For more information on the class itself call the Boston Deli at (918) 492-4745

Hasty Bake Cooking Class 2.0, featuring Biltmore wines. The class is on Monday, Sept. 20, 2010 starting at 6:00, $60 per person. Call (918) 492-4745 today for reservations.

Hasty Bake Cooking Class 2.0
Featuring Biltmore Wines
Monday September 20, 2010
6:00 pm – 8 ish
$60.00 per person

Boston Deli Grill & Market
6231 E 61st St
Tulsa, OK 74136-2120
(918) 492-4745

http://www.thebostondeli.com/

Canadian food reflects the tastes of a people living in a landscape as varied as it is massive. There are foggy fishing villages on the eastern shore, towering, razor sharp mountains to the west, and a breathtaking expanse of plains within the heart of this great country. Peppered with about two million lakes, there’s no end to the wildlife and fish available.

The country is experiencing a similar real food movement to the United States, celebrating local produce, farmers and manufacturers in an effort to support local economy. The effect on the food scene includes restaurants featuring many farmstand delights, such as local cheese, fruits and vegetables, like sweet blueberries, tart cranberries, and juicy summertime tomatoes served in dishes like Butter-Roasted Tomatoes.

Some prized locally grown products include wild rice and fiddlehead ferns. Canadian wild rice is black as night and at least three times as long as regular rice (a very distant cousin). As addictive as it is beautiful, the elegant grain carries nutty, wholesome flavor when cooked with a little thyme (Wild Rice Recipe). Bright green, tightly coiled fiddlehead ferns also make their way into many Canadian dishes, from stir-fries to soups. Once only a springtime delicacy, this tender green has become so popular that Canadian markets keep their freezer sections well stocked year-round.

Pure, unadulterated maple syrup is another Canadian specialty, oozing its way into countless cookies, confections, cakes, and breakfast treats – not to mention as a marinade for savory grilled meats (Canadian Dijon & Maple Grilled Chicken).

The most unique recipe utilizing this amber gold is called Grandpa’s Maple Dumplings (Grandpères), which is made by simmering dough until tender in a bath of maple syrup. Absolutely incredible.

While fish are incredibly popular in Canada, farmers also raise cows, chickens, and pigs for standard meat and potato meals, like roasts with gravy or meat pies. More indigenous meats, like caribou, elk, buffalo, and seal blubber are also available regionally and are particularly prized by the Inuit, Canada’s original settlers.
With a thriving immigrant population, Canada eats a variety of French, Italian, German, Chinese and Indian dishes. There are even a great number of fast food chains and convenience stores. Poutine, French fries covered in a sloppy mess of gravy and cheese curds is often served as the quintessential Canadian meal (even at their McDonalds), however one must remember the variety of the landscape to realize how difficult it is to narrow down the cuisine of Canada to just one dish.

About Sasha Martin - GlobalTableAdventure.com

Do you love International Cuisine? So does Sasha Martin. After all, she lived in Europe for six years and traveled to 11 countries before her 18th birthday. Then, while earning her B.A. at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT), she wrote an honors thesis entitled “The History of Artisan Bread Baking in France.” After college, Sasha attended the Culinary Institue of America for a year (Hyde Park, NY). In 2005, her CIA internship brought her to Bama Pie’s R&D kitchens, right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Not long after she got here, Sasha met the love of her life and decided to stick around. There was just one problem: she missed the foreign foods she grew up with. A lightbult went off when she realized “Hey, I can make international foods right here in Tulsa!” and that’s just exactly what she’s doing.

Today Sasha is on a mission to cook one meal for every country in the world. That’s 195 meals! And, guess what? She’s doing it in 195 weeks. You can can follow her journey at the Global Table or by checking out her weekly update on Wednesday’s here at  TulsaFood.com

All classes listed below take place at The Stock Pot – thestockpots.com

7223 East 41st Street
Tulsa, OK 74145-4503
(918) 627-1146

Sign Up Here

Mmmm… BACON!
with Amanda Simcoe
Tuesday,
September 14th
6:30-8:30pm $45

Other Stock Pot Classes:

Wine 101: The Wines of France
with
Mark Stenner
Friday, September 17th
6:30-8:30pm $45

Sign Up Here!

What’s the difference between a Bordeaux and a Burgundy? Why doesn’t the bottle tell me what grapes are in it? What the heck does Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée mean? Join Mark Stenner as he helps demystify the wines of France. Learn about the French wine regions, the grapes they grow and the wonderful wines they make. Hors d’oeuvres will be served along with the wines.

Let’s Get Sauced…AGAIN!
with Mary Anne Potter
Wednesday, September 22nd
6:30-8:30pm
$45 per person

Sign Up Here!

Join Channel 8′s “saucy” Mary Anne Potter for another evening of delicious Italian fare! Her ever popular “Let’s get Sauced” class is taking on a whole new life, with all new sauces! You won’t want to miss Mary Anne’s Pasta Primavera (with a Mary-Anne-style twist!), Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken, Italian Herb Sauce, Classic Basil Pesto and Bolognese, THE classic Italian sauce! For a sweet ending, Mary Anne will present a sinfully delectable Chocolate Sauce to be served over Ice Cream!

Cooking with Herbs
with Mary Anne Potter
Wednesday, September 29th
6:30-8:30pm $45

Wondering what to do with all of those herbs in your garden when the season draws to a close? Join Channel 8′s Mary Anne Potter, founder of the Ponca City Herb Festival, and owner of Herban Renewal Farms for a delicious evening full of herbal flavor! Mary Anne loves to share her knowledge about all things herbal while serving some wonderful herbal dishes. She’ll cover such topics as Growing Herbs, Using Herbs in Your Cooking, Drying Herbs, and more!

Sign Up Here

All 3 of us got the Axle’s Silly Philly (The Special That day). This Dawggy meal was a steal at $5.97 it had an all Beef Dawg, Sliced Ribeye, Grilled onions, Boo-Yah Sauce and Mozzarella cheese with chips and a drink. As you can see from the video below this Dawg was a mouth full. With two meats and cheese it was also filling. There was a good balance of smoke and spice and when bitten into it had the perfect “snap” which led straight to the perfectly cooked, juicy meat. The Dawg was perfect with no additional condiments, as a good dawg should be (… I did add a little Tapatio for extra HOT). One thing I would have loved is if that cheese would have been just a little more melted on top of the dawg. I love melted cheese on a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich or on a Burger. If you check out their website you can see that there are plenty of Dawgs to try with melted cheese.

I was lucky to meet up at Junk Yard Dawg with a few friends. One was Spoon from 92.1 the Beat radio Station. Spoon is fairly new to Tulsa and checking out the food scene… so far he had not been disappointed. You can also check him out weeknights around 7 – 10 on 92.1 FM in Tulsa. Or hit the video below to check him out as he downs a Junk Yard Dawg!

[Video Link]

Checkout Kristie Moon’s Tulsa Food Blog article on Junk Yard Dawg Here

Also Check out Tasha Dose Tulsa’s Article Here

The Junkyard Dawg
6011 South Mingo
Tulsa, OK  74146
918-893-GOOD (4663)
http://www.thejunkyarddawg.com
Monday – Saturday
11:00am – 8:00pm

There was a woman from New Iberia, Louisiana who visited Chicory & Chives back when it was a tiny Westside diner. She ordered the Crawfish Etouffee. It was so good she brought her family back to try it, and they all loved it so much that they scheduled their next family reunion at Chicory & Chives just so that everyone, even distant cousins from forgotten family branches, could try it. And, having just had that Crawfish Etouffee, and done everything short of licking the plate to get that last drop, I can testify, yes it WAS that good.

