Subject: Katharine Shilcutt

• Sneeze Green Tea

  It's mid-afternoon.  You had a heavy lunch.  The work day is sliding by like thick molasses in winter.  You're dragging ass, big time.  So you decide to pop open a cold, refreshing can of iced organic green tea to rescuscitate yourself from the afternoon doldrums. And if you're anything like this guy, you get a special surprise in your green tea that really perks up your afternoon. Warning: The image below is not for the faint of heart.

  December 10, 2008

• Update: Snot What You Thought

  After highlighting a local man's discovery of what appeared to be a giant loogie in his can of green tea, the tea company has responded with an apology and an explanation. According to Steaz co-founder Eric Schnell, who personally responded to the complaint, the gruesome substance was actually undissolved lemon juice concentrate and it marks the first time in six years that this problem has occurred.  As a result, they are recalling the 1% of product that was a

  December 12, 2008

• The Christmas That Gift Baskets Forgot

  Usually, by this this time in December each year, offices around the country are swimming in gift baskets from Harry & David, boxes of chocolate from Godiva, or crates of summer sausage and cheddar cheese.  But this year, anecdotal evidence suggests that the recession has put the kibosh on those traditional food-laden gift baskets. As with lavish company Christmas parties, gift baskets are conspicuously absent from most offices this year.  Aurora Owens, an accountant at a cons

  December 17, 2008

• Mom's Christmas Fudge

  My mother is known for many things, but chief among them is her famous Christmas fudge.  Each year, lucky friends and family make out with a tin or two.  And until my grandfather passed away last year, she would always make an enormous gift basket for him each year at Christmas, filled with several different kinds of the sweet, creamy, toothsome confection. The fudge isn't coveted so much because the recipe is some great secret.  Instead, it's the sheer amount of effort and

  December 19, 2008

• Christmas Eve Dining, Without the Duck Heads

  Want to take the family out for a nice meal tomorrow night so someone else can wash the dishes for a change?  Worn out from holiday shopping and don't want to cook dinner?  Or have the Bumpus hounds destroyed your turkey and you're looking for an alternative? Never fear!  There are plenty of restaurants open on Christmas Eve, several of which have special menus for the night.  Below are some of our suggestions for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner that doesn't include duck he

  December 23, 2008

• Chess Pie: A Southern Tradition

  Chess pie is one of those forgotten vestiges of old Southern culture, like RC Colas and Moon Pies, that hasn't yet been snapped up by nouveau foodies and made trendy again, as has been done with greens, grits and pork fat. It's all for the best, really.  Chess pie isn't supposed to be trendy.  It's supposed to remind you of your grandmother's house, the warmth and the soft smell of pie crust in the oven, of afternoons spent talking with family and without a TV or other distractio

  December 29, 2008

• Las Alamedas: What's Left Behind

  Photos by Katharine ShilcuttThe marquee outside Las Alamedas says it all: 28 Great Years.  Thank You Houston.  We Will Relocate. After an extended battle with their landlords -- who greedily increased the monthly rent on the building by 50% -- the owners of Las Alamedas have finally closed their doors. And although the sign promises that they'll be open once again in a new incarnation, nothing is set in stone and no one knows what will ultimately become of the popular Mexican re

  March 5, 2009

• This Week In Deliciousness

  Robb Walsh has been vacationing in Hawaii. He had beer for breakfast and Spam musubi that actually looked really tasty. We hate him. A lot of restaurants are closing. A lot of GOOD restaurants. It sucks. Rodeo food: Give us fried or on a stick. Both would be best. That'll shut that ulcer up.

  March 6, 2009

• This Week In Deliciousness

  Photo by Robb WalshUnnnf. Forgive us. We may need to excuse ourselves. Okay, so maybe this week didn't start out so hot. First of all, Robb Walsh made the mistake of ordering a hamburger at BB's Cajun Café, a place renowned for its excellent poor boys, not so much its burgers. So not only did his week start out with a dry-ass hamburger, poor Robb was then plagiarized by Heather Lee of Florida's Ocala Magazine. The Houston Press has always considered itself above petty squabbles, however, and th

  March 27, 2009

• This Week In Deliciousness

  Photo by Robb WalshWow. I'm actually intimidated... by a hamburger. What's the first thing you'd like to hear about on a Monday? Personally, a great Monday morning, to me, is when you find out there's a new bar in town serving carefully crafted cocktails. Katharine Shilcutt interviewed the proprietors, and we all got thirsty just thinking about it. Next, Ms. Shilcutt let us know about the MDA Crawfish Boil and Music Festival going on this Saturday (hey, that's tomorrow!), which will benefit the

  April 3, 2009

• First They Came For Our Teabags: The Slideshow

  Photo by Katharine ShilcuttWe promised, and we are Promise Keepers! (of a sort).Here's the slideshow of the tea-party protest at Jones Plaza yesterday. Check to see if you made the cut. We are not responsible, however, if the fact that your photo is posted here puts you on a Department of Homeland Security watchlist and is the first step to sending you to one of those FEMA concentration camps that Glenn Beck can't disprove.

