Fat Tuesday and other such Cajon things.

 So I could talk about the history of Fat Tuesday and the celebration leading up to it, but this is a food blog. Well kind of...... Okay its a food, table, and what I'm working on at the moment blog.

Today however is Fat Tuesday. Last day of Mardi Gras. Its the one last big shin-dig feast day before Lent.  But that is tomorrow.  Ill keep this one short and give to you the gift of Black Beans and rice. On top of this you can pan fry oysters, shrimp, chicken, catfish, you get the point, if you can pan fry it or stew it for that matter this is the bead you want it to lay on.

Here is the quick and easy method. Real Cajon trust me. I have not know a lot of Cajon's that don't cook from cans. Summer is to hot to have boiling pots going all day.  If you do this from Dried beans be my guest but dry black beans can take 4-5 hours to cook so plan ahead.

2 cans of Black Beans.
2 cups of uncooked rice. Can use the fancy stuff or Minute Rice. If you use the fancy stuff cook it ahead
    If you use Minute Rice you can toss it in the same time as the beans.
1 Quart of chicken stock (for the rice)

1    teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne (I like 1 full teaspoon, but thats just how I was raised)
1/4 teaspoon of Allspice
1 teaspoon of Paprika  (I know what your thinking but trust me it will balance the Cayenne)

1 onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced or crushed to liking.
1 tablespoon of butter or bacon fat.

In a pan melt the butter or bacon fat and add onion, garlic and spices. Just cook long enough to get the onions to get soft. Now the rice goes in and depending on what rice you use will depend on how long it takes. Minute rice Takes 5 and put the beans in now too. Regular rice will take 20 so you don't put the beans in till the end or they will be overcooked and dry. Either way you cook it be sure to use chicken stock, Water doesn't add anything to the flavor, and if it doesn't add to it replace it.


Happy eating.

Pallets and Such, Part II

This is what we have made the first dining table out of. In its first life, it was a drum shipping pallet.  Very heavy and OAK!

  Here is the finished table - made from the pallet above. The two seats come from other pallets that were on hand. This one has had a lot more sanding and re-sanding and more sanding than the sideboard.  I also installed casters for easy moving and cleaning.

More Benches and tables to come!

Pallets and such

  From time to time I look out at the dinning area and think, what can I do to make it better. Sometimes its paint or some thing on the wall.  This time I decided that its the tables that are bothering me. Sure lifetime make a wonderful product ,but are they right for my little corner of the world? I finally decided that they will look far better outside after things get warm. So, I had better start thinking of a way to get some new tables! Of course we looked online and the table tops for dining tables would cost over $250 each! That just wont do at all.

   Then comes Nikki showing me all this stuff on Pinterest. It's like catnip for facebook posters. Just a picture with a caption and links. All these people where building things out of old (and some new) pallets. All of the sudden - I'm on Pinterest...but I digress...

There is a publishing company next door that gets a lot of shipments on pallets, but doesn't ship much out on them. So, they pile up.  Of course I asked first if we could get one or two, or even the odd size ones that most people never reuse. The answer: Sure, take them ALL.  

Thus begins the sauce table. I had two that looked like this and took them apart.

 Took a while and a lot of clamps, but I finally got a good base on it, and a square top.

 This is what came out in the end. This one has lots of coats of Polyurethane, and got left rather rough. A LOT of sanding will have to take place on the next one.  Be sure you have lots of good open space and/or work outside. If I had had a sander the job would have gone easier. (Little did I know, Nikki was planning my weekend with wood floors and the installing thereof, and had the tool list in mind - including said sander.) All said and don - it looks pretty good, and rustic, yes?

Beer with dinner.

With the holidays on us I thought I might talk this time about beer. Not so much the act of drinking it to hide from the family mess in the house but rather as it would be paired with food.   Much like wine, beer has many complex flavors hidden deep inside that little bottle.

  Think for a moment about that turkey and stuffing your making.   It has lots of herbs and butter in there. To balance it out you could pick a sweeter red wine or you could pick a Barley wine. The big bolder flavors of the barley will cut the fat of all that wonderful butter in the turkey and be mild with the herbs. The trick here is the herbs and Hops the bitter herb used with the beer will help bring the whole thing together.   Another good one would be a Trappist Ale like Chimay. Not hoppy but a very easy flavor that is wonderful with Turkey, trout or a big roast beast!

  Having Ham? Well think about the rich flavor of a Porter or Stout.  That sweet glazed ham can send your taste buds into a coma with something a little bold.  Don't like the dark beers? Try a Pale Ale.  Ham can take the hoppy flavor. By the way next time you have oysters reach for the Porter too. It has a way with the salty sweet flavor.

