FoodieCuisine.com

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Biscuits and Gravy

Growing up, I used to love going to IHOP for breakfast. I remember ordering pancakes just so I could use the variety of syrups they have on the table. When one opened in our neighborhood, the memories came pouring back and I couldn’t wait for it to arrive. I typically am not a fan of chain restaurants, but there are not many places around that serve breakfast quite like IHOP does.

My wife, son, and I went for breakfast on Sunday a couple of weeks ago and were seated right away.  IHOP looks like most chain restaurants, with neutral walls, squeaky booth, and a certain lack of emotion.  That’s alright though; I don’t go to IHOP for the décor.

When I was a kid I used to order pancakes, but soon switched to their cheese blintzes.  Cheese blintzes consist of three crepes, filled with cottage cheese and cream cheese.  They are topped with sour cream, whip cream, and usually have a fruit spread on the side.  In no way should this dish be confused with something that is low in calories!  Considering the massive number of calories in the dish, I only have them as an indulgence every few months (and only on weekends.)  As you may have guessed by now, I ordered the Cheese Blintzes.

My wife really likes biscuits and gravy, but IHOP doesn’t sell JUST biscuits and gravy.  You have to order it with eggs, hash browns, and bacon or sausage.  She went ahead and ordered the Biscuits and Gravy with scrambled eggs and link sausage.  My son had one of the kid’s menu items.  Some type of combination breakfast that I didn’t pay much attention to.

Sing along now, “And the complaints come marching in!”  First off, coffee must be a major commodity at IHOP, as the coffee dispenser they leave at your table, only holds enough coffee for 2.5 cups of coffee.  I don’t know about you, but on a Sunday morning, I need more than one cup of coffee.  They pour your coffee using the dispenser, and afterwards, leave it on the table.  This gives you another 0.5 cups, total.  I’m sorry, but if you are going to use deficient dispensers, then fill them up after you pour the initial two cups.  Or, better yet, buy bigger coffee dispensers!

So, after chasing down someone to refill our coffee dispenser, we waited.  And we waited.  And we waited some more.  Finally, my crepes showed up, but without the rest of our food.  Then, my wife’s food showed up, and finally, my sons.  For starters, it was all ice cold.  I don’t mean lukewarm either.  The food was ice cold.  It was as if someone had put it in the walk-in cooler after cooking it.  Either that or someone left it on the counter, after cooking it, for twenty minutes.  Something tells me the later is what happened.

Also of note, my crepes were prepared incorrectly.  I had asked for them to come with strawberry preserves.  Instead of receiving strawberry preserves on the side, I received a bowl on the side, filled with strawberry pie filling and whipped cream on top.  Well, at least they tried to give me something.

Cheese Blintzes

We tried to track down our waitress but she had disappeared after discarding the food.  We ended up getting the attention of a busboy and let him know our food was inedible.  The waitress showed up and we repeated the story.  We explained how we almost never complain (to the staff,) and that our food was inedible.  A manager shows up at this time and explains that she will take care of the problem.

I also point out that my blintzes were prepared incorrectly and the waitress tells me they no longer carry strawberry preserves.  This annoys me a little as strawberry preserves are the same thing as strawberry jam, as far as IHOP is concerned.  They are the exact same thing, except strawberry jam comes in little plastic containers you open at your table, and preserves used to come free-form in a little bowl.  So, I ask her to bring me strawberry jam.  Couldn’t they figure this out themselves?  Why do I have to point out that what they used to serve can still be obtained by a different name?

The food comes back out, this time warm.  My son enjoys his breakfast and my wife enjoys her biscuits and gravy (while discarding the eggs, hash browns, and sausage they require you to purchase.)  My blintzes taste average, but the sour cream has a strange processed flavor to it.  It’s almost as if they switched to a cheaper sour cream at the expense of flavor and texture.

It always happens, the day when I choose to review a restaurant, something bad takes place.  IHOP normally delivers warm food, without waiting a long time, but this time it was a disaster.  The one thing delivery will not fix though is quality.  Their quality has dropped over the past year and I no longer look forward to going there.  In fact, I may not go back.