You can’t get more Cajun than a Crawfish Etouffee. It has everything that makes Cajun cooking unique and very very good. A roux, long stirred and lovingly made, the “holy trinity” of minced onions, green peppers and celery slowly simmered, and of course crawfish. The first two accent and intensify the flavor of the crawfish, and the broth has to be tasted to be believed. And after you taste it, you can see why novelist Rex Stout had his gourmet detective Nero Wolfe say “I have eaten bouillabaisse at Marseilles, its cradle and its temple… and it is mere belly-fodder, ballast for a stevedore, compared with its namesake at New Orleans!”

Have a look. I wish you could taste the photo.

Of course I should have begun with the restaurant. But all I can think of is that etouffee. Chicory & Chives, the shining star of the Westside, has packed its bags and moved south, to a big, inviting space in London Square mall on South Lewis. Once, long ago, it was Cardigan’s. It’s big, bare (it’s still being redecorated), and, at prime time on a Wednesday, sadly and inexplicably empty. The menu has all the old branch had and a lot more. In the morning, there’s breakfast, with 3 egg 3 meat skillets($7.50) along with omelets(about $6), pancakes and everything else. And then through the day you have sandwiches, Po-Boys (e.g gravy covered roast beef Po-Boy $7), salads, and lots of new entrees.

I ordered the Blackened Catfish ($10) mainly because with that you can get a bowl of the afore-glorified Etouffee for $3 extra. (You can get a bigger Etouffee on its own for $10.50) Normally the Etouffee is served over rice, and for me that ruins the full glory of its flavor. (If you get a shot of Booker’s Bourbon, you probably wouldn’t pour it over rice.) If you agree, you have to ask to have it served, as in the photo, in a separate bowl. Now on to the catfish.

That’s a worthy choice too. Evidently, blackened fish, though a fairly recent addition (thanks to Paul Prudhomme) to the Cajun repertoire, has become an accepted and popular one in Louisiana. The fish was fresh, assertively spiced, and quite good, and the red beans and rice I chose as a side order were good enough for me to cram them into my already stuffed belly. One of my friends ordered Chicken Pasta ($12).

A huge helping of sliced chicken breast, sauteed with peppers and mushrooms, atop penne pasta in a mild cream sauce. Again, a good choice. We also ordered a Fried Catfish Po-Boy ($9). The fish was fresh and nicely done.

The reason I’m not raving about these entrees is not that they weren’t good — they were just fine and worth a trip to try them — but that nothing could compare with the Etouffee. Or so I thought…

Jim Loggin, who is always friendly to everyone and who recognized me from a Tulsa Food Blog photo, asked me if I wanted to try out a new appetizer, not yet on the menu. Alligator. I couldn’t resist, so I asked for a few pieces. I expected a curiosity: tough ancient meat good only so you can boast that you tried alligator. What came was this:

Looks like fried chicken, and indeed, to use a cliche, tastes like chicken. (So does rat meat incidentally, but that’s another story…) Well, not quite like chicken. It has its own subtle delicious flavor. Amazingly, the meat was as fresh as if Jim had just shot the critter down by Crow Creek. (He assured me he didn’t.) The frying was good too, with a hint of lemon put in. If you go you should definitely request this.

I was stuffed by then but just couldn’t pass up the $3 desserts: fresh cobblers and pies.

Of course we’ll come back. Maybe next time I’ll just order 5 bowls of Crawfish Etouffee. And some Alligator.

Chicory & Chives Café
5800 S. Lewis Ave.
Tulsa,OK
(918) 585-3500
6:30 AM to 9 PM Closed Sunday
Facebook Page
chicoryandchives.com

Read my previous review of the previous Westside location (now closed) and learn more about Cajun cooking Here.

About Brian Schwartz:

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

“North of 3rd Street, old Tulsa still exists, with the squat one- and two-story frame, stone and brick buildings of its earlier days.” So says the 1941 edition of the WPA guide to Oklahoma. The low-slung nondescript building that houses Blue Dome Diner looks like it’s seen a lot. Inside is lovely too, as if the designer was asked to deconstruct a diner, make it big, and keep the charm. They kept the diner counter too.

There’s some great diner fare too: pancakes, omelets, chicken-fried steaks. But for the past few months, Blue Dome Diner has been serving dinner four nights a week. There’s a new menu every month. And there’s no chicken-fried steak. Instead, you might find “Citrus infused Soy glazed Chicken Breast with Pineapple, Onion and Bell Pepper” ($10) Which I was set to order, but decided to splurge and get the lamb chop ($15), served with roasted peppers, pesto and capers. I was expecting one measly chop. Instead to my joy and delight I got this.

Five big beauties! I had asked for medium rare and what I got was almost too rare but I didn’t send it back because if you cook lamb a shade beyond red-pink, you’ve cooked out all the flavor. And these babies were bursting with flavor, nicely complemented by the pesto and peppers. You get two side dishes with each entree and my beans and fried okra were good choices. It was a lovely meal, and big big big, close to a pound of meat and I savored every bite.

Cathe ordered the above-mentioned chicken.

A nice choice, sweet and vaguely Hawaiian. Still, I’m glad I ordered the lamb. We also got the ribeye ($13). This is the one thing that appears (or so I’m told) on the menu every month. And what you get is, well, just a ribeye … but a fine one.

It comes with a nice mushroom gravy on the side.

There’s a huge room in back where, on weekend nights, beer flows and bands play. (I think diners can sit there too, in case the front room is full.) They serve the dinner menu till eleven and next time I’m downtown for the nightlife, I just might stop by.

Blue Dome Diner
313 E. Second St.
Downtown Tulsa, OK
(918) 382-7866
Blue Dome Diner Facebook Page
Diner-style breakfast and lunch 7 AM to 2 PM
Dinner 5 PM to 11 PM Wednesday through Saturday Only

About Brian Schwartz:

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

Brothy soups cooked with limes (pickled or not), lemon grass, tamarind, or even coconut milk are standard fare. Here’s a recipe for Chicken and Pickled Lime Soup. Many curries and stir-fries are based on Kroeung spice pastes, all of which use lemongrass as the main ingredient. The result is salty, sour flavor, reminiscent of Vietnam and Thailand, without the eye-watering, mouth-sweat heat found in either of those countries. In fact, although red chili peppers are used, black pepper is the main vehicle for heat in Cambodian cooking.

Meals are filled out with fresh vegetables and unripe fruit, such as long beans, mango, papaya, pineapple, and squash. The most popular of the meats is either pork or chicken, found in many soups, noodle dishes and stir-frys.

The grill is also an amazing tool in Cambodia – used, amongst other things, for Grilled Corn with Coconut Milk and Grilled Eggs!

A former French colony, Cambodians carry on certain French traditions like eating fresh baguette. Locals can be seen spreading the crispy bread with pâté, or dipping it in curries to soak up the flavor.

Dessert is usually fresh fruit (like the jackfruit, which can grow up to 80 pounds), however rice puddings and milkshakes made with coconut milk (dteuk krolok) are also available.

