Who doesn't like a great steak?

In this episode I head out to Colorado in search of a great steak made from Colorado beef. Along the way, I was roped into riding a mechanical bull, and met a friendly cow named Sweet Lips who, after scaring the "bull" out of me during the outtakes, turned out to be a mooving actress.

Sandi McKenna of the Midlife Road Trip Show plays the cowgirl and the ever patient co-star through countless retakes due to strawberry milk shake covering our props.

Our apologies to Horse magazine, and to any real cowboys and cowgirls. - Barry

Please leave a comment - the crew and I would love to hear which fast food outlet we should visit next!

Ah, the days of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the Palace of Versailles, and the royal foods of the time!

In this episode the filming crew and I visit La Caille (I think that's French for "The Caille"), a spectacular French restaurant outside of Salt Lake City. They have recreated a French chateau, from the lofty meals of old to the bustier outfits of the 1800's, down to the ceilings which they imported from a bakery in France. Swans and ducks roam the grounds, while peacocks spread their feathers for the diners in the outside garden.

In homage to this, my favorite restaurant in the western US, I too decided to recreate a dish from the past: Duck a l'Orange. Where better, then, to recreate this dish than at a fast food outlet with a king's crown on their sign? Admittedly, it was quite a surprise when King Louis XVI himself decided to pay us a visit during the filming.

Before I get any complaints from the video, rest assured that no actual ducks were injured in the creation of this film. Just don't tell chef Dolce Debbie how I used her blender. - Barry

Please leave a comment - the crew and I would love to hear which fast food outlet we should visit next!

Have you ever had trouble finding good, authentic Mexican food? I received a tip about a place in Phoenix, Arizona where the chef was nominated for the 2010 James Beard award for best chef in the southwest, quite an honor for a tiny restaurant in a strip mall on 16th in Phoenix. Turns out, her food is spectacular and worthy of the nomination, and possibly the award.

Upon my return to Florida, I sought to recreate one of her dishes at a fast food outlet named after a Mexican phone company. Watch the video to see how well I did. Thanks to Doc Terry Simpson for playing the Mexican on the Arizona segment. Seems there weren't many real Mexicans around anymore.

Over the past 40 years, fast food “restaurants” have sprung up all over Italy. While this makes it easy for the tourist to understand the menu, it deprives one of the opportunity to taste local fresh food, even if it is local fast food.

The Italians typically have very little for breakfast. In Venice, the typical fare is a brioche (apricot jelly filled croissant) followed by a shot of espresso. As lunch is generally eaten at 12:30 or 1:00, a small sandwich is eaten in between breakfast and lunch, to help tide them over. These sandwiches are known as “tramezzini”.

The true origin of the word “tramezzino” is difficult to trace. Some simply say it means “in between”. Others say that it was a word created by the facist regime to replace the foreign word “sandwich”, popular at the time. But the dictionary defines “tramezzo” as a wall or partition; therefore, “tramezzino” would be a small partition, connecting breakfast and lunch.

Whatever the origin, when you don't have time (or money) to sit and enjoy a full Venetian meal, stop in a cafe or bar and have a tramezzino. They are made on a special type of bread called pan carré. It looks like standard American white bread without the crusts, and is filled with fresh ingredients, typically mayonnaise-based such as tuna and olives, egg and tuna, ham and mozzarella, ham and artichokes, shrimp and asparagus, or mozzarella and tomatoes. While the tramezzino exists in many parts of Italy, both the bread and the fillings vary substantially from what you see in Venice.

In 2010, these sandwiches were EU1.50 if you stand up, and between EU2.00 and EU2.50 if you sit down. They are a great deal, and go down well with a spritz or a glass or Prosecco.

So when you are in a rush, eat like the Venetians. Your tummy will thank you.

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