N Little Rock
4225 Warden Rd
N Little Rock, AR72116
(501) 758-4061

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Steak with Artichoke Topping

I cook dinner quite often and every once and a while I make something that “pops”.

The other night I made filet Mignon with a baked artichoke topping, fresh pasta, and an Alfredo sauce.  The food was amazing and tasted as good as it looks in the photo I took.

The pasta is more complicated than most want to deal with, but the steaks were super easy.  Give the following a try and let me know what you think.

Steaks

• Two 8-oz Angus Filets (no bacon)
• Cajun seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Artichoke Topping

• 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons chopped canned artichoke hearts

Instructions

Put your oven on Broil, at 450 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Bring the steaks to room temperature and rub both sides with the Cajun seasoning.  Be generous.

Finely chop the artichoke hearts after draining the water from the can they come in.  Blend them in a mixing bowl with the mayonnaise and cheese.

Take a dutch oven, or other heavy bottom skillet, put it over high heat for 3 minutes.  Add the olive oil and butter (be careful not to burn yourself if it pops.)  When the butter starts to turn brown, add the steaks to the pan and press down on them to ensure they make good contact.

Let the steaks cook until they are brown on the edges.  You should see a dark brown crust form on the bottom.  Once the bottoms are dark brown, flip the steaks over.  Spoon the butter/oil mixture over the tops of the steaks for the next few minutes.  This will ensure the tops don’t dry out and add an extra element of flavor.  Continue to cook for two minutes and remove.

Place the steaks on the cookie sheet.  Top each one with half of the artichoke topping.  You may have too much topping, but that’s ok, just set aside any extra.  It shouldn’t go higher than about half an inch above the steaks.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven once the oven is at full temperature and watch.  When the topping browns, remove the cookie sheet and let the steaks sit for 5 minutes.  Move them to plates and serve.

The steaks work really well with fettuccine Alfredo, asparagus, or a salad.

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

NOW Foods Xantham Gum

Have you ever had a low-fat salad dressing and wondered why it was so thick?  In most cooking recipes, flour, corn starch, or butter, are used as a thickening agent.  The problem is these items all have a lot of calories (and the butter has fat.) 

So, how do they do it in low-fat or low-calorie food?  The trick often can be found in Xantham Gum.  You may have never heard of it, but it’s a common powder used in cooking and baking.  It thickens anything you add it to and has only 5 calories for every half teaspoon.  The best part is that it doesn’t require much to thicken sauces.

Another nice feature of Xantham Gum is that it becomes less thick as it’s agitated.  Have you ever noticed that you can squeeze salad dressing or ketchup out of a bottle better if you shake the bottle first?  You can thank Xantham Gum for this as it becomes less thick when agitated (or shaken.)  It thickens back to it’s resting state when left alone for a few seconds as well.  This is what allows it to thin when shaken, be squeezed out, and thicken back once at rest on your food.  Cool huh?

I bought a pack of 4 from Amazon for $27 and it has lasted me for two years (and will continue to last me over the next two years probably.)  The manufacturer of the brand I choose, NOW Foods, describes the product as follows: “Xanthan Gum is a soluble fiber produced from the pure culture fermentation of the microorganism Xanthomonas campestris.  It is used in the food processing industry as a thickener, stabilizer and emulsifier for a number of different foods.”

I’ve used it in a variety of sauces and as a substitute for fat when I’m cooking low-fat meals.  It’s worked great so far and is something I recommend you give a try in your cooking adventures.

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Meat Deluxe Pizza

I went with my wife and youngest son to American Pie Pizza the other night and had a really good time.  American Pie Pizza has more than one location but I’ve always gone to the one in Maumelle. 

They have a very wide open area to sit in with tables in the middle and booths along the edges.  There is a private room you can use for large parties and sometimes they open it to the public when they are busy. 