I was reading an article in Afar Magazine about floating bungalows that you can rent in Cambodia. I’d sure love to eat our Global Table dinner over the water like that! How fun

About Sasha Martin - GlobalTableAdventure.com

Do you love International Cuisine? So does Sasha Martin. After all, she lived in Europe for six years and traveled to 11 countries before her 18th birthday. Then, while earning her B.A. at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT), she wrote an honors thesis entitled “The History of Artisan Bread Baking in France.” After college, Sasha attended the Culinary Institue of America for a year (Hyde Park, NY). In 2005, her CIA internship brought her to Bama Pie’s R&D kitchens, right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Not long after she got here, Sasha met the love of her life and decided to stick around. There was just one problem: she missed the foreign foods she grew up with. A lightbult went off when she realized “Hey, I can make international foods right here in Tulsa!” and that’s just exactly what she’s doing.

Today Sasha is on a mission to cook one meal for every country in the world. That’s 195 meals! And, guess what? She’s doing it in 195 weeks. You can can follow her journey at the Global Table or by checking out her weekly update on Wednesday’s here at  TulsaFood.com

We were driving from Oklahoma west and stopped there for dinner. It’s right next to I-40 exit 75. The outside is painted like a garish version of a movie set of a one-horse cowboy town. Step into the dining room (which can entail a long wait at peak hours) and you’re in an enormous room, totally packed, everyone having fun, laid out like one of those saloons you’d see in a cowboy film. Red velvet wallpaper, animal heads everywhere, balconies jutting out from the second floor. It was LOUD! And fun! Waitresses dressed like day-glo cowboys take your order. I sprang for an 18 oz ribeye ($22), very rare, with salad and loaded baked potato. The potato was forgettable (order something else!), the salad big and very good, the steak, cooked more or less rare was flavorful and quite good though far from great. I downed it all and was satisfied, no room for the huge slices of cake that were offered after.

The wood-fired grill is center stage and in front of that a raised table where anyone taking the challenge (eat a 4 1/2 pound steak and sides in under an hour and it’s free, if you lose you pay (about $75). As we were leaving someone stepped up to the table. A waitress in cowboy hat announced the challenger’s name and height and weight, just like a boxing match. The huge sirloin looked so good I got hungry. People crowded round. When we left he was well on his way to winning.

I’ve had far better steaks. (Though I must admit I enjoyed eating this one.) But rarely have I had so much fun.

Big Texan Steak Ranch
7701 E Interstate 40
Amarillo, TX
(806) 372-6000
Their website says they are open from 7 AM to 10:30 PM but they told us on the phone that they closed slightly earlier, so phone for hours.
www.bigtexan.com

About Brian Schwartz:

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

——————————————————————————————————————-

Night fell somewhere around Amarillo, and the stars blazed down as we crossed the high plains of New Mexico. First light just outside Gallup, and from a hill we saw the endless empty lands and red mesas of the Four Corners spread out below us. The flatlands stretched on and on, a rich blue-green carpet of desert vegetation. A lot of bushy salsola weeds, mixed with who knows what. It’s basically desert but there are 500 species of plants out there. I was wide awake now. The arid land hummed with life and energy. It was another world. The Navajo world.

The Navajo trickled in from northern Canada about 1000 years ago but now the Four Corners is the center of their world, and for them the world ends if they leave the area bounded by their four sacred mountains. It’s a tightly ordered world. Everything has its assigned place and meaning, and all the shapes correspond. The four mountain directions find their analogy in the walls of the traditional Navajo house, the hogan. The south walls are for making a living; weaving takes place there. The north is for reverence, and it’s there that blessing ceremonies are organized. The women stay on the north side; women are sacred, powerful, and it’s they who own family property. A man moves in with his wife’s family.

As we drove through the rugged roads of the Navajo Nation, I could see houses scattered on the high plateau as if a giant man had thrown handfuls of dice around. Most were trailers or cinderblock low flat houses, but each and every one of them had a hogan attached. They weren’t used except for ceremonies but no one wanted to cut themselves off from this link to ancient tradition and harmony of life.

I first ran across the Navajo concepts of harmony about 5 years ago while researching Navajo weavings. I’d read a lot of the dry history of classic weaving’s three phases, and a lot of the bloody history of how the Navajo were dispersed and chased and killed and herded onto some barren land far to the east before, years later in 1868, being allowed to return. But it was only when I stumbled on the delightful novels written by Tony Hillerman that I was first introduced to the Navaho concept of hozho. One source nicely (and hopefully accurately) defines it as “harmony, beauty, balance, tranquillity, equilibrium, rightness, centred, present moment centred awareness, truth, clarity of action, thought and thinking.” I immediately put a postscript on my Navajo rug essay and here’s part of it: “The Navajo believe in the interconnectedness of the natural world. If a butterfly flapping its wings in China causes a storm in New Mexico, they wouldn’t be surprised at all. They have a word for it. Hozho. It connotes harmony and balance. It also connotes beauty. The beauty of their weavings is an attempt to express and honor the beauty, the hozho, of the natural world.”

And we drove, and the land went on and on, harsh desert land yet teeming with life, and the few scattered houses, and I felt as if, just as the ancient Hebraic religions make sense if you trek through the harsh Judean hills, hozho, if it feels right anywhere, feels right here.

I was too dazzled to take any photos in the Navajo Nation but later on I took this photo just after we’d left it, and it gives you some idea of the terrain:

Their traditions steeped in ecology, the Navajo unwittingly and ironically violated it. They ruined the land. Wood-gathering stripped the terrain. Later, around 1600, they got sheep from the Spanish. Herds of sheep ate the grass down to the roots, turned the lush grasslands into desert. Just beyond the sleepy capital of the Navajo Nation, Window Rock, where we ate a McDonald’s breakfast served by a kindly Navajo lady and watched stray dogs fight in the parking lot, we passed through hills planted with evergreens in a recent attempt to restore the land. Beyond that, desert flatland and scattered hogans as we approached the rugged hills beyond.

The hills closed in around us. Jagged cliffs and monstrous mesas hemmed us in. We came to a place named Steamboat (strange name here) and found a tiny store with a laundromat attached. If you have no electricity or running water, a laundromat is a fine and precious thing, and this one was packed. Then we were through the hills and entered Hopi land. The Hopis, pueblo people, have been in the area forever. Northern Arizona is dotted with long-abandoned ruins built by the mysterious Anasazi people, who disappeared during a drought around the time of Genghis Khan. Not quite disappeared; some of them drifted into the Four Corners and became known as Hopi. During the 1600s, to escape the Spanish conquistadors, they moved their villages to the top of rugged mesas, sometimes running 50 miles every day to till the fertile fields in the green valley of Moenkopi. Here’s a look at that valley; you can see why it’s worth a long walk in the desert.

The Hopis have a cosmology like the Navajos, also tied to the land, but it’s much more complex and little known to outsiders. Their world is one of peace and harmony, and their calendar is punctuated by a complex round of ceremonies. The gods (or so they say) join them during planting and harvest, and dancing and masked processions celebrate their arrival. Even today, when it’s far easier to live on the flatlands, the clifftop villages (and the ceremonies) thrive. The Hopi eschatology is much like the Book of Revelation. We are living in an era called the Fourth World, and that is coming to an end, but the Fifth World can begin only if those sacred villages are occupied by Hopi.

Tourists visit the Hopi lands, and bring needed cash, but they bring disruption too so nothing is done to welcome them. The turnoff for the fabled villages of First Mesa is barely marked at all. I was looking for it and I spotted it and off we went. UP we went, as the narrow bumpy road suddenly climbed in switchback curves, rock wall on one side and a 1000 foot drop on the other. The dizzying roller-coaster ride disoriented me. I hadn’t felt that way since hitchhiking the narrow skyways of Tibet. Then with little warning we were on top, thousands of feet above the land that stretched out on either side. Crazy low-slung houses were jumbled up together like one sprawling monstrous organic being. (And in fact most of those houses are connected by interior doors just like the ancient Anasazi pueblos.) Some were cinderblock, some mud adobe walls, all brightly painted — I was still disoriented from the ride and this place seemed so alien. It was far more like a village on the Tibetan plateau than the normal world of malls and McDonald’s I’d left a few hours ago. It was far older than that world, in some ways far richer, and very very strange.

