grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

State Fair of Texas: Fair Food

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Check out my State Fair of Texas fair food pics… My favorite new food = Pulled Pork Cuban Roll.  Disclaimer: I tasted most of these creations, but for a few I grabbed random people and snapped pictures of their food.
State Fair of Texas Fair Food
Deep Fried Red Velvet Cupcake (with fried chicken on top…)
State Fair of texas: Fair Food
Fried Thanksgiving Dinner
State Fair of Texas Fair Food
Pulled Pork Cuban Roll
State Fair of Texas Fair Food
Blurry Corn Dog

State Fair of texas Fair Food
My favorite lemonade!

State Fair of Texas Fair Food
Fried Chocolate Pie
State Fair of Texas Fair Food
Texas Fireball
State Fair of Texas Fair Food
Cinnamon Roll
State Fair of Texas Fair Food
Pig Toes

State Fair of Texas Fair Food
Texas Tornado Twisters

Today’s the last day of the State Fair of Texas. There’s still time to overindulge in these deep fried concoctions…

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:  Food, Glorious Food! (Oliver)


Steak with Mushroom Ragout

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THIS steak with mushroom ragout will make your eyes roll back in your head. It’s that good.
Steak with Mushroom Ragout
My husband proposed to me again. It’s that good.
This recipe is PERFECT for a special dinner, unless of course you are a vegetarian. In that case, I recommend making the mushroom ragout and serving it over rice. It’s that good.
And no, ragout is not spaghetti sauce in a jar…According to Webster, ragout is well-seasoned meat and vegetables served in a thick sauce.
(recipe adapted from Bon Appetit)
 
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 5 shallots, sliced
  • 1 pound mixed & sliced mushrooms (i.e. shiitake, portabella, oyster, crimini, button)
  • ¾ cup Port (if you need help choosing a Port, click HERE)
  • ¾ cup canned beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 ¾ in thick rib-eye steaks or top sirloin, trimmed (I used a 1.5 lb top sirloin)
  • ¼ cup whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (must be fresh!)
  • Parsley
Steak with mushroom ragout
Method
  •  Melt 1 tablespoon butter with vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Generously sprinkle steak with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. When skillet is hot, place steak in butter and cook to desired doneness – about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Do not overcook. The meat will continue to cook after removed from heat…Transfer steak to a plate.
  • Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet, melt over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add mushrooms and stir until beginning to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add Port and broth and bring to boil. Boil until liquid begins to evaporate off and becomes syrupy, about 10 minutes.
  • Add cream and tarragon and stir over medium high heat until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Slice steak into strips, spoon mushrooms over and sprinkle with parsley.
mushroom sauce
Enjoy!
Grace Grits and Gardening
 

Music: Life’s Soundtrack

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photo courtesy of Memories of Toymorrow 

From the plastic Fisher Price record player Santa gave me as a child to the last song I downloaded on iTunes, music has been playing in the background, a sort of This is Your Life soundtrack. Of course when your Daddy wakes you up before sunrise to Waylon Jennings, music is bound to play a significant role.

As I think back on the concerts I’ve attended, I laugh at the wide variety of music and entertainers on my list. Bad Company, The Jacksons, Britney Spears, Squeeze, Elton John, David Allen Coe, Santana, The Doobie Brothers, One Direction.Oh and Keith Urban. My best friend Becky would NEVER forgive me if I didn’t mention Keith Urban…

Although my list is diverse and spans forty years, none of these concerts matched the thrill of my very first time—The Osmonds.
O
Be
Still
My
Heart
♥

 

In 1970-something when The Osmonds concert ended in a scream of tears and thunderous clapping, I could have died a contented teeny bopper without ever hearing anyone else sing another note. That’s how much I loved Donny.Alas, we were not meant to be…
A couple of weeks ago I saw Aaron Neville in concert at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Although I’m not a huge Aaron Neville fan, his versatile music took me back to different places, different times, different people.
My favorite moment was The Grand Tour, not because of Aaron Neville’s buttery rendition, but because it reminded me of George Jones and Friday nights spent watching Hee Haw and summer trips to the lake where we sang along to the eight track player Daddy rigged up in the boat.
 
Music speaks to us.
With only few notes, we are magically transported to Christmas Eve, first dates, Sunday service, joyous occasions, times of great sorrow. You never know when a song might knock you to your knees.

Where words fail, music speaks. –Hans Christian Andersen

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

This was written specifically for GBE 2: Blog On Week #126 Free Choice. 

P.S. And for those inquiring minds…the last song I downloaded from iTunes…

Summertime Sadness, Lana Del Rey

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!