Daily Grind

Uncle Larry fed Motiva family
Anyone who meets Larry Roussel becomes his new best friend.
I was walking past the Hampton Inn a week after Hurricane Ike and found a tent with a whole lotta cookin’ goin’ on.
I knew I wanted to write about whatever was happening and met the Louisiana cook who likes to be called Uncle Larry. He and a willing crew fed gourmet dinners to Motiva workers who had flooded homes thanks to Ike. Larry showed them love through jambalaya, chicken smothered in gravy, gumbo, tasso and rich desserts. The parking-lot camp must have lasted about a month and Larry kept everyone fed morning, noon and night.
He e-mailed me an update for the good people of Port Arthur saying he’d been busy with major cooking events and had cooked on TV a few times to “promote our unique South Louisiana Christmas Festival of the Bonfires.” He’s coordinated a hog crackling cookoff and Children's Miracle Network jambalaya - pastalaya cook off.
He hasn’t put his spoons down yet.
Coffee weather
Just a year ago I considered coffee a cold-weather treat. I’m closer to an every-day drinker now
“Uncommonly Smooth” is the trademark for Seattle’s Best Coffee and Seattle’s Best Blend is its “smooth, captivating” and “most popular brew.” I’m enjoying this light roast, but I’ve already sneaked a taste at Henry’s Blend, a medium roast that’s about as dark as “take-it-black” drinkers like me are likely to request. I’m saving the rest for when it gets really cold and rainy down here. I’m sure that cold and rainy in Seattle has Southeast Texas beat. Visit the Washington area for a cup, or visit www.seattlesbest.com.
HomeFree
You can take away the eggs, dairy and tree nuts to a cookie, and bulk it up with whole grain, but HomeFree knows that if you throw in some chocolate chips, it’ll all come out fine. Mini cookies made in a dedicated bakery are more than fine. I love them, and so will kids with allergies and grownups looking for an organic snacking option. Jill Robbins founded the line with cookies and cakes so kids with allergies can have treats along with everyone else.
Update
If I intrigued you with my black garlic review, here’s a heads up: H-E-B Central Market, Kroger and www.friedas.com is said to have “the stuff.” I’m down to my final few nubbins and I’m planning one final dinner soiree to show it off.
ddoiron@panews.com