  April 16, 2009

• A Better Breakfast at Manena's

  Photo by Katharine Shilcutt Vigilantes rellenos from Manena's Grabbing breakfast on the go can get stale very easily.  Egg McMuffins, breakfast tacos, Starbucks muffins, kolaches, donuts... All the quickly-obtained breakfasts of the busy, the mindless consumption of fast food, wearing upon you after so many Mondays spent idling in neutral at Whataburger, inhaling fumes from cars ahead of you while you wait for your taquito and Diet Coke.  It's certainly no way to start your

  April 27, 2009

• Feliz Cinco: It's Taco Porn!

  It's a little-known fact that if you're good all year, the Cinco de Mayo fairy will come to your house in the afternoon while you're indulging in a siesta and leave behind a present for this most feliz of holidays.  This year, that present is a slideshow of taco porn.  Photo by Katharine Shilcutt Monterrey-style tacos al pastor at Tacos del JulioFaithful readers may recall that we ran a slideshow of taco porn back in 2007, but that year's spread was devoted entirely to tacos fo

  May 5, 2009

• This Week In Deliciousness

  Photo by Katharine ShilcuttPictured: Damn fine pie. Not pictured: Laura Palmer, Log Lady, backwards-talking jazz dwarf Welcome back to the weekly Eating Our Words round-up! This week started out with more Cinco de Mayo fare and the triumphant return of Robb Walsh with his Top 5 Cinco de Mayo Mariachi Requests which, intentionally or not, pretty accurately take you through the five stages of getting truly shitfaced. The article is marred only slightly by some very mild Willie-bashing in the comme

  May 8, 2009

• Recession Lunching at Feast

  Photos by Katharine ShilcuttCalf's liver and bacon with mashed potatoes and spinach Feast's abundant lunch specials put other recession dining features to shame. Every weekday at lunch, Feast puts together a menu with two courses for $12.95 or three courses for $15.95. Last Wednesday, the appetizer list offered choices like spiced red lentil soup, Welsh rarebit and a salad with romaine, cucumber, radish and celery. The entrees were a choice of pork chop with bubble and squeak; calf's liver an

  May 14, 2009

• Veggie Heaven

  May 21, 2009

• Bikini Season Is Here; Cue The Slideshow

  Photo by Katharine ShilcuttWhat is Memorial Day without bikini pictures to scroll through and rate in your typical hot/not-hot way? (Rating performed, usually, by a guy who would never, ever himself land in the "hot" category.)The weekend's weather was iffy, but that didn't stop people from heading to Galveston; thankfully, some of them were skimpily clad. Oh, and there's a sandcastle picture in the slideshow too.

  May 26, 2009

• This Week In Deliciousness

  Katharine Shilcutt ate all this chicken and did not save any for you.Welcome back to the weekly Eating Our Words round-up, where the food is well-prepared, plentiful and, more often than not, weird as all hell. To start with, Robb Walsh introduced us to the concept of a Wal-Mart supermercado, which might not go over as well as Wal-Mart is hoping, because the main competitor to the Hispanic-style Wal-Mart is the regular Wal-Mart. After some quick tacos and a tall, frosty mojito limonada, J

  June 12, 2009

• Room At The Inn

  Photo by Katharine Shilcutt Canapes with house-made chevre and garden herbsAs the fourth course of the meal was set in front of me, I marveled at its elegant construction but was more struck by a far subtler thing: Every ingredient in the dish had been plucked fresh from the organic garden outside, no more than a few hundred yards from where I sat, that morning. The first course of tomato salad with house-made chevre and the second course of risotto with sweet basil puree and homemade re

  June 29, 2009

• Behind The Scenes At The Circus Whether PETA Likes It Or Not

  Photo by Katharine ShilcuttIt's  circus time in Houston! A joyous time of annoying protests from PETA and magic for boys and girls of all ages!!Take a look behind the scenes as they set up the ring at Reliant Stadium in this slideshow. And then: Kids, get your cotton candy!! PETA people, get your outrage humming!!

