Remember that glorious day when news of sandwich-in-a-can sparked across the internet? Our fingers quivered for the moment we could pry open the aluminum top unleashing that seductive “pop” sound of sealed in freshness and grasp every inch of our skin around the soft hoagie bun with all its delicious, preservative goodness.
Well, recent news could stall the dream. Investor, Travis L. Wright raised $145 million in the span of 8 years (2001 to 2009) of which was strictly for real estate investments. However, this naughty boy used the majority of “c-notes” for a $15 million home and various business projects including the anticipated Candwich resulting in an SEC lawsuit.
Have no fear, proprietors of Candwich will continue with the product and release it this Fall 2010. Until then, I achingly await [colon, open parenthesis sad face] for the gooey goodness of PBJ Strawberry, PBJ Grape and BBQ Chicken mechanically packed in aluminum! I want to encompass the same joy the girl in the advertisement has.
Mark Zable: Fried Beer Creator, video courtesy of DallasNews.com
I recently came across the news release of this year’s fried goodies at the world renown State Fair of Texas. My heart aches, literally and figuratively, for the warm burst of delight oozing from the crispy fried pockets of Fried Beer, Fried Chocolate, and Deep Fried S’mores Pop Tart. Advocates of healthy eating, brace yourselves. Last year, we had Fried Butter – a marvel that captivated even Oprah’s attention.
Yes, it may be absurd, garish, and maybe even irresponsible for the heaviest country in the world. But it happens onces a year and like many things, if enjoyed sensibly and responsibly this will be one of the most gluttonous, down-home foodgasms you’ll ever experience. View it as creative, culinary art. That should take away some of the guilt and nefarious perception.
Deep Fried S’mores Pop• Tart® – Pop• Tart® with a sensational chocolate, peanut butter, s’mores flavor is lightly battered & deep fried. Hot out of the fryer the sinfully diet-busting treat is drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped with whipped cream. Taste of Cuba in Cotton Bowl Plaza.
Deep Fried Frozen Margarita - Sweet & creamy funnel cake batter is deliciously coupled with margarita ingredients. Fried, dusted with a tangy lemon/lime mixture and lightly spritzed with south of the border flavor, it’s served in a salt rimmed glass. 21 and over, ID required. Desperados stand on Nimitz Drive, near the entrance to Creative Arts.
Fernie’s Fried Club Salad – Super colossal 12” spinach wrap surrounds generous layers of juicy diced ham & chicken, shredded iceberg, crunchy carrot strips, ripe cherry tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar and hickory smoked bacon. Deep fried until lightly crispy; topped with deep-fried sour dough croutons on a stick & served on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce. Choice of creamy Ranch, Thousand Island or Caesar dressing. The Dock Restaurant, inside the Embarcadero Building.
Fried Beer™ – Beer-filled pretzel pocket is deep-fried to a golden brown. One bite and the escaping beer serves as a dipping sauce. 21 and over, ID required. Concessionaire contact: Belgian Waffle at the of the Esplanade and inside the Coca Cola Food Court.
Fried Chocolate – A white chocolate mini candy bar + a cherry are stuffed into a mouth-watering brownie, dipped into delicious chocolate cake batter & deep fried to perfection. The finished product has a warm just-out-of-the-oven taste! Topped with powdered sugar and a rich cherry sauce and served with chocolate flavored whip cream. Nimitz Drive and on Funway inside the Midway.
Fried Lemonade – Lemon flavored pastry is made from Country Time® lemonade. First baked, then fried, this taste tempting treat is glazed with a mix of lemonade, powdered sugar, and lemon zest. Concessionaire contact: Chicken on a Stick stand located on Nimitz Drive, near the entrance to the Embarcadero.
Texas Fried Caviar – Texas version of a southern good luck staple. Black-eyed peas are fried and laced with special spices blended with Old Bay® Seasoning and are available in regular or spicy. Find them in Cotton Bowl Plaza (next to Cotton Bowl steps), inside the Auto Building, near Big Tex & on the Thrillway.
Texas Fried Frito Pie – A generous portion of savory Texas born chili accented with a hint of sharp cheddar encased in everybody’s favorite corn chip. Lightly battered and fried to a golden brown perfection. With its smooth medley of hot, meaty, crunchy, salty, cheesy, oozing goodness; “Texas Fried Frito Pie” transports you back to the golden age of Fair Food. Bert’s Burgers & Fries stand in Cotton Bowl Plaza, near the entrance to the Midway.
One of my lighter dessert affairs: Vietnamese coconut jello nestled within a young coconut. The coconut’s juice is transformed into jello with agar agar (gelatin derived from algae).
You’ll find this humble, stealth coconut jello at most Vietnamese-Chinese grocery stores; the strictly Korean or Chinese stores won’t carry it. However, agar agar and fresh coconuts are easily available at any Asian market making it a simple DIY dessert at home. Tonight, I picked up this semi-sweet delicacy at a local Vietnamese restaurant, Bistro B.
Clockwise: Pigs in Blanket, Flatbread, Candied Apple Drop martini, Dungeness Crab Artichoke Dip, Potatoes Gorgonzola, Pomegranate Margarita.
Long, frustrating, hectic week? Slip into the relaxing seduction of Palomino’s all day Happy Hour at the Crescent Court Hotel. Simply head to the bar/lounge of Palomino’s restaurant to take advantage of the HH specials.
