fine fromagerie [cheese shop] just steps from our hotel. Knowing full-well that it was unlikely that much English would be spoken there, we stepped in and had a lovely minimally spoken/mostly pointing "conversation" with the shopkeeper, and as hoped, left with a small collection of cheeses that proved perfect as an impromptu happy hour with the baguette we'd picked up at the corner boulangerie [bakery]. We were so glad we'd stepped out of our comfort zones - both for the encounter, as well as for that perfectly-crafted cheese.

There was a second opportunity we'd pre-arranged before leaving home, and that was a Paris by Mouth walking tour "Taste of the Left Bank." The tours are "designed to share the very best of what Parisians excel at: cheese, bread, charcuterie, chocolate, pastry, and wine." We visited several shops together, gathering goodies along the way to share at the end in a crowded little wine cellar. 

• La Maison d'Isabelle, whose butter croissants won "Best in Paris" in 2018, and for good reason

• Charcuterie Saint Germain, think rillettes, Paris ham, and terrine

• Patrick Roger Chocolatier with its exotic flavors

• Laurent Dubois, from which we picked up a variety of sheep, cow, and goat cheeses

• Un Dimanche a Paris' fancy pastries

• La cave du Senat wine shop, where the tour ended and we enjoyed our feast

Not to worry, we also devoured crepes, quiche, French onion soup, kir, and numerous salads topped with goat cheese on toast (I ordered it every chance I got!) while in town. Let's say Paris more than exceeded our expectations, culinary and otherwise.

Tuesday at the Table

So what was scheduled as a 'business meeting' the other day was morphed into that + happy hour, and that definitely made things a little more interesting. Hubby and I prepared a small spread of goodies, including incorporating some of the herbs from our garden where we could.

It all disappeared too quickly for many photos, but at least I jotted down the recipes we used for future reference!

• Rosemary & Sea Salt Flatbread Crackers from Spache the Spatula (bottom of photo) 
• Marinated Goat Cheese Spread from Olive & Mango (center of photo)
• Marinated Mozzarella from Baked Bree (not shown)
• Smoked Sausage Bites with Honey Mustard Dip from yellowblissroad (not shown)
• Simple Crostini from Martha Stewart alongside Artichoke-Lemon Pesto from Stacey Printz' Pestos, Tapenades, and Spreads (top of photo)

The guys devoured the Sausage Bites, I loved the Rosemary Flatbread (which I'd made several times before and is SO quick and easy!), and a new favorite for me was the Goat Cheese Spread which was especially good on the Crostini. At any rate, it made it a nice and tasty way to talk over a little business, and we'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Tuesday at the Table

It's hubby's herb garden, really. He cultivates it, often snips from it, and keeps me posted on what's the most prolific. But I'm the one that actually puts it to use. And this spring, I've been trying to be diligent about doing just that.



So here's some of what "we've" been making....

Herb butter - very nearly the easiest of all. My simple recipe is:

• 1 cup soft butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• pinch of kosher salt
• a handful of fresh herbs, minced-basil, thyme, chives, flat leaf parsley, oregano are my go-to mix

Mix it up with a fork. To serve soon, I put it in a little dish. For later, I roll it up in saran and refrigerate or freeze. Great on bread, veggies, or even steak. Last week I topped salmon filets with it before they went into the oven. SO many tasty uses.

 

And then there's Switchel, an old favorite from The Herbfarm. We have lemon balm growing for this recipe alone. I'm sure it would be good with just the mint, if you don't have lemon balm, and there's also oodles of varieties on Pinterest.



And of course don't forget the caprese. Hubby has basil growing in an AeroGarden on the kitchen counter, as is really seems to need the summer heat that we don't have yet. But we're using it like crazy, in above-said herb butter, added to salads, and quite frequently (we're avid fans) - sliced or chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (or burrata!), topped with a chiffonade of fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Oh yeah.

Last night we focused our whole meal on herbs.... some mighty tasty Grilled Chicken Breasts with Herbs and Lemon alongside Panzanella with Mozzarella and Herbs. A keen eye will see I subbed zucchini for the typical cucumber, cuz that's what we had on hand. Still yum! Let's just say I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

 So there's the last week in herbs. Any of your own herby favorites to share?

Tuesday at the Table

I've been thinking of resurrecting Tuesday at the Table and seeing how that goes. Maybe it's the pending summer, perhaps the burgeoning herb garden, quite possibly the podcast I just listened to, but I feel like I've been neglecting an important part of me that I'd like to be more in touch with. As I said, I'll see how it goes.

So about that podcast. You might not know that Seattle actually has a pretty sweet little cookbook store. It's called the Book Larder, and for the first episode of their new podcast, "the incomparable Ruth Reichl [was] in conversation with Nancy Leson (a local food commentator) about Ruth’s new memoir, Save Me the Plums." The New York Times had this to say about the book: "Trailblazing food writer and beloved restaurant critic Ruth Reichl took the job (and the risk) of a lifetime when she entered the high-stakes world of magazine publishing. Now, for the first time, she chronicles her groundbreaking tenure as editor in chief of Gourmet." Truth is, I've read all of Ruth's books, including My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Save My Life chronicling the year following Gourmet's closing. Of course I thoroughly enjoyed the interview. And yeah, the new book is on order.

So meanwhile, we were away to Victoria BC for a few days and in addition to visiting the gorgeous Butchart Gardens, we treated ourselves to Afternoon Tea in the historic dining room. It was a unique and fun (really!) meal in a beautifully quaint setting.

