Sometimes, when things go wrong, it’s the best thing ever — as was the case a couple of weeks ago, when Mom and I discovered Fred’s Texas Cafe in Fort Worth.
We’d just been to the Modern, breezed past the Warhols, and afterwards, we were were both in the mood, turns out, for a big, fat cheeseburger. We went to our favorite burger joint, ordered up our usual burgers, and were so disappointed after one bite, that we left.
Lucky for us, Fred’s Texas Cafe, a Fort Worth institution and award-winning dive, was just a few blocks away. We took our seats on the duct-taped bar stools and ordered up half-pound Fredburgers with cheese and homemade fries, and were soon in burger heaven.
I lost track of the number of napkins needed to get through the whole burger (note the crispy, yet perfectly greasy bun), but get through it I did — and so did Mom.
Next time I’m in town, Mom says that we’re going to Fred’s again, and she’s gonna try the bleu cheese burger. Hmmm. Bleu cheese. Wonder why they haven’t thought of that here in Paris?
Fred’s Texas Cafe
915 Currie Street
Fort Worth, Texas
(817) 332-0083
Not long ago, I hopped on the TGV in Paris and zipped down to Agen, in the southwest of France, to visit American Kate Hill, who’s made a name for herself as the queen of Gascon cuisine, offering workshops for pros and ambitious home chefs who want to learn about one of France’s duckiest — and perhaps luckiest! — regions.
Located smack dab in the middle of Bordeaux and Toulouse, Gascony is unspoiled, rugged, and slightly wild — it is, after all, where the rascally non-royal king, Henri IV, came from — and it’s also the capital of all things canard (confit, cassoulet, fois gras, etc.).
In her fabulously restored 18th century farmhouse kitchen, Kate showed me how to cook, Gascon-style, and I wrote all about it for the April issue of Cowboys & Indians magazine — including her recipes for Pulled Pork, Caramel Apple Croustade, and White Bean and Sausage Chili — and we decided to do a little video on the last day, too.
We got so involved in our video-making and Armagnac-sipping that I missed my train (!), and had to stay another night, which I was actually quite happy about. I’m hoping to get back down to Camont, which is the little hamlet where she lives, this spring (OK, Kate? I’ll do dishes, tend the garden, anything!).
Gascon Wet Rub “This is an easy way to infuse the flavors of the Southwest of France using Armagnac and fennel pollen, which is a lighter, more aromatic way to use fennel.” – Kate Hill
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup Armagnac (or Bourbon)
2 teaspoons fresh fennel pollen*
sea salt
pepper
WHAT YOU DO
1. Splash a bit of the Armagnac onto the pork chop and massage it in a bit. Do this on both sides.
2. Now rub in the fennel pollen, salt and pepper. Let marinate for 30 minutes or so, while the grill’s heating up.
*If you can’t find fennel pollen locally, go to www.earthy.com.
Miel de Poivre “This is magic in a jar – a miracle sauce that will change your life. Drizzle it on top of meats, cheeses, and fruits.” – Kate Hill
INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
¾ cup water
2 handfuls black peppercorns
1 large lemon
WHAT YOU DO
1. With a vegetable peeler, zest the lemon and put the pieces of rind aside. Juice the lemon. Set aside.
2. In a medium-size saucepan, add the water and the peppercorns and bring to a boil. Then cook 5 more minutes.
3. Strain and reserve the peppercorns.
4. Add the sugar to the now dark-colored hot water, the lemon juice and rind pieces. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is thick, about 5 minutes.
5. Now, add the peppercorns back to the syrup, and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes.
Before I moved to Paris, I’d made lentils. Lots of times, in fact. I loved lentils, especially with a little splash of red wine vinegar on them right before serving. (How exotic! How daring I was!)
But I didn’t really know lentils. Not like I do now.
A few years ago, in the late fall, Xavier and [...]
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French toast hearts.
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I don’t know what made me suddenly think, “I need a molasses cookie,” but once something like this pops into my head, there’s no stopping me.
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As I was reaching down for a box of lentilles du Puy in the Franprix the other day (and quickly, so I could secure the next place in line, in front the mink coat-wearing woman with the full basket who was closing in on my lead), I saw a big ol’ sack of split peas, [...]
My dad didn’t cook on any sort of regular basis – that was solidly Mom’s domain – but he had a few specialties. There was always a jar of this strange-looking, thick gray stuff on the top shelf of the fridge, right behind the purple half gallon of milk with the smiling Elsie the cow– [...]
