SouthWind Inn, Port Isabel, TX

Passion on a plate. A CENTURY AGO, Port Isabel was called “Point Isabel”, had a population of 396 souls and boasted one cafe! The Carlos Cafe served local fare and was described as having a “large sign, but exceedingly small kitchen”. Diners washed their hands in a basin on the porch and might have to wait as the 13 plates were washed between seating’s. We have a few more now. Try them all!

TELL THEM THE SOUTHWIND INN SENT YOU

RESTAURANT	ADDRESS	PHONE (956)	HOURS
Beach Bowls Superfoods	910 TX-100 Ste 111	245-4737	Tu-Sa 11:30a-5p
Ceviche Ceviche	610 TX-100	426-9024	10:30a-5p
Chilo’s Cheesecakes LLC	1506 TX-100	455-0987	Closed Tue
Church’s Texas Chicken	1748 TX-100	943-8592	10a-10p
Dairy Queen	302 TX-100	943-2101	10a-10p
Davey Jones Ice Cream	110 N. Garcia St.	943-7447	10a-10p
Dirty Al’s at Pelican Station	201 S. Garcia St.	943-3344	11a-10p
Domino’s Pizza	1702 TX-100 Ste. D	943-8880	10a-12a
Doubleday	402 TX-100	943-4992	4:30p-2a
El Buen Pescador	1401 TX-100 #7	426-9036	11a-10p Closed Wed.
El Jefe	101 W. Queen Isabella Blvd.	433-5077	7a-9p
El Papa’s	814 S. Garcia St.	943-7133	7a-3p
Fruteria R&R	201 W. TX-100	433-5164	Wed-Thurs 9a-8p
Hopper Haus Bar & Grill	418 E. Queen Isabella Blvd.	299-4600	11a-12a
Isabel’s Café	1221 TX-100	943-5082	7a-2:30p
J & Bubba’s Bar & Grill	201 N. Musina St.	943-7240	11a-2a
Jack in the Box	1681 State Park Rd. 100	772-7293	6a-1a
Joe’s Oyster Bar	207 E. Maxan St.	943-4501	11a-7p
Josephine’s Kitchen & Coffee	110 N. Tarnava St.	524-2447	7a-2p
Kiki’s Mexican Restaurant	823 E. Garcia St.	299-4027	10a-10p
Krispy Krunchy Chicken	501 E. Maxan St.	943-3883	12p-10p
Laredo Taco Company	1685 TX-100	943-3438	5a-4p
Leo’s Grill Seasoned with Love	1200 TX-100 Unit 1	299-9898	11a-2:30p 5-9p Closed Mon
Lighthouse Boutique Cafe	401 E. Maxan St.	336-1794	10a-6p
Little Caesars Pizza	415 TX-100	772-7048	11a-9p
Los Cabos	309 E. Queen Isabella Blvd.	943-3777	7a-7p
Los Tortugo’s Seafood Restaurant	314 E. Queen Isabella Blvd.	943-5602	9a-8:30p
Mexiquito Restaurant	401 TX-100	943-4600	7a-3p
Pirates Landing  Restaurant	110 N. Garcia St.	943-3663	7a-9p
Pizza Hut	1202 TX-100	943-8888	10a-10:30p
Rincon Veracruzano	956-943-7353		11a-10p
Scarlet’s Crepas & Snacks	910 TX-100	641-7522	2p-9p
Shark Tank Lounge	123 W. Queen Isabella Blvd.	551-2617	11a-2a
Starbucks	1754 TX-100	551-5431	5:30a-9:30p
Subway	1401 TX-100 Ste. 8	943-7571	9a-10p
Taqueria Los Nava	201 N. Musina St.	443-7864	2p-2a
The Burger Shack & Beer Garden	413 E. Maxan St.	433-5370	11a-9p
The Signature Grill	33840 S. Garcia St. Long Island City	551-0156	Wed-Sat 8a–2p Sunday 8 a–1 p Mon & Tues Closed
Whataburger	1301 TX-100	943-1335	24 Hours/Daily
White Sands Bar & Restaurant	418 TX-100 (walk distance)	433-5762 (Free Wi-Fi)	Wed-Sat 8a–8p Sunday 8 a–3p Mon & Tues Closed
Wingstop	1401 TX-100	943-9464	11a-12a
See more below:

For more information: http://portisabel-texas.com/blog/eat-at-port-isabel/

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SAVORING THE PAST

In the countryside, the sugaring-off parties are as popular today as they were centuries ago. No recipe is as revered as “Poor Man’s Pudding.” A simple recipe can be a rich dessert with common ingredients such as butter, eggs, flower, and milk topped off with maple syrup. You can really have a special Christmas treat naked and served as simple as your ancestors.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.

SYRUP: 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1/2 maple syrup. In a sauce pan, warm syrup ingredients over low heat until brown sugar has melted. Set aside to cool.

CAKE: 1 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of butter, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, a pinch of salt, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of milk. In a bowl, mix sugar and butter until creamy. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir and combine. Add eggs and milk. Stir and combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, then pour syrup over the mixture. Bake for 30 minutes and serve warm. Makes around 9 servings.

Easy Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte. This serves 1 (double up for sharing). Creamy, spiced, and customizable. Takes 5 min.

Component	Amount	Notes
Brewed espresso or strong coffee	2 shots (about ½ cup)	Instant works in a pinch.
Milk (whole, oat, or almond)	1 cup	Froth it for extra fluff.
Pumpkin puree	2 tbsp	Canned is fine; not pie filling!
Pumpkin pie spice	½ tsp	See DIY mix below if you don’t have it.
Maple syrup or brown sugar	1-2 tbsp	Adjust for sweetness.
Vanilla extract	¼ tsp	Optional, for warmth.
Whipped cream (topping)	As desired	Dollop on top with a sprinkle of spice.

DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice (Makes ~2 tbsp) Mix these in a jar for your stash:

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• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground cloves (or a pinch if you’re clove-shy)

Instructions

1. Warm the base: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and vanilla until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Don’t let it boil.
2. Add milk: Stir in the milk and heat until steaming (not simmering). Froth with a milk frother, immersion blender, or by shaking in a jar.
3. Assemble: Pour the hot spiced milk into a mug, then add the espresso or coffee on top. Stir gently.
4. Top and serve: Garnish with whipped cream and a dash of spice. Sip warm while bingeing fall flicks.

Pro tips: For iced, chill everything and blend with ice. Vegan? Use plant milk and skip dairy whip. Calories ~200 per serving—guilt-free cozy.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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STOCKS

VEGETARIAN DISHES

• HOW THE DUTCH DRIED FLOWERS
• MEASUREMENTS AND HOUSEHOLD WEIGHTS
• HELP IN THE KITCHEN
• LEMON SYRUP WITH A KICK AND BLACK BERRY BRANDY BASICS
• WINE WHEY
• OTHER DRINKS
• APPLE TEA FOR FREE
• EGG TEA, COFFEE AND ME
• FRUIT JELLY
• MARMALADE
• ICING ON THE CAKE
• THE SECRET OF FAMILY RECIPES

FARM TO TABLE
STOCK
It is extremely wise to keep a good stock on hand for soups and cooking. To prepare a healthy and rich stock, you need beef or veal knuckles. Begin by cracking their bones into small pieces. The iron kettle of yesteryear has now been replaced with a crock pot. So, get yourself one and a large pot to boil water and transfer it into your crock pot.
Cup in with your bone, five or six quarts of chilly water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch of red pepper and any desired seasoning at this point. Place all the ingredients into a crock pot. Let your ingredients simmer for 8 hours. The stock needs to sit for 8 hours in the refrigerator. Any grease will rise to the top and you can scoop it off for healthier meals.