Up one street, no wider than an alley, and down another and then we went to the valley below. Soon the road climbed again, giving us an eagle’s view of the land we’d crossed.

Not far beyond that was Oraibi, which is on Third Mesa but which doesn’t have the climb since the cliff is only on one side. Oriabi, perhaps the most sacred of Hopi villages, is also the oldest, and dates back, incredibly, to around 1100 A.D. The same sort of pueblo buildings, but somewhat less crowded, and I walked along the dusty alleys for a while. The streets were deserted. I think I saw the entrance to a kiva, those secret underground chambers where the most intimate communion with the Hopi spirit world takes place. I wouldn’t have been surprised to meet a spirit walking in First Mesa or Oraibi, not surprised at all. Then we left. You’re not allowed to take photos at First Mesa or Oraibi but just at the edge of town was a long-abandoned house built in the old pueblo style and, telling myself that we were doubtless outside the village, I took a photo. It shows the exhilarating, mind-bending view that surrounds you 24/7 if you live on those mesas.

Not far beyond Oraibi was Moenkopi, and just beyond that Hopi lands ended. We were back in Navajo territory now, but after a few miles we left the Navajo Nation and turned onto Route 89 to Salt Lake City. Dazzling landscapes awaited us. The bizarre, towering wind-sculpted mesas as we passed along the southern fringe of Grand Staircase Escalante, wildest of the national parks, full of bear and elk, and then beyond Kanab the road turned north and a long green valley began. A few farms here and there, and old towns. This area had been settled by Mormons long ago. Farther north through Utah: jagged grey barren hills punctuated by verdant strips of valley land. It looks SO much like Afghanistan, I said, and indeed it did. But the feeling of strange and alien exhilaration was gone. We had left Indian land. We were back in the U.S.A.

Here is part of a Hopi dance, recorded at a Hopi village near Third Mesa and Oraibi Here.

Here is a portion of a Navajo religious ceremony, recreated about 50 years ago by a group of Navajo singers Here.

Listen to the voice of the Navajo Nation broadcasting from Window Rock Here.

Listen to the voice of the Hopi people Here.

About Brian Schwartz:

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

Event: Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 – 5:30pm to 8:30pm

Club 209

http://www.club209tulsa.com/
209 North Boulder Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74103-1803
(918) 584-9944

Have you been dreaming of owning one of the worlds best outdoor Grills/Smokers/Bakers? Now is your chance to pick up an amazing grill and at an even more amazing price.

Hasty-Bake’s Annual Scratch & Dent Sale is this week!

Save the Dates:
Thursday, Sept 2nd – 10am-5pm
Friday, Sept 3rd – 10am-5pm
Saturday, Sept 4th – 10am-TBA

MORE INFO WILL FOLLOW AS THE EVENT GETS CLOSER (including models, approx prices, etc). NO GRILLS WILL BE HELD OR SOLD PRIOR TO SEPT 2nd.

What can you do on a Hasty-Bake??? No words needed… pictures below!

Location:

1313 South Lewis Avenue Tulsa, OK 74104

(918) 665-8220

There is a huge irony in an article like this. For there exists, to my mind, the greatest myth in the entire world of wine, that sweet wines are not worthy of serious wine drinkers.

Dear Tulsans and wine drinkers wherever you are: here is the truth. Sweet wines, the delicious nectar of Sauternes or the absurdly expensive Eiswein of Germany (or icewine of Canada) are actually the end-game of wine, the very pinnacle of the expression of the glorious grapes grown for thousands of years across the world. But this exploration of the most age-worthy, complex and delicious of wines is for another time.

Where I grew up, in England, the common development was from cider to lagers and finally onto ales and heavier styles of beer. Ciders are sweet and easy drinkers, lagers are crisp and refreshing, and once you get into ales, serious complexities and styles come to the fore. In the wine world, the same development can be thought of in terms of sweet wines like white Zinfandel, off-dry whites like most German Rieslings, drier white wines like French and Spanish whites, until we come to the driest of the dry – Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays and Alsatian wines of any type. Then we move to the red wines. We start with the lightest – the Pinot Noirs, Gamays and Cabernet Frances of France, the U.S., and elsewhere, and then we progress to the medium styles of the fruit heavy Tempranillo and Malbecs of Spain and Argentina, where tannin and acid are low, to the slightly heavier Shiraz (Syrah), and Petite Sirah, until we come to the most tannic and dry of all red wines – the Nebbiolos of Italy, and the Merlot and Cabernets of France, other parts of Europe, and of course, here at home.

This process can take time. It can take years, but the palate can be trained, and if you want to learn about wine, you must try as much as you can. After all, it is why I founded my wine tasting group in the first place – to remove pre-conceived notions of what people think they know and like – and give them the opportunity to try new and exciting flavors. So, follow this neat little guide, which I hope you through the tricky waters of the plethora of wine varietals we have available to us today!

MAKING THE LEAP

So how do we make this gradual transition? We start by transitioning from blush wines to whites.

People often look down their nose at people that drink the Oklahoma sweet wines and the likes of white Merlot or white Zinfandel. It’s wine snobbery at its worst. If it wasn’t for the white Zin explosion in the 1970s we’d have a real dearth of Zinfandel plantings in California today and the luxury of choice we have wouldn’t be open to us in the same way. Paul Draper of Ridge made white Zins as red Zins fell out of favor in the 1970s in order for the winery to survive. Where would red wines lovers be without the majesty of Ridge’s Geyserville, Lytton Springs, or the Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon? A lot worse off I can tell you.

STEP 1: SWEET WINES: BLUSHES AND SWEET WHITES

White Zins (which are made from red grapes, with the juice being gently pressed for a few hours to give it the pretty pink and salmon colors), and wines of a similar vein are certainly sweet, but in certain circumstances make perfect sense. Their sweetness certainly offsets spicy dishes from Thailand and other parts of the far-east. Their flavor profile – sweet, ripe fruits, make them an ideal entry level wine. They can be enjoyed on their own, or with salads, chicken and pork dishes.

After this I would suggest moving on to slightly sweet wines – Muscats and Malvasias, which are naturally sweet grapes that can’t really be vinified dry. Here, you will encounter flavors of honey, peaches and other stone fruits. Look at the different colors of these wines (they will be rich and luxurious), as well as the mouth-feel and the sweetness levels.

Mark’s choice: Ironstone X (blush, $10), Cermeno Malvasia ($14).

STEP 2: RIESLING: THE MOST PROTEAN WHITE GRAPE

Riesling is a wonderful grape. Unlike Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, which is rarely made into a sweet style (and rarely tastes proper when done that way) Riesling can be vinified sweet or dry. In Germany the wines must be legally leveled with their sweetness level, taking all of the guesswork out of the equation. Avoid the dessert wines (Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese), so go with Auslese, which has rich peach, nectarine, and honeyed flavors, and then go to what we would call an off-dry level with Spätlese. Similar flavor profiles, but certainly ‘drier’ in the mouth. Then onto technically ‘dry’ Kabinett style, which also has those rich orchard fruits, but more of an emphasis on green apple and pear. Finally, try an Alsatian example. These are bone-dry, but light and aromatic, so they are never heavy like Chard or other heavy whites.

