edible
No. 18 Summer 2011
Austin
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Celebrating Central Texas food culture, season by season
Franklin Barbecue What’s everyone standing in line for? Memb er of Ed ib le Commu n ities
Broken Arrow Ranch An artisanal purveyor of high quality, free-range venison, antelope and wild boar meat from truly wild animals.
Enjoy meat as Mother Nature makes it! • Free-ranging animals humanely field-harvested on local ranches • Extremely low in fat; hormone- and antibiotics-free • The finest, most natural game meat available • Acclaimed nationally, available locally • Order online or visit our store in Ingram 3296 Junction Hwy., Ingram, TX 78025
800-962-4263 • brokenarrowranch.com
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TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: The Infernal Comedy featuring John Malkovich, The Miles Davis Experience, Crisol Danza Teatro, Jonathan Franzen, SO Percussion Photos from left to right: Nathalie Bauer, Emra Islek, Arturo Campos, Greg Martin (Freedom), Janette Beckman
IbE R cd S b Su A N 5% 1 E v SA
ANNOUNCING THE 2011-2012 SEASON
SUBSCRIBE NOW AT TEXASPERFORMINGARTS.ORG | 512.471.4454
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
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Publisher’s note
8 Newsworthy Edible Texas Wine Food Match.
Contents Summer 2011
11 notable Mentions 15 notable Edibles Martineau & Bird, Texas School for the Blind baristas, Edible Communities’ high honor. 23 Edible Ed Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio. 26 Embracing Local Mastering the market. 30 Cooks at Home Larry McGuire. 39 Eco Business Greening beyond the menu. 59 People Leslie Horne. 61 Seasonal Plate Thai Fresh. 62 Grillin’ With Gas Smoked pork shoulder with Lexington-style sauce.
19 People Barrie Cullinan She works in small batches but has
a big passion for baking.
34 Farmer’s Diary A+S New generation farmers share their story.
42 In Your Own Backyard Let It Bee Catch the buzz on backyard beekeeping.
65 Edible Gardens Eat your roses. 69 Department of Organic Youth The pastry chef’s daughter. 70 Tipsy Texan Tiki craze.
49 Edible Brew R ohan Meadery Reviving the allure of honey wine.
76 Behind the vines Salt Lick Cellars. 78 La Casita de buen sabor Seasoned salt. 80 Root Causes Frying time. 85 Seasonal Muse Very superstitious. 87 Eat Wild Preserving the harvest—pickles and relishes. 88 Directory 90 art de terroir Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller.
52 Cooking Fresh Turkish Summer Enjoy this light and mostly vegan menu for hot summer entertaining.
81 Back of the House Franklin Barbecue Y ou want that lean or fatty?
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Cover: Pulled pork sandwich from Franklin Barbecue (page 81). Photograph by Marshall Wright.
Publisher’s Note: of Circles and cycles
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s we looked up at the cloudy sky and sniffed the air, my husband commented, “It must be raining somewhere.”
And there are pauses in the cycle. There are dry cycles and wet cycles. But timing is everything when your livelihood depends on water falling back to earth to grow the crops that feed your family and nourish your business when your business is farming. May marked the seventh month of the driest seven-month period on record for Central Texas over the past 150 years. As frustrating as it is to watch the home garden wither and the ants crawling out of the woodwork in search of moisture, nothing can compare to what a farmer goes through in periods of drought. It makes the hard work of farming harder. What can we do to help our local food producers weather these periods of uncertainty? Buy your food directly from the farms and farmers markets. They need your support and your food dollars more than ever. The berries may be smaller (but no less sweet!) and the peaches may not be as plentiful, but there will be food to buy and it will be delicious. Remember that when you buy directly from farmers, 100 percent of your money goes to them. And there are more farmers markets and farm stands than ever before throughout Central Texas making it more convenient to shop on multiple days during the week and close to home. Find up-to-date listings on our website resources pages. And Kristi Willis gives us farmers market shopping tips (page 26) to help you make the most of your experience. Also find great summer-season recipes in this issue and online to inspire your market shopping. Slow smoke a pork shoulder from local, pastured pigs (recipe by Edible Piedmont publisher Fred Thompson on page 62) to make your own mouth-watering pulled pork sandwiches. Follow Elif Sevili’s lead using seasonal vegetables like eggplant and tomatoes to make a simple—and mostly vegan—summer party menu (page 52). Buy local melons for that picnic in the park. Think of other ways to celebrate summer! Join us for a honey-themed five-course supper at Springdale Farm on Sunday, June 5, featuring Chef Will Packwood and Rohan Meadery (page 49) and help us raise money for bee research. Find more fun and educational food events on our online calendar. In these dry times, perhaps we can take comfort in realizing that we are inescapably part of this larger circle of cycles we call life. Rains will come again, likely in new patterns we have yet to recognize but to which we will learn to adapt.
SUMMER 2011
Marla Camp
Associate PUBLISHER
Rain is part of the hydrologic cycle of energy that we call "weather." As water evaporates from the surface of our earth, it must just as assuredly fall, somewhere.
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Publisher
EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
Jenna Noel
EDITOR Kim Lane
Copy Editor Christine Whalen
Editorial Assistants Melinda Barsales, Dena Garcia, Cari Marshall, Michelle Moore
Advertising Sales Curah Beard, Kelty Christman
Distribution Manager Jude Diallo
Contributors Full listing, bios and contact information online at edibleaustin.com
Advisory Group Terry Thompson-Anderson Dorsey Barger Cathryn Dorsey Michael Guerra Jim Hightower Toni Tipton-Martin Mary Sanger Suzanne Santos Carol Ann Sayle
CONTACT US Edible Austin 1415 Newning Avenue Austin, TX 78704-2532 512-441-3971 info@edibleaustin.com edibleaustin.com Edible Austin is published quarterly by Edible Austin L.L.C. All rights reserved. Subscription rate is $35 annually. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. © 2011. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.