VEGETARIAN ~ https://biggreen.org/ Support your local school garden initiatives through their restaurants. They help create school gardens. Healthy eating in children increase their preference for nutritious foods, develop healthier responses to stress, and improve their academic performance. Children all over the country will reap the benefits of a thriving school garden. #gardenforlife

HOW THE DUTCH DRIED FLOWERS

You will begin by careful measuring out a quarter pound of alum to one pint of boiling water. Alum was used for centuries. It is a colorless astringent compound that is a hydrated double sulfate of aluminum and potassium, used in solution medicinally and in dyeing and tanning as well. Put in an earthen vessel, dip the flowers singly into the hot liquid, and hand up to dry for a day.

MEASUREMENTS AND HOUSEHOLD WEIGHTS

One quart of wheat flour = one pound or Ten eggs = one pound
One quart of Indian meal or brown sugar = one pound two ounces.
One quart of (soft) butter or powdered sugar = one pound one ounce.; One quart of loaf sugar (crushed) = one pound and sixteen tablespoonfuls= one half pint

HELP IN THE KITCHEN

If you are bold enough to cook cabbage, burn sugar and it will kill the odor of the cooking cabbage. Lime in water helps with a minor kitchen burn on your skin. For more severe burns please call 911.

LEMON SYRUP W/A KICK AND BLACK BERRY BRANDY BASICS

Start by picking fruit, say, fresh lemons. Put the yellow rind of two fine fresh lemons into a bottle of your best brandy. Let it sit for two days: boil two ounces of loaf sugar in a teacup of water. Let it cool into a nice syrup now pour that over anything you want to eat.

BLACKBERRY BRANDY~ Use eight quarts of water and four quarts of blackberry juice. Boil them together; then add two pounds of sugar and a half pint of brandy. Let it cool. Drink. Cheers!

WINE WHEY ~ One pint of boiling water; two wine glasses of wine.
Boil them one minute, stirring constantly; take out curd, sweeten/flavor to taste.
For a simple wine whey, take equal parts of wine, water, and milk; warm the water and milk, then add the wine and sweeten.

OTHER DRINKS

The perfect pool smoothie using your favorite fruits and vegetables.
1 cup of diced fruit
1 cup of diced vegetables
½ cup of chopped fine mint leaves
½ cup of coconut water
½ cup of ice water
½ of cubed ice
Blend in a blender and enjoy!

EGG TEA, COFFEE AND ME
Begin and beat the yolk of (1) one egg with a spoonful of sugar and put it into a teacup.
The tea or coffee must be cold; add half of a teacup of chilly water if in summer and boiling water if in winter.
Put cream into it, whip the white of an egg to a stiff froth and stir.

MARMALADE
Please peel and grate your fruit,
Now, add equal weight of sugar.
Let it boil in a pot and on low heat for about twenty minutes. Let it cool.
It will thicken over time.

ICING ON THE CAKE~ 1 egg white & 1 cup of sugar, enough to make it stiff. Put the sugar with the egg before beating, beat until exceptionally light.

MAPES MEAT CURING (excerpts from A POOL OF THOUGHTS)

Mr. Sam Mapes owned a meat cutting business at his farm in West Chatfield,Minnesota. He cured hams and bacon from 1920 to 1950. Farmers came from all over the city and state to buy his cured hams. They came in their sleighs during the coldest of months and even in the dead of winter to bring their meat to him so their meat can become ham and bacon. At that time, the amount of work he had made it his full-time business. Years after Mr. Sam Mapes retired, farmers still remembered Mr. Mapes and how delicious his ham were.

THE SECRET PROCESS
The process of curing meat is a race against time and bacteria. The clock starts as soon as the animal has been killed and butchered. The bacteria count in the animal is as low as possible. The brine used in curing is made with saltpeter, which gives “ham” its pink color. No amount of salt and sugar can produce pink meat. The process of rubbing the meat with a mixture of salt, brown sugar, pepper, and cloves, is the perfect mixture for a great cured meat.

Thereafter, you must immerse the meat in the brine for two months. It is imperative that the meat is turned often, the curing process includes a smokehouse.

This gives the meat a flavor and drives out excess moisture in the meat. Smoking has a drying effect that kills bacteria on the outside of the meat. Smoke is no substitute for curing; it just adds flavor. After the meat is cured and smoked, you must wrap it in cheese cloth with a rope so it could be hung it in a root cellar. A root cellar is a structure, usually underground or partially underground, used for storage of vegetables, fruits, nuts, or other foods. Its name reflects the traditional focus on root crops stored in an underground cellar, which is still often true.

A wide variety of foods can be stored for weeks to months, depending on the crop and conditions. The structure may not always be underground, so an attic is acceptable. Before you can cook the meat, you must give it a good old-fashioned scrubbing with a stiff brush. Soak the meat in water overnight and cook it for two hours to allow the salt to draw out of the meat. If ham and bacon is cured with the skin on them, the skin will be hard to manage and eat.

You must cut it off the meat and you can cook the rind and skin separately in an oven. This makes crackling. It is great for a snack. Salt pork is made from the lower half of the sides of a hog. You would cut this meat into sections and rub it with salt, pack it into a crock pot, and let it stand overnight.

In the morning, you must pour the brine over the meat and put a weighted cover on the meat to keep it immersed in the brine. Use a plate or glass jar with water in it. Pork or meat can be kept in the brine until it is used. This process is called osmosis and it is all in science. You can cure meat with salt alone, but the meat comes out hard as a rock and is not very tasty.

If you value your teeth, you will not just cure meat with salt. It takes months to cure meat. You will need a day or two to prepare for its consumption. Sugar, saltpeter, and spices help the quality of the meat and repel insects. The old-fashioned way of branding the meat is by cutting strips in the meat that represent the initials of the curer.

Large meat cutting houses have taken over since M.I.A., (Meat Inspections Act) The Meat Inspection Act of 1906, U.S. legislation, signed by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt on June 30, 1906, prohibited the sale of adulterated or not branded properly livestock and derived products as food to ensure that livestock is properly processed under sanitary conditions.

My ancestors took pride in this process. It is not clear if others did. My ancestors fed their family for thousands of years, and without M.I.A., (The Meat Inspection Act of 1906). We applauded that this change protected humans, but unfortunately jobs were lost in the process. Small family operations closed their doors, and they were experts in this field of feeding people.

It was bittersweet. Trying to make home cured hams that have just the right flavor and not too much of the cure is difficult. It takes practice.

If you attempt this process, do it the way this chapter instructs you, and you will create hams that bacteria cannot live in. “SAM MAPES HAMS” could only be eaten if you boil the curing brine out of them. It is a process. There is no way you can slice off a piece of meat and eat it for breakfast the way you would do with a modern ham. You must simmer it in a Dutch oven to draw the salt off.

OLD FASHIONED KOLACHES AND WILTED (DUTCH) LETTUCE

2 cups of water & 2 cups of cooled pitted prunes
Cook prunes until soft
Basic roll dough:
1 pkg. of active dry yeast 1 ¼ cup of Milk from your best cow ¼ cup of shortening
1 egg from your best chicken
3 ½ cup of sifted flour ¼ cup of sugar, 1 tsp. salt
In your most prettiest mixing bowl, please combine the yeast and 2 ¼ cups of the sifted flour. Heat your milk, sugar, shortening, and salt until warm. Stir this mixture constantly until the shortening melts.
Add to dry ingredients, and egg. Beat the mix at a low speed with an electric mixer for 182 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl so all the mixture is mixed.
Beat three minutes at high speed. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form soft dough. Place in a well-greased large bowl, turn once to coat both sides of the dough.
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, 1 ½ -2 hours should allow the dough to rise. Turn out on a lightly floured surface.
Make a square out of the dough about 4” x 4”. Place a one cooked prune, in the center of the square, pull all corners up over the prune.
Let them rise for 45 minutes and bake them in a 375℉ pre heated oven for 20 minutes.

DANDELION WILTED LETTUCE SALAD

Dandelion is not a weed. A Dandelion is food. If you just sprinkle vinegar and bacon grease over them, they will sizzle in a pan simply fine.
4 cups of hand torn lettuce
One small onion, sliced
3 radishes, sliced
6 bacon strips, diced
2 tbsp., vinegar
1 tbsp., brown sugar
1/4 tsp., dry mustard
1/4 tsp., salt
1/8 tsp, crushed pepper
In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, onion, and radishes.
Set aside in the refrigerator to keep them crisp.
In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp: remove with a slotted spoon to drain and place the bacon on a paper towel.
Now, tend to the bacon drippings in the pan, add vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the large salad bowl from the refrigerator and place it next to the bacon grease.
Carefully pour it over the lettuce.
Toss the bacon bits on top of the lettuce as well. Serve immediately.
You can also serve with chopped hard- boiled eggs on top.

OLLIE BOLLEN
(Dutch Donuts)
3 Farm fresh eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean,
4 cup flower
2 cups of buttermilk
½ tsp of salt,
1 cup of raisins
1 ¼ tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon is equal to 1, 3″ stick of cinnamon)
1 tsp of Nutmeg, Ground
Beat the eggs and sugar, add vanilla and buttermilk, then raisins.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir. Deep fry at 350℉-375℉ for about 3-
4 minutes. Shake warm. Cover the Ollie Bollen in sugar and cinnamon mixture.

MY HONEY BALLS
1 cup of Coconut Oil 6 eggs
1 cup of sugar
5 cups of Flour, A pinch baking powder
Cream together: eggs, Coconut oil and sugar. Mix in flour and baking powder until dough is firm. Knead all together. If dough is too soft, add ½ cup of more flour. Deep fry dough. Place in brown paper bags to absorb oil. When cool, melt honey and drizzle over the balls in the bag slowly.

REALLY GOOD TOMATOES~ Peel and cut 6 tomatoes into little squares.
Slice 1 onion and 1 green pepper into the same size squares.
Place in a dish, Sprinkle with parsley.

POOLS DRESSING
1/3 cup of Hines® Ketchup
1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
Dash of Paprika, salt and garlic to pour over to marinade

STARBASE, TEXAS ROCKET BBQ SAUCE

2 tbsp Brown sugar,
1 tbsp Paprika
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs. salt,
1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper
¼ cup of vinegar,
¼ cup of spring water
¼ Hines® Ketchup
1 cup of Tomato sauce or Juice
1 tsp. Dry mustard,
½ tsp. Chili powder
In a sizable pot combine all ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes until the ingredients are slightly thickened. You do not have to measure the ingredients, just use your eye for taste.

FISH-N-BEER
2 cups of Complete pancake mix
4 whole fish of your choice
1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp lemon pepper
1 cup Louisiana Seasoned Fish Fry Mix®
1 bottle of Heineken® Lager Beer or simply Heineken the pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken International. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star. Mix the pancake mix and Louisiana Seasoned Fish Fry Mix. Mix the beer and pancake batter to the consistency before firmness. Cut fillets no large than 2 inches. Season the fish fillets to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper. Submerge the fish in the batter for one hour. Deep fry until golden brown draining on a paper towel.

PARMESAN CHICKEN
½ cup of Hellman’s® mayonnaise
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 Perdue® Chicken breasts/skinless/boned
4 tbs Progresso® Italian Seasoned Dry Breadcrumbs
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a pretty bowl, combine mayonnaise and cheese. Arrange chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Slather each breast with the mayonnaise and cheese mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of each chicken breast and pat them down gently on to each breast. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes until cooked.

CROCK POT MASHED POTATOES

5 lb. Bag of Idaho Potatoes® Peel, cook & mash.
8 oz. Package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese®
1 ½ cup of Breakstone® sour cream
2 tbsp. Breakstone® butter. Melted
3 tsp. of onion or garlic salt
½ tsp. of pepper
1 ½ tsp. of Salt
Mix and combine all the ingredients. Pour into a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Potatoes can be prepared three days in advance to save time.

POOLS PORK CHOPS IN BEER

2 cups of Hines® Ketchup
8 pork chops
¾ cup brown sugar
1 bottle of Heineken® Lager Beer or simply Heineken the pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken International. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a pretty bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar & beer. Mix well. Place pork chops in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour ingredients over the pork chops. Place foil over the top & bake for 1-2 hr. depending on the thickness of the pork chop.

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