Tag: Dallas

Be a good person.

This is actually a quote from a really cool guy I met via another cool friend on Facebook. He fairly regularly posts some pretty insightful stuff, and this one really caught me.

So you want to be a good person? Do what’s right? Here’s the deal, you’re going to be hated…Hated for reasons you’ll never fully understand. People are going to say things about you: lies and over exaggerations about your past. People are going to take advantage of you, cheat you, lie to you, steal from you because you know it’s no good to be untrusting. You will be taken for granted. You will not be respected and you will suffer and, yet, you will walk with grace through it all…and grow and grow and you won’t stop…because you made a commitment…and it’s far from the easy path…but you are good person…stay true…do the right thing and, in the end, nothing will stop you. Being good is it’s own reward. It will all make sense in time…and remember, you weren’t always a good person yourself.

-Aaron Manley Smith

He’s right. When you think about it, doing good things IS it’s own reward. There are a tons of people out there that are under the mistaken impression that they will not succeed if they don’t take the time to stop and help others do the same, and I feel bad for them, because in doing good things, you lead by example. You teach others that you should never be reluctant in helping those that need it.

A couple months ago a friend and I were driving back to Dallas from a long trip visiting friends, and the craziest thing happened. We’re on our side of the highway, and the lanes going the other direction we at least 20 yards away, but something was really wrong because I was seeing headlights directly ahead of us and coming fast. I swerved quickly onto the shoulder of the highway as a sports car zoomed by at about 60mph going the wrong direction on the tollway. My friend and I just kindof looked back stunned wondering what the hell just happened. We then called the state troopers and let them know about it. Just as we finished the call and were about to pull back onto the highway, a truck pulled up behind us.

The driver got out and walked up to my window and asked if I needed help. Why? Because I had my blinkers on and it was late at night. He wasn’t some horror figure from a bad movie, he was being a good person. I kick myself when I remember this because THAT is the exact kind of person I like to meet. I wish I had gotten his name so I could invite him over to meet the crew, etc.

If we as a society made sure to impress this behavior as a moral obligation rather than playing the ignorance or indifference cards I think our lives would be quite a bit better. I know I come off as a bit hardcore about this type of perspective though. I still tell people this, “The only divinity you will ever experience is your own.” It’s not meant to discredit anyone’s beliefs, it’s meant to get people to make an effort to make and experience their own miracle. I think walking THAT path affords you a far brighter journey.

Just my .02 😉

-Tony




The “Cowboy” Ribeye

The “Cowboy” Ribeye is this awesome steak recipe we came up with back in my restaurant days. I’ve evolved it a bit since then, but the basic idea is still prevalent.

Originally I held off on publishing this because it was my baby-ace-primo-you-cant-have-it-like-this-without-my-invitation-once-a-year specialty. Until now I’ve only allowed this recipe into the hands of a few friends (namely Erica and Kevin)…but it’s time, and doing it right isn’t cheap in this case, so it’s not like everyone can do it. I don’t remember how the term “Cowboy” started…I think it was a reference to the garlic butter that we used the first time we tinkered with the recipe.

In truth, it’s all about the temperature and the marinade.

I am a HUGE fan of high end ribeyes. Almost to the point that I am an elitist. My favorite steak outside my own kitchen is that of a rather infamous cut at none other than Del Frisco’s Double Eagle of Steak House (of Addison)1. Now that said, I also like my steaks cooked “Pittsburgh Rare”2

1. This isn’t a ribeye you should cook to well done. If you like your meat well done, please be adventurous and try it at medium, because I don’t have any experience in preparing edible charcoal and honestly I don’t know how it might taste. This recipe cooks best between Pittsburgh and medium rare.

2. Get yourself as many ribeyes as you feel necessary to prove your prowess.3

3. Ingredients: (per steak)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 tspn rosemary
1/8 tspn thyme
1/8 tspn sage
1/8 tspn oregano
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 tspn pepper
2 tspn minced garlic

4. Melt the butter/margarine in a mixing bowl, mix with oil, after mixed, drop in all the rest of the ingredients until thoroughly mixed together.

5. Lightly cover both sides of steaks with the marinade, with a heavier layer on top of the steak. Let sit in the marinade for a nice long time, I do mine for up to 8 hours(room temp), however it tastes really good even after only 20 minutes or so.4

6. Cook to desired temperature over flame. 5

You will notice in the pic we accompanied our grilling delight with a truly satisfactory beverage (Shiner 101). I suggest some easy stuffed mushrooms or twice-baked potatoes with these. We opted for the stuff mushrooms in this case. I will post the recipe for those next.

Show 5 footnotes

  1. Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House is one of the best steak houses in the entire state of Texas. Their website is www.delfriscos.com and if you really want a memorable steak experience, I highly suggest it.
  2. Pittsburgh Rare is a steak temperature that is very high, allowing the steak to remain quite red on the inside with some char on the outside. This kind of steak preference isn’t for everyone, but it’s also one of the best methods of finding out if a steakhouse you’re new to actually knows what they are about. If they don’t know what “Pittsburgh” is when checking a preferred temp on your steak, I would be a little concerned, especially if they are trying to charge more than $15 for the steak. Here is a link to the Wikipedia’s article on Pittsburgh Rare.
  3. I recommend you find them thick, like at least an inch thick, they dont have to be 18oz. cuts, but the thicker the steak the more control you have over cooking them properly, and the less likely you are to burn them all the way to the middle.
  4. This sounds silly, but in my experience the absolute best way to insure a good soak is to use large ziplock freezer bags. They can take a beating, store well, don’t leak and you can leave them in the fridge with nothing to worry about while they soak.
  5. If you’re going to grill to a Pittsburgh Rare, try this: about a minute before you are at a satisfactory rare, place steaks within 1/2″ of the heat for that last minute char.



Surprises from the News

I started off with so much content I could write for miles…

Republicans party endorsing a guy who got Article 32’ed for torturing a detainee is now running for a seat in Congress…

Dallas leads the nation in children that are unlikely to be fed properly…

I read further and just got so angry at people…it astounds me that so many of you would embrace hate so much that it seriously matters what color our president is, but you’ll conveniently ignore the fact that your own community has starving children.

I keep on getting slack for being a lefty. I’m not a lefty.

I’m a guy that thinks murderers need to be shipped off to an island they cant swim away from…ever…and barring that they may choose to die or serve the rest of their lives without rights, serving the state and military…period. I think it’s possible to live in a land of conscience and consequence, without infringing on the freedoms we hold so dear.

I think anyone trying to regulate guns is an idiot and targeting the wrong demographic.

I think that anyone that chooses to have an abortion should have that right…even though I wouldn’t ever consider it with a child of my own…it’s about choice, and the government shouldn’t be involved in the least with it.

I think that a healthcare system that provides for 96% of Americans is better than a system that only accommodates those lucky enough to be able to afford it right now. It’s not about Socialism, it’s about Americans taking care of each other. For a lot of people I think it’s “out of sight – out of mind” and acting like we’re going to get taxed harder for this is ignoring the fact that if it wasn’t for this, the government would have found another reason to do so…and very likely with far less noble intent.

The shooting in Fort Hood is a tragedy. The man that did it…regardless of intention or mental condition needs to be hung…it’s that simple. The people trying to paint him in a positive light need to stop. Concocting new psychological disorders to clearly define the man’s state I don’t really think is necessary but thats the crap every shrink makes a living off of. The bottom line is that his act was premeditated and he killed the very people that expected him to save them in mind if not in body. It’s not murder alone, it is treason in my opinion. Hang him and save this country some time and a whole fekton of money.

If you’re wondering where the rage comes in…it’s when anyone starts deciding they have the right to commit violence and then murder.

I also have to lay the blame for every problem we’re facing now at the feet of a president and administration that was in office for just over a year and picking up after an 8 year train wreck of foreign diplomacy. I mean seriously…how could it not be Obama’s fault? We voted him in rather decisively…he must be the most evil guy on the planet right?

This whole – it’s not OUR problem because I am not with THEM. Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously? Ignore the politicians and simply look at the results of our previous voting practices. The worst we got from Bill Clinton was a little diddling in the oval office. We can’t be anywhere near as jovial about the tragedies in decision making made by Republican presidents.

The sad part, is I dont even remotely favor one over the other.

I think they are both useless facets of government now. I think it would be so much easier for us to find an honest leader if it wasn’t profitable to be President or be in the government. Like making it illegal for business to show any interest in government, etc. Otherwise it’s just a much more convoluted but just as effective method of buying government.

Anyhow. Just stuff I have been chewing on.