Food Network in HD

I finally took the plunge and bought a nice, big HD (high definition) TV. I've got Comcast which is relatively limited on their HD channels (don't believe their commercials), but in general the HD quality is spectacular.

Of course I bought it for sports — college football mainly. Two other sports which I normally wouldn't be caught dead watching — NASCAR and golf — are strangely fascinating to watch in HD.

But the true revelation is the Food Network in HD. Once you watch the Food Network in HD, you will never go back.

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Who new Ina Garten had freckles? And Giada, yes she has flawless skin to go along with everything else. Alton Brown? He does some strange things to his hair, or what's left of it. And Emeril. That man just does not look healthy. I have to think the rise of HD had something to do with his show getting canceled (he's not even listed on the website). Kind of like all the local news stations getting rid of the old anchors and replacing them with the equivalent of fashion models.

But I digress. The best part is of course the actual food in HD. If you're like me, I mainly cook dishes whose preparation I can watch on a TV show. When the recipe says "Cook onions until transparent," what the heck does that mean? I have to actually see it to know what I'm doing. Actually seeing the color and the texture, not to mention the finished product, is essential for me to be satisfied I prepared it correctly. Now if only they could come up with Smell-O-Vision...

And the downside? Honestly, I think I've gained 5 pounds since I started watching Food Network HD. When they zoom in on the steaming, finished dishes my mouth starts watering and I start planning a big dinner. Gives a new meaning to the term "TV dinners."

Luby's raises prices...again

It must suck to own Luby's. On the one hand, management must deal with downward pricing pressure in a hyper-competitive market. On the other hand it is certainly dealing with spiraling costs for raw materials and employee benefits.

And then there is that pesky fight for control of the company between the Pappas Brothers, who are the majority shareholders, and other large shareholders. To put up with all that, the Pappas Brothers must really love Luby's.

And so do I. But my life-long affection for the Lu Ann platter continues to be challenged by what seems like a never-ending series of price increases at Luby's. Just last week the price of the Lu Ann went for $7.69 to $8.09. With all the competition out there for my food dollar, not to mention the option of cooking a pleasurable meal at home, can Luby's survive when a basic meal there is pushing 10 bucks? Maybe. Here's why.

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I've been a loyal customer of Luby's since I was old enough to sit in a high chair. You could say I've seen the good and I've seen the bad over the years. The bad? The aforementioned price increases. It wasn't but a few years ago that the Lu Ann was $5.99. And staffing issues. I've seen long time employees who I've become friendly with choose to leave, presumably due to negative changes in their work agreement. That of course makes room for younger and more inexperienced (and more inexpensive) staff. The Luby's staff at the location I frequent, on W. Gray and Waugh, is invariably friendly and helpful. And yet some of them are so inexperienced it is obvious they don't even know how to calculate change on the fly. And I always--always--check my order before leaving with a to-go order.

And the good? First and foremost, the quality of the food at Luby's (at least at my location) is consistently above-average. The management is obviously hands-on when it comes to quality control. From what I've observed, the managers at my Luby's location take their job seriously and work very hard.

And that's what keeps me going back. Frankly, $8.09 for a good quality, as-close-to-a-home-cooked-meal-as-you-can-get is still a very good value. Unfortunately I'm not sure everyone will agree with me or be as loyal as me.

Here is what worries me about Luby's. The Pappas Brothers have zero margin for error, specifically in the quality control area. Personally, if I ever felt the quality of the food was declining, I would be out of there in a heartbeat. 30 years of loyal patronage be damned. But if the Pappas Brothers were indeed faced with the decision of either raising prices or decreasing quality, they have made the absolute right decision in raising prices. So, at least for now, I'll head to Luby's for lunch--Lu Ann Fried Fish this time probably--and pray for it to be as good as ever.

Big Momma

There are certain essential tools a Foodie must have. For a long time I've worked around the lack of a proper stand mixer.

With an expanding repertoire of cuisines and a diminishing amount of time, the investment had to be made. My inaugural concoction using my new stand mixer is a simple, golden sheet cake, made from scratch. I'd say the investment is already paying dividends...

So let me introduce you to my shiny new toy...

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I call her Big Momma.

