Recipe: Sunday brisket

This is not typical of the brisket you would find while road trippin through Texas, but this is definitely a brisket recipe that is worth adding to your recipe book for Sunday lunch.

This is a Tyler Florence recipe and it’s so simple and so flavorful.  I used beef stock instead of wine and 2 onions instead of 4.  I also made his scalloped potatoes and sliced my thumb on my new mandoline slicer.  Not good.  After that happened I had to let my mom take over and she doesn’t move half as fast as I do, but she also still has all of her thumb.

So here is what you need to coat the brisket with before searing

4 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, rosemary

And here is what it should look like after. Coat the brisket with this and ground black pepper

Sear the brisket in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Add the vegetables – 2 red onions, 4 large carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1 16 oz can whole tomatoes, 3 bay leaves, 1 handful of parsley, and 2 cups beef broth

Bake for 3-4 hours in a 325 degree oven and baste every 30 minutes.

AND finally the piece de resistance

You’ve got to try it.  It’s just so yummy.  Let me know if you like it!

Random: Happy Birthday Brinkley

Disclaimer: I’m sure nothing I could say in this disclaimer could convince you that I’m not a crazy dog person if you are in fact the kind of person who thinks people who love their dog enough to write a whole post about them are crazy.  So what’s the point of this disclaimer you might ask.  I’ll let you know as soon as I figure out the point of a whole post dedicated to my dog. 

Brinkley turned 5 on November 9th so I thought I’d write a little tribute to the mutt that has brightened my life in ways only a dog can.  Assuming you have a dog, have had a dog or maybe just watched Lassie as a kid, I would think most people can appreciate the unconditional love that a dog can teach us.

 

The little puppy with the crate he slept in once

I’ll never forget the first week I had Brinkley.  He would wake up every 2 hours needing to go outside, he would whine until you let him up in the bed with you, he would not eat the food I bought for him, and he would pee everywhere but outside.  I was just about ready to throw in the towel and call myself a non-pet person, but fortunately I didn’t know what one does with a dog they don’t want so I kept the little guy and we found our own little rhythm of co-habitation.

He ate my shoes.  He chewed up my books.  He tore up the carpet in my apartment.  He shredded one of my dad’s Bibles.  He scratched up one side of my couch.  He destroyed a pair of my glasses.  He knocked my laptop off the the coffee table and into unfixable oblivion.

All that fades away when I think about the times I have come home tired/beat down/sad and that little dog will sit right by me and look up with his little cockapoo eyes that seem to say “everything is gonna be all right.”

Here’s to you Brinkley!! I wish you a happy 5th (35th) birthday.  I’d take you to the dog park to celebrate, but your allergies prevent me from doing so.  We’ll walk around downtown instead.

Coming up next! A brisket recipe that will knock your familys’ socks off!!

Road Trip: Fort Worth

If you’re in Fort Worth this weekend, the Lone Star Film Festival is going to be taking place in Sundance Square.  This will be their 5th year and they will be honoring none other than Willie Nelson for his contribution to music in movies.  It’s a neat event and I’m hoping to check out some of the movies.

I’m also hoping to go on a little shopping trip in this area on Saturday and will be posting about what I find.

Here’s a little teaser of a few of my favorites:

For vintage, Bess & Evies is a great shop off of 7th street.  It might be my favorite vintage store ever because the owner is very selective about what she stocks and you don’t have to dig through a lot of junk to find a real treasure.  Also, she has an extensive supply of cowboy boots!

For antiques/resell furniture, I like to explore the many aisles at Montgomery Antique Mall.  They have everything from furniture to dishes to clothing to books to knick knacks.  Basically a whole lot of stuff I do not need to try to fit in my small apartment, but it’s still fun to look.

For  outdoor shopping, go to University shopping center near TCU.  This is where you’ll find Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Francesca’s, and a few other shops.

Another fun boutique to check out while you’re in this area of town is Chiffoniers.  They have clothing, jewelry, baby gifts, home decor and the store is decorated is a fun, unique way.  Great place to buy decor items and get decorating ideas.  Just look for the blue door on Camp Bowie.

You’re also really close to the cultural district where you have a choice of 5 museums to visit – the Kimball, the Modern, Amon Carter, Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and Fort Worth Museum of Science & History.  The Modern is my favorite and if you haven’t been it is definitely worth checking out even if you only go in to see the atrium and gift shop.

Lots of fun things to see and do around town! Especially in this wonderful weather.  What are some of your favorite things to do in cowtown?

Random: Texas in the fall

Well for a road trippin blog I sure have been short on the road trippin!  I promise to do better.  This month has gone by so fast and the weekends have been full of postseason baseball, birthday parties with friends, and other close-to-home happenings.  Fall really is my favorite time to get out and explore.  Especially in Texas where everyone celebrates its arrival on the first day it dips below 90 degrees.

The fair came to Dallas and I missed it.  The Harvest Moon Festival came to Granbury and I missed it.  The Rangers went to St Louis and totally missed it.  What a heartbreaking loss, huh?  I’m still coming down from that one, but as Scarlett O’Hara said, “After all tomorrow is another day.” And in this case, there is always next year. And Lord willing I will be there April 6, 2012.

I have  a lot of posts in my head and in the works and will do a better job keeping this up-to-date.   I definitely need to get a burger post in here sometime soon!! I’ve really been slacking.  Lazy days of summer are  far behind us and it’s time to get to it.

November is here, which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  It is my favorite holiday and I am looking forward to spending it with my wonderful family!! What are some of the things you like to do during November in Texas?