  July 15, 2009

• Summer Session at the Skatepark

  Photo by Katharine ShilcuttThe Kingpinz Summer Session will soon be underway at the Lee & Joe Jamail Skatepark tomorrow afternoon. Skater or not, the contest will be fascinating to watch, as the two events -- grommet run and best trick throwdown -- will feature some of the slickest skating in town. The youngsters will compete in the grommet run ("grommet" being slang for young'uns) while more veteran skaters will show off their skills in the best trick throwdown. The Jamail Skatepark

  July 17, 2009

• Late Night Scene: House of Pies

  Photo by Katharine ShilcuttBayou Goo at the House of PiesIt's an existential dilemma: What is House of Pies without a sense of irony? What if you woke up one afternoon and discovered a late-night guilty pleasure of negligible culinary quality but spectacular crowd-watching was... respectable? Since the smoking ban, the place no longer has an aura of stale cigarettes (though that's no guarantee your waitress won't), but the fabulously tacky wallpaper remains.

  July 20, 2009

• He Said She Said: Songs for Getting It On

  [Ed. Note: While we were off watching Night Ranger videos or something - which should tell you all you need to know about our own sex life at the moment - Rocks Off No. 2, Craig Hlavaty, and Web Editor Katharine Shilcutt started going back and forth about how men and women want to hear very different things while making sweet, sweet love. Rocks Off decided there's only one real way to settle this. As always, ladies first.] Take it from a woman: We do not want to hear Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get

  July 24, 2009

• Food Fight: Battle Milkshake

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt The defending champion...the Beck's Prime chocolate milkshake​When putting out the request earlier this week for the best milkshake in town, we were confronted with a curious question from commenter Dr. Ricky: "Forgive me, but what constitutes a milkshake? Versus say a smoothie? Do we count licuados or sinh in this?" An interesting question, for sure, as the term "milkshake" generally denotes a dessert-type beverage made primarily with ice cream. But resear

  July 30, 2009

• The Stampede Towards Buffalo Market

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt Whimsical cakes take the stage at the Buffalo Market's bakery​H-E-B is opening yet another new concept store in Houston, after finding success here with Central Market, H-E-B Pantry, Mi Tienda and the vast new 129,000-square-foot H-E-B at Bunker Hill and I-10. Buffalo Market, so called for its location along Buffalo Speedway at Bissonnet, will have its grand opening tomorrow -- August 5 -- at 6 a.m. after nearly five years in the making. The wine

  August 4, 2009

• The Newest Giraffe: As Cute As He Thinks He Is?

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​There's a new giraffe in town. Supposedly there's nothing cuter than a baby giraffe, but -- and we admit we might be in the minority, even just in the office here -- we're not feeling it. What, just because they have big eyelashes we're supposed to go gaga? Sorry. You're going to have to do better, unnamed kid of Tyra and Kiva. Show us what you got:

  August 11, 2009

• Inside Pearland's Mystery Mansion

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​In an up-and-coming neighborhood in Pearland off Highway 288 and Southfork, two nearly identical mansions sit abandoned in adjoining 15 acre lots. The weeds have grown high around the entry gates to one; the other never even had gates built and sits behind a padlocked chain link fence. There's no landscaping around either one. In fact, they look as if someone dropped two gaudy River Oaks mansions into a cow pasture. And perhaps strangest of all is their sheer size:

  August 19, 2009

• Anvil's 100 List: Cocktails To Try Before You Die

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt Pimm's Cup, No. 68 on Anvil's 100 List​Although only one page long, the list is daunting. Satan's Whiskers, Monkey Gland, Blood & Sand, Corpse Reviver #2, Death in the Afternoon, Widow's Kiss, El Diablo: one could almost mistake the cocktail names for santería ingredients. And the sheer breadth of the different cocktails is mesmerizing; some with egg, some with absinthe, some with champagne, some with rum. And each of them a classic cocktail, in the tru

  August 31, 2009

• You Can't Handle the Heat: The 19th Annual Austin Hot Sauce Festival

  Photos by Katharine ShilcuttFour different salsas, none of them fit for human consumption.​There was a point, roughly around the 84th salsa that I'd consumed, when I was absolutely certain that I was about to see the face of God. If I were a Simpsons character, this would have been when I'd just coated the inside of my mouth with candle wax and was about to partake in a lengthy conversation with a space coyote who sounded eerily like Johnny Cash. I began to question my own sanity as my head th

  September 1, 2009

• Food Fight: Battle Cupcake

  Photos by Katharine ShilcuttSo cute you want to pinch them. Or eat them.​Cupcakes are by their very definition almost too twee to engage in a battle of any kind. But no foodstuff is allowed to stand idly by in culinary wars, and cupcakes have been pressed into service this week in spite of their soft cakey bodies and mushy frosting heads. And as it turns out, there wasn't much of a battle this week at all. Cupcakes have experienced a renaissance of sorts lately, cropping up at adult birthday

  September 4, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day One: Devil Horns and Bikinis

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​Every festival should have a fashion trend of its own. And while we've seen plenty of tie-dye, dreds and even some Hulk Hands, nothing beats the timeless duo of devil horns and bikinis (whether or not the girl should really be wearing one...). Enjoy some of our festival photos below.

