Port Royal Cafe

http://portroyalcafe.com/

If you like Mexican food, real Mexican food, you have to try Port Royal Cafe. It is situated by Port Royal State Park.

One of the best plates that they serve is called the Wet Burrito. You have your choice of beef, chicken, or pulled pork. The mouthwatering thing about the wet burrito, other than being covered in cheese sauce and the size of your forearm, is that they use fresh pico de gallo and whole beans as stuffing.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is very rustic. The floor slants so much that one can place a marble on end of the room and it will roll to the other in no time, flat. It's usually smoky from the indoor, short-order grill, and is not the sort of place to take a date after a night at the symphony. On the hand, if your date is adventurous and likes good Mexican food, this may be the place for you. The service is good, the food is tasty and filling, and it is reasonably priced.

If you go the second weekend of October, you can also see the annual NCC (Native Cultural Circle) Pow Wow which takes place in the State Park.

This is Jonathan, my former employer, savoring the WB.

Mountain Breakfast With Kenyan Chai

We are sufficiently snowed in. The kids slept in (a rarely enjoyed treat for me). As we have limited milk in the fridge I cooked milk-less pancakes. Maddie wanted bacon or sausage to go with the pancakes, but I didn't have anything defrosted. The Dillards (a mountain bluegrass band from the mid-20th Century) was playing on Pandora. It inspired me to do something which would make my brother and sister-in-law glow with pride. We fried bologna to go with our pancakes and chai.

I know that I've just done two things with that statement; 1) I've lost the respect of some, and 2) I've gained the respect of others. I'm not sure which statement contributed more to the change in respect, the mention of the Dillards or the fried bologna. Probably both.

One of my dearest friends taught me how to make good Kenyan Chai. He was reared in Kenya as the son of missionaries. The key to good Kenyan Chai is to have good Kenyan tea. We both agree that Kericho Gold sets the grandiose standard of Kenyan teas. It is grown in the Kericho district of the Kenyan Highlands near Nairobi.

Pour boiling water over the loose-leaf tea and steep. The longer it steeps, the more intense the resulting tea. Pour through a tea strainer into cups and add a lot of sugar and whole milk. It is also good by omitting the milk and sugar and pouring over sweetened condensed milk (which is what many Africans do).

Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce

It has been a cold, snowy day today. I wanted a hearty meal to fix for the kids and myself. This recipe was everything I hoped it would be.

4 Boneless pork chops

2 TBS olive oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground thyme

Salt and black pepper

3/4 c milk

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cavender's Greek Seasoning http://www.greekseasoning.com/

Cooked rice

• Lightly season the pork chops with Cavender's (Salt-free would be good, too).
• Brown the seasoned pork chops in the olive oil over medium high heat.
• While the pork chops are browning, mix the dry ingredients (garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper) separately.
• Mix the milk and the Cream of Mushroom Soup.
• Add the dry seasoning to the mushroom soup mixture and mix thoroughly.
• Lower the temperature of the pork chops and add the Cream of Mushroom soup mixture.
• Simmer for 15 minutes or until done.
• Serve hot over cooked rice.

Maddie loved it and asked for more.

Graham didn't think twice about NOT trying it.

On a side note about Cavenders Greek Seasoning. I noticed one day that Cavender's is made in Harrison, Arkansas. My Dad's side of the family lived in this area of the Ozarks for many years. I asked Grandpa if he knew of any Cavenders living in Harrison. "Well, they used to be our neighbors," was the reply. Small world...

I tried something new this evening for supper. I had forgotten a dish that my Grandma was fond of making. My little sister called me the other day to see if I knew the recipe, but I had to call Grandpa to ask him if he remembered.

It's a simple dish that Grandma called Goulash. I don't think that it bore any similarities to Hungarian Goulash, at least what I made tonight didn't.

This dish is made by browning an onion, hamburger, adding a can of tomato sauce, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

While the meat is browning, boil some elbow noodles. Add the cooked (and obviously drained) noodles to the meat, add cheese, mix and stir.

I added my own flare and used Parmesan and Cheddar Jack cheese.

Maddie gave it a thumbs up, and Graham almost gagged on the first bite. I liked it. It tasted like Grandma's.