Healthy Wealthy & Wise Fair 1st weekend monthly!
Arts & Music Events Texas Grown, Estate-Bottled Extra Virgin Varietal Olive Oil Texas Flavor-Infused Olive Oil: Roasted Garlic, Mesquite, Basil, Orange, Lemon, Rattlesnake Pepper
2nd weekend monthly!
Natural Family Fun Fair 3rd weekend monthly!
Makers & Bakers Bazaar 4th weekend monthly!
Texas Infused Balsamic Vinegars: Blackberry, Orange, Fig, Pomegranate AUSTIN AREA LOCATIONS
Sunset Valley Farmers Market, Austin Farmers Market, Central Market, Whole Foods Market, Thom’s Market, Wheatsville Co-Op, Greenling.com, FarmhouseDelivery.com HEB Grocery SAN ANTONIO
Whole Foods Market @Alamo Quarry HEB Grocery ROUND ROCK
Texas Spice Company
Antiques • Collectibles • Vintage Clothes Local Art & Food • Indoor Farmers Market Coffee Shop • Restaurant • Live Music All Natural Apothecary...and so much more!
Open Wednesday—Sunday 6800 West Gate Blvd, Austin, TX 78745 512. 522.6161 or 512.827.8 8 4 7 www.CommunityRenaissanceMarket.com
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Friday, JunE 3, 2011 presented by Edible Austin and The Texas Food and Wine Gourmet
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inalists for Texas’s first-ever regional wine and food pairing competition have been chosen and will cook for 150 guests, including renowned culinary icons Jacques Pépin and John Besh, among other distinguished judges, on Friday, June 3, 2011, during the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ Annual Conference in Austin. Five impressive chefs selected from a field of several dozen competitors by a 13-member panel of Texas food and wine professionals will prepare their three-course menus of regional foods paired with Texas appellation wines at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, Tejas Room on the campus of The University of Texas. The Mission This is the first of four annual regional competitions, with a mission to encourage the use of Texas wine and food products, promote Texas chefs and restaurants, raise the bar for excellence in Texas winemaking and provide a platform for Texas wine and winemakers to receive recognition and reach a broader audience. Proceeds will
benefit the nonprofit Texas Center for Wine and Culinary Arts. The Judges The distinguished judges for the event are Jacques Pépin, worldrenowned chef, television celebrity, cookbook author and culinary educator; Francois Dionot, founder and director of L’Academie de Cuisine; John Besh, chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality; Michael Bauer, executive food and wine editor for the San Francisco Chronicle; and Paula Lambert, cookbook author and founder of the Mozzarella Company. Masters of Ceremonies are Tanji Patton, of Good Taste with Tanji and Chef Jack Gilmore, of Jack Allen’s Kitchen. The Beneficiary The Texas Center for Wine and Culinary Arts is a new nonprofit that will be located in Fredericksburg that is dedicated to the awareness, understanding and celebration of Texas food, wine and agriculture through educational programming and hands-on-experiences.
EVENT Sponsors HOST Sponsor: AT&T Hotel and Conference Center and Carillon $5,000 Grand Prize sponsor: Salt Lick Cellars and Trattoria Lisina: The Driftwood Experience Presenting sponsors: Whole Foods Market and Greenling Organic Delivery • GO TEXAN • Glazer’s Distributing EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER / VIDEOGRAPHER: Andy Sams Photography PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD SPONSOR: Montesino Farm
Texas Artisan Wine and food Marketplace sponsors Becker Vineyards • Cookwell & Company • Lone Star Foodservice • Paula’s Texas Spirits • Perissos Vineyards • Stone House Vineyards Torre di Pietra Vineyards • Texas Olive Ranch • Twin Liquors • Wines Across Texas Culinary assistants courtesy of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
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THe finalists and their pairing Menus Kelly Casey Executive chef, Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin Casey received her training at Walt Disney World’s Culinary Program, where she completed a three-year apprenticeship. After returning to Texas, she worked for Doubletree Hotel, Bahama Breeze and Star Canyon before joining owner/chef Jeff Blank at Hudson’s on the Bend at Lake Travis. The restaurant has been recognized by the New York Times, Gourmet, Texas Monthly and Condé Nast Traveler.
Patrick James Edwards Sous chef, Bin 555 Restaurant and Wine Bar, San Antonio Edwards received his culinary education at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio. He has worked with Damien Watel at Ciao Lavanderia as chef de cuisine and became executive chef at a second location of Ciao before accepting the position of sous chef with longtime friend, Jason Dady, at Bin 555. He also served several stints in some of America’s best restaurants, including Home Restaurant in Atlanta with Chef Richard Blais and WD-50 in New York under Chef Wylie Dufresne.
David Garrido Owner and executive chef, Garrido’s, Austin Garrido has won national accolades and has been invited on several occasions to cook at the esteemed James Beard House in New York City. He speaks across the country about Texas food and agriculture and donates his time and talents to several community and food industry organizations. In 2009, he opened Garrido’s, which serves modern Mexican cuisine with Spanish influences and reflects the chef’s philosophy of using fresh, local ingredients.