Mark’s choice: Germany – Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ($30); Blufeld Riesling (Spätlese level), $10; Demmer Kabinett, $10. Alsace – Kuentz-Bas Riesling ($20).

STEP 3: AROMATIC WINES – LIGHTER STYLES

The next progression is what I term as aromatic wines – wines that have fantastic noses and also good full bodies and the occasional hint of sweetness. There are so many grapes here that you can spend months exploring these exciting varieties. Start with the Alsatian star, Gewurztraminer. This grape, even when vinified dry, always gives the impression of sweetness. Compare and contrast a domestic and Alsatian example. Then try a white blend incorporating sweet and dry white grapes. Sokol Blosser and Menage-a-Trois make perfect examples.

Mark’s choice: Sokol Blosser Evolution. Mostly Pinot Gris, this also has Malvasia which adds hints of sweetness to the wine. $18. Firestone Gewurztraminer ($12), Trimbach Gewurztraminer ($22).

STEP 4: AROMATIC WINES – HEAVIER STYLES

This is the most exciting section for me. Pinot Blancs from Austria and Alsace, Albarinos from Spain, Viognier from France and Australia, dry and off-dry Chenin Blancs from France and the U.S., and rich Pinot Gris (Grigio) from Oregon. These wines are luxurious, rich, full-bodied, and frankly just delicious. Any of these wines can be consumed on their own, and also make wonderful food matches!

Mark’s choice: Start with Hopler Pinot Blanc from Austria. For $14 it is delicious. Then Raimat Albarino from a warmer part of Spain, a bargain at $13. Then switch it up with the Chenin-No-Way from Vinum in northern California, solid for $12. Finally, a big Viognier from K Smith in Washington State. It’s pricey at $22 but it showcases the grape and its pure rich fruit.

Mark Stenner – The Tulsa Wine Club:

Mark Stenner is the founder and organizer of the Tulsa Wine Club, a local tasting group that meets once a month to sample wines. The tastings take place in private homes in the Tulsa metro area, and are casual and fun events. Participants of all age ranges enjoy 10-12 wines per event, served alongside the food each member contributes to the evening. They welcome anyone with an interest in wine, whether novice or expert. Mark believes in learning through osmosis, drinking wine and forming your own evaluation of your experience.

The aim of the club is to introduce people to excellent wines in an informal and fun setting. We’re not out to be boastful or impress you with wine knowledge. We simply provide the background information – something no other tasting group in the state provides – and the wines for you to make your own judgements for your purchasing needs. We have taken white drinkers and turned them into advocates for red wines, and taken only red drinkers and shown them the wonderful world of white wines. Truly, no other wine tasting in the state, that we know of, offers the variety of tastings we do, and at the same time provide the depth of background knowledge, wines served at appropriate temperatures, and recommended the correct wine glasses and food items to work with the wines on show.

Reasons YOU should come to Rib Crib’s Rock ‘n Rib Festival:

• 14 Live Bands

• World’s Best BBQ

• Free Mechanical Bull Rides

• Kids Play Area: Colorful Inflatables, Jumpers, Obstacle Course, Assorted Games, and Face Painting.

• Funnel Cakes

• Beer

• World’s Best BBQ

• Tulsa Pride

Tulsa Welcomes WORLD-CHAMPION BBQ “PITMASTERS”:

- Big Boned BBQ, Hixon, TN
- Cowboy’s BBQ, Fort Worth, TX
- Desperado’s BBQ, Hinckley, OH
- Johnson’s BBQ, Chesapeake, VA
- Texas Rib Rangers, Denton, TX
- Willingham’s World Champion BBQ, Memphis, TN

Dates and Times:
Thursday, September 16, 2010, 11:00AM-12:00AM
Friday, September 17, 2010, 11:00AM-12:00AM
Saturday, September 18, 2010, 11:00AM-12:00AM
Sunday, September 19, 2010, 11:00AM-3:00PM

Location:
Outside the BOK Center, Third Street and Frisco Avenue, Downtown Tulsa
BOK Center Address: 200 S. Denver, Tulsa, OK 74103

Admission:
Free on Thursday-Friday before 5:00PM, $3 per adult all other hours
Children 12 and under are free

After catching up for around 20 minutes, my friend and I placed our orders as we enjoyed the fresh bread sat before us. I had to try the egg sandwich with homemade aioli mayo. This sandwich was off-the-chain (really good). The aioli mayo is what really gave it a kick.

My friend ordered the beef Medallions w/ mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. She described the flavor of the meat as biting into a juicy but lean piece of meat that had been marinated for weeks. The mashed potatoes were fluffy, buttery and melted in her mouth. Neither of us cared for the grilled vegetables…but everything else was awesome!

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience, especially our conversation with the owner in which he told us that he and his wife started this place to bring back the community inside the kitchen. Since so much time is spent cooking meals, that time can be spent in fellowship with family and individuals should learn those skills at a young age. I thought, what great people! They are doing it right. I cant wait to visit again.

The Savory Chef
8283 S. Memorial
Tulsa, OK 74133
(918) 307-2433
www.SavoryChef.com

Hours: M-F 10am-6pm ; Sat. 10am-5pm

The banana and the plantain can be found everywhere, piled high on the back of bicycles, old truck beds, and in baskets on top of women’s heads. These sweet treats are served plain, fried (recipe), and in home-brewed banana beer called Urwarwa. In fact, there’s little in the way of cooked dessert served in Burundi. Instead, the people enjoy a ripe banana or juicy pineapple slices.

Fish, drawn daily from the crystal lakes, is a staple for those who can afford it. The two most popular varieties from Tanganyika are called Ndagala (a tiny fish eaten whole) or mukéké (larger mackerel type fish). The fish are either grilled, steamed over a fresh tomato and onion sauce (recipe), or fried. Sometimes they are served with white rice and a side of spicy beans, other times they are served with French fries (a standby from Belgian occupation) or a traditional stiff porridge.

Meat is rare, and said to be enjoyed more as one ages, probably due to the financial limitations of youth. Goat is the most available meat, although chicken and beef can be found as well.

Seasonings add variety including red chili powder, cumin, and turmeric. Piri Piri (also Pili Pili), an African hot sauce, is served with most meals (recipe). The spicy, tart sauce is made with fresh citrus juice (either lemon or lime), garlic, chili peppers, and salt. Additional seasonings and herbs, such as parsley, can be added depending on the cook’s preferences.

Although most of the people in Burundi get by with a limited selection of foods, the diet remains bold and flavorful.

About Sasha Martin - GlobalTableAdventure.com

Do you love International Cuisine? So does Sasha Martin. After all, she lived in Europe for six years and traveled to 11 countries before her 18th birthday. Then, while earning her B.A. at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT), she wrote an honors thesis entitled “The History of Artisan Bread Baking in France.” After college, Sasha attended the Culinary Institue of America for a year (Hyde Park, NY). In 2005, her CIA internship brought her to Bama Pie’s R&D kitchens, right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Not long after she got here, Sasha met the love of her life and decided to stick around. There was just one problem: she missed the foreign foods she grew up with. A lightbult went off when she realized “Hey, I can make international foods right here in Tulsa!” and that’s just exactly what she’s doing.

Today Sasha is on a mission to cook one meal for every country in the world. That’s 195 meals! And, guess what? She’s doing it in 195 weeks. You can can follow her journey at the Global Table or by checking out her weekly update on Wednesday’s here at  TulsaFood.com

Last month, we happily attended the July Progressive Wine Dinner. Each month, The Boston Deli pairs a few of their favorite recipes with outstanding and complimentary wines. Normally a 4-course meal, these wine dinners are some of the most special we have been to in Tulsa. Everything is prepared from scratch with fresh details and beautiful sauces. Its comparable to any high class restaurant but half the price.

