Texas Style Barbecue

Lockhart, TX - A small town with approximately 11,600 people, it is also known as the Barbecue Capital of Texas. After seeing an episode of BBQ Paradise on The Travel Channel and knowing it's only a short 45 minute drive from Vincci's house, of course we have to go there. So on a Saturday morning, we jumped in the car, and started to head south for a filling Saturday. We arrived to this quaint little town shortly before noon. Our goal in Lockhart was to have a competitive analysis. We want to know who is the best in the BBQ Capital of Texas. Our two stops: Kreuz and Smitty's.

Our first stop was Kreuz. Kreuz is the bigger (by square footage anyway) of the two. When we walked into Kreuz, it is well lit has has a wide open feel, and the aroma of smoked meat filled the entire restaurant. We took a few minutes to look over the menu and decided what to order, and proceeded to the counter. On our agenda, Smoked prime ribs, jalapeno sausage, lean pork shoulder, and beef ribs. It was interesting to see that the ordering counters were right in front of the fire pits, as if they are tempting us to order one of everything. Of course, it was a hot summer day in Texas, so you have to admire the pit masters for preparing the meat in such environment under the sweltering heat.

Kreuz's bbq pit

After our prized treasure was obtained in the neatly wrapped butcher paper, we proceeded to the next counter for our sides. Some sauerkraut, German potatoes, and good ol' fashion carbonated beverages in the classic glass bottle. We found ourselves a table, set the spread down and were ready to feast!

BBQ feast!!

Kreuz did not disappoint! The smoked prime rib and lean pork shoulder was moist and tender, while the jalapeno sausages had just the right kick without over-powering spiciness. The beef ribs, while not falling off the bone, were much better than average comparing to the beef ribs that one can order from the usual barbecue restaurants. The regular sausage links, however, was a bit too greasy for my taste. The dining area was somewhat cafeteria like, but it was still an enjoyable experience. We ate half our order, neatly packed up what we have left in order to conserve room for our next stop, and began to head to Smitty's.

Smitty's BBQ pit

Driving upon Smitty's, you can definitely tell it is an older establishment. We parked the car against the curb in front of the rustic screen door, and walked through the dark corridor. For a few moments, we were wondering if there's even electricity at Smitty's. Then we walked into the light...tada...the ordering counter! The setup at Smitty is a lot like Kreuz, but in a smaller scale. The ordering counter were again in front of the brick fire/smoke pits, with the butcher's table in front of the registers. For a fair comparison, we tried to order the same meats. However, Smitty's do not offer beef ribs or jalapeno sausage. Their side offerings are also different. There are no sauerkraut or German potatoes to be had. However, they do have BBQ sauce upon request. We decided the big blocks of cheddar cheese might not go well with our barbecue, so we just got our drinks, sat down, and began our competitive analysis.

We were impressed with Kreuz smoked prime ribs, but the smoked prime ribs from Smitty's were out of this world! Maybe it's age of older brick fire/ smoke pits, or the more experienced pit masters. The smoky flavor was infused in the meat and the seasoning was just right. The smoked prime ribs were smoked to perfection! Slightly caramelized on the outside, with hot pink center that melts in your mouth! The lean pork shoulders were equally impressive. While barbeque sauce was offered, it would only mask and take away the true flavor of the meats!

We were completely stuffed when we left Smitty's, but who can only have only one meal! We ordered more food to go from both places, and proceeded to leave the BBQ Capital of Texas back to the Capital of Texas.

So what's the verdict? Well, in our opinion, you have to go to both places to get the best of both worlds. This would be my recommendation: Get the smoked prime ribs, lean pork shoulder, and sausage from Smitty's, and get the beef ribs and jalapeno sausage from Kreuz. Oh, don't forget to get some German potatoes and sauerkraut! Just remember to bring plenty of cash because neither of these places take credit cards! Just go there with an empty stomach and be preparing for a smoking good time!

