Foodie-Rama

Butterbeer - Not just for kids and "mugles"

2010-10-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Inspired from a visit at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL, most notably the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's a theme park inspired by the books and movies of fictional childhood hero Harry Potter. The park offers rides, restaurants, shows, shops and pretty much every experience from the "wizardly" franchise. Children, adults, mugles, etc. can equally enjoy the park and experience what it is like to be a witch or wizard.

Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7)

Harry Potter Years 1-6 Giftset (Full-Screen Edition)

For the big kids in the park, visit the park's only brewery, the Hog's Head Pub. The head on the wall literally comes to life as it grunts, snares and breathes just like in the film. The pub offers alcoholic drinks but most notably, BUTTERBEER. It is a non-alcoholic drink made of primarily cream soda, butterscotch and/or butter. It is offered in a frozen form and a non-frozen form. I had the regular non-frozen one and it was mighty tasty. You get the flavor explosion of the combined cream soda and butterscotch. And it also looks way cool. For kids that are too young for alcoholic beverages, this is a nice way for them to feel like one of the adults. All in good fun!

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory--More Than 150 Magical Recipes for Muggles and Wizards

I went home and tried to emulate this flavor concoction called Butterbeer. Here is a simple recipe ....

Ingredients:

2 cans Root Beer

1/4 cup Butterscotch syrup or Butterscotch Schnapps (for alcoholic option)

1 quart Vanilla Ice Cream

Whipped Cream (optional)

Butterbeer Mug from the Wizardly World theme park (optional)

Directions:

Chill mugs in a freezer for about 15-25 minutes
Mix ice cream, root beer and butterscotch in a blender or mixer
Pour into mugs, top with whipped cream if desired

Abracadabra! Here goes your next guilty pleasure mixed drink! Enjoy!

Rudy's Bar-B-Que - Houston, TX

2010-10-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Rudy’s is one of the best in boasting authentic Texas style BBQ. Memphis has its ribs, North Carolina has its pork but when its comes to brisket, Texas brisket is the best. Rudy’s has been serving their mouth-watering brisket for over 20 years and now has close to 30 locations all over Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Colorado.

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The particular Rudy’s I’ve visited is the one located in the north side of Houston, TX. They boast two kinds of briskets, moist or lean. I’ve opted for the moist for that melt in your mouth type of vibe. It did not disappoint. Their brisket is dry rubbed before it is smoked with 100% wood fired oak, which made the flavors and juices just pop out and ready to get into your belly. It had nice smoke marks in the side of its perfect little slices. I ordered 3 lbs to myself! This is what TX bbq brisket should be like.

Their “sause” is unbelievable. The only words that describe it is that it is really good TX style bbq sauce. They also sell these bottles at the old country store located inside, so you can “sause” up your BBQ at home.

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Overall, if you are ever in the Southwest of the country and want some really, really tasty authentic Texas style smoked brisket, this is the place to go. No other place spells brisket better than Rudy’s. Whether you like it moist or lean, either way you cannot go wrong with them.

BBQ Pope

4.5 stars out of 5 stars

http://www.rudys.com/ or follow them on twitter @rudysbbq

Backyard BBQ: The Art of Smokology

Spaghetti Tacos - Don’t Knock It Till You Try It

2010-10-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

Sparked interest from a Nickelodeon show called iCarly, the new kids’ food fad are Spaghetti Tacos.

When I first heard of this, one thing came to mind: why didn’t I think of this? Growing up in the 80s, I have been invited to countless birthday parties from neighbors, friends, family members, etc. One staple that is never absent from the table is SPAGHETTI. Kids love this conglomerate of tomato sauce, meat and noodles. Who wouldn’t? It is such an easy meal to prepare. Kids love tacos as well, though the preparation takes just a big longer than spaghetti. This quick and simple recipe is the best of both worlds! Your kids will love it! Read more for a quick and simple recipe.....

Here is a simple recipe to put together for a party idea or to change it up for the kids or the big kids in the house:

1 bottle Ragu, Prego or store bought ready-made spaghetti sauce
1 box spaghetti noodles
1 lb ground beef, preferably 80/20
1 box taco shells
1 packet freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Brown the meat in a pan until thoroughly done.  Drain excess water and oil.  Add spaghetti sauce and simmer until sauce begins to bubble.

Break the spaghetti noodles in half or in thirds (makes for easy loading into the shells).
Follow directions in the box, adding about 1-2 minutes extra boiling time for tender (non-al dente) noodles.
Drain and set aside.

Follow directions in the box for oven heating the taco shells. I prefer 350 degrees at about 4 minutes for extra crispy shells.

Now there are two ways to prepare these into the shells. One way, which proves to be the fastest way, is to mix the sauce and noodles at once, put inside the shells and garnish with the cheese. Another way is to get a taco shell, place a good amount of noodles in the bottom, top the noodles with the sauce and garnish with the cheese.

Either way, your Spaghetti Tacos should look like the picture above.

Your kids will love it, regardless of their age. It is great for picnics, parties or a twist on dinner. Enjoy!!!

Photo courtesy of iCarly.com

Introduction

2010-10-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

Hello, I'm Nathan. I am a crazy foodie trekking the globe for one main reason: to explore food and drink from different places. I'm on the endless quest of finding what satisfies my never-ending hunger for the best food that is out there. The bottom line is, I JUST LIKE TO EAT. From the health conscious to the heart-stopping fried goodies, I'm there. I will be sharing experiences from my culinary road trips, local favorites, recipes and everything else that's palette worthy to mention. Let me take you to my very own personal food journey.