Here are a few pictures from the last Wine Dinner:

This month’s menu is something to rave about. Spots fill up quickly, so make sure to reserve yours as soon as possible!

Boston Deli Grill & Market

Progressive Wine Dinner
Featuring Wines of Spain
Monday August 30th
6:00pm – 8:00pm
$50 per person

Salad
Apple, Jicama, Chayote Salad w/ Manchego, Toasted Almonds & Sherry Vinaigrette
Red Guitar Rose

Appetizer
Seared Rainbow Trout & Mussels on Saffron Rice w/ Piquillo Peppers, Torn Basil, Grape Tomato & Albarino Deglaze
Salneval Albarino

Entree
Butterflied Flank Steak pinwheeled w/ Serrano, Ham, Basil, Green Olive & Mediterranean Chimi Churri on Spanish Tortilla
Torres Gran

Dessert
Lemon & Cinnamon Scented Flan w/ Candied Orange
Sangre Toro

To reserve your spot, call (918) 492-4745

The Boston Deli Grill & Market
6231 E. 61st Street
(Park Plaza Center)
Tulsa, OK
(918) 492-4745
www.thebostondeli.com

Come and enjoy free samples from some of the best cooks around. Bring your spare change to vote for your favorites!! All proceeds benefit our charities. Once again this years steaks will be 16 oz. Certified Angus Beef ® Brand Rib-eyes, the only beef brand endorsed and monitored by the American Angus Association’s 28,000 cattle ranchers. For only $20 you may purchase a complete steak dinner with steak, baked potato, salad and roll.  You can get your tickets HERE.  Over 70 classic and collector cars will be on display and a fabulous art show will be inside Trinity Church.

New this year is the “Appetizer/anything but beef “competition. Each team is invited to prepare samples for the public. Patrons will vote with their wallets by placing donations in boxes located at each participating team site. Complete rules for this fun afternoon diversion will be mailed to each team prior to the event.

Steak Cook-Off Schedule

11am – Car Show Begins
Noon – Music begins/ Art Show Opens
12:30pm – Appetizer/anything but beef competition begins
1pm – Steak turn in (Round 1)
3pm – Announce Top Ten
3:30pm – Appetizer/anything but beef contest closes
5pm – Top Ten turn in (Round 2)
5pm – Distribute Dinner Steaks
5:30pm – Serving Lines Open
7pm – Winners and Awards

Music Line-up

Noon to 2:00 – Timothy O’Brian’s Celtic Cheer
2:30 to 4:30 – Shelby Eicher and Mark Brunner
5:00 to 7:00 – Duo-Sonics
7 to ?? – CharityOkie Karaoke

Prize Money Breakdown Steak Competition

1st – $2,500
2nd – $1,000
3rd – $750
4th – $500
5th – $250
6th – 10th Trophy

Prize Money for the “Anything but Beef” Contest

1st -$250
2nd- $150
3rd- $100

Car/Art Show

Over 70 classic and collector cars will be on display in the area around the cooking competition. This amazing assortment of engineering marvels is one not to be missed. Cars will be set for viewing between 11am and 7pm. (There are still spots available if you want to enter. Call Robert Duenner at (918) 605-8555.)

New this year is the Juried Art Show. Featuring works by local artists in a variety of media, including; ceramics, oil, water color, photography and acrylics.

To reserve your tickets and print them off now visit HERE.

Oklahoma Championship Steak Cook-off
501 S Cincinnati
Tulsa, Ok 74103

Here are some of my very simple and easy to follow rules:

1. While many food and wine matches, and wine and cheese pairings can be ethereal, the most baic rule is “do no harm”. Some pairings can be an absolute disaster – like chevre (soft, creamy goats cheese) and Cabernet based wines of Bordeaux or the Napa Valley, where the heavy tannins in the wine eviscerate the creamy texture and acid in the cheese. The two clash, and the result is that neither the cheese or the wine taste good. Compare that to a wine from where chevre hails from, the Loire Valley in France – which is a sublime match. The naturally high acid in the wine, and the herbal, earthy nuances, enhance the flavors of the cheese and both really pop in the mouth.

2. There is no perfect way to pair several cheeses with one or more cheeses, unless they are from the same region. The optimum wines to pair with a range of cheeses (if you do goat, sheep and cow) is either a Moscati d’ Asti, an Italian sweet wine with good crisp acidity and low alcohol or a Gewurztraminer. Sparkling wines are also very good, and perfect for refreshing the palate between bites. If you want a red wine, Pinot Noirs and light Zinfandels are best.

3. Keep it simple. For a party, don’t overwhelm your guests. 3 or 4 cheese is about right, or you will 1) detract from what each cheese has to offer, and make them compete with one another, and 2) overwhelm your guests with too much sensory information.

4. Keep in mind three things with cheese – the acidity, texture and general level of stink or funk! A high acid cheese needs a high acid wine. WIth fatty cheeses like Camembert, you need a rich, syrupy wine. Dessert wines like Sauternes or even Hungary’s Tokay are perfect matches here. Or with Brie and Camembert you can also go with red Bordeaux. With hard aged cheeses like Manchego or Parmesan this is where tannins and fruit come into play. Manchego is from Spain, so something from Rioja is perfect Similarly a robust Italian wine, like a Dolchetto or Barolo will be excellent with the Parmesan. Stinky blues like Gorgonzolo and Stilton go weill with Port wines (fortified wines from Portugal).

5. Think outside the box. Don’t just serve wine. Beer is absolutely fantastic with cheese! Or even liquors and cordials. Retsina and Ouzo is my preference when pairing with feta cheeses. This is another example of pairing cheeses with drinks from the region.

6. Have fun! Even if you make a pairing mistake, laugh about it and move on!

Mark’s recommended wines for optimal cheese pairing (choose two or three for your pairings) – with cheeses selected by Tulsa’s very own Cheese Wench, Amanda Simcoe:

Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc. $16. A beautiful example of a not too fruity Californian Sauvignon Blanc. Herbal and racy, with delicious green fruit flavors, and a flavorful finish.
Cheese: Crottin, Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog or Chevre.

Trimbach Gewurztraminer. $20. This Alsatian wine is a house favorite and when we taste multiple cheeses it works so well. It has enough fruit to allow cheeses as diverse as aged gouda, cheddars, and even soft cheeses to shine, and the good acidity keeps the wines and cheeses tasting fresh. It even pairs with soft and creamy cheeses.
Cheese: Morbier or Fontina Valle d’Aosta.

Firestone Gewurztraminer. $12. This domestic Gewurz is off-dry and has lovely balance.
Cheese: Morbier or Fontina Valle d’Aosta.

Vietti Moscato d’Asti. $17. A high quality Moscato with peach, rose and even hints of ginger.
Cheese: Mountain Gorgonzola.

The Dot Austrian Pepper Zweigelt. $17 (only at Parkhill’s). Instead of a Pinot try this equivalent red from Austria. Zweigelt is Austria’s most abundant red grape. This wine is slightly lighter than most domestic Pinots, while French examples are expensive and hit and miss, and this wine has terrific acidity to match the fruit. It’s a quality wine and great with a range of cheeses.
Cheese: Edam, St. Nectaire or Salers.