Televisions line the area for watching sports games, boxing, and other shows that you may not want to miss.  I really like going there to watch the Razorback’s play while having a nice pizza.  They also have a small arcade with a few machines for the kids (or adults) to play and a prize crane.  My son really enjoys going to American Pie as he plays the games while we wait for the food to arrive.

Their food reminds me of U.S. Pizza Company and I’ve heard that the people who started American Pie used to work with the folks at U.S. Pizza Company.  In fact, the food is almost identical, down to the huge topping heavy salads.  The primary difference is in service as American Pie has much more attentive wait-staff.  I used to like U.S. Pizza a lot, but they got lazy from a wait-staff perspective and I don’t enjoy going there much anymore.

For the visit we ordered two pizzas, a large Meat Deluxe Pizza ($16.99) and a Medium Pepperoni Pizza ($8.99).  Both pizzas came out quickly and looked great.  The Meat Deluxe has pepperoni, beef, sausage, Italian sausage, and Canadian bacon on it.  I really enjoy the sliced sausage on the pizza and it’s my favorite topping to have there. 

The pepperoni pizza had, well, pepperoni on it.  The sauce on their pizza has a nice spice to it and covers the pies well.  The blend of cheeses they use is just right as well and is never too much (or too little.)  All of their pizzas have a thin crust but it’s not too crunchy and I like it more than the doughy option you get at some other places.

Overall the pizza was great, as usual, and I look forward to my next visit.

(501) 758-8800
N Little Rock
9709 Maumelle Blvd
N Little Rock, AR 72113

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

A couple of years ago I received a nice bonus and ordered a Cookshack FEC-100 BBQ Smokerwith some of the proceeds.  My wife was nice enough to let me do this and we (yes, we) have never regretted the choice.  The Cookshack FEC-100 is a commercial meat smoker that is intended for restaurants or BBQ competitions.  You can use it for the home, but it’s overkill for most applications.  Even with that, I love it and have used it at least monthly for the past two years.  I have cooked for my immediate family, our extended family, various charities around town, and even for local restaurants (for their workers to consume, not to sell.)

After waiting for a month, I received the FEC-100 delivered via a freight truck.  The unit, without wood in it, weighs 420 pounds and can’t easily be transported.  Although it’s heavy, it’s built on wheels and is easy to move around in a small area.  Whenever I cook with mine I wheel it from the garage into the driveway, and then back once complete.  I learned very quickly not to leave it in the garage as it generates way too much smoke.  I tried venting the smoke but don’t have a proper setup to really do it.  That’s ok though as I bought an all-weather cover that allows me to smoke in the rain or snow.

Here is the outside of the FEC-100, with the cover pushed back.  I cook with the cover on as it’s high-fiber count nylon and is built to be cooked with while on the unit.  The FEC-100 is highly insulated and never gets more than warm to the touch.  Do NOT do this with other cookers as they will burn the covers and catch on fire. 

Here is the smoker with the door open.  I only have two racks in it in this shot.  The fire pot at the bottom is where the wood chips pour into (and are ignited.)  It generates the heat and the smoker can cook at up to 500 degrees.  The foil lined plate is there to prevent fat from dripping into the fire pot.  The entire unit is encased in stainless steel with a fire resistant insulation.  Cookshack’s description of the construction is “double-walled 16-gauge stainless steel interior, 18-gauge stainless steel exterior 850ºF Spin-Glas Board ® insulation””.

Here is the control unit on the left side.  It has a 20 pound wood hopper and a computer control system.  You can set the temperature of the smoker, the time to cook, and the temperature to hold at once the time has expired.  The panel shows you how much time is left and the current temp as well. 

Here is a closer view of the hopper.  For this run I used Applewood.  You can buy pellets from various woods such as mesquite, hickory, oak, cherry, etc.  I buy my wood from Pellet Grill Outlet as they have proven to be the cheapest with the best quality.  The only thing you have to watch out for are wood pellets not made for smokers.  You do NOT want to use the ones made for heating stoves as they contain chemicals that are not safe for cooking.  PGO sells 60 lbs. of pellets for $60 that includes free shipping.