  October 2, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day One: Festival Fashions

  Photo by Mark C. AustinA dapper trio of gentlemen​From the sublime to the ridiculous, there's no shortage of unique outfits at ACL. Below are some of our favorite fashions (no bikinis included this time) from the field so far.

  October 2, 2009

• ACL 2009 Updates From the Field: Yes, It's Raining

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​The weatherman was (unfortunately) right this time: it's not yet noon and it's already raining at ACL. The forecast for tonight shows the chance of rain at a rather intimidating 100 percent. But that isn't stopping the Dexateens from rocking out on the BMI Stage right now and it shouldn't stop you from heading out here either. Just make sure you dress accordingly.​Photographers, we mean you too... Keep those lenses safe from the rain:

  October 3, 2009

• ACL Day Three: Hey, Dude. Maybe Think About Putting Your Shirt Back On

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​We're just saying. The shirtless look really isn't for everyone. ​And while you're at it, broseph, tell you girlfriend to pull up her board shorts so we don't all have to look at her asscrack while we're trying to jam to Black Joe Lewis. Thanks. This goes for the rest of you, too...

  October 4, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day Three: Mud!

  Photo by Craig HlavatyNo, that is not Rocks Off.​At this point Rocks Off is so jaded from mud, rain, bro-dudes, and janky taxi-cab politics that Eddie Vedder himself could be standing before us and we wouldn't know him from Adam Lambert. As Willem Dafoe said in Platoon "The worm has turned for you, my friend."Yesterday was a barrage of little bitty stinging rain, big ol' fat rain, and sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. With the rain came mud, starting with sporadic

  October 4, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day Three: Everybody Knows What Black Joe Lewis' Name Is Now

  Photo by Katharine Shilcutt​It was almost like being back in Houston: Sunday was sticky and steamy as Rocks Off arrived at Zilker Park around noon, and the only way we knew we could make it through was with a stiff straight shot of Southern soul. Luckily, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears were first up on the AMD stage.Complete with coordinated choreography, Lewis and the Honeybears came out with guitars and horns blazing, updating Clifton Chenier by way of Sonny Boy Williamson on "Big Boot

  October 4, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day Three: Life Inside the Media Tent

  Photos by Katharine ShilcuttThe Toadies meet the mud​Media "tent" is misleading, actually. Part of the Rocks Off team has spent the better part of the three days of ACL inside the media area, attempting to identify smaller, more unknown bands as they traipse through like Roma, wrapping our laptops inside garbage bags to guard them from the rain, fighting for space on the mud-covered overloaded power strips, bringing our own toilet paper from the hotel because there is never any inside the port

  October 4, 2009

• ACL 2009 Snapshot: Thanks, But No Thanks

  Photo by Katharine Shilcutt​Yeah, we appreciate the offer - especially the tasteful way you've written it on a giant cardboard penis - but we think we'll tastefully decline today. Good luck at the festival though, dude.

  October 4, 2009

• No Holds Barred Chili Cook-Off: Let the Flames Begin

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​Next Saturday, October 17, the normally bucolic grounds of Shady Tavern will be invaded by the heat-seekers and flame-throwers at the No Holds Barred Chili Cook-Off. Now in its third year, the young but increasingly popular chili cook-off will feature between 25 and 30 teams, all of whom are invited to -- as the name implies -- cook up whatever kind of chili cocks their pistols. Chilis will be judged by both popular vote and a panel of judges (full disc

  October 8, 2009

• Adobo Hoedown: Filipino Food For a Charitable Cause

  Photo by Katharine ShilcuttFilipino pastries from Godo's​When Typoon Ketsana hit the Philippines on September 25, it was the worst weather-related disaster the country and its capital city of Manila had seen in decades. Severe flooding caused an evacuation of an enormous portion of the city, displacing nearly 600,000 people, while mudslides and flood waters have claimed nearly 250 lives to date. The damage from the typhoon is estimated at $100 million, resulting in the Philippine governme