Josh Raymer Executive chef, Navajo Grill, Fredericksburg Raymer grew up in Texas and moved to Colorado to work for Chef Bradford Heap of Colterra Restaurant, and was part of the burgeoning farm-to-market movement that was developing there. He also worked with soon-to-be Michelin-starred Chef Matthew Bousqet. Navajo Grill has been recognized by Texas Monthly, Wine Spectator, Los Angeles Times, Southern Living, Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler and National Geographic.
Peter Smith Executive chef, JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio A native of Queensland, Australia, Smith began his culinary career working at Bathers’ Pavilion, which at the time was named Australia’s restaurant of the year. He has worked internationally in London, Bangkok and Vancouver. In 2009, he relocated to Texas with JW Marriott to open the much-anticipated resort and spa in San Antonio. He was recently named JW Marriott International “Rising Star Chef of the Year.”
Honey Cilantro Ginger Glazed Quail Over a Spinach Salad Tossed in a Hot Bacon Dressing Messina Hof Riesling 2008 Espresso Rubbed Smoked Venison Backstrap on Green Chili Mashed Potato with a Chipotle Shiner Bock Beer Blanc Inwood Estates Tempranillo Cabernet 2007 Hopelessly Blue Cheesecake in a Pecan Crust Stone House Vineyard Scheming Beagle Port 2006 Crudo of Gulf Coast Grouper with Cured Poteet Strawberries, Shaved Texas 1015 Onions, Jalapeño and Fennel Pollen Becker Vineyards Provencal Rosé 2009 Roasted Lamb Loin with Herb Glazed Turnips, Porcini-Raspberry Soil, Wild Texas Wood Sorrel and Rosemary Blossoms Becker Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit “Dreamsicle” with Vanilla Semifreddo, Opal Basil and Fowler’s Honey Chantilly Becker Vineyards Clementine 2010
Crispy Oysters with Habanero Honey Aioli and Pico de Gallo Fall Creek Vineyards Chenin Blanc, Texas 2010 Coffee Chipotle Marinated Beef Tenderloin with Red Beet and Black Truffle Sauce Fall Creek Meritus 2004 Pastel de Calabaza with Lemon Crema and Caramelized Pecans Sister Creek Muscat Canelli, Texas 2010
Fredericksburg Market Salad with Pickled Peaches, Herb-Roasted Beets, Mixed Lettuces and Texas Goat Cheese Perissos Viognier Prosciutto Wrapped Quail with Red Wine and Caramelized Onion Farrotto with Roasted Summer Vegetables Perissos Petite Syrah Goats Milk Panna Cotta with Macerated Strawberries Messina Hof “Angel” Late Harvest Riesling
Aerated CKC Chevre with Blackberry and Texas Persimmons Pasilla Paper Flat Creek Estate Muscato 2010 “Sous Vide” and Circulated Windy Bar Ranch Loin with Parsnip and Cauliflower Mousse and Brazos Horseradish and Cheddar Gnocchi Flat Creek Estate Syrah 2009 Honey-Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes with Blackberry and Almond Streusel, Brown Butter Financier, Mascarpone Parfait and Peach Capriccio Flat Creek Estate Port 2005
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Put Quail on your plate today!
Texas Prime Quail • local • all natural • sustainable
DON’T MISS
• healthful
NATURE NIGHTS
Available at Whole Foods and Central Market. Ask for us at your favorite local restaurants!
At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
June 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28 & Aug. 4 6 to 9 p.m. • admission free Sponsored by H-E-B
Order online @ texquail.com visit our Lockhart farm or call 512-376-2072
Taste the Difference.
4801 La Crosse Avenue • 512.232.0100 Winter2008.pdf
5th Annual
FARM AND FOOD LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
TAKING BACK CONTROL OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY
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oin an exciting gathering of nonprofit leaders, farmers and ranchers, local foods activists and more! • Food Safety Bills • Genetically Modified Foods and Their Impacts • Animal Identification • Raw Milk in Texas • Effective Activism • Growing the Local Food Movement • and more!
WHEN: Mon. – Tues., September 12 – 13 WHERE: Pearl Brewery in San Antonio DETAILS: For full agenda, updates and to register: farmandranchfreedom.org or call 254-697-2661 SPONSORS: Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance • Edible Austin • • Edible Dallas & Fort Worth • Coyote Creek Organic Feed Mill • • Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas • Sustainable Food Center • • Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association 10
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notable Mentions BEAT DIVAS’ SONGS OF FOOD, LOVE & MAYHEM DEBUTS JUNE 26 Dishin’ with the Divas: Songs of Food, Love & Mayhem has its official release on Sunday, June 26 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on the upper deck at Central Market, 4001 N. Lamar, presented by Central Market Cooking School and the Beat Divas. The Beat Divas are Mady Kaye, Beth Ullman and Dianne Donovan, and the release performance features their whole band, including Mitch Watkins on guitar. The Divas wrote this collection of original songs for their popular cooking classes at Central Market. The Divas also perform at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Conference in Austin on June 2. Their next Central Market Cooking School class is June 18. For more information on shows and the CD, visit madykaye.com.