Mia’s Playgrond Dry Creek Zinfandel. $20. Like the Zweigelt, this is a low-tannin wine that stays out of the way of most cheeses. Not great with soft and creamy cheeses, but works well with harder and aged cheeses.
Cheese: Piave Vecchio or Vella Dry Jack.

Chateau d’Arche Grand Cru Sauternes. $24 (375 ml). Sauternes is very expensive, but in those terms, this wine is a bargain. Rich honey, honeysuckle and apricot coat the palate. A dessert in itself. Once opened it has such high sugar you can re-cork and it will keep in the fridge for several months.
Cheese: Washed rind cheeses such as Pont l’Eveque, Livarot or Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk.

Mark Stenner – The Tulsa Wine Club:

Mark Stenner is the founder and organizer of the Tulsa Wine Club, a local tasting group that meets once a month to sample wines. The tastings take place in private homes in the Tulsa metro area, and are casual and fun events. Participants of all age ranges enjoy 10-12 wines per event, served alongside the food each member contributes to the evening. They welcome anyone with an interest in wine, whether novice or expert. Mark believes in learning through osmosis, drinking wine and forming your own evaluation of your experience.

The aim of the club is to introduce people to excellent wines in an informal and fun setting. We’re not out to be boastful or impress you with wine knowledge. We simply provide the background information – something no other tasting group in the state provides – and the wines for you to make your own judgements for your purchasing needs. We have taken white drinkers and turned them into advocates for red wines, and taken only red drinkers and shown them the wonderful world of white wines. Truly, no other wine tasting in the state, that we know of, offers the variety of tastings we do, and at the same time provide the depth of background knowledge, wines served at appropriate temperatures, and recommended the correct wine glasses and food items to work with the wines on show.

Chef Amanda Jane Simcoe:

Amanda Simcoe is a chef and food connoisseur. She absolutely loves good food and appreciates the art of cooking and trying new things. Amanda is the Director of Cooking School at the Stock Pot where she regularly teaches cooking classes. Also known as “The Cheese Wench,” she knows most everything there is to know about cheese. She loves using fresh ingredients and has a huge garden where she grows much of her own produce. Amanda also enjoys making beer at home and cooking elaborate meals.

Molly Martin – antoinettebakingco.blogspot.com & thevelvetmacaron.blogspot.com:

One late afternoon I walked into Campus Grill very unsure as to what I would be walking out with in my belly. All I knew was that I was starving and I either wanted a hamburger or some fish-n-chips, both great items off their menu. However, what I ended up with was a hybrid of both of those entrees from their chalkboard menu. They call it the BGD Fish Sandwich and I’m sure you can guess what that stands for (best garsh-darn tootin Fish Sandwich in these here parts). They might be right. Steamy, hot, flaky goodness surrounded by crispy High Life beer-battered Cod on a bun topped with cole-slaw. I fell asleep thinking about it 3 nights in a row.

Enough…go try the BGD Fish Sandwich for yourself and see what happens.

[Video Link]

The inside of Campus Grill is very campus grill-ish, which is a good thing. If you are like me you will get a good feeling. It’s a good place to take about anybody. Oh ya, and you can’t talk about Campus Grill without talking about the restrooms. I have gotten lost in the men’s room on about 3 occasions, finding myself staring at the walls getting lost. Well, I don’t want to ruin the secret…join the club & check it out for yourself.

Campus Grill
3148 E. 11th Street
Tulsa, OK
(918) 938-7043
Campus Grill Facebook Page

From the moment you walk into Shiloh’s you might feel like you have walked into an out-dated restaurant, do not mistake that for a dirty restaurant, because Shiloh’s is very clean. I’d say the environment is homey (Grandma style), cozy and very open. The wait staff is very friendly at this location and really took great interest in serving us.

Shiloh’s has been in the restaurant business for about 55 years and their culture of family and homemade goodness shows through every part of the experience when you visit. Everything down to the butter is homemade. Be sure to try the homemade strawberry rhubarb sauce on Shiloh’s giant homemade rolls.

Whenever I visit a place like Shiloh’s I have to order the biscuits and gravy. Checkout the video below about how I do my biscuits and gravy!!! Yum! Load the gravy on sprinkle on Bacon and top with Tabasco sauce (I usually prefer Tapetio)!

[Video Link]

The French toast was nothing short of amazing, Id give it 4 out of 5 awesomes!!! (If you are wondering what an awesome scale is, check out Clauds Burger Video with Joe, lol)

My dad order the fried pork chop with eggs, hash-browns and biscuits & gravy. He loved it and could hardly finish the meal. He said it was one of the best chops he had enjoyed in a long time. Rich flavors, a nice crusty outside with a moist tender inside. You can see by looking at the gravy on the chop that they used a lot of LOVE making this. It was delicious!

Shiloh’s of Tulsa Restaurant
12521 East 52nd Street
Tulsa, OK 74146-6207
(918) 254-1500

I ordered the turkey avocado sandwich which was delicious, and made with cream cheese, smoky turkey and the freshest vegetables.

I also ordered the butternut squash gazpacho as my side. When it was placed in front of me by our wonderful server Vanessa (see picture), I thought she had messed up my order…the soup wasn’t golden, hot or creamy. I asked her about it and she said it was butternut squash “gazpacho” and not butternut squash soup. She asked me to try it, and if I didn’t like it she would be happy to get me something else. OK, people…here’s the truth. If I had actually read the menu, I probably wouldn’t have ordered it. Thank goodness my 40-something eyes failed me. The gazpacho was incredible. It was icy cold and zinged with bold, intense flavor. There were so many flavors it was hard to discern exactly which flavor I was tasting. Sweet, spicy, and tangy. They all fit together for a new, delicious experience.

Urban Tulsa named Cosmo as the Best Brookside Restaurant and the Best Brookside Bar. The extensive bar boasts the most creative cocktails such as Gin Jonna, The Dog’s Bollocks, The Frisky Pussy, and the Watermelon, Peach and Lime Cosmo. All this plus its ultra cool décor and new location make Cosmo Café and Bar a great place to eat and play. Miranda said her business has tripled since the move to Brookside. And I can certainly see why. My personal opinion is that Cosmo Café and Bar was simply too hip for south Tulsa.

Cosmos Café and Bar
3334 S. Peoria, Tulsa, OK 74105
(918) 933-4848
www.cosmo-cafe.com
Open 7 Days a Week from 11:00am until After Midnight
Facebook: Cosmo Café and Bar
Twitter: @CosmoCafe

Submitted by Debra of Laizure Marketing Tulsa

When cruising down Garnett, you can’t miss the building.  To me, it was like one of my daily prayer times…and this was my sanctuary.  We walked in and ordered up the Ghetto Potato.  I also had to get a rib on the side.  Now keep in mind, there are bigger potatoes to be had at Big Daddy’s.  The Ghetto Potato that we ordered comes with BBQ chicken, smoked bologna, cheese and sour cream all nestled in a rather large baked potato.  Whats even better is the unlimited supply of BBQ sauce at your table.  As you could imagine, I smothered mine in Big Daddy’s sweet sauce.  Not only was this potato Ghetto-fabulous, it was straight up unforgettable.  For me, the only thing it was missing was some brisket.  I will fix that next time by ordering the Big Daddy which is the up-graded version of the Ghetto Potato.

The rib that I ordered on the side, however, nothing could take the attention away from the Ghetto Potato I had that day.  Check out my quick little iPhone video below and the next time your inner man or woman is yearning for that BBQ fix, consider filling that void with a Big, Phat Ghetto Potato.