Kruez Market: http://www.kreuzmarket.com/about.shtml
619 N. Colorado St.
Lockhart, TX 78644-2110

Smitty's Market: http://www.smittysmarket.com/
208 South Commerce
Lockhart, Texas 78644

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I love watching Barefoot Contessa on the FoodNetwork. Ina has many great recipes that I enjoy making. Tonight I decided to try a new recipe from her, lemon fusilli with arugula.

Since Kyle and I are trying to eat healthier, I thought it would be good to make a nice pasta salad for dinner. Ina's fusilli recipe is a nice mix of vegetable with pasta, all of which I conveniently have on hand. This recipe calls for arugula, broccoli and fresh tomatoes, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, Parmesan cheese, and of course, fusilli (actually I had mini-fusilli, even better, because they cook faster). You can find Ina's Lemon Fusilli with Arugula recipe on the FoodNetwork website.

This is a very quick and easy recipe to prepare. I made some modification to cut down the fat so it would be a little more heart healthy. I replaced the heavy cream with low-fat plain yogurt + a tablespoon of cream. The small amount of cream added to the yogurt still gives the dish the creaminess it needs, with probably at least half the fat. The fusilli mixed with the crunchy broccoli florets, tender cherry tomatoes, and spicy arugula with a creamy, lemony sauce makes this a great summer pasta dish! We ate the dish while it was still warm, but I think you could serve this warm, room-temp, or cold.

So what's the verdict? A keeper for sure. I made half of the recipe and there were no left overs. I love easy recipes with lots of veggies and plenty of flavors :-)

Grilled Watermelon Salad

I've had grilled pineapple, or grilled peaches. But grilled watermelon? That's a new one for me.

Recently I watched an episode of 5 Ingredient Fix on the FoodNetwork. The idea of only using 5 ingredients in a dish really intrigues me. Not that I think you need more then 5 ingredients to make a dish taste great, it is just a bit uncommon to ONLY use 5 ingredients in one dish and make it taste great.

So I decided to give one of the recipe a try - the Grilled Watermelon Salad. It looked really easy to make, and the combination of the ingredients seem very unique. You can get the recipe of the Grilled Watermelon Salad from the FoodNetwork website. The five ingredients in this recipe are: watermelon, olive oil, French Chevre goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and baby arugula. You will also need salt and pepper, but the host of this show does not consider salt and pepper to be ingredients since every household should have them, which I tend to agree with her.


I did not have any watermelon at home so I went to the store and purchased 1/2 a watermelon. I figure whatever I have left over from the recipe I can enjoy as a summer dessert. So I fired up the outdoor grill, turn up the heat to get some nice grilled marks on the watermelon slices. Once they're ready, I assembled my salad and had it for dinner.


So what's the verdict? I have to say I was skeptical about using watermelon in a salad, but I absolutely LOVED the flavor!! The watermelon was a little warm and still very juicy from being grilled. The tang from the reduced balsamic vinegar and the sweetness of the watermelon is great against the baby arugula's peppery bite . The chevre adds a nice creaminess and tang to the overall salad (I am a chevre addict, so goat cheese is good on everything :-). I believe this recipe is a keeper!! I will definitely make this again.

Cook's note: I would highly recommend using kosher salt or sea salt on this salad if you have them on hand. This is not a salad you want to sprinkle table salt on.

Fugu five ways

Fugu, otherwise better known as blowfish or pufferfish, are species in the Tetraodontidae family. Their bodies contain lethal amounts of tetrodotoxin, which is about 1200 times deadlier than cyanide. Fugu are not only lethally poisonus, they are also to die for! (pun intended)

Kyle and I visited Torafugu Tei, a franchised fugu restaurant in the Tokyo Metro, with our guide Masako. We decided to go Torafugu Tei's Shibuya branch since we had finished our tour at the Shibuya station earlier that evening. By the time we arrived at the restaurant, we were hungry and ready to eat.

We decided to order two 7-course fugu dinner and shared the dishes between us. Each of the fugu dinner were 4980 yen, about $49.80 each USD.