Austin Farmers’ Market Sat. & Wed. Fredericksburg Farmers Market Retail located 2 miles east of Wildseed Farms
Author Jonathan Bloom at Rain Lily Farm Join author Jonathan Bloom for a potluck dinner at Rain Lily Farm, Wednesday, June 1. Bloom will discuss his book American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food. Books will be available for sale. Bring a dish to share, a blanket or chair and a plate and fork. BYOB. $25 per person. More at customerservice@farmhousedelivery.com.
on 290 W between Stonewall and Fredericksburg
830.889.3714
engelfarms.webs.com
URBAN FARM OPEN HOUSE benefits SFC Kerbey Lane Catering will host an urban farm tour and dinner on Tuesday, June 7 at Springdale Farm to benefit the Sustainable Food Center. The three-course dinner is $30 per person and will feature local, seasonal food, beer and wine and includes a raffle. Sponsors include Live Oak Brewery and 512 Brewing Company, Edible Austin and Austin’s World of Rentals. For more information contact Allison Bright at Kerbey Lane Catering, 512-448-3330, extension 3.
upcoming SLow food austin events Slow Food Austin will host a pairing event on Wednesday, June 8 featuring cheeses from Antonelli’s Cheese Shop and boutique wines from Bandol Wines. The July Slow Food Austin Happy Hour will be at TRACE (downtown at the W Hotel) on Thursday, July 21, from 6–8 p.m. On Sunday, August 14, Slow Food Austin will hold its annual event, Quiz Bowl at The Highball. This good old fashioned Texas competition will featuring 10 teams of four people each ($150 buy-in per team), six restaurants and four hours of fun for a $15 cover for attendees. Proceeds benefit Slow Food Austin and one very lucky local food nonprofit. For more information and updates on all of these Slow Food Austin events, contact Karla Loeb at karlal@slowfoodaustin.org or visit slowfoodaustin.org.
Groceries Specialty Items Cold Beer & Fine Wine Prepared Foods Fresh Flowers
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1718 S. Congress Ave. • 512-462-7220 w w w. F M 1 7 1 8 . c o m • O p e n D a i l y 8 a m - 8 p m EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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THe Herb Bar celebrates 25th Anniversary The Herb Bar celebrates its 25th birthday on Sunday, June 5, from noon to 5 p.m. Come by the shop, located at 200 W. Mary, for birthday cake and herbal teas, local herbalist talks and product giveaways. A raffle and silent auction will raise money for Enriqueta Contreras Contreras’s Zapotec Clinic in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Alma de Mujer (almademujer.us). Raffle prizes include two $250 shopping sprees at the Herb Bar. For more information visit theherbbar.com.
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FRESH movie Screening in Dripping Springs celebrates summer fare Edible Austin, along with cosponsor H-E-B, will host a community screening of Fresh at the Dripping Springs City Hall on Saturday, June 25. Proceeds from the event benefit the Grace Food Pantry in Dripping Springs. Meet local farm-to-table restaurants, artisan food and beverage producers and nonprofit organizations from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (with free tastings). Tickets for the movie are $10 per person, and following the film, Marla Camp, publisher of Edible Austin, will moderate a panel of local farmers with author Pamela Walker, who will also be selling and signing her book, Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas. More information at edibleaustin.com.
AMOA and EDIBLE AUSTIN PRESENT “COLD WAR, COLD COCKTAILS” with Tipsy Texan David Alan Edible Austin and Austin Museum of Art invite you to join Tipsy Texan David Alan for a midcentury-themed cocktail hour, as he discusses the popularity of home bartenders, barware, cocktail guides and why vodka became the Cold War drink of choice. This event will be held in the Austin Museum of Art community room on Thursday, July 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets at amoa.org/coldwarcoldcocktails.
Plan now to attend the 5th Annual Farm and Food Leadership conference
Let Food Be Your Medicine. North 219-9499 • South 444-8866 • Central 459-9090 • Westlake 327-8877
PeoplesRx.com
Picture Your HealtH ® CliniCal Thermography
Proudly Picturing the Health of Austin since 2004 Early Breast Cancer Detection Full Body & Region-of-Interest Screenings No Radiation / No Contact FDA-Registered Meditherm Equipment
(512) 330-0266 12
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www.PictureYourHealth.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
Join Edible Austin and Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance for this exciting gathering of nonprofit leaders, farmers and ranchers, local foods activists and more! Topics this year include food safety bills, genetically modified foods, animal identification legislation, raw milk in Texas, effective activism, growing the local food movement and more. The conference will be held Monday and Tuesday, September 12 and 13 at the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio. For full agenda, updates and to register visit farmandranchfreedom.org or call 254-697-2661. Sponsors wanted!
Texas honey supper at Springdale Farm, Sunday June 5 Edible Austin and Chef Will Packwood present a honey tasting and honey-themed five-course supper at Springdale Farm on Sunday, June 5 to help raise awareness for the plight of bees and to celebrate Texas honeys. Wendy and John Rohan from Rohan Meadery will sample their honey wines and discuss mead making. Chef Packwood’s menu will include the following Texas honeys paired with dishes made with these local, seasonal ingredients:
Enjoy Summer’s Bounty
Wildflower Honey (Walker Honey Farm) Beet, blackberry, yogurt, mint, honey wine vinegar Orange Blossom Honey (Burleson’s Pure Honey) Red snapper, peach, arugula, almond, Fresno chili Guajillo Honey (Thunder Heart) Chicken, corn, greens, biscuit, honey butter Yaupon Honey (Boggy Creek Farm) Pork, kale, sweet potato, fig, bacon Clover Honey (Goodflow) Honey cake, goat’s milk ricotta, sesame, pistachio Tickets are $75 per person, and seating is limited. Proceeds benefit bee research in Texas. For tickets and more information, go to edibleaustin.com or texashoneysupper.eventbrite.com.
UEEN OF THE SUN: What are Q the Bees telling us? available now for community screenings
Sunday Brunch | Patio Dining | Reservations Accepted 512.852.8558| Now Catering Call 512.745.4713 | www.JackAllensKitchen.com
Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? is a profound look at the global bee crisis in a newly released film from Taggart Siegel, director of The Real Dirt on Farmer John. Queen of the Sun follows the voices and visions of beekeepers, philosophers and scientists from around the world—including Gunther Hauk, Michael Pollan and Vandana Shiva—and emphasizes the biodynamic and organic communities’ perspectives on the causes and solutions behind colony collapse disorder. Having won multiple awards at film festivals and now in limited theatrical release, the film is also available for community screenings. Visit queenofthesun.com for more information and stay tuned for screening dates in your community!