Here is the unit with the two 15 pound briskets loaded.  I have a drip pan set below them and you can see the fire pot running.  The unit will hold 100 lbs of pork, or 80 lbs of brisket, or 60 lbs of ribs at one time.

Here is a close up of the control unit and the temp probe.  In Probe mode you can set how hot you want the probe to reach and the unit will switch to hold mode once the temp is reached.  In this run I told the unit to cook at 226 until the probe reached 194 and then to hold at 140.  Food can hold at 140 degrees safely forever (according to the FDA.)  Eventually it will dry out, but bacteria cannot grow at 140.  This is the key that allows you to put your meat in, set the unit, and walk away or go to sleep.  No matter what you end up doing, when you come back it will be good to go.

Here is a closeup of the fire pot.  Wood from the hopper is ground through an auger that is controlled by the computer.  If the unit detects the temp is too low in the smoker, it grinds more wood and feeds it through.  This allows the smoker to only use the exact amount of wood as necessary and also keeps the temp within 5 degrees of the target.  This is key if you want to guarantee your results in BBQing. 

Here is the probe inserted into the thickest part of one of the briskets.  I set the unit to cook at 226 until the probe reaches 194.

The briskets after being in over night.  I put them in at 4pm Saturday and this was taken around noon on Sunday.  The probe was at 192 degrees when I removed them to sauce and foil.

Here is one of the briskets removed and with my homemade sauce put on it.  You can see the sky reflecting in the sauce since I do this outdoors.  After saucing the brisket, I cover it with foil, and put back in the smoker for a few hours.  If you don’t like wet BBQ you can always skip this step.  Sometimes I cook without a sauce, other times I do, it’s really just a matter of personal preference.

Here are the briskets after being sauced and wrapped.  I put them back in and closed the door for a few hours.  No probe is necessary as I’m steaming the meat at this point.

And finally, one of the briskets with the point removed and sliced.  It was VERY tasty. 🙂

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Hacienda

As I’ve written about before there aren’t many authentic Mexican restaurants around the Little Rock area.  There are several non-authentic ones that are good places to eat at though and La Hacienda at the bottom of Cantrell hill is one of them.  They have been around for many years now and serve American Mexican food that is a step above what you will find at other “Mexican” restaurants around town.

La Hacienda is based out of an old Pizza Hut (or Pizza Inn, not sure which) and has a small but comfortable feel to it.  They offer typical fare like burritos, tacos, and enchiladas but they also have specialty plates with asada steak, mole chicken, and other offerings.  It’s the specialty plates that help La Hacienda stand apart from the competition as many of them are very good.

They marinate their chicken and steak before cooking it and this adds a much needed dimension of flavor.  All of their vegetables taste freshly cut and the food is prepared at order time.  Like most places around town they have everything pre-cooked and put it together when it’s needed.  This results in food that is ready a few minutes after you order it so be prepared for the quickness.  It’s a great place to go for lunch as your stay requires very little time.

Nachos with Fajita Chicken

When you sit down you are greeted with a few different salsas to snack on while you browse the extensive menu.  I highly recommend their punch as they have my favorite blend in the state (or anywhere really.) 

For this trip I wanted cheese enchiladas and ordered a plate of them with a tamale ($7).  I opted for the cheese sauce instead of the red sauce for an extra 50 cents.  My wife ordered the nachos with chicken fajita meat ($9) and my son had beef burritos with cheese sauce ($7).  We also ordered the cheese dip as an appetizer.  All of this cheese should be a huge red flag for you if you want authentic Mexican food.  Whenever I traveled to Mexico I rarely had cheese on anything and didn’t see it as an option in most places.

Cheese Dip

The cheese dip was too runny for my liking but did have a decent flavor to it but we had barely made a dent in it when our food arrived.  In the future I’ll pass on any cheese dip given how fast the food arrived but this is not a problem, especially if you are going there for lunch.

