Texas Barbecue at DFW International Airport

What is there to do at DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas) when your flight is cancelled, and the first available flight is the next day? 

When my wife, Linda, and I had hours to fill, the search was on for authentic Texas Barbecue in the many airport terminals.

We were stuck in Terminal C, near gate 22. I parked us at a table with AC power plugs so I could while away the hours on my laptop computer working on my 99 Cent Chef YouTube videos and Blog Posts.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Thanks to Linda's persistence online and phone calls with our airline, she wrangled two $12 meal vouchers and a hotel voucher for our overnight stay nearby. 

She out-cheap$kated me!

We stayed overnight at the nearby Comfort Suites - I had a Texas Waffle for breakfast.

Back to DFW, the hunt was on for Texas Barbecue when pangs of hunger hit. I found a Bánh Mì restaurant counter where Linda ordered a Bánh Mì Vietnamese Salad with Tofu. I kept going, sniffing the air for the tell-tale aroma of hickory smoke. 

I hit the jackpot when I saw the Dickey's Barbecue Pit sign - look no further! 

Go to the counter to order. The barbecue will be waiting for you by the cash register before you get your credit card back. I'm sure they smoke the meats off-site and bring it in. 

The thing about Texas Barbecue is that it's ready to eat after hours of slow-cooking over smoky hickory coals. The meat stays moist wrapped, then reheated. Whole beef brisket is smoked, then sliced or chopped to order. 

I spent a few of my younger years in Texas and have indulged in many slices of smoky, lean, tender, and moist Barbecue Beef Brisket. I like the Barbecue Sliced Brisket piled high in a hamburger bun smeared with tangy barbecue sauce, sliced onion, and pickle. 

For a heaping full-on order, tackle the 1, 2, or 3 Meat Plates with 2 Sides, and Texas Toast.

What's cool about Texas Barbecue is it's ready to serve. All the smoking/cooking of the meat has been done. Similar to a Prime Rib station, all that's left is slicing the whole brisket.

I skipped the $18 tap beer at the bar nearby, and used the airline $12 voucher on a 2-meat plate of Sliced Beef Brisket and 2 Pork Ribs. My 2 Sides were Green Beans with Bacon and Mac & Cheese. Barbecue can be expensive, but worth it. My $12 Voucher saved the day - 99 thanks, Linda!!

The Pork Ribs are not as meaty as larger beef ribs, but they were tender with plenty of smoky flavor.

The thickly Sliced Barbecue Brisket had a thin, red, tender rind between the seasoned, crisp, dark outer bark and succulent lean beef.

This is a real Texas-style Barbecue Brisket restaurant oasis, slotted into a cacophonous airport.

The sides are almost beside the point, but a tasty distraction.

I selected the Signature BBQ Sauce, which is sweet and tomatoey tart.

The Mac and Cheese would be better with a baked-on crust of cheddar. The cheese sauce was creamy, the macaroni tender. A fine Mac & Cheese similar to any fast food joint like KFC.

My small side of Green Beans with Bacon was missing bacon - I did detect a couple of small pieces, but the flavor of bacon grease was there. The Green Beans were tender and smoky. Quite tasty.

A thick slice of white bread, Texas Toast, served its purpose of sopping up any leftover beef juices, barbecue sauce, green beans juices, and yummy streaks of mac & cheese.

 

If you are going to be stranded in an airport, DFW is the one! Moist, smoky, lean Beef Brisket from Dicky's is amazingly delicious, even in a busy airport setting.

I would hop the airport Skylink tram no matter what terminal you are in. The tram is quick, so head to Terminal C and about Gate 6. Look on the restaurant side for the signage of Dickey's Barbecue Pit. You will see the long bar, then look to the side for the counter to order.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit has 2 locations in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: Terminal C near Gate C6, and Terminal E near Gate E27.

Look for the Skylink trams on the upper level for fast transport to all Terminals. 