Lest I forget the yummy details, I'm going to share the menu here. So clockwise from upper right:

English Trifle

Sweets

Chocolate truffle  +  Strawberry lemon Napoleon  +  Lemon tart

Peach vanilla pound cake  +  Wildberry chocolate meringue

House Scone with Fruit Preserves & Devon-style Cream

Traditional Savory Sandwiches & Delicacies

Curried chicken & grapes  +  Deviled egg with scallion mustard aioli

Heritage ham & bell pepper Parmesan aioli  +  Cucumber, pickled ginger, & dill

Salmon, capers, & red onion  +  Tarragon almond pesto & feta quiche

House-made sausage roll

So there were a couple of highlight foodie moments from the last week. I'm on the watch for more....

Tuesday at the Table

So when did Avocado Toast become a thing? I mean, I remember when I was a kid, my mom enjoyed the occasional avocado sandwich - basically mashed avocado, salted & peppered, between two slices of bread with a smear of mayo. But avocado and bread (specifically toasted) on a restaurant menu? That's new to me but I've seen it alot lately. So I tried it the other night.... topped with Burrata cheese and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. And it was tasty!

I searched the web and I couldn't believe how many variations were posted. It seems to be quite the trend these days. See California Avocado Toast Three Ways, 11 Easy Ways to Fancy Up Your Avocado Toast, and 15 Best Avocado Toast Recipes. In just three posts there are nearly 30 variations! Deb/Smitten Kitchen talks about where the trend originated - in the 90s! Maybe it just took a while to get to the west coast, or maybe I'm late to notice. I got a kick out of her saying, "I wish everyone would stop making it so complicated in an effort to either upsell it." Basically, keep it simple - like mom used to.

Anyway, do tell! Is avocado toast a trend where you live? Do you like it? Do you make it? Inquiring palates want to know!

Tuesday at the Table

Over the weekend, hubby and I had a fun morning at our local Pike Place Market that was worth documenting. We went on a Seattle Bites Food Tour, which was a wonderful way to get out and about and meet our step goals for the day, visit some market stands both familiar and new to us, and of course eat some tasty food. We've done food tours in Portland, Oregon and McKinney, Texas, but never in our own city. It was time.



Here's a listing of places we visited and what we ate!

Crepe de France - banana nutella crepe

Corner Produce - fresh Washington grown honeycrisp apple, nectarine, pluot
This stall has been open since 1957! There are actually 20 varieties of nectarines grown in Washington state, but I forget which we tasted.

Pike Place Chowder - New England clam chowder and vegetarian Lime & Coconut Chowder
Their backstory is a good one.

Pike's Pit BBQ - BBQ Bowl
Our guide called this a 'walkabout'.... basically a layering of beans, brisket, and slaw.

Uli's Famous Sausage - Italian chicken sausage
This is one stand we've visited and purchased from many times before.

Pure Food Fish Market - alderwood smoked salmon
Goodness this was good!



Ellenos Real Greek yogurt - honey yogurt with marionberry sause
Oh yum! I'll be looking for this in my local grocery store.

Mariscos Mexico - cod fish tacos
This was so good, we went back after the tour and had a full order. We'll be back!

As a postscript, our tour actually began inside the Seattle Art Museum, which is very near the market, and on our way out we stopped in the lobby to see and hear about a current exhibit, John Grades's Middle Fork, which "echoes the contours of a 140-year-old western hemlock tree located in the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle." Get a glimpse, and if you want to know more, there's even a video. It was truly awe-inspiring.

Tuesday at the Table

Ok, I know I'm sharing today's post mostly for me, but I want to be able to look back and remember. So.... while we were in McKinney, Texas last week, hubby and I took a food walking tour. We find it a great way to learn about a new place, and have done similar a couple of times. We joined Food Walks of Texas for a three-hour 'tour' of downtown McKinney, stopping and sampling at five different shops. We learned alot of history along the way, but forgive me if I only share about the food. ;-)

Cadillac Pizza was our first stop. What we learned right off from our guide, is that he tasted pretty much the whole menu before selecting the item to include in the tasting tour. And as our pizza was served, he wondered aloud if we'd be as big of fans as he was. Oh yes. The Local Goat & Fig was right up our alley. (Think crispy pancetta, local goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, dried figs, balsamic drizzle, and fresh basil. Yum.)





Next up was The Pantry, nestled in a historic building right off the town square. Apparently the Chocolate Cream Pie has a bit of a history too. Back in the day, the bakers ran out of Hershey chocolate and with none to be found in town, made a substitution. Customers complained, so a posse was sent to neighboring towns to purchase the 'right' chocolate, and that mistake was not made again. Also, this delicious pie had a 'secret' ingredient, which I correctly guessed as a layer of cream cheese atop the crust. Delish.



When all was said and done and we were asked what was the best thing we tasted in Texas, both hubby and I agreed it was the Club Sandwich we ate at Butcher Board. It looks innocent enough in my photo, but I was sad when mine was gone. Oh yeah, and a taster of Tupps brew. Win-win.





Next up was Goodies, and it was just that. Family-owned and run, we got to sample the truffles, which were as beautiful as they were tasty.



The tour finished at Hugs Cafe (oops, no photos), a really special place that strives to enhance the lives of adults with special needs through training and employment. Plus, they make really delicious cookies.

So that was fun in more ways than one. Thanks for joining me on the mini tour!