H/t to Kenorwox for the naming suggestion.

Superb Robb Walsh review on H-town taco trucks

Outstanding article in the Houston Press about Houston taco trucks and trailers.

This is what being a Houston Foodie is all about. This has got to be one of my all-time favorite lines from a food reviewer:

“The raw-flavored dried chile salsa came on like mole poblano’s punk-ass cousin.”

Classic.

Can’t Beat Braised Baby Back Ribs

"If you could have anything to eat right now, at this exact moment, what would it be?" If you want to work-up a true Foodie this is the question to ask.

Some will give an immediate answer, some will ponder for a moment. Some will give a different answer every time they are asked, some will always give the same answer. I would say 9 out of 10 times I will answer "Baby Back Ribs."

One of my favorite Baby Back Rib recipes is from Alton Brown's Good Eats program on the Food Network. This is a braising recipe, not BBQ. Braising usually involves the "low-and-slow" cooking technique which inevitably leads to meat following off the bone. And that is the way I like it.

The basics: a meaty slab of baby back ribs and dry rub ingredients.

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Dry rub applied, allow to marinate overnight if possible.

Wrap that rascal in tin foil and add braising liquid.

A few hours later, we have reached the promise land.

The braising liquid makes an incredible sauce. BBQ sauce? We don't need no stinking BBQ sauce!

Let me at it!.

Tender as a mother's love, falling off the bone, moist, perfectly seasoned. I'd like to write more but I'm drooling on the keyboard. Bon appetit!

How to be a Foodie and not get fat

Being passionate about food and restaurants is both a blessing and a curse. You get to spend alot of time in great places, with great people, eating great food.

On the other hand alot of the food you eat is not exactly “lite”. I get asked alot about how I stay healthy and keep a normal weight for my age and height. Fortunately, the way to do it is not rocket science. The hard part is having the discipline to stick with the plan. Here are a few tips I live by to stay healthy and energetic.

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1. Exercise. 30 minutes a day of reasonable aerobic exercise is half the battle.

2. When eating at a restaurant, eat half the dinner and take the rest home for lunch the next day. This technique can really challenge the discipline of a foodie. Having to deny yourself that half plate of the delicious food in front of you is a real test. But after you do it a few times, it gets easier. I promise.

3. Eat whole, not processed, food. I’m not a scientist so I don’t have any proof of this, but from my experience processed food in any quantity makes you fat and lethargic. Instead of eating 1 pop tart, eat 2, even 3, bananas.

4. Don’t drink soft drinks. They are basically a container of chemicals and sugar that goes directly to your waistline.

5. Drink water. Lots of water. Again, I can’t give any scientific explanations, but drinking lots of water somehow helps to cleanse your system and help digestion.

6. Get the most bang for your nutritional buck. Why eat a bowl of iceberg lettuce that has very little nutritional value, when you can eat a bowl of fresh spinach that is bursting with vitamins and fiber? If taste is an issue, just throw on some non-fat, all-natural salad dressing. Don’t know what foods have the most nutritional density? Glad you asked. Check out The World’s Healthiest Foods website. This site includes incredibly detailed nutritional information about all the food you should be eating. Highly recommended.

7. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, keep it as simple as possible. Obviously fruit is the first choice. And you can always dress it up–some fresh sliced peaches with a drizzle of whole milk and a sprinkle of sugar is refreshing and satisfying. When you crave chocolate–and every foodie craves chocolate–just stick with the good ol’ Hershey’s chocolate bar. And as much as it hurts, keep the chocolate ice cream to once a month.

This is where I learned everything I know about food…

A good part of my mis-spent youth was spent working at Quatorze Bis in NYC. How did I end up there?

Well, after 5 years in college and a $100K in tuition, what is a young, highly-educated and ambitious young man to do? Move to NY and work as a waiter/bartender/maitre d’ of course. I liked to call it “graduate school for life”. My family was NOT AMUSED.

Anyway, as a maitre d’ I could eat whatever I wanted off the menu and drink whatever was behind the bar every night I worked. Cassoulet? Check. Steak-frites? Check. Choucroute garnie? Check. And my mouth still waters when I think of the chicory salad with bacon and a hot vinaigrette...