Twin County Lamb
“The ultimate nursery for herbs.” Austin Chronicle
512-280-1192 • 11726 Manchaca • 78748 • itsaboutthyme.com
photo by Jody Horton
Culinary herbs, native plants, ponds, irrigation, and square foot garden kits starting at $40. 830-864-4717
After you’ve tasted the rest, come to us for the best! Beautiful lamb cuts from free range Dorper lambs raised in the Texas Hill Country
twincountydorpers.com
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HANDMADE COMFORT FOOD FROM THE FARMERS’ MARKET TO YOUR TABLE
delivering prepared meals inspired by seasonal ingredients every week
order now at dishalicious.com
DELICIOUS DISHES, DELIVERED.
Want your dog to be all he can be? Small group classes Day training boot camps European-style puppy classes
Call Kim Roche! Austin’s Independent Professional Dog Trainer
“With your guidance, Carver is a much happier dog. He has come a long, long way. Thank you so much, Kim.”—Jill S.
512-796-5783
kimthedogtrainer.com
Come visit us on the weekends for a slice of our Farm to Table pizza, with seasonal toppings from our local farms!
M-Th 11am to 10pm Friday 11am to 11pm Saturday 12pm to 11pm Sunday 12pm to 10pm
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EastSide
1401 B Rosewood Ave. 512.524.0933 (slices all hours)
North Loop
5312 Airport Blvd., Ste G 512.454.PIES (7437) (take out & delivery only)
EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
Way out wineries hostS summertime pork cook-off road trip, June 24–26 Way Out Wineries, a group of boutique wineries located in an area from just south of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to the northern part of the Hill Country, will host their annual “Summertime Pork CookOff Road Trip” from Friday, June 24, through Sunday, June 26. With a $35 ticket, you will receive a wine glass, tastings at each of the wineries—with one of the wines paired with the pork from the cookoff—one bottle of a WOW wine and a goody bag. Brownwood, the half way point on the WOW trail, is a good place to settle in to spend the night on the tour. The Star of Texas B&B, chosen as one of “America’s Coziest B&Bs” by Yahoo Travel, is located just four miles from Brownwood and two miles from Lake Brownwood, and offers private cottages and other unique lodging options. And you can’t go to Brownwood without visiting the Turtle Restaurant. Owners Mary and David Stanley are Slow Food USA members, and the Turtle menu features regionally sourced ingredients, a gelateria serving housemade artisan ice creams and sorbettos and a wine bar offering more than 20 wines by the taste, glass or bottle. Participating in the Way Out Wineries Road Trip are Barking Rocks Winery, Bluff Dale Vineyards, Brennan Vineyards, Rising Star Vineyards, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Pillar Bluff Vineyards and Texas Legato Winery. Hours for the Road Trip are Friday and Saturday from 10–6 and Sunday from 12–5. For more details visit wayoutwineries.org, star-of-texas.com and theturtlerestaurant.com.
notable Edibles
Martineau & Bird guests at Uchiko dinner
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ongrats; you’ve made it to adulthood. Various career and aspiration boxes have been checked and rechecked, the routine is set and life is on its merry way. But what happened to some of the other conversations from earlier in life? The ones about exciting food, art and inspiration? That voice is still in there, isn’t it? Sure it is. Voice, meet the founders of Martineau & Bird—a sophisticated cultural salon with a casual attitude, focused on exploring the intersections of art, food, literature and design. Martineau & Bird was formed when Elizabeth Winslow, owner of local food-delivery service Farmhouse Delivery, and Currie Person, design-diva owner of retail shop Spartan, decided they needed to ramp up the curiosity in their lives and live it up a little—more specifically, to think more broadly about the word “travel,” and what it means to do so in one’s own backyard. “We were thinking—like Lewis and Clark, but not,” says Winslow. “So we picked two famous women travelers: Harriet Martineau and Isabella Bird.” Okay, but what exactly is Martineau & Bird? A meet-up group? A book club? Pub crawl? Culinary tour? Winslow and Person describe it as a collaborative effort for which members come together to celebrate, eat, share and learn around a thematic concept and a centerpiece dinner. “Because this is neither Currie’s nor my bread-and-butter business,” says Winslow, “we like to keep the concept open. We do whatever we like.” Think of the gatherings as fantastic field trips that would blow your
Photography by Sarah Wilson
Martineau & Bird
typical dinner-and-a-movie date night clear out of the water. For example, in March, 36 Martineau & Bird members descended upon Uchiko for an intimate eight-course meal with wine, followed by a discussion of the nuances of Uchiko’s food and architecture led by Chef Tyson Cole and building architect Michael Hsu. At an early May meet up, members donned their swankiest 1920s attire and met at Justine’s for readings from the works of visionaries like Baudelaire, Bukowski, Dickinson and Dylan against a backdrop of edible Parisian delicacies, a live set from jazz queen Kat Edmonson and absinthe tastings. The basic model for Martineau & Bird goes like so: find a cool spot, throw in a cool theme, invite members and voila—friends, fun, adventure and community are born. Also in the works is Martineau & Bird Quarterly, a publication dedicated to recreating the salon experience in print for those who can’t make it in person. Each issue will feature a lavish dinner party, complete with recipes, and will be filled with fascinating contributions from well-known cooks, artists, political activists, musicians, filmmakers, farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs. Membership can be had for a mere $25 a year (plus individual event fees when applicable), but there’s one catch: prospective members must be nominated by an existing member. For more information, or to subscribe to the journal, visit martineauandbird.com or contact Elizabeth Winslow at elizabethwinslow@me.com.