Airport Address: 2400 Aviation Drive, DFW Airport, TX 75261

Dickey's Phone number: (972) 973-4799

Website: www.dickeys.com

Hours: Monday thru Sunday 5 AM–10 PM

🍩 National Donut Day - Videos

I've died and gone to Donut Heaven because it's National Donut Day! Check out your local Donut purveyors for any deals and specials on this holey day!!

From the Donut Man at the edge of L.A. County in Glendora to my local donut shop Krispy Kreme, right down the road, or a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean, is DK's in Santa Monica -- let's check out the donut scene here around Los Angeles.

For a couple of summer months, my fave donut is from Donut Man, and my considerate neighbor drives out to Glendora once a year to bring back a few boxes for our condo complex. But now we can get them in Downtown Los Angeles in the Grand Central Market.

On my sister, Denise's, last visit here, we had Strawberry Donuts. Man, are they huge. You have to eat a few strawberries before you can fit the pastry in your mouth.

And each donut is huge, loaded with freshly peeled and sliced peaches swimming in a sweet syrup. At $7.50 per donut, these are not cheap, but each one weighs 3/4 of a pound, and last time I counted, there were 10 peach slices per donut. And the pastry donut part is humongous as well.

The pastry is yeast-style, so it's light, airy, and has a sweet sugar glaze. 

For a neighborhood dunker, I've been going to DK's Donuts in Santa Monica lately. It's on the way to one of my favorite movie theaters, the Aero, where I've been known to make a homebound late-night stop. 

They are located in a mini-mall, of course, and in the alley behind the store is an angel wings/donut halo mural pictured at the top of this blog post. So go there for your own Instagram donut-halo selfie.

And they have the most picture-perfect donuts around. Exhibit A is their Original Ube Purple Yam Donut. It looks unusual, but it tastes like any regular donut. 

It's a heavy, sweet donut. The purple color is from a Japanese yam, but the donut doesn't taste like a yam. Most of DK's donuts are $3 each.

Their next standout donut is worthy of a pot of gold, the most colorful Rainbow Donut.

But the prettiest donut in town is right there as well, an Edible Flower Donut, made with a mild-tasting orchid flower.

My go-to local pastry is a Krispy Kreme Doughnut. They're so good I had to learn how to make my own, and just watch the next video below, and you will learn too.

What is it about a Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut? Crusted with sugar, Krispy Kreme doughnuts are so soft, slight, and featherweight that you are left wanting more -- all for about a buck apiece.

Get a free Krispy Kreme Doughnut on National Doughnut Day

When I first had them, I was reminded of powdered beignets from Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Both are made with a yeast-risen dough, and, in fact, the original recipe for Krispy Kreme was purchased from a New Orleans French pastry chef over 70 years ago.

The ingredients for this East Coast confection are simple and inexpensive: yeast, flour, sugar, milk, one egg, and vanilla flavoring. Krispy Kreme's recipe is secret, so I am approximating it. You can always show up at your local Krispy Kreme for a free one on this auspicious day.

Go ahead and experiment with doughnut dough flavors, using different flours (wheat) and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, chocolate powder (or chocolate syrup), and fruit juice (or pureed fruit) instead of water. Watch the video -- it's easy to make a baker's dozen.

Krispy Kreme Donut - VIDEO

Play it here. The video runs 7 minutes, 5 seconds.

To make your own Krispy Kreme on National Donut Day, just follow my simple directions below:

Doughnut Ingredients (Baker's dozen - about 13)

• 1/2 package yeast (video shows 1 package) - about 1 tablespoon of dried yeast.
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water (100 degrees)
• 2 cups flour - cheap, white all-purpose. Okay to try out different types for extra flavor and texture.
• 3/4 cup of warm milk (100 degrees) or milk substitute
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 stick (28 grams) of butter or shortening - softened to room temperature.
• Vegetable oil for frying donuts

*Wide skillet or pot with vegetable oil one inch deep -- the doughnuts will float (in the video I used 3 cups of oil - oil is reusable.)

Sugar Glaze Ingredients and Directions

• 1/4 stick of butter (28 grams) 
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. water (clear glaze) or milk (white glaze)

Directions for Glaze

Melt butter and add to the powdered sugar, vanilla, and water. Mix well for a couple of minutes. Pour into a shallow dish for dipping/coating warm doughnuts. For a harder glaze, leave out the butter.

