California Love

Last week I visited California for the first time and from the time I stepped off the plane I was in love.  Before I arrived I only had plans to cook and eat at the Beychella festival but as you all know, plans change all the time. 

Prior to leaving Pasadena for Palm Springs, we stopped by Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles for a quick lunch.  Roscoe’s is one of those spots that you hear about in rap songs and see people eating there in movies so there was no way I was leaving Cali without trying it out.   Upon arrival, the wait staff was prompt and polite.  I ordered the Obama (three chicken wing’s and a waffle) and a side of mac and cheese.  It was love at first bite.  The chicken was seasoned well, fresh and crispy while the waffle was perfect! Prior to leaving Houston, I had heard my fair share of warnings about Roscoe’s, some good reviews, some poor but my experience was great.  I will be going back when I visit California again.

 

Song of the Day: California Love by Tupac

Blazin Cajun Crawfish

If you love delicious seafood and great customer service – Blazin Cajun Crawfish is the spot for you.  A friend came into town who had been craving boiled crabs since New Year Eve, so I opted to try something new and we weren’t disappointed. 

Blazin Cajun Crawfish is located in the back of Sharpstown Mall (if you use your GPS it will take you to the front of the mall in front of TV Johnny’s but, just keep riding to the back of the mall).  I was a bit hesitant upon arrival due to the number of steps that must be climbed to reach the promised land but, I was very pleased when I reached my destination.  I was greeted by the sound of 90’s R&B when I walked through the door, then immediately greeted by a young lady with the menu.  Blazin Cajun Crawfish offers what can be expected an Asian meets Cajun joint – Boiled Crawfish, Shrimp, and Crab Legs, fried seafood platters, chicken wings and fried rice (along with other items).  Since it was my first time there, I wanted to taste a little bit of everything that stuck out on the menu. 

The first item they brought to the table was the shrimp fried rice which was amazing.  Over the years, I’ve realized that shrimp fried rice has evolved into a combination of unnecessary ingredients, but this rice was different.  This reminded me of a simple shrimp fried rice from my childhood – plenty of shrimp and flavorful rice.  I regret not ordering more rice to-go for my lunch today.  Up next were the wings – we chose the Spicy Garlic as well as Lemon Pepper flavor.  The wings were fried to perfection and the seasoning was amazing!  While eating the wings, the Beyonce’ of Blazin Cajun Crawfish made an appearance – the boiled seafood.  We ordered shrimp, crab legs and crawfish and all of them were everything that we were looking for.  The crab legs were full of meat and juicy the shrimp were large and delicious, and the crawfish were very flavorful and a pretty nice size.  All were seasoned with the Medium spice level and Blazin Style flavor (a combination of garlic, butter, and various Cajun spices.  Blazin Cajun Crawfish is currently offering a special of 3 pounds of crawfish for $20 – this can’t be beat.  The rest of the food was moderately priced and well worth it. 

Many times, you visit a restaurant and the staff is so busy that they rush through the order process and rarely check on the patrons.  My experience at Blazin Cajun Crawfish was the total opposite.  The staff probably checked on us once every 15-20 minutes (no exaggeration).  They were extremely polite and helpful when discussing the seasoning variations.  Customer service can make or break a great restaurant – their customer service made me want to visit at least once a week.

Overall, I would give Blazin Cajun Crawfish 5 out of 5 stars and will be returning sooner than later.

P.S. Did I mention its BYOB for hard liquor?

Song of the Day: I Like It by Cardi B

What We Eatin?

Today is March 30, one of the most bittersweet days of my life.  Bitter because my grandmother isn’t here to celebrate her 83^rd birthday, but sweet because she lived and loved me.  She not only taught me how to cook, but she was the one who taught me to enjoy good food because everything she cooked was amazing!  Seriously, Meme was the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) in the kitchen.  It doesn’t matter what she cooked, she cooked it to perfection – from fried fish on Fridays to her roast and greens on Sundays she was an amazing cook.  My favorite meal that she prepared was gumbo.  I absolutely loved it!   It’s been well over 17 years since I last tasted it but I still remember the bold flavor and aroma that hit you when you walked through the front door of her home.  There have been many times that I’ve prepared my own gumbo and received compliments from others and I always give credit where credit is due, “thank you, but Meme’s was better”.  This isn’t a downplay on my own culinary skills, I just feel that homage should always be paid to those who came before us. 

You’re probably asking yourself, “why am I reading this, why should I care”?  Well, as a kid on days that my Meme picked us up from our babysitter, the first thing I asked when I got in the car is, “What are we eating?”  Now that I’m a wife and a mother of two young men, I am asked the same question every single day, “What we eatin”?  If you’re responsible for feeding others I’m sure you’re asked the exact same question.  Whether you’re a carnivore – like myself, pescatarian, vegetarian, or vegan, everyone loves good food!  No matter the budget or the place everyone wants their food to be as tasty as possible.   Meme was able to achieve this every day and I hope to help you achieve this as well. 

As I said before, today is my grandmother’s birthday and I feel that the launch of this blog is the best gift that I can give her. Happy Birthday Meme – I know you’re eating well and looking beautiful!

To everyone who is reading and will continue to read, thank you for your criticism, love and support.

P.S.  I also love music, so anytime I’m cooking there will always be music so there will always be a song attached to the blog entry.

Song of the Day:  Happy Birthday by Stevie Wonder

Meme serving something delicious!