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Third-Eye Baristas Casual French Bistro Since 1982 510 Neches St. 473-2413 LUNCH Tues.–Fri. DINNER Tues.–Sun.
www.cheznousaustin.com
! ! ! ! ! ! " ! myemma.com/sam
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eing a barista is a challenging job, no doubt—cups and saucers moving quickly, steaming liquids all about, multiple orders to remember. Randy Stephenson, a vocational teacher at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, is currently transforming his students into the big, bad baristas of tomorrow. “Everyone thought it was a crazy idea,â€? says Stephenson. “But guess how many people have been hurt or burnt since we started? Only one: me.â€? The idea began brewing years ago when Stephenson and local coffee hero R.C. Beall of Texas Coffee Traders discussed a potential collaboration. The necessary start-up funds weren’t available at the time, but they recently materialized thanks to new government grants. Now, with the fancy equipment in place and proper training and coffee-bean backing by Texas Coffee Traders, the school’s own cafĂŠ class is up and running. From start to finish—scooping, grinding, brewing, lining up espresso shots, steaming, stirring, pouring and cleaning—these kids do it all, with the use of very deliberate and mindful tactual and auditory skills. “With the coffee grinder, you can hear when all the beans are ready,â€? says Jerome, one of the all-star students in the program. “And the manual steamer sounds like a rocket ship taking off. You know it’s ready when the rocket is gone.â€? As any good barista knows, paying close attention during each step of the process is key. “A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that these kids have superhero senses,â€? notes Stephenson. “Like super hearing, touch and taste. They don’t. They’re just like you and me. They’ve just learned to depend on their other senses more.â€? Currently, the program has cafĂŠ hours when staff, students and campus construction workers can stop by to grab their favorite cup of caffeine; bags of Wild Cat coffee beans are also available for purchase. All involved in the project hope that the cafĂŠ will be fully self-sustaining by the time the government funds run out, and with the current trajectory, that shouldn’t be a problem. There’s even talk of selling coffee online and setting up a street-side coffee shop open to the public. Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired 1100 W. 45th St. 512-454-8631 Texas Coffee Traders texascoffeetraders.com The ‘Kid’s Organic Gardening Summer Camp’ present
The Children’s Basilfest—August 8-13 Children of Austin are invited to come learn everything they ever wanted to know about BASIL. Tasting exercises, handouts and plants will be available from 9a-1p daily. The benefits of BASIL are awesome! It takes a garden to grow a child. Full & Part time openings available.
Ronda’s Montessori Garden
www.rondasgarden.net 512-707-8635
Edible Communities Receive High Honor
T
he Journalism Committee of the James Beard Foundation Awards has presented the Edible Communities publications with the award for 2011 Publication of the Year—a first-ever honor bestowed on a publication demonstrating fresh directions, worthy ambitions and a forward-looking approach to food journalism. Through the vision of its cofounders, Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, Edible Communities began in 2002 with a single publication, Edible Ojai, and has since grown to include 70 independently owned magazines, Edible Austin included, which feature regional journalists and publishers with a passion for local voices, food systems and the culinary products flourishing in their communities. The Committee commended the Edible Communities magazines for their unique publishing model addressing the most crucial trends in food journalism, and applauded their underlying values that speak to today’s spirit of shared responsibility. In addition, the Committee noted that the Edible Communities publications represent more than a simple cluster of regional print magazines, but a collective archived road map that will serve as a valuable resource for exploring the impact of regional food and agriculture from a grassroots perspective for years to come. “It’s humbling and gratifying to be honored with this prestigious award, and to know that our work, and the work of the entire Edible Communities publishing family, is being recognized as having a significant and positive impact on our local food systems and communities,” says Marla Camp, publisher of Edible Austin. “We are grateful for the continued support we receive for our efforts in Central Texas, and we congratulate our staff and contributors who have made this all possible.” Deemed “the Oscars of the food world,” by Time magazine, the James Beard Foundation Awards are the country’s most coveted honor for those in the food industry. To find out more, visit jamesbeard.org.
Terry Thompson Anderson, CCP www.thetexasfoodandwinegourmet.com 830-456-4393 • tta@beecreek.net
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PEOPLE
Barrie Cullinan b y L ay n e V i c t o r i a Ly n c h • P HOTO G RA P HY BY J O D Y HORTON
T
he life of a bread maker is not for the faint of heart—waking up before the sun, enduring hour upon hour on your feet and keeping an exhaustive eye out for anything that might ruin a batch of dough are the norm. But for Barrie Cullinan of Amity Breads, Pastries and Friends, the commitment required to live this demanding, routine-driven lifestyle is ideal for her efficient, hardworking disposition.