*Here is a great website that converts my ingredients into grams (for all my international cook visitors), just click here.

Directions for Doughnuts 

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water, then add warm milk, egg, sugar, butter, and flour. Mix well for a few minutes (electric mixer for 2, or 5 minutes by hand). Cover dough for at least an hour, or overnight for breakfast doughnuts.  

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin about 1/2 an inch thick. 

The dough is much softer and stickier than typical bread dough. To make it easier to work with, sprinkle on flour as needed -- or just plop the dough on a floured board and pat it down with your hands.

Cut doughnuts with a cutter (I used a coffee cup), then a smaller cutter (bottle top) for the centers. You can set aside the doughnut holes with the doughnuts or re-roll them for another doughnut or two. Let the cut doughnuts set for another half an hour to rise one last time before frying.

When doughnuts have risen, heat oil in a wide shallow pan to about 350 degrees (medium heat). Test one of the doughnut holes in the oil - it should bubble and quickly brown the doughnut hole. 

Fry one doughnut at a time until you get the hang of it - I burned a couple. Watch carefully, as doughnuts will begin to brown along the edge in a few seconds. Flip the doughnut over to brown the other side.

 It may take a few tries - a light to medium brown doughnut is done enough. Set cooked doughnuts on a rack or on paper towels to drain. 

Finally, dip one side of the doughnut in a shallow bowl of sugar glaze -- then enjoy! 

99 thanks to the Baldwin Hills Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store, their employees, and customers for allowing me to shoot the video.

Location: 4034 Crenshaw Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90008
Phone: 323) 291-4133
Drive-thru is open 24 hours.

 And if you like a good time, be sure to check out my Judging the Donut Summit 2 video below.  It is chock-full of crullers, dunkers, bear claws, chocolate glazes, and lemon filling. I recorded the outdoor park event while selecting the best-of-show donuts, including Best Vegan, Filling, Chocolate, Raised (Yeast), Fritter, Unconventional, and Visually Appealing.

It was fun judging such a prestigious event. Highlights included an Awards Ceremony with donut medallions, a Donut Croquet, and a Donut Poetry Slam -- be sure to listen to the hilarious limerick, "The Babysitter." To see photos and read more about it, click here.

Judging the Donut Summit 2 - Video

Play it here. The video runs 5 minutes, 34 seconds.

Another local donut fave is Randy's Donuts, is on the way to LAX Airport, so if you are on the 405 freeway, exit for a donut or two.

For Super Bowl LIII, our local team, the Los Angeles Rams, was in the NFL Playoffs. While we were not victorious, Randy's left a sweet taste in our mouths with a couple of special edition pastries they served during that exciting time, and I made a video about them right here:

Let's leave for New Orleans and enter Cafe Du Monde for beignets, fried puffs of dough covered in a blizzard of powdered sugar.

Cafe Du Monde is a must-stop when you are touring the French Quarter in New Orleans. Open 24 hours, every local has had coffee au lait with beignets here. The coffee is flavored with chicory, and the beignets look like they've been hit by a powdered sugar avalanche!

The original Café Du Monde was just a stand started in the 1860s at the French Market. Now it has a huge green and white striped awning that covers the patio and a smaller indoor dining area -- all barely cooled with ceiling fans. Want a behind-the-scenes tour of the place?  The 99 Cent Chef has it. You'll see the waitstaff busting coffee cups and beignets amid snowdrifts of powdered sugar. And it's cheap -- 3 beignets and coffee for about $5 total.

The coffee beans are dark roast. To tone down coffee's bitterness, it's brewed with chicory. You can order your coffee "black" or light brown au lait -- au lait means half milk and half coffee.

The beignets are deep-fried squares of pillowy dough covered in powdered sugar. Yeast is used, so the doughnuts are light and airy like a sponge. You will get dusted with white powdered sugar, so make sure to lay out napkins on your lap, especially if you are wearing black. I usually shake off the powdered sugar -- enough is left on to sweeten the beignets.

