Austinist

Food: Lustre Pearl Hosts Final Crawfish Boil of the Season This Sunday

Ginny Bell — 2012-05-18T13:34:21-06:00

Laissez les bon temps roulez! “Pass a good time” during Lustre Pearl’s Last Crawfish Boil this Sunday, May 20 at 4:00 PM. [ more › ]

Food: Chef Sonya Cote To Serve Up Oysters And Axis Deer At May's Homegrown Revival Dinner

Becky Bullard — 2012-05-15T10:37:41-06:00

When it comes to sustainable eating, it's pretty widely known by now that eating locally produced food is one of the best things we can do for the environment. But taking advantage of what's available in our own backyard can have an added benefit when it happens to be an invasive species. The May installation of Chef Sonya Coté's Homegrown Revival Dinner will feature "Axis and Oysters" -- one of which is a classic from the Gulf, while the other is an invasive species of deer that was introduced to Texas from India in the 1930s. [ more › ] ]]> This month's Homegrown Revival dinner will be hosted by Springdale Farms in East Austin on Wednesday, May 16 at 7pm. Tickets (available here) are $55 each and include several courses, as well as pre-dinner drinks from Dripping Springs Vodka and Dos Equis (BYOB is also welcome). The dinners are capped at 60 guests and they sell out every month, so if you can't get into the May dinner, add your name to their mailing list to be sure you don't miss the next one.

Food: Larry McGuire Strikes Again - Clark's Oyster Bar To Open In 78703

Ginny Bell — 2012-05-09T19:50:23-06:00

In a continued quest for culinary world domination, Larry McGuire and Co. will add another restaurant to their prolific portfolio before the close of 2012. The overachieving group of restaurateurs announced plans for Clark’s Oyster Bar in a recent interview with Texas Monthly. Housed in the former Portabla space, the restaurant will be a smaller scale spin-off of the South Congress hot spot Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar. [ more › ]

Austin Food + Wine Fest Seminar Recap: Pro Baking Tips From Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar

Becky Bullard — 2012-05-01T07:45:00-06:00

Some personality types are drawn to baking because of the certainty it offers -- follow the directions precisely, and you're almost guaranteed a delicious outcome. The best cooks, on the other hand, usually take a more haphazard route. But Christina Tosi, founding chef and owner of Momofuku Milk Bar in New York, says the approach at her bakery is, "a very 'don't take yourself so seriously' process. I bake with a cook's mentality -- I'm not so precise." [ more › ] ]]> While mixing up a batch of cookies, Tosi offered lots of tips for home bakers to apply to their own cookie recipes:

Look for a European-style butter. It has more milk fat, and as Tosi says, "Starting with ingredients that already taste amazing will only make your cookies more delicious. Our recipes are similar to what you see on the back of the Toll House package, but with way too much butter."

The creaming process is the most underestimated process in baking. If your cookies start to go flat while they're baking, it's because you didn't cream them enough. "We call ours the 10-minute creaming process. It's kind of a mantra," Tosi says. The batter should almost double in size, becoming very fluffy and turning a much lighter color. (Cake batter doesn't need to be creamed as long.)

Double the amount of vanilla extract. "It's the most important ingredient," she says. "You'll be amazed at the depth and soul that vanilla extract adds."

Don't overmix when adding your dry ingredients. Tosi often chooses to stir in her dry ingredients by hand to be sure she doesn't overmix. Mixing introduces gluten, which makes a great texture for bread, but it takes out the delicateness in a cookie. And if you're going to be adding in mix-ins (like chocolate chips or Cornflakes), it's best to undermix when adding the flour since you'll be stirring even more.

Refrigerate your dough before you bake. After mixing everything up, refrigerating for 2 to 3 hours gives the butter time to solidify and keep from spreading.

Know your oven. Don't bake on the rack closest to the heat -- if your oven heats from the bottom, don't use the bottom rack. The goal is to get the heat distributed evenly to make sure your cookies bake evenly. This is best accomplished by using a convection oven, so if you have a conventional oven you'll probably need to rotate your cookies.