  October 12, 2009

• Epicurean Adventure at Bayou City Arts Festival

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt David Cordua in the demonstration tent.​Perhaps we our hopes were too high for what is essentially a street festival (large and wonderful though it may be). Or perhaps our bodies were still too water-logged and mud-coated from last weekend's three-day exercise in stamina at Austin City Limits. But we just didn't come away impressed with this weekend's Epicurean Adventure area at downtown's Bayou City Arts Festival. With few tables or chairs on hand,

  October 13, 2009

• How To Make The Perfect: Grits

  We're starting a weekly series on how to make the perfect [insert food here]. While none of us are experts on everything, some of us are pretty darn close on at least a couple of things. Stay tuned each week as the Eating Our Words bloggers detail how to make the perfect meatloaf, marinara sauce, fried chicken or beer bread (yes, beer bread).​Grits are such a maligned food. Served primarily in Waffle Houses and Denny's, the noble hominy porridge is usually reduced to a sad side item in a large

  October 20, 2009

• They Live! Houston's 2nd Annual Zombie Walk

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​The undead arose from their graves and took to the streets of Montrose (where else?) on Saturday night, shuffling and moaning their way through the city in support of Tillman Troops. In between scavenging the flesh off dead bodies and searching for brains, zombies can be charitable too, you know. Roughly 300 people gathered in the parking lot behind the old Alabama Bookstop in their finest zombie attire and Hair Balls was there to take it all in. To their credit,

  October 26, 2009

• How To Make The Perfect: Marinara Sauce

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​If you're looking for an authentic marinara sauce recipe, or one that only requires a few minutes of your time, you should probably stop reading right now. The following recipe is neither authentic nor is it a time-saver. It is, however, very simple to cook, uses ingredients that are (most likely) already in your pantry, nutritious and -- most importantly -- delicious. Over the course of an afternoon, it will fill your house with the rich scent of simmering tomatoe

  October 26, 2009

• A Vegan Dinner at a Meatatarium

  Photos by Katharine ShilcuttAppetizers: sweet potato chips and truffled carrots, radishes and turnips​Vegans may take our cheese (and milk and meat and butter and even honey), but they may never take...our truffles. This seemed to be the rallying cry on Monday night at Beaver's Ice House as seven of Houston's most intrepid chefs embarked upon an ambitious 12-course meal (full menu here) made entirely of vegan ingredients. It can be difficult for even the most creative chef to suddenly be

  October 27, 2009

• Another Chapter of the Rocks Off Beatles Rock Band Saga Is In the Books

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​Despite some technical difficulties that got things off to a late start, Rocks Off and several of our friends had a fine time at our "Helter Skelter Halloween" party Tuesday evening at Coffee Groundz. Special thanks to the one or two of you who actually showed up in costume - we told anyone who asked we were dressed like Johnny Cash, but we pretty much dress like Johnny Cash every day - and to the guys who showed us how to hook up the Rock Band guitar controllers w

  October 28, 2009

• Alabama Bookstop: Cinematic Once Again (For Now)

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​When we heard that there was going to be a happy hour -- a happy hour -- in the old Alabama Bookstop on Monday night, Hair Balls simply had to be there. After all, it's not often you get to visit the emptied husk of your childhood and relive your dying love affair with literature while drinking a cold beer. The Cinema Arts Society and 29-95.com hosted last night's happy hour in an effort to promote the upcoming Cinema Arts film festival and to encourage Houston r

  November 10, 2009

• Man Food for Your Man Cave

  Eating Our Words headed over to The Guy Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center this past weekend, where we found -- as expected -- a plethora of manly products for sale, manly sports to play, manly women to ogle (wait, that came out wrong...) and manly foods to sample. Check out our favorite man foods from The Guy Expo below. Photos by Katharine Shilcutt ​Venison Sliders These juicy little gems from The Trophy Room were far better than expected, given that we're tired of the w

  November 12, 2009

• Saying Yes to Yelapa

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​It looks like the curse may have been lifted from 2303 Richmond. The location has seen many restaurants come and go over the years, some which have had achingly short lifespans. Most recently, it was the home of The Chimney (for a few short months) and before that, Saute. But its newest occupant, Yelapa Playa Mexicana, seems determined to shake that curse. The man behind the original Berryhill Fish Tacos, Chuck Bulnes, is back in the restauranteur saddle once again

  November 16, 2009

• Whirlwind Weekend: See What You Missed

  Whether you hit the Lebowski Bash on Friday night, the Westheimer Block Party on Saturday night or the Chris Brown (!!!) concert at the House of Blues, or whether you just shook your ass on the dance floor at Venue or Mantra, here's a sampling of the weekend in photos. Photo by Katharine Shilcutt​Houston's second annual Lebowski Bash hit Discovery Green with all the Walters and Maudes you could shake a $0.69 check at.

  November 16, 2009