If you want to make your own homemade beignets, Cafe Du Monde has a mix to sell you on its website, here. Or you can just use my Krispy Kreme Doughnut recipe, which is posted here. The only thing you need to change about my recipe is to cut the doughnuts into squares, and, of course, don't punch out a donut hole.

Cafe Du Monde is a great way to start or end your French Quarter tour in New Orleans.

Cafe Du Monde - Video

Play it here. The video runs about 1 minute and 32 seconds.

Cafe Du Monde - for various Louisiana locations, click here.

Main location: 800 Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. 70116

Phone: (504) 525-4544

Website: www.cafedumonde.com

Speaking of the end, let's return to the beginning...of the waking walk to your coffee machine to jumpstart the early morning when you are foggy and don't always think your actions through. Well, watch my video below and let me know if you have ever gone to the extremes I have for a desperate jolt of caffeine -- with a side of Krispy Kreme!

National Egg Day

How I love eggs! Be they scrambled, fried, boiled, or even raw in a Pasta Carbonara.

And be sure to keep scrolling to check out some of the Hardboiled Chef recipes listed below (click on any recipe name to see the original blog post).

Eggs are always a great deal. I used to get my eggs from a local Dollar Tree for $1.25 for a half-dozen medium eggs. The last couple of years have seen a big increase in egg prices, upwards of about $5 per dozen - but prices are dropping again

My Egg Recipe is a NYC noshing favorite from the neighborhood bagel shop. If you can boil an egg and combine it with cream cheese, then you have a rich and creamy Bagel Spread. I first tried them with my wife in the Chelsea neighborhood bagel shop, Ess-a-Bagel. Check out my photo story spread of our Christmastime visit there.

It is simple to make a Boiled Egg & Cream Cheese Spread; just let the cream cheese reach room temperature while the eggs boil. Peel and chop the boiled eggs, then fold and combine the two, as my video recipe below shows.

I make a simply delish Egg Salad. It's the quickest and easiest recipe using boiled eggs.

Click on any photo to magnify.

Half a dozen cooked and peeled boiled eggs mixed with a little mayo and some chopped celery will yield a bowlful of creamy deliciousness that can go between 2 toasted slices of bread, as a topping for your favorite salad, or spread on your favorite crackers as appetizers.

Egg Salad Recipe - Video

Play it here. The video runs for 1 minute and 45 seconds. 

Ingredients (about 3 sandwiches)

• 6 eggs - I used small eggs. Boiled, peeled, and chopped. About 2 cups total after chopping.
• 1/4 cup mayo - I used light mayo. Okay to add more. Add a teaspoon at a time to reach the desired creaminess. Extra-large eggs will need more mayo.
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped - including leaves on the stalk -- if it comes with them. About 1/2 cup total after chopping.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Water to boil eggs.

*Many recipes call for mustard, but I like it without. But you can add it - try a teaspoon of Dijon or regular mustard. You can also use 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder.

Directions
In a pot, add eggs and cover with an inch of water. Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Just when eggs start to boil, turn off the heat completely and cover the pot with a lid (or plate). Let it sit for 15 minutes. Eggs will continue to cook in the hot water. (Okay to use any favorite boiled egg recipe you may already have.)

Meanwhile, chop one stalk of celery, including leaves. Chop finely.

After 15 minutes, remove eggs and rinse off in cold water, so you can peel them without burning your fingers. You can also let them sit in a bowl of cool water with some ice cubes for about 5 minutes.

Now time to bring it all together. Peel, discard shells, and chop the eggs. You can add them as you chop to a large bowl. I usually chop the eggs in half, then place them yolk side down on the chopping board and finish slicing.

Add all the chopped eggs to a bowl. Mix in the chopped celery. Finally, scoop in 1/4 cup of mayo. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Try out a small spoonful of Egg Salad. At this point, you can add more mayo if you like, a teaspoon at a time to reach the desired creaminess.

I find less mayo and mustard (optional), the better, as they easily overpower the mild egg flavor.