A typical day commences at 3 a.m. when, like clockwork, Cullinan slips on her black Dansko kitchen clogs and heads off to the shared kitchen space she rents on West 4th Street. Within a half hour—after brewing a pot of coffee, slicking back her short, brown hair and tying the strings of her apron—she’s ready to proof the croissant dough. Proofing takes about two hours, after which Cullinan’s two asEDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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sistant bakers will have arrived to start their days. As her teammates scatter toward individual tasks, Cullinan will need to focus on the almond croissants that keep her the busiest. The woven textures and flavors of the flaky crust, gooey amaretto soak, cakey frangipane and crunchy almonds must be delicately sculpted into her signature pastries. Cullinan has it down to an art, but credits the quality of local staple ingredients such as whole wheat from Richardson Farms and honey from Boggy Creek Farm as part of the secret to her success. By 6 a.m., the busy team will have produced roughly 100 each of croissants, brioches, baguettes and ciabattas, ready to package and deliver to vendors throughout Austin that day. During her nine years of working in Austin, Cullinan’s name has been rising slowly but surely across the pastry circuit—first in the quiet whispers of Austin’s rapidly evolving culinary scene, and more recently in the roar of making Bon Appétit magazine’s list of the “Top 10 Best Bread Bakeries in America.” With that seemingly out-of-nowhere national recognition, Cullinan says she’s suddenly busier than ever. But make no mistake; she’s not complaining. And she’s not changing much in the way she’s been doing business. “I’m not trying to sell to all of Austin and overload myself,” she says. “I work in small batches, and when I run out, I run out.” Still, customers continue to ask when Cullinan might take the next big step and open her own shop. “People ask me about it 20
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nearly every day,” she says. “I’m getting excited because they seem so excited for me.” Even amid the bustle and excitement, Cullinan admits that she never rushes into anything, and never even conceived of a life surrounded by giant, silver kitchen mixers, flour-adorned clothing and endless bread baking. In fact, she made her way into the food world through a bit of a back door. Before she became a baker, Cullinan lived in Houston and worked in museum fund-raising. Through hosting numerous dinner parties, she developed a reputation among friends for producing impressively bold, ambitious dishes. With enough encouragement and a leap of faith, she decided to enroll and study at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now called The Institute of Culinary Education). But bread making didn’t make its way into Cullinan’s life until well after culinary school. “It always seemed so scientific, too mysterious,” she says. “And I always had this fear of the dough falling.” Soon, Cullinan trained under Paula Oland of Balthazar Bakery in New York City, and the experience provided the spark that made her fall in love with the art of bread making. After four years of training, Cullinan took an additional six months to choose Austin as her new destination. Over the years, as she baked for the beloved Austin landmark Quack’s, then Vespaio, followed by Enoteca Vespaio, Cullinan’s name slowly became familiar as customers recognized her trademark flavors.
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eat well. After Enoteca, Cullinan became her own boss, and with the relationships she’d built in the foodie community, she had a list of 20 loyal vendors eager to buy her goods. And now, even though her wholesale business is booming, she dreams of her own storefront. Ideally, she imagines it to be a small shop in East Austin, with a community atmosphere so she can easily come from behind the counter to connect with customers. Pies, tarts, cakes, cookies and sandwiches would be on the menu, but she would insist on keeping things as spare and contained as possible to prevent overload. As per her usual style, though, Cullinan feels there will be a perfect time and place to make that leap, and she’s just not there yet. “There is still so much I want to see, taste and experience,” she says. “I think with travel and time, I will have a much more well-rounded vision that I can bring through in my work.”
11th & lamar 512-482-8868
winkrestaurant.com
A locally owned wine retail shop offering a unique selection of wines at an affordable price.
ind Barrie Cullinan’s baked goods on the menu at East Side F Showroom, Second Bar + Kitchen and Dai Due’s booth at the SFC Farmers’ Market–Downtown, and for sale at La Boîte, Boggy Creek Farm, Antonelli’s Cheese Shop, Jo’s Coffee and Royal Blue Grocery. To order online, visit farmhousedelivery.com or barriebaking.com. Hours Monday - Wednesday 10am - 7pm Thursday - Saturday 10am - 8pm Sunday closed
East End Wines Welcomes Raymond Tatum’s Three Little Pigs food trailer parked right outside the shop! Raymond has been cooking in Austin for over 30 years and his menu highlights all that is good in the world of pork. Contact East End Wines for more information.
1209 Rosewood Avenue, Austin, TX 78702 512-904-9056 | www.eastendwinesatx.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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Chi apas farms O r g a n i c Fa i r t r a d e c O F F e e Find Chiapas Farms at these local retailers
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Edible Ed
El Sueño Following the Dream at CIA San Antonio b y M M Pa c k
B
CIA Chef Instructor Michael Katz reviews platter presentations created during Breakfast Cookery class with students.
ig dreams turn into vibrant realities at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in San Antonio. This third campus of the prestigious nonprofit college, headquartered in New York, continues to expand and innovate—making waves, making news and making culinary futures happen. Birth of a Food Community The initial dream was that of San Antonio entrepreneur, philanthropist and food lover Kit Goldsbury. He imagined greater opportunities for Latino chefs and increased recognition for Latin American food as one of the world’s great cuisines. In 2004, Goldsbury and his company, Silver Ventures, joined forces with CIA to create an education and research center to fulfill these goals, and CIA San Antonio was born. Located north of downtown on the recently extended San Antonio River Walk, CIA San Antonio is an integral part of the historic Pearl Brewery Complex that Silver Ventures is repurposing into a food-cen-
tric, sustainable urban village. In addition to the school, the revitalized brewery now houses a farmers market, restaurants and specialty food businesses, a bookstore and performance and event venues. The school opened in 2006 in the brewery’s former machine shop, and offers classes in culinary arts, a certificate program and continuing-education courses in 5,500 square feet of sunny teaching kitchens. By October 2010, an additional structure of 30,000 square feet provided seven cooking areas, a bakeshop and bakery café, a spacious kitchen theater and a traditional, tiled Mexican kitchen that incorporates a wood-fired oven, a massive corn grinder and extensive outdoor cooking facilities, including a large pit for traditional earth-oven-style cooking found across Latin America. El Sueño Scholarships The next vision fulfilled was the launch of the El Sueño (The Dream) Scholarship. To cultivate culinary leaders and aid Texas residents who want to attend CIA San Antonio, Goldsbury endowed EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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advance their careers. These professional-level courses cover subjects like plated desserts, laminated dough and specialty baking, and offer in-depth courses on aspects of Latin American cuisines taught by the chef instructors from the Center for Foods of the Americas (see below).
