A SLICE OF DALLAS & A BITE OF FORT WORTH IN T. Review on Texas

It was raining so hard in Dallas that American Airlines arranged for us to take a half day Tour.

None of us had raincoats so we were each given a present of an American Airlines poncho. The Women of Texas dress so perfectly, (not even a hair is out of place), that we must have looked like a ''motley crew'' to them.

~.DALLAS .~

Driving in from the Airport Dallas reminded me of Calgary, Alberta, (another City that grew because of the Oil Industry).

Our first stop was at the home they used for the TV show called ''Dallas''. It has been kept in tact and we enjoyed seeing the Southfork Ranch.

We drove thorough the Warehouse District to see how they had converted the old warehouses into Streets of Stores, Bars and Restaurants.

We were taken to Elm Street to see the grassy knoll. The knoll is a small hill like you would find in any Park. This is where President John Kenny was murdered by Harvey Oswald, (November 1963). Our Guide pointed out the Depository building where Oswald sat waiting for the Presidents procession to pass by. I was surprised that there was no Monument to this tragic even in the History of the U.S.A. We were only her for a short time but I remembered vividly what I saw on T.V. that terrible day.

Then we were taken through a newer area that had expensive homes, condos, some business and cafes and bars. We stopped in front of a building and were asked to step outside. The rain had eased a bit so we didn't mind because we had been on the Tour Bus for over two hours, (and most of us smoked so we need a cigarette).

I lite my cigarette and looked up and right before my eyes was a spectacular group of Statues. This is going to be a little hard to explain so I hope you'll understand. We were in front of a building that had a series of large ponds. From the side walk on the right side to behind the left side of the building were a group of wild Horses that looked like they were ''stampeding'', (running wild). They were twice the size of a real Horse and most were made out of copper and a few made out of a silver medal. Our Guide told us they were designed by an Artist in Africa and he had never seen a Horse in his life. He used Zebras as his models!

We drove past the Boogie Beach area that is a Water Park and stopped to see The Science Place Center. This was designed for Children to understand Bees, Dinosaurs and Space. I'm not quite sure why we made this stop because the exhibits were to young for us.

We were dropped off at the Sam Moon Shopping Center, (the largest in Dallas). It is in the downtown area. We were given exactly one hour to shop. Can you picture 40 people with AA Poncho's on running through a ''Posh'' Center? I managed to pick up a few pair of shoes and a dress for myself and a pair of cowboy boots for Mr. Canada.

On the way back the sun was setting. we drove past the tall buildings and each one appeared to be a different color.

~.FORT WORTH.~

We didn't go back to the Airport but went to Fort Worth, (the Airport is between these two Cities). We drove through the down town area to see what it looked like. Then we went to the Stockyards to eat at Billy Bob's Texas Café. This has become a Chain Restaurant in the U.S.A. but I believe the one in Fort Worth was the first one.

We didn't have a choice of food but were all severe Texas styled thinly slice bar-b-cued brisket, home made baked beans and cole slaw.

After dinner band started to play and we tried to learn the ''Texas Two Step''. I was a trained Ballet Dancer and for the life of me I couldn't learn this dance. It has a strange beat and the dancers seem to be dancing ''off beat''.

At ten p.m. we were taken back to the Airport.

~.MY RECIPE FOR THE TEXAS BAR-B-CUE.~

You can use any time of meat for this but it must be slow looked over Mesquite.

This recipe serves 8 people:

1 Beef Brisket, (I use one that is 10lbs/ use 1 lb. = 400 grams), with all the fat cut off.

Set your Bar-b-cue on low, put in the Bar-b-cue coals. When the coals begin to turn grey add a handful of Mesquite Chips. Put the Brisket on the grill on the opposite side of the hottest part of the fire. Cover the Brisket with tin foil or a lid of a pot.

After 4 hours turn the Brisket on the other side and cook for another 4 hours. This means you must check the bricks often as the flames can't go out and the temperature should be about 220 degrees F., (about 120 degrees C.).

Remove the Brisket and slice it as thin as you can. Serve it with any Bar-B-Cue Sauce you like.

I MAKE MY OWN SAUCE:

The Ingredients:

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup honey

3 tbsp molasses

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp liquid smoke

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground black peppers

2 tsp garlic salt

4 cup ketchup

METHOD:

1) Heat all ingredients, (except the ketchup), in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

2) Add the ketchup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

3) Stir often so it won't burn.

4) Take the saucepan off the burner and let it cool down.

5) Put the sauce into an airtight container and put it into the Refrigerator.

• You can use the sauce for a Month.

~0 SOME THOUGHTS O~

I enjoyed what I saw of Dallas and Fort Worth and I hope I can go back one day.

©LL2002