Off the Menu

Ghetto Potato – Chicken, Bologna, Cheese, Bacon Bits, Butter, Ranch Dressing, Big Daddy Shake and big Daddy BBQ

Big “Big Daddy Daddy” Potato - Beef, Chicken, Turkey, (Hot Links or Polish Sausage) Plus Cheese, Bacon Bits, Butter, Ranch Dressing, Big Daddy Shake and big Daddy BBQ

[Video Link]

Big Daddy’s All American BBQ Tulsa Locations
1125 South Garnett Road, Tulsa – (918) 439-4460
4560 North Lewis Avenue, Tulsa
399 East Main Street, Jenks – (918) 299-6676

If you live, work or play in the South Tulsa / Bixby area, this is your chance to have a taste of Genghis Grill’s Mongolian Stir Fry at their NEW 10438 S 82nd East Ave location, right in front of the Spirit Bank Event Center. From experience, we know that you will not be disappointed.

Below is a fan comment from Carrisa on a review by Brian Schwartz. The entire review can be found Here

(Great advice on the card!)

Genghis Grill-The Mongolian Stir Fry
Bixby Location
10438 S 82nd East Ave
Bixby, OK 74133

Phone: 918-364-2695

http://www.genghisgrill.com/

My parents took me around Greece when I was very young. If America were ever to decline and pass into oblivion, what ruin would future inhabitants of the land revere as we do the Parthenon? It just now hit me that it might be our chain restaurants. I can’t think of another place in Tulsa that approaches the lavish Pharaonic grandeur of the Cheesecake Factory or the sleek mahogany-paneled elegance of Flemming’s. Oh, the churches should but they’re more easygoing and I don’t go too often. I think future archaeologists might conclude that, say, the dimly but dramatically lit entryway to Outback Steakhouse, with its podium for the hostess and benches for waiting diners, is a chapel with deep ritual significance.

Yes I went to Outback last night. I don’t go too often to chains either, but they got me with a coupon. The branch at Yale and 47th Street was perhaps the first in Tulsa but it was totally renovated a few months ago and the dimly-lit wood-paneled decor would have those future archaeologists fighting to grab it for their museums. “You need a GPS to get around here,” I said to the hostess as I got lost on my way to the washrooms (also newly decorated). The staff is well-trained and the place runs as smoothly as a cruise ship. The waiters have more medals decorations and flair than a general in a Marx Bros movie. I ordered a 10 ounce rib-eye ($16). Soon, to whet my appetite, out came a salad

and a loaf of warm brown bread. Both were quite good and soon eaten. (They’ll bring more bread if you ask.) About the time I was just starting to feel the need of it, out came my steak.

I’d ordered it very rare and strangely half the steak was more or less medium but the other half (and not the center, but the right hand side) was indeed rare. Still, both were pleasantly juicy so I couldn’t complain. The flavor was pleasant too but I don’t know if the meat had a good flavor because the flavor I got came almost entirely from their blend of 17 secret spices, which was a bit heavy on the garlic and black pepper. Wherever the flavor came from I enjoyed it, and my friends, who got their steak cooked medium-well as requested, loved theirs too.

I could have left right after that, filled by steak and a fine baked potato, but how could we resist a dessert sampler ($8)?  Here’s what came.

“We should have skipped the steak and ordered two each of these!” I said when I saw it. An overstatement, but each of the three huge desserts was a worthy climax to the meal. There was cheesecake with raspberry sauce, moist carrot cake, and a delightful melange of brownie and ice cream and warm chocolate sauce with the charming appellation of “Chocolate Thunder from Down Under”.

And then we left. Unlike the Acropolis in Athens, it’s not a memory that will warm my entire future life. But it was a surprisingly satisfying meal.

Outback Steakhouse
4723 S Yale (there are other locations also, such as 71st Street)
627-1992
http://www.outback.com/
open more or less from 4 PM to 10 PM everyday, later on weekends, opens early (11:30 AM Sunday)

Menu at 47th and Yale branch: http://www.outback.com/menu/pdf/C212_B_r1.pdf

Brian Schwartz:

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

As your side-kick at the grill, Elizabeth offers innovative grilling recipes paired with bold St. Francis varietal wines in her downloadable “Girls’ Guide to Grilling,” available FREE at www.stfsavortheflavor.com. Packed with mouthwatering secrets, the guide will help you impress party guests with your flawless grilling and create an award-winning menu at your next summer party.

Speaking of awards, St. Francis challenges you to enter the ‘TURN UP THE HEAT’ contest for a chance to win a trip to Sonoma! Showcase your boldest and most flavorful grilled recipe with a St. Francis wine pairing in a YouTube video – extra points for creativity! Submissions sent to www.stfsavortheflavor.com by August 31st will be eligible for the Grand Prize trip to Sonoma (along with the title of St. Francis Grillmaster!), among 7 other prizes.

Top 10 Grilling Dos and Don’ts

• Know the cooking methods: direct and indirect

• Do not peek under the lid; every time you lift the lid, heat escapes and the cooking time increases.

• Do not add flammable liquid to the fire; this means, no lighter fluid. Use either crumbled newspaper or fire starter cubes.

• Remember to keep the air vents open, otherwise the fire will go out.

• Make sure charcoal briquettes are grey-ashed before cooking.

• Do not flip more food more than once unless a recipe specifically requires it.

• Do not move or turn meat with a fork; this lets all the yummy juices and flavor escape.

• Control flare-ups with a closed lid, NOT a spray bottle filled with water.

• Use an instant-read meat thermometer. The only fail-safe way to test for doneness. The thermometer reads the internal temperature of meat and poultry in a matter of seconds.

• Know the Grilling Trilogy.

Salt-Crusted Shrimp with Potent Lemon-Garlic Dipping Sauce

PAIRING TIP: Try St. Francis Winery & Vineyards full-bodied Chardonnay with its ripe-fruit flavors, crisp high acid on the palate and rich lingering finish

Grilling Method: Direct/Medium Heat

Dipping Sauce:
½ cup best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 large lemon
Zest from ½ lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 stems fresh oregano
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Shrimp:
16 Jumbo or Colossal shrimp in the shell (or frozen black tiger shrimp)
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup Kosher salt

Make the Dipping Sauce: Whisk together the oil and lemon. Stir in the garlic. Take the leaves off the oregano stems and leave whole, add to oil mixture. Let sit for at least 20 to 30 minutes to marry the flavors—or make up to 12 hours in advance. Set aside.

If desired, devein the shrimp with a “shrimp deveiner” or, using a small sharp knife, make a slit about ¼-inch deep down the backs of the shrimp and remove the vein but do not remove the shells. Place the shrimp in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil to coat lightly all over. Just before putting on the grill, sprinkle the salt evenly over the shrimp and toss well to make sure each shrimp is thoroughly coated in a crust of salt.

Place the shrimp in the center of the cooking grate, 3 to 4 minutes per side or until the shrimp is pink and the flesh is opaque (white). Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Serving Tip: This is my favorite party “ice breaker” appetizer. I place the oil-tossed shrimp in a bowl on a tray with a small bowl of the kosher salt, my tongs, lots of napkins, a platter and the prepared dipping sauce. Once everyone is armed with a cocktail, we hit the deck to start the party. While we are talking, I toss the shrimp in the salt, grill them and place them on the platter. Then the fun begins; everyone takes a shrimp, peels and dips it in the sauce for a fun, casual and interactive appetizer! By the time the shrimp, and our cocktails are gone we are either fast friends or better friends! Alternatively, you can arrange 4 shrimp on each serving plate and accompany with a small ramekin of the dipping sauce but the girls think serving them hot off the grill is sooo much more fun!