20 million dollars to help students pay for their culinary educations. Open to qualifying Texas residents, the fund can provide up to half of the program tuition. With help from El Sueño, Austinite Maribel Rivero is launching her own dream via CIA San Antonio. Formerly a nutritionist and now a marketer for El Chile Restaurant Group, Rivero’s planning her next steps. “I seriously want to propel myself to be an authority, educator and motivator to the public on food knowledge, preparation and enjoyment of a variety of cuisines. And, ideally, I want to teach abroad about Mexican cuisine,” she says. “CIA San Antonio is the best fit for me, and El Sueño’s scholarship influenced me—I want to take advantage of such a rare opportunity.” Variety, Diversity, Multiculturalism One of the most important aspects of CIA San Antonio is the variety of educational programs offered. Chef and Managing Director David Kellaway says that, “the school is as diverse as the world of food itself, attracting a unique blend of students—future chefs, food lovers and established culinary professionals.” Diversity applies to the programs, the students and the faculty— the chef instructors hail from around the U.S., Europe and Mexico. As an example of the global approach toward culinary creativity, Chef Alain Dubernard, department chair of baking and pastry, says of the school’s bakeshop, “We take all these flavors from around the world— jackfruit from Malaysia, mamey sapote from Central America—to make fantastic products using European and American techniques.” The bakeshop's pastries and breads are available to the public at the CIA Bakery Café. In recognition of its diversity initiatives, CIA San Antonio received the National Restaurant Association’s 2011 Faces of Diversity Inspiration Award. Professional Degree Program The cornerstone of CIA San Antonio’s education programs is the professional curriculum designed to educate future chefs. Since the campus opened in 2006, it has offered a basic 30-week certificatetraining course. However, in August 2011, the certificate program will be superseded by CIA’s 21-month program in which graduates earn an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in culinary arts. Following the same curriculum taught at CIA Hyde Park, the AAS is a comprehensive program of culinary study. In addition to classic and modern cooking techniques, students learn nutrition, gastronomy, writing, wine, world cuisines, purchasing, management and hospitality. An integral component is an 18-week externship in which each student works and learns in a professional setting. After completing the AAS degree in San Antonio, students can transfer credits to CIA Hyde Park to continue towards a bachelor’s degree. Professional Development The school offers an ongoing series of continuing-education classes for working culinary professionals looking to enhance their skills and 24
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Enthusiast Classes In addition to professional training, there are learning opportunities at CIA San Antonio for culinary enthusiasts—amateur cooks who want to hone their kitchen skills and knowledge. Enthusiast classes range from two-hour chef demonstrations all the way to five-day boot camps on topics such as basic culinary training, grilling and barbecue and aspects of Mexican and Latin American cuisines. In a rigorous variation of the culinary-vacation model, boot camp students wear uniforms and work in the school’s professional kitchens with their chef instructors. As Chef Kellaway says, “CIA San Antonio offers a wide range of opportunities for people who are passionate about the world of food.”
Center for Foods of the Americas An exciting component of CIA San Antonio is the Center for Foods of the Americas (CFA), a multifaceted research center dedicated to documenting, preserving and disseminating Latin American cuisines. Two chef researchers, Iliana de la Vega and Elizabeth Kossick, traverse Latin America to catalog the ingredients, cooking methods, regional specialties and street foods that comprise Latin American foodways from Mexico to Brazil. As well as preservation and documentation, CFA’s purpose includes educating both foodservice professionals and the American public about Latin American cuisines. CFA creates videos (available at ciaprochef.com/CFA), publishes instructional materials and recipes and teaches both professional and enthusiast classes. CFA also organizes an annual symposium for foodservice leaders called Latin Flavors, American Kitchens, which focuses on Latin cuisines, their potential for American menus and strategies to support and advance Hispanic culinary professionals in American restaurants. Each year, the three-day program showcases different countries and regions with presentations by leading chefs, traditional cooks, restaurateurs and food historians. The 2010 symposium included guest chefs from Brazil, Chile, Peru, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean island of Gaudeloupe. The 2011 symposium is scheduled for October 5–7. Find details at ciachef.edu/texas.
EVENINGS REFLECT FOURSTARS AND A GLOW IN THE NIGHT SKY. LET THE RIVER ROMANCE YOU.
It’s a tale you hear often: local boy sees the world, learns from the best and returns to grace his hometown with his life’s passion and world of experience. Welcome to the story and living dream of Chef Andrew Weissman, proud graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and one of San Antonio’s prized creators of its new culinary world of haute cuisine. An evening in San Antonio will transport you with sheer food bliss. Come discover one of the many ways your search for great cuisine will be rewarded. Deep. In the heart.
©2011 by San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau.
V I S I TS A NA N TO N I O.CO M
8 0 0 -T H E AL A M O
Home to San Antonio’s newest star, the Culinary Institute of America. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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Embracing Local
Mastering the Market by Kristi Willis
Pick the right market. Each farmers market has its own character and vendors. The Saturday markets are the largest, offer the most variety and often have entertainment. They’re the best bet if you’re looking for a wide range of products or to enjoy time with friends or family. On the other hand, if you simply want to grab something quickly and go, a smaller neighborhood or