Fugu dinner

Fugu skin sashi

Our dinner includes:
- fugu skin sashi appetizer
- fugu sashimi
- fugu nabe (hotpot)
- fried fugu
- fugu porridge
- sweet cream ice cream for dessert
- grilled fugu fin in hot sake

Our first course was the fugu skin sashi. Thinly sliced fugu skin mixed with finely chopped green onions, spiced grated daikon and ponzu. I loved the texture of fugu skin, it reminds me of jellyfish. Next was the fugu sashimi. Fugu is a very mild white fish that does not have a whole lot of flavor when compared to Hamachi or Escolar, but it has a very crunchy texture. I would say the texture is very similar to Kona Kampachi. The fried fugu has a breading that tasted a lot like KFC's breading, I kid you not (KFF anyone?).

Fugu sashimi

Fried fugu

After our sashimi plate comes the fugu nabe ensemble, with large pieces of fresh fugu, mashrooms, napa cabbage, shungiku (chrysanthemum greens), Shirataki (yam/potato noodles), and tofu. The fugu pieces are so fresh, they are still twitching!!


Fugu pieces for nabe

Masako helped us cooked the nabe, and when we finished the hotpot, our server used the nabe broth to make a porridge. We ended our dinner with a nice scope of sweet cream ice cream! Yummy.

I have to say my favorite way of eating fugu would be in a nabe. I love the tofu and various vegetable (shungiku is my favorite) cooked in the hot broth with huge pieces of fresh fugu. The cooked fugu is so much more flavorful and the fish retains the 'crunchy' texture even when cooked.

What can I say? I am hooked! If I could have fugu in the U.S., I would eat it at least once a week.

Torafugu Tei has many Tokyo locations, be sure to visit one of them if you ever want to try fugu.

Torafugu Tei - www.torafugu.co.jp They do not have an english website, however you can click on the different links to see the pictures.

Best tofu kaiseki in Tokyo

I love tofu. Good quality, silky soft tofu.

When I was in Japan last year, I had the opportunity to visit Tofuya Ukai, a tofu restaurant right by the Tokyo tower. Now I have to say, Kyle is not a tofu fan. So he wasn't crazy about the idea of visiting an expensive tofu restaurant. However, after our first course, he was sold. By the time he finished the second course, aged dengaku, fried tofu in a sweet miso sauce, he was raving about the food.


"This is the best tofu I've ever had!!" Kyle said. And I agree with him. Those were some pretty damn awesome fried tofu.

We both had the Tsuki course, which is a nine course kaiseki tasting dinner with seasonal ingredients. Our Tsuki menu includes:

- Boiled Abalone and eggplant cold appetizer
- Aged Dengaku with sweet miso and egg custard
- Assorted sashimi
- Grilled wild duck with seasonal vegetable soup
- Boiled crown daisy with walnut sauce, fried chestnuts, and grilled barracuda sushi
- Savory soy milk soup with fresh handmade tofu
- Charcoal grilled black rockfish or domestic Japanese beef
- Rice cooked with special mushroom
- Fresh pear simmered in wine

For our 7th course, I chose the Japanese beef and Kyle had the grilled fish. I really enjoyed the savory soy milk soup with fresh tofu. I never knew you can make a savory soup out of soy milk. Everything we had were cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious.

Boiled crown daisy with walnut sauce, fried chestnuts, and grilled barracuda sushi

So if you are going to be in Tokyo, definitely pay a visit to Tofuya Ukai. You will not be disappointed.

Tofuya Ukai - http://www.ukai.co.jp/shiba/

It came to me in a dream......

The idea of blogging about food isn't new. However, I never had the desire to blog because, well, frankly, I don't really have much to say.

I have been planning my next vacation and I am trying to pick a place for my family to travel to. I fell asleep dreaming of traveling. Then it came to me.... Will and I are foodies, and we both love to travel. We should make a list of all the food places that interest us, and travel there to try the food, then write about it! Brilliant!

Okay, not really that brilliant. But Will and I both thought it is a great idea. So here we are... Will and Vincci eat the world!!