Things I Learned From Scott Gottlich Last Night and Why I Was Online Shopping at Bijoux

Last night the Sig-O and I had the opportunity to go to Bijoux for 4-course dinner and cooking lesson from Scott Gottlich. It was a fabulous Google local offer that we snapped up, as did 50 of our closest new friends. It was fantastic, and I've never been so happy to have the Amazon.com app on my iPhone. No, I wasn't texting or doing constant FB updates, I was shopping, but only for a minute. Why? You ask, was I shopping while the oh-so-cute Scott Gottlich was talking (sidebar: his wife Gina is a lucky girl. He's funny, charming, adorable, oh, and the man can cook!) He taught us about foam. I know, I know, we've all seen foam at fancy restaurants and been in awe. Gottlich demystified it as he explained a simple trip to the store or Amazon could make us look like pros at our next cocktail party. Seriously, all you have to do is buy Soy Lecithin powder (less than $20 on Amazon) and an immersion blender. Then you can foam anything and everything. Seriously, everything. Our end of the table was then coming up with fabulous things we could foam. The winning idea? Bacon. You may think bacon has come and gone, but you're wrong. Bacon will never, ever, not even if hell freezes over, be gone. However, it will be foamed.

Foam is not just some fancy party trick. Gottlich explained how changing the texture changes how we taste different foods. And it does. Watermelon foam was delicious on the tomato and melon salad, and was a completely different taste then just biting into a slice of melon. When they served our corn soup it had been blended to a perfectly smooth consistency, with just a bit of creme fraiche. Again, we noticed different flavors then we would have had it remained thicker and more chowder like. For our entree, we enjoyed a delightful sole with melted broccoli. Melted? Yes, melted. They cook the broccoli in butter, then puree it. See? texture changes, again. The melted broccoli was a far cry from the "trees" mom used to make you eat. We finished dinner with a cheese course, one of my favorites - Humbolt Fog. Creamy and perfect, paired with a ruby port, it was a fantastic way to close out dinner.

Google seems to be offering these chef classes and dinners on a monthly basis, so I encourage you to check them out, as they're a fun way to experience great restaurants around town in a new way. Bijoux is certainly one of my favorites, for their food, their staff and, of course, Mr. Gottlich.

I wonder if the dog will appreciate a little foam on his breakfast.

Jason Aldean Presale Password

Jason Aldean with DJ Silver, Rachel Farley and Luke Bryan Saturday, October 27 Gexa Energy Pavilion Presale starts: Thu, July 19 at 10am Presale ends: Thu, Jul 19 at 10pm Use Password: microphone

Peter Pan Tickets for Less Than $25!

"Peter Pan," is flying into Dallas' Music Hall at Fair Park this month, starring Cathy Rigby as the boy who never grew up. Tickets to see her in a new production of the childhood favorite are more than 40% off for a limited time, starting at $22.25.

Choose from the following seating levels for 8 p.m. performances July 10-12 and 17-19:

• Rear Orchestra seats … $22.25 (reg. $40)
• First Balcony seats … $29.75 (reg. $55)
• First Orchestra seats … $32.25-37.25 (reg. $60-$70)

Click here for all the details.

7-11 Means Free Slurpees and Cheap Six Flags Rides!

In just 2 days, it will be the infamous 7-11 day, which means you can get one of those dinky little 7.11 ounce 7-11 Slurpees for free. But wait, don't just get your free Slurpee and bail. Buy something, buy anything, hang on to your receipt, and take it out to Six Flags after 7:11 p.m. for $7.11 admission!

Seriously, that basically means for $7.11 and the price of a pack of gum you get a mini-slurpee, a chance to throw up said Slurpee on a Six Flags rollercoaster, and some gum to freshen your post-slurpee-throw-up breath. That's a heck of a deal.