It’s quite amazing this place isn’t packed during the classic happy hour hours on a Friday evening. I suppose it’s still a hidden gem. The food is quality and tasty – as expected from an establishment located within the regal Crescent Court. Service is courteous, but as the tables fill with your fellow budget-gourmet seekers the moments in-between face-time with your waitress stretches. (Order plenty at the beginning and savor that drink!)
The courtyard view from the lounge. It was a charming, rainy Friday evening.
We hear the actual restaurant side of Palomino’s is $$$. So with the same high-dollar ambiance and kitchen staff, we had ourselves a filling, budget-gourmet dinner (of largely portioned appetizers).
Dessert isn't on the HH menu, but we had to satisfy our sweet tooths...or is it teeth?
- Wine, Beer $4
- Select Mojito, Margarita, Martini Cocktails $5
- Appetizers avg $7 (large portions)
- Pizza $6
- Flatbreads $8 (Recommended. It’s a thinner option to pizza without sacrificing the flavorful toppings.)
After a day full of “lady cramps,” I not only rejoiced myself with a late afternoon run but added in the most immoral, filthy meal. Forget DiGiorno’s, even that’s too grocery-store-gourmet. I opted for something more perverse, $1.25 Totino’s and $1, 4qty Twix.
3 eggs, 1 yolk, turkey deli meat, cucumber slices, a few turns of ground pepper, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce drizzles.
The emptiness sets forth a tingling growl at the base of the belly. It lingers. One tries to reason with oneself, “It’s late, don’t eat.” The next thing one remembers is tip-toeing down the stairs in the shadows of the glowing hallway lights as to carefully not awaken others in the house nor to reveal the slight pre-guilt of what is to come; an abominable, filthy, erotic late night foodgasm drenching every inch of the kitchen.
Having eggs on hand is an absolute must, especially on this particular night. It’s the paramount safety net to any late night meal or quick snack. Easy to slap in the pan and with an array of cooking styles. Sunny-side-up, scrambled, over easy, boiled? No problem. It’s versatile and flexible; just the way I like it.
One of the best foodgasms are the ones we throw together with just about anything left in the fridge, fumbling through the seasoning artillery and somehow managing to make a delicious meal finally pacifying our demanding late-night-belly-monster to bed. ( Just make sure you have eggs on hand.)
Nestled within the famed, Stephan Pyles restaurant, Fuego is opened to only four diners during each of the two seatings (6:30pm and 9pm) from Thursdays through Saturdays. Executive chef, Matt McCallister (chef/owner Stephan Pyles), and sous chef, Danyele McPherson will intimately immerse the diner in an experience of culinary art and science.
Prepare yourself, Dallasites, for a taste of one of the most transcending food experiences one could ever have, the beautiful and ever intriguing world of molecular gastronomy. Go forth with the curiosity of a fledgling for there is no menu of the 7 to reportedly, 16 course epicurean affair. With such limited seating, reservations are quickly filling.
Fuego at Stephan Pyles
1807 Ross Avenue, Suite 200
Dallas, TX
214.580.7000 $125 per person or $200 with accompanying wines.
I sensually gorge into Big Mama’s thighs. The bursts of salt, garlic, and secret seasonings immerse my taste buds. She’s slightly dry yet well seasoned – exquisite, nevertheless.
In the corner of my eye, yet another awaits my attention. Waffles is impatiently wet with syrup and tender, I can no longer contain myself. With one hand still gently caressing Big Mama’s thighs, the other passionately brings waffles towards my tongue. As we touch for the first time, she’s as delicate and soft as I had hoped for.
Big Mama’s Chicken and Waffles is a modestly-sized drive through establishment. We ordered 2 family meals (5 legs, 5 thighs, bread slices, pickles, and peppers), 5 waffles, and 3 extra seasonings ($1 per, a must for a few bland and dry areas) at $40 exact – perfect for 5 lascivious persons eager to taste Big Mama’s thighs.
I’m so pleased to have experienced her on my journey to foodgasms. ^_^
What do you do on Sunday nights? The amazing graphic artist, Sebness, perfectly captures my Sunday night dates with True Blood.
Instead of a large bowl of carb-soup goodness, Cheetos was on the tantalizing menu last night. The highlights were hearing Bill say, “Suhhh-keh,” while I succulently and sensually sucked off the neon orange specifically, “Artificial color: Yellow 6 and Yellow 5″ from my fingers.
Carl’s Jr. is testing a new foot-long cheeseburger in 50 Carl’s Jr. restaurants in Southern California and 50 Hardee’s in Indiana.
Its 12 inches consists of 3 beef patties, 3 cheese slices, 850 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat at only $4. For the health conscious – with complete irony – add $0.50 for lettuce and tomatoes. Carl’s Jr., marketing chief, Brad Haley provides insight to the birth of this, hopefully, new product stating, “Obviously, the foot-long sandwich has been very successful at Subway. But we decided to do it the Carl’s way.” [source: www.usatoday.com]
I hope the foot-long cheeseburger does well and makes its way across the Southern states. With open mouths and wet salivary glands, we’re yearning to experience Carl’s Jr.’s newly erect heartiness in us, at least I am.