A scoop of Egg Salad goes well with your favorite vegetable salad. Egg Salad is a tasty party dip on your favorite chips or crunchy veggie slices. Also, try a spoonful on an avocado half. But I like an Egg Salad Sandwich the best.

This recipe is easy to double using a dozen eggs -- just add another 1/4 cup of mayo and another rib of chopped celery. Keep the finished Egg Salad covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Another boiled egg recipe of mine is a silly Devilish Deviled Eggs, which I made one Halloween. It's fun and tasty. Of course, leave out the spicy chili peppers for kid-friendly bites.

A Poached Egg on Toast is a minimal masterpiece of deliciousness. Just two of my favorite ingredients: a creamy yolk with firm egg whites, and crunchy toasted bread. I buy bread from the day-old bargain bin at my local grocery store. I get everything from marbled rye to sourdough at half price - I can't tell the difference between fresh or day-old bread when toasted.

I scramble eggs all the time. There are many ways to do this. Do you scramble the eggs in oil or butter? You can pre-scramble the eggs in a bowl and then add them to an oiled, heated pan. For the quickest and easiest way, I just break the eggs into a heated, lightly oiled, non-stick pan. I keep the eggs moving so they cook evenly, and I remove them when done, but still slightly moist. I've found you have to go by sight for doneness, as the heating temperatures of frying pans are so different. 

Scrambled eggs come in many variations. Jewish delis have a couple of good ones that I've adapted. I get corned beef on sale during St. Patrick's Day, so it's only natural to have some of it sauteed with eggs (even better is pastrami made from corned beef - my Pastrami with Eggs recipe is here.)

Small packages and cans of salmon come cheaply, and I like to add some of it to my Jewish Breakfast Scramble. And add a dollop of cream cheese for a richer egg scramble. Try it sometime; I know you will like it, too.

One of my earliest published recipes is also one of the quickest and easiest to make: Scrambled Eggs and Sundried Tomatoes. I like to keep a jar of pungent dried tomatoes in herbs and oil in the refrigerator, right next to my carton of eggs. For a non-oil, lighter version, use plain sundried tomatoes in a plastic pouch. 

I like scrambled eggs with veggies to make an omelet-like Frittata with pasilla chili, chorizo, potato, and cheese. 

 Do you have a package of frozen veggies in the freezer accumulating frost, and a crisper drawer full of veggies that are close to being thrown out? Well, just rinse off the frozen veggies and slice off the brown spots from the bell pepper and onion to make my colorful Veggie Frittata. For this photo story recipe, I ran out of eggs, but my neighbor Nuno was kind enough to lend me a few. (How's that for a cheap$kate move, free eggs!)

I grew up in the South and was raised on Mexican food for a while. Almost everyone in Texas has tried Migas, which are tortilla pieces scrambled in eggs. And, you can't get simpler than having Refried Beans and Eggs. I didn't think I would like this meal at first, but learned that scrambled eggs elevate any humble ingredient!

Refried Pinto Beans & Scrambled Eggs

I get all types of Mexican chorizo at my local 99c only Store, including beef, pork, and soy (vegetarian). Mexican chorizo is different than Spanish chorizo, mainly in its texture. Spanish chorizo is hard like salami, and Mexican chorizo is soft like ground meat. It's a pungent and flavorful protein that mixes well with Chorizo and Scrambled Eggs. And use it to stuff a Breakfast Taco or Breakfast Burrito.

My Mom has an outrageous Breakfast Taco with Scrambled Eggs & Curly Fries that will blow your mind and stoke your taste buds -- seeing is believing...below.

Huevos Rancheros are the Eggs Benedict of Mexican cuisine. A corn tortilla with refried beans and a fried egg that's topped with crumbled queso fresco (cheese) and your favorite salsa is a decadent and filling way to start the day. Make a batch of this with your family sometime; it's quite easy to do when you follow this cheap$kate's recipe.

