It’s Eggnog Time, Again!

We’ve come to one of the best parts of the holiday season: eggnog drinks! We realize that anything incorporating raw eggs and sugar will turn some people off, but that’s what the soy nog is about. If you like eggnog, the first three are our take on eggy eggnog and the last two are some dairy free versions. Of course, we like the booze and we tend to booze our nogs up quite a bit, but eggnog is delicious by itself.

Braums has far and away the best eggnog we tried this year. Thick and creamy, the spices coalesce to create the perfect (even at 210 calories) cup of seasonal flavor. We hold Braum’s products up to a pretty high standard, but they have yet to let us down. The family company keeps its own dairy herd in Oklahoma and doesn’t open stores more than 300 miles from that area, so it’s no wonder their products are so fresh. By itself this eggnog is magic in a cup, but add a little Southern Comfort and top with nutmeg for a party in a bowl.

We liked Bolthouse Farms Holiday Nog, too. At only 80 calories a serving, it’s hard to find fault with this brand. This might taste a little diet for eggnog, but it is definitely not a diet drink. This is flavorful and smooth alone or with Chai. (Yes, we stole that idea from Starbucks and have loved it for years.)

Horizon Organic Lowfat Eggnog is good, but tastes like very sweet milk. Still thick, it’s not as sweet as some nogs, but brings more of a spice flavor than many. Our vegetarian felt this brand was too milky while the omnivore loved it. This does not taste in any way diet or low fat. In fact, it’s closer to the dessert beverage we expected, so don’t let the name decide for you. Try it out.

We usually enjoy Silk brand’s Seasonal Nog during the holidays, but have had trouble finding it this year. It is a little thinner than eggnog, but has all the flavor you could want. Perfect for egg-free lifestyles, this soy-based treat is beautiful with a little whiskey or bourbon. Not too much, though, or it gets thin.

As much as we hate to say it, So Delicious Dairy Free Nog Coconut Milk Beverage is just strange to us. If you love coconut milk and drink it all the time, this might not be a big leap, but for us, that coconut smell just kind of belongs on a beach. But, this does offer another vegan alternative, so that’s great.

If you drink milk and like eggnog, try adding a little Baileys Irish Cream or Godiva White Chocolate liqueur to your batch. If you prefer a vegan nog, go with Southern Comfort. We’ve had them every way and these are our three favorite ingredients to spice up the bottled stuff.

If you make your own eggnog, please oh please share the recipe. We are lucky enough to live in cattle country so there is no shortage of dairies around and we have a huge selection at pretty much every store we enter. But we’d love to hear your recipes and give them a try.

Until next we meet, enjoy great food and keep a happy heart.

Come back next Sunday for another ride through cattle country.

Don’t forget about Mediterranean food

One of the most vegetarian friendly food types we’ve encountered is Mediterranean. From tabouli to dolmas, you can fill up on a dozen or more dishes before you encounter a meaty option. This week we looked at Fadi’s and Dimassi’s, both of which we already knew we liked.

Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill offers many dishes, but the vegetarian sampler has to be the best idea we’ve encountered outside of a buffet. With the option to go through and point to what you want, or just leave it up to the server to give you a little bit of everything that doesn’t contain meat. Since we always like to try new things, we went with the latter option. Of course, items mixed and we found rice buried underneath the center, but the flavors are so diverse that they go beautifully together. We particularly liked the fresh mint in the fattoush, as it seemed to almost cleanse our palates whenever we had some. The cauliflower also stood out and although we were trying to be courteous and share, we each kept taking bits of it until nothing but a hole remained where it used to sit on the plate. For something as simple as cauliflower and lemon juice, that stuff is incredible!

On the recommendation of a very helpful man behind a counter, we also tried the falafel sandwich. More of a wrap, really, this is quite nice with pickles, tomatoes and dressing rolled in a thick pita bread, then toasted. The chickpea patties are packed into this sandwich with enough dressing on the side to ensure every bite can drip as much s you’d like.

Serving sizes are huge at Fadi’s, so you get plenty for the price, and the food is wonderful.

If you are in the mood for a buffet, try Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet on Campbell in Richardson. We went through half of the buffet without encountering one item with meat, and we filled our plates with only the smallest sampling from each vegetarian offering. While one of the rice dishes does contain meat, they do a great job of keeping the dishes separate and labeling everything. We liked the dolmas quite a bit and fell in love with the baba ghanouge’s smokey flavor. Whatever you like, this is a must try buffet for vegetarians.

Both Fadi’s and Dimassi’s are equally wonderful with fresh ingredients and delicious dishes. Spend an evening or even a lunch hour at either one for a healthful meal you’ll love.

Until next we meet, enjoy great food and keep a happy heart.

Come back next Sunday for another ride through cattle country.

Sometimes we just crave Thai food, so this week we’ll cover Bambu in Richardson, TX. A small restaurant, holding maybe a dozen tables, this place has an incredible atmosphere and staff. The food is beautiful as well as tasty, making Bambu a must try for Thai.

With windows on two sides, the light becomes part of the experience during lunch. Subtle music and genuinely friendly staff would probably bring us back even if the food was only OK. But as it stands, those are nice additions to a wonderful meal.

Edamame (4) comes out piping hot, so be careful. Steam pours off the soybeans when the bowl comes off the top and that heat brings out the most of the flavor. We found ourselves actually enjoying this appetizer rather than just going through the motions while we talked.

The vegetarian tried Thai Fried Rice (9), after being assured it contained no chicken broth, of course, and loved it. Large onion chunks in and around the mound of rice are just sweet and very crisp. A large tomato in the middle gave a fun texture combination with the egg while scallions added crispness and flavor throughout. Perhaps the nicest surprise was the contrast in flavor and texture when the fresh cilantro mixes with oils from rice. We’ll definitely get this again.

On the carnivore’s side we had Cashew Chicken (9), which was just spicy enough to build up and get the nose running at a spice level of two. All white meat chicken with fresh, large-cut vegetables and a dark sauce came together for the perfect meaty dish.

On a previous visit, we watched a friend ask for Pad Kee Mao at “Thai Style” and tear up when he ate it. His face was red, nose running, and eyes streaming with tears, yet he wouldn’t stop eating; it was that good.

We like Bambu because has something delicious for everyone and the staff works as a team, which makes the experience a little more pleasant. The next time you are near Coit and Campbell in Richardson, stop in for a bite.