My cheese enchiladas didn’t look too appetizing but I should have known better.  My order looked exactly like I envisioned it given the location and tasted the same as expected.  The enchiladas were simple and on the bland side and my tamale had more masa (corn filling) than meat.  The tamale was very dry and I ate only a couple of bites before giving up.

My wife’s nachos were much better than my food and I wish I had ordered them.  The chicken was tender and had a nice semi-spicy flavor to it.  The chicken was piled high on the nachos that were covered by a generous portion of toppings.  In the future I’ll definitely get the nachos.  I didn’t try my son’s burritos but they looked very similar to my enchiladas.

Three Salsas

You may be reading this and think that I didn’t enjoy my experience at La Hacienda and you would be half right.  The problem is that I’ve been there many times and enjoy the specialty plates. 

It’s almost as if half of the menu is for typical American Mexican junk food and the other half is for tasty Mexican specials.  And guess what?  They do!  I felt like having a cheese enchilada and received exactly what I ordered.  Sometimes you have to go slumming and I did on this trip.  I know the food on the Mexican specialty plate side is good and recommend it.  I typically enjoy the asada based plates and also like their mole chicken.  Give them a try and order from the specialty side if you aren’t looking for low-rent American Mexican food.

(501) 661-0600
Little Rock
3024 Cantrell Rd
Little Rock, AR 72202

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bread Pudding

What is a foodie to do?  Looking around my kitchen I see loaf upon loaf of previously fresh bread lying about. 

After a week of learning the ins and outs of bread baking I have accumulated more bread than a pharaoh in ancient Egypt.  We are apparently going to witness the last pharaoh here soon enough but for now I have a bread problem. 

I know what I’ll do.  I’ll make that succulent dessert called bread pudding.  I love the mound of sugar, spice, and everything nice that goes into it and what better way to use the bread than to make bread pudding? 

I don’t want to make just any bread pudding and in addition to the base recipe I’ve dug up I’m going to modify it in true foodie fashion.  I love peanut butter and chocolate and who doesn’t right?  My first bread pudding is going to use this favorite pair and my second dessert will take a visit to the beaches of Hawaii.  For it I’m going to make a coconut and pineapple bread pudding.  I love coconut and the pineapple should add just the right flavor to it. 

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bread Pudding 

Bread Pudding 

• 4 ounces baking chocolate chips
• 4 ounces peanut butter chips
• 6 cups baked bread (two days old)
• 1 quart milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons butter

Bourbon Sauce 

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup bourbon whiskey

Making the Bourbon Sauce 

While the bread pudding bakes in the next step you should make the bourbon sauce.  If you have small children or don’t like the taste of bourbon you can leave it out. 

Whisk the egg for 3 minutes in a separate bowl until fluffy.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Blend the sugar into the sauce pan and stir well to incorporate.  Blend in the whisked eggs and then the bourbon.  You will need to whisk the sauce a lot to keep it from breaking. 

Making the Bread Pudding 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and put into a very large bowl.  Pour the milk over the bread and push the bread down into the milk.  Let it soak for about 20 minutes.  Push the bread into the liquid whenever it pushes through the surface. 

In a smaller bowl whisk the eggs until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the sugar, vanilla, and spices to the bowl and blend together.  Pour the mixture into the large bowl with the bread and milk and gently fold the entire mixture together until incorporated. 

Melt the butter and pour into a 9” x 13” baking dish.  I used a glass one for my tests.  Ensure the butter covers the bottom and the sides of the pan before going to the next step.  

Pour in 1/3 of the bread mixture.  Sprinkle in half of the peanut butter and chocolate chips over the mix.  Pour in another 1/3 of the bread mixture.  Sprinkle the other half of the peanut butter and chocolate chips onto the mix.  Cover with the remaining bread and liquid.  Ensure everything is out of the large bowl and into the baking dish. 

Bake for 45 minutes or until the edges of the bread pudding are browned.  If using a glass baking dish you should see the mixture boiling on the sides.  Remove and let sit for 20 minutes. 