I can't get enough tortillas with eggs, especially tortilla chips with a salsa made with Mexican-style green tomatoes called Tomatillos. The dish is Chilaquiles with Eggs. And it's an easy recipe that uses salsa from the can known as Salsa Verde (my homemade recipe is here). See how quickly it all comes together below.

Lately, I've been making Breakfast Croissant Sandwiches with Scrambled Eggs. I get my croissants from the grocery bread bargain bin for half price. Since I am heating them up, they will soften and taste almost like fresh ones.

Looking to impress an overnight guest, then serve them my recipe for Eggs Florentine for breakfast. This creamy spinach and egg dish will keep any afterglow going. And if that doesn't work, then I have a sensuous Fried Egg on Breadcrumbs with Asparagus.

I often start my day with a Fried Egg Sandwich. I like mine on toasted bread with the addition of lettuce, tomato, and a smear of mayo. I fry an egg until the whites are done, but leave the yolk a little runny.

I like a challenge. A favorite breakfast fast food is the classic Egg McMuffin. It's not as cheap as it used to be, so I figured out how to make my own cheaper version. And I share it with you in this homemade video recipe.

I learned to make a classic French-style Cheese Omelette. What's the difference between it and the ones you get at a typical American Diner? Well, it is all about technique; mainly, you just soft-scramble the eggs in butter, add the cheese, and gently roll the egg to close up the omelette. Most American-style omelettes are cooked until dry, while a French omelette is slightly moist in the middle. It's a different way to cook an omelette, and I've grown to love it.

Also, if you have a small patio garden, then I have a couple of nutritious recipes to use the freshly picked bounty. An easy veggie to grow is bright green Swiss Chard. Just saute it for a couple of minutes and add it to your favorite omelet recipe - my recipe is here.

Every time I change out the dirt from my teeny garden, seeds sprout willy-nilly. Often it's some kind of squash that never bears fruit. Oh well, that's okay because the flowers make a great Squash Blossom Omelet.

If you are flush with cash and your ship has come in, then make like a bonus-bloated Wall Street con artist and serve up my Billionaire's Crab Omelet. (I even give you a cheap$kate shortcut, just in case the stock market crashes, your government bailout  is rejected, and all your chips have been cashed in.)

Eggs for Dinner? Heck yeah, especially when pizza is on the menu. Break an egg on your favorite homemade or store-bought pizza during the last 10 minutes of oven-baking. A mix of the creamy yolk is a sumptuous topping, so be sure to try my Pizza with Egg recipe sometime.

One of my favorite pasta dishes is a Pasta alla Carbonara. Cook the pasta and add an egg yolk and crumbled browned bacon over hot spaghetti...Mmm, so rich and creamy.

Eggs make a great binder for my sister Denise's Veggie Eggplant Burgers. (You should make sure to check out the video we made that features a wacky shopping spree in my local 99c only Store when everything was cheap.) 

You want to add a scrambled egg or two when you make my cheap$kate version of Chinese Fried Rice.

Ever make the dessert Crepes Suzette? There's not much to it really, just eggs, flour, milk, and to quote Julia Child's nephew: "lots of butter." And who's the famed chef's nephew anyway?

Well, just watch the video to see this outrageous character shopping in the Hollywood Farmer's Market -- then move on to the kitchen to show you how to make a tender and delicate pancake-like dessert.

Booze and eggs go together, especially if you're making my Homemade Eggnog. This video recipe is one of my holiday favorites. You won't believe your eyes when you see my intoxicated antics after imbibing on one Eggnog too many. Be sure to watch this recipe video all the way to the end!

Even my brother from another Daddy, the Swamp Chef, has gotten into the egg racket with his Crawfish Omelet. If you don't have a swamp nearby, then substitute shrimp instead.

And finally, if you're looking for a bit of levity, well, I have an early morning fried egg comedy video to brighten your day here.

Whew, that's a lot of ovum riffing; I'm exhausted. You've just scrolled through over 20 years of recipes from my food blog.

And if you want even more egg pictorial poetics, then click here to view a fun video.

Cooking with eggs is cheap. While not as inexpensive as they used to be, it's still affordable, especially when you use any of my creative and tasty recipes listed above.