Austin Food & Wine Fest Seminar Recap: Sommelier Josh Wesson Offers Wine Buying Tips For The Grocery Store

Becky Bullard — 2012-04-30T09:50:00-06:00

Thanks to the dry, dusty conditions at Auditorium Shores, Mary Poppins-level wind gusts, and lines, Saturday teetered dangerously close to becoming the Austin Food and Whine Festival for some. But for those who could look past a little grit in their glass, the festival offered a glut of useful information. Josh Wesson - author, commentator and "Best Sommelier in French Wines and Spirits in the United States" - offered tips for selecting the best wines at the supermarket in his seminar, "Grocery Store Greats." While leading a tasting of six of his grocery store go-tos, Wesson offered several pro tips: [ more › ] ]]> The first wine on Wesson's list was the $8 Segura Viudas Brut Rose "Reserva" NV from Spain (which the downtown Whole Foods Market often has on special). After asking the crowd, "How many of you are sexually secure enough to admit that you like pink wine?" he went on to explain that this particular wine is "a stunt double for beer" in that it has high acid, low alcohol and goes great with spicy, fried, fatty or otherwise strong food.

Wesson also sang the praises of Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, because the cool climate means the acidity stays in the wine longer, making it an excellent pairing for rich, fatty foods like lobster. He recommends the Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2011, which runs about $12, and "looks like a Chardonnay with an ice cube melted in it" because it's so light, crisp and clean.

For those who prefer reds, Wesson claims that "Argentinian Malbecs are God's gift to red wine," and he especially recommends the Piatelli Malbec "Premium" 2009, which runs about $20. A common theme at several of the wine-related sessions was the importance of chilling red wines. In his seminar "Chardonnay vs. Burgundy," journalist and sommelier Anthony Giglio told the audience, "Room temperature is BS for reds. The maximum temperature for the biggest, most full-bodied red wine should be 65 degrees."

Other tips to take with you to the grocery store? You can't go wrong with:
Cava from Spain
Pinot Gris from Oregon
Gruner Veltliner from Austria
Riesling from Washington State
Cotes du Rhone from France
Nero d'Avola from Italy
Old-vines Grenache from Spain
Tawny Port from Portugal

Image via Austin Food & Wine Festival.

Food + Drink Interview: Wine Expert Mark Oldman On Drinking Bravely And Shunning Conventional Wisdom

Tom Thornton — 2012-04-26T16:08:00-06:00

While there are some wine lovers that subscribe to Wine Spectator, sign up for cult wine mailing lists, and bid at auctions, Mark Oldman recognizes the fact that most people enjoy wine in both a more visceral and casual fashion. As a judge on PBS series "The Winemakers", a wine columnist for Food Network magazine, and the author of two excellent wine guides, Oldman preaches wine practicality to the masses. Mr. Oldman's 2004 book Oldman's Guide To Outsmarting Wine is perhaps the best wine book we've come across for eager wine novices, as the pithy text and myriad pro tips contained within taught us a wealth of information we still call upon often. This weekend, Mr. Oldman will take the stage at Auditorium Shores for two seminars at the inaugural Austin Wine & Food Festival. We recently chatted via email with Oldman about the focus of his Austin classes, his favorite new wines, and quite a bit more. [ more › ]

Food + Charity: 14th Annual Umlauf Garden Party Happening Tonight

Ginny Bell — 2012-04-26T15:53:23-06:00

One of the brightest spots on the busy spring fundraising calendar, the Umlauf Garden Party takes place tonight from 6:30-9:30 PM. Set on the museum grounds, the work of famed 20th century American artist Charles Umlauf creates a picturesque backdrop for the always enchanting annual event. Tonight guests will mix and mingle amidst his creations while enjoying lively big band music courtesy of Nash Hernandez Orchestra. [ more › ]

Food: Fresa's Drive-Thru Now Serving Up Local, Free-Range Chicken

Becky Bullard — 2012-04-25T10:45:42-06:00

Chef and restaurateur Larry McGuire has done it again. Within a week of opening, Fresa's Chicken al Carbon is already selling out of their juicy, flavorful slow-grilled chickens to flocks of famished Austinites. [ more › ] ]]> Fresa's has little to no seating and serves everything through a walk-up window and a drive-thru. But it's just as well, because Fresa's is best enjoyed al fresco -- hang a right out of the drive-thru and a right again onto 10th Street, where there's plenty of picnic table seating under the trees in Duncan Park.

