Donna Cooks

I haven’t posted in over two weeks, but I’m still alive and well!  A spring break trip to England and Scotland for 9 days spanned most of that time (look for related food travelogues coming soon!), and I’ve spent the rest catching up on errands, work, and school work.

I did manage to make it to Central Market to see what kinds of exciting produce is available this season (after 9 days of eating cream, butter, and gravy heavy foods, I was like a child in a candy store with the wide variety of fresh locally grown produce at Central Market).  My excitement peaked when I turned the corner from tomatoes and potatoes to fruits.  It’s muscat grape season, folks.

I first discovered the joy of the muscat grape last year when a trip to Central Market introduced me to these tiny bursts of delightful, slightly tart, sweetness.  What makes this grape so different from a regular white grape?  It’s smaller, sweeter, thinner skinned, and wine aficionados will immediately recognize the familiar flavor found in muscat based dessert wines and the sparking Moscato d’Asti.

I will probably finish the 2 1/2 pound bag in less than a week 🙂

I tried Lorina Lemonade (the French Berry flavor) for the first time as a result of an impulse purchase at Central Market.  This stuff is awesome.  It’s not overly tart or sugary like most lemonades, and doesn’t have that almost bitter artificial lemon taste (a la Minute Maid).  It’s lightly flavored, fizzy, and really refreshing.  Plus I love the look of the 11.5 oz glass bottle, makes for a great single bud vase.  I can’t wait to serve these at a summertime cookout/pool party.

It’s the Dali dessert plate at Cafe Madrid: bread pudding with raisins and nuts in a bourbon sauce topped with whipped cream, fruit pastry drizzled with chocolate sauce, orange sherbert, and brandied pear slices.  Open til 11:30pm and there’s a good wine list.  No more late night Taco Cabana or IHOP for me (unless of course it’s after 11:30pm).

Cafe Madrid
4501 Travis St
Dallas, TX 75205

I love Kelly’s Eastside in downtown Plano.

I love the casual neighborhood atmosphere. I love the patio seating with live acoustic music during fair weather. I love that it’s a good place to watch a game because it’s smaller and less noisy than a sports bar and the food is far better. I love the complimentary chips and salsa and quesadillas and discounted margaritas during happy hour. I love the consistency of the quality of service and food at Kelly’s. I love that there’s no sense of hurry when you go to Kelly’s, you’re just hanging out with your friends, having a beer, watching some sports, enjoying some conversation. I love that Kelly’s has lots of regulars, and I don’t mean for a workday lunch. I love that it’s Aggie-owned and all its Aggie-themed décor.

But most of all, I love Kelly’s chicken fried steak with sides of mashed potatoes topped with queso and green beans, all with Shiner on tap served in a frosted glass. It’s comfort food. It’s Texas food.

A new Indian restaurant has opened in Garland in the shopping center at Broadway and I-30.  India Garden offers lunch and dinner buffets as well as a full menu of Punjabi specialties, and a special Sunday brunch.  I tried out the dinner buffet on a Sunday night, which proved to be an excellent value at $8.50.  Generally speaking, the vegetarian dishes were executed better than the meat dishes.  It’s nothing to drive out of the way for, but if you’re in this part of town you’re not likely to have many other choices when it comes to Indian food (especially at this price).