Hope this gives an idea or two. So go out there and stuff yourself silly but don't forget the beer!

 

Q Joint.

    It's time perhaps to talk about the fact that, We are a Q joint.  Desert Magnolia BBQ is no hi class place like the big chain down the street, We are a joint.  Where I come from there are the nice places down the street that you go because its someones birthday and you need a place that can sit 25.  Then there are places you go because your in Memphis and the place is well known all over the country, and, you just have to know what the hubub is about.  Then there is the place that you go to when you need your Q fix, the Q joint you found by accident.  There almost always hidden and the way you find them is either, by accident, or a local lets you in on it. The place that makes your mouth water when you think about it.

The Q joint is what it is, and does what it does, and most people like it that way; a few don't and well you can't please everybody, but for the most part the food is what you are craving, not the scenery.

 When you come in look up. The menu is on the wall in chalk (if they have one) where you will order and pick up your food. Feel free to take your time and look but it's pretty easy:  Pick a meat or two, sandwich or plate, and sides. Trust me, its all good - if it wasn't it wouldn't be on the menu. a Q joint is just too small to keep something up there that doesn't sell.  Most first timers go for the Pulled pork and beans. This seems to be the universal way to judge a BBQ place.  The people in the know go for the Ribs. For the big eaters there is the sampler and here you get a bit of most of it. Either way don't stress, it will take a trip or two to try the entire menu, but thats about it.

Just keep in mind that Q joints only cook so much at a time. So if you need 5 slabs of ribs for Friday afternoon you might want to call on Thursday and make sure we have them for you.  After you order, the sauce is on the table behind you. Try more than one if you like. Your welcome to sit down if you can find a spot. If you by yourself its nice to offer to share a table, after all you might make a new friend.

   At Desert Magnolia, we are nothing big to look at and kinda hard to find, but like most people you will be back to our little garage, hidden on the back of an office building, in the back of a Technology park on the opposite end of town than the other restauraunts. Thats just what Q is.

New Menu

So I want to start off saying don't worry its all still up there, but, next time you come in it might look a little different thats all.
The sandwich section is now a single price regardless of meat: $3.00 for a regular size and $5.00 for a large. Also, you can get any sandwich in a combo with a side and drink for $2.25 more.

Now in a plate you choose your meat and get 2 sides with cornbread or roll! One meat or two meats for the same price you have always paid just easier to order. This is where the 3 rib plate is now!
If you want more ribs we still have the half and full slab alone or as a plate with two sides and roll or cornbread.  

We have changed up the sampler so the 4 meats are chef's choice, and 3 sides of you choice - this gets you our best stuff of the day. This way it doesn't have to be the same thing all the time for you. Of course your welcome to request something be on there, or, let us know if there is something you just don't like so we keep it off your plate.

  Coming soon will be soup and a side of the day. Also each day we will have a Special of the Day that will be set. Still working on the menu list for this but it will be up on Facebook and listed on Twitter each day same as we have been doing. Don't expect this to be just a menu item on sale. It will be something truly special that we will do just for that day and just till its gone.

So come in and check out the easy to read menu and keep an eye out for those soups and specialties they will be here before you know it!

Smoke on the Hill

Saturday October 1st found me waking up at about 1 am. I asked my wife why it is we seem to do most of our camping in a Parking lot. The only answer I got was, "Is the fire going?"   Cook offs are a lot of fun, and a lot of work.

Its a lot easier to cook and feed 200, than it is the 6 judges that I have to wow in one or two bites.  Why 2 bites you say? Ever eat 6 ribs, 6 chicken thighs, pulled pork and brisket from 6 competitors, and not die of a heart attack?  Me either.   Prep starts on Wednesday with chicken. That only takes 2 hours to trim and prep 12 uniform chicken thighs.  Thursday is Brisket day, thats quick trim it down and remove the fat. Friday is the fun day. All I have to do is trim ribs and pork butt, make 4 sauces, 3 rubs and get all the stuff like tables, wood and the rest of a 2 page list loaded up in the truck, oh yeah and serve customers.  

That brings me back to Saturday at 1 am and lighting the fire. The easy part is cooking the meat. Keep the fire just so and spray, and wrap and do everything under the moon (it is 1 am ) to get as much flavor in to every bite of meat!   

 The camping

 2nd place Ribs

 3rd place Pork

In the end it all came out fun, and the ribs came out better than ever, pork was good too. Now i just have to figure out what they want out of brisket and chicken.  Who knows maybe I'm just to southern to cook beef well.