Serve topped with the bourbon sauce or ice-cream. 

——————————————————————— 

Hawaiian Bread Pudding 

Bread Pudding 

• 4 ounces non-sweetened coconut shredded
• 3 Tablespoons coconut powder (found in Indian grocery stores)
• ½ cup eggnog (skip this if you can’t find it)
• 4 ounces pineapple slices
• 1 quart milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 Tablespoons butter

Pineapple Sauce 

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 ounces pineapple slices

Making the Pineapple Sauce 

While the bread pudding bakes in the next step you should make the pineapple sauce.  

Blend the pineapple until very smooth in a blender.  I use my trusty VitaMix blender for this. 

Whisk the egg for 3 minutes in a separate bowl until fluffy.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Blend the sugar into the sauce pan and stir well to incorporate.  Blend in the whisked eggs and then the blended pineapple.  You will need to whisk the sauce a lot to keep it from breaking.  Set the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

Making the Bread Pudding 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and put into a very large bowl.  Pour the milk and eggnog over the bread and push the bread down into the milk.  Let it soak for about 20 minutes.  Push the bread into the liquid whenever it pushes through the surface. 

Blend the pineapple until very smooth in a blender. 

In a smaller bowl whisk the eggs until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  In the bowl add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut powder, and pineapple and blend together.  Pour the mixture into the large bowl with the bread, milk, and eggnog and gently fold the entire mixture together until incorporated. 

Melt the butter and pour into a 9” x 13” baking dish.  I used a glass one for my tests.  Ensure the butter covers the bottom and the sides of the pan before going to the next step.  Pour the entire mixture into the baking dish. 

Hawaiian Bread Pudding

Bake for 45 minutes or until the edges of the bread pudding are browned.  If using a glass baking dish you should see the mixture boiling on the sides.  Remove and let sit for 20 minutes. 

Serve topped with the pineapple sauce or ice-cream. 

Notes 

I like the coconut one the best since it has a nice custard texture to it.  It also has more flavors when compared to the peanut butter and chocolate one.  They are both great and everyone loved them so your mileage may vary. 

Enjoy!

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Pho - Vietnamese Noodle Soup

Pho Thanh My opened up recently off of Shackleford by the Kroger.  They replaced a gyro shop that opened and closed before I got a chance to visit and I didn’t want to let history repeat itself.  I stopped by for lunch a couple of Fridays ago and have been looking forward to each repeat visit.  That’s right, I’ve been back once already and plan on going back again this week!  It’s that good.

They advertise as a Vietnamese Noodle restaurant and you won’t go wrong by ordering exactly that.  It’s called Pho and consists of thin noodles at the bottom of a huge bowl covered in an aromatic broth.  The broth has an amazing amount of flavor and the fresh basil they give you adds a fragrant quality both in smell and flavor.  The soup is served with lime, jalapeno slices (fresh,) and fresh bean sprouts.  Each item served with the soup adds flavor that I highly recommend. 

For my visit I ordered Pho with Steak and Brisket ($7.95), also called Pho #4, and waited for it to be prepared.  Pho is made by pouring the broth over the noodles but then adding raw meat to the soup.  The heat of the broth cooks the meat before it makes its way to the table and the result is very tender meat with a depth of flavor that can’t be had otherwise. 

My soup was outstanding and I didn’t have to add anything to it for flavor.  This was unusual as I find myself adding siracha, soy, or other condiments to my food at other Vietnamese places but I didn’t have to at Pho Thanh My.  It had the perfect blend of salt, acid (from the lime,) and heat from the fresh jalapeno slices.  The only bad part of my meal came at the end when I was full and could eat no more.

I’ve been back and had the Pho with Steak and Meatballs ($7.95) but don’t recommend it as highly.  The soup is just as good as the other one but I don’t care for the meatballs.  They are too dense and spongy for my liking.  I will be back though and plan on going back this Friday for good old Pho #4.

(501) 312-7498
Little Rock
302 N Shackleford Rd
Little Rock, AR 72211