Fresa's also sells reasonably priced six-packs of beers and bottles of wine, plus fresh lime or watermelon "margarita kits" -- just add tequila.

Entrees range from $8 to $24 (for a whole-chicken meal, which serves two), sides range from $2 to $6. But if you get a poultry craving on a Monday, you'll be out of cluck -- Fresa's is closed Mondays, but open 11am to 10pm the rest of the week.

Fresa's Chicken al Carbon, 915 N. Lamar Blvd.

Image by Rebecca Fondren.

Food: olive & june Debuts $35 Prix Fixe Sunday Family Meal

Tom Thornton — 2012-04-19T20:02:57-06:00

Most Austin food aficionados are already well aware of Shawn Cirkiel's culinary talents: as chef and proprietor at parkside, the backspace, and olive & june, Cirkiel has built a loyal following among local diners with his creative dishes ranging from quail to pizza to oysters. What they might not know, though, is that he's also a father who is all too familiar with a parent's need for a family meal. To this end, his latest venture, olive & june, will debut a five-course feast this Sunday beginning at 5pm that is designed to let foodie parents feast while also looking out for their little ones. [ more › ]

Drinks: Beer Lineup Released For Drafthouse/Dogfish Blazing Saddles Party

Tom Thornton — 2012-04-18T21:00:00-06:00

Earlier this week, we told you about the Drafthouse's Rolling Roadshow event at Republic Square Park that pairs a screening of classic comedy western Blazing Saddles with a litany of Texas' best craft beers as a launch to the Dogfish Head Off-Centered Film Festival. The beer lineup for the event has now been finalized, and there's an excellent selection of rare and unusual brew. For those wanting something specific, the doors open at 6pm. Admission is $10 advance or $12 at the door. All beer samples are $3 - and the Drafthouse warns that some varietals will sell out quickly [ more › ]

Food: Vodka Ice Cream? Tito's And Amy's Collaborate On 'The Dude'

Tom Thornton — 2012-04-18T20:32:04-06:00

As two of the biggest success stories in Austin food and drink over the past 20 years, Tito Beveridge and Amy Simmons don't really need an introduction. Simmons has been at the helm of Amy's Ice Cream since the mid-1980's, giving Austin consumers a local dessert choice back when Baskin Robbins was the order of the day. Beveridge is a relative newcomer compared to Simmons, having opened Tito's in 1997. Beveridge's vodka, of course, was one of Austin's greatest business stories this side of Michael Dell, as a hobbyist mortgage broker started a distillery on credit card debt and went on to win a double gold medal at the World Spirits Competition. [ more › ]

Workhorse Bar Now Open on North Loop

Amy Kritzer — 2012-04-17T10:00:00-06:00

When it rains, it pours. Beer lovers now have yet another new watering hole on North Loop to get their brew fix. Two college friends have turned the former North Loop Parlor into Workhorse - a bar and restaurant that has over 50 beers on tap, many of which are Texas-made. They also have a selection of tallboys...as perhaps an ode to the owners' days at UT, and a full bar for those thirsty for a different beverage. [ more › ]

Food + Drink: 3rd Annual East Side Urban Farm Tour this Sunday

Ginny Bell — 2012-04-13T16:10:00-06:00

25 local chefs and drink purveyors bring the table to the farm during the upcoming East Side Urban Farm Tour. Happening this Sunday, the 3rd annual tour is the perfect opportunity to spend time at four of Austin’s most prolific urban farms with no green thumb required. [ more › ]

Food: New Torchy's Tacos for Ralph Nader and Tim Roth Fans

Tracie Chan — 2012-04-13T15:35:14-06:00

This month, the rapidly expanding homegrown taco chain Torchy’s Tacos introduces new menu items for the first time in three years. The four new offerings include three tacos and a street corn side. [ more › ]

Drinks: Kohana Coffee's Piper Jones On Microbrews & Cold Brews

Tracie Chan — 2012-04-12T09:00:00-06:00

We caught up with Piper Jones of local coffee roaster Kohana Coffee, long a favorite of local coffee fiends, for updates about the brewer collaboration that yielded a Smoked Coffee Belgian Dubbel, their newly shelf-stable cold brew, and other exciting developments. [ more › ]