OK, I’m not pulling up stakes (steaks?) just yet. I’ve still got stories to tell…

Went to My Thanh for lunch today, my favorite Vietnamese in Memphis. I’ve been asking for a lesson in making the sweet sauce that goes over the bun, the noodles with meat and veggies. Those recipes are usually closely held secrets, but I managed to draw out the basic ingredients, if not the exact proportions.

The cook/owner said she prefers Squid brand fish sauce. She cooks that with sugar, vinegar and then when it cools, she adds chopped garlic and chili sauce. How much sugar? Fifty pounds, she said. Really? 5-0 pounds???? Yes, for a case of fish sauce. Still, 50??

I’m not convinced. It’s going to be one of those things that requires some experimeting… I’ll let you know how it turns out. One thing that she was adamant about… it will surely stink up the place. She cooks it outside!

The fried chicken reference has to do with a story I’m working on for next weeks’ food section. I tried for the first time the hot wings at Soul Fish Cafe on Cooper. Smoked first, then fried and sauced. Freaking brilliant!! I love that place.

I’m moving to Seattle!!

As much as I love Memphis, the pull of home is strong, especially for my mountain-loving husband. I know this is a blow, believe me it was an agonizing decision.

I’m already tearing up thinking of everything I’ll miss dearly. And, I’m certainly not closing the door on Memphis. I’m talking with the online guys about ways to keep my finger in the pot.

I truly hope that our conversation can continue….

Had dinner at the Beauty Shop last night, and loved the warm red cabbage salad with blue cheese and pears. What a great combo… only thing missing was some toasted walnuts.

I’m just crazy about cole slaw and sauerkraut. Even the humble boiled cabbage has its charms.

What are some other good uses for cabbage?

OK, not exactly. This just in for Consumer Reports:

Medicine isn’t the only remedy that can provide relief for a cold this season. Research has found that chicken soup seems to reduce congestion, so Consumer Reports screened 26 varieties to determine which were the better brands to test. The Original SoupMan’s refrigerated chicken vegetable soup was the only variety to garner an excellent rating. It had a stew-like consistency and flavorful taste which was described as “lick the bowl” delicious. But opting for excellent quality will cost consumers around $3 per cup.

Consumer Reports began its testing with a blind tasting that ruled out a number of varieties due to obvious flaws such as a tinny taste or bitter herbs. The eight contenders that remained included SoupMan’s Chicken Vegetable soup and Lipton’s Soup Secrets and varieties from Bear Creek Country Kitchens, Campbell’s, Cugino’s, Healthy Choice, Rienzi and Trader Joe’s. Consumer Reports tried dry mixes, canned, pouches and refrigerated varieties.
Aside from flavor and price, Consumer Reports checked for calories, fat and sodium content. Most of the soups are low in fat, but high in sodium. Trader Joe’s chicken soup claimed to have 160mg of sodium per cup, but CR tests showed that it actually contained 664mg. All other labels were correct.

When I’m feeling terrible, I drag myself to the nearest pho place… If I’m too sick to leave the house, I’ll submit to Lipton with extra noodles… What makes you feel better? (Besides that hot toddy…)

Participated in a “sandwich challenge” at Hickory Hills Elementary yesterday, making a little creation I called Elvis meets George Foreman. Had to use peanut butter to come up with a “healthy” after school snack.

A dozen students came up with their own recipes, and I competed against a mom, who used ice cream in her dish. Unfair advantage!! OK, she said it was “light” ice cream.

My sandwich was not exactly low-cal, but I got to give a little speel about portion size and using just a “little bit of bacon” on my peanut butter-banana and, yup, bacon sandwich. Toasted it in my Foreman grill. Well, even if I did finish second in a two-horse race, the kids liked my sandwich.

Do you have a healthy sandwich recipe?

Took a quick trip to that charming town today… and had a spectacular experience at a place called Boulevard Bread Company… run by chef Scott McGehee who used to work at Chez Panisse.

Really cool gourmet goodies and manna from heaven! Baguettes, ciabatta, foccacia, whole wheat sourdough and more… loaded up the car with stuff that smelled so good, including kickin’ jambalaya.

Definitely worth the trip.

Any opinions on Little Rock as a food destination?

I’ve been meaning to tell you about this great bacon biscuit I grabbed the other day… at the Texaco on Riverside Drive.

It still blows my mind that you can find some better-than-decent eats at gas stations in this part of the world. Even sushi!

On the way to New Orleans, stopped to fill up the tank and saw that the store was doing a big business, so decided to try a $1.79 bacon biscuit. How can something so cheap taste so good?

At home, I love King Cotton bacon… from Piggly Wiggly, of course. What’s on your plate when it comes to this pork product?

… day after Thanksgiving, headed to Automatic Slim’s for its 15th anniversary (complete with retro pricing), and the place went nuts when the New Orleans-based Wild Magnolias took the stage. What a great show!

Loved the meal, and was incredibly impressed with the waitstaff… in the sardine-packed venue, these folks were a picture of grace under pressure.

Congrats to Karen Carrier and her crew on the milestone! What’s your favorite spot with staying power??

Did a little stomach stretching with meatloaf, mashed potatoes and scalloped tomatoes… at Little Tea Shop.

This time of year, Suhair Lauck sees customers she hasn’t laid eyes on in a year, people home for the holidays. We ran into someone from Montana…

Then, there are the diners who are loyal regulars. Mayor AC Wharton was there today. And John Vergos, and Charlie Newman, and retired judge George Brown. And, pictured above, Michael Donahue. He and Suhair have quite a history, and tease each other relentlessly. Ask her about the time she snipped a lock of his famous mane!!

Have a happy holiday!

There’s so much going on with that holiday feast that it’s nearly impossible to find the perfect match for a plate full of turkey, dressing, cranberries, sweet potatoes and on and on.

So, my philosophy has always been to drink something I really like, preferably American… pinot noir seems to work well. Some of my favorites producers from California: Acacia, Au Bon Climat, J (from the Jordan sparkling wine folks), Gundlach-Bundshu and Edna Valley. From Oregon, I’m pretty fond of Adelsheim, Argyle and Domaine Drouhin.

What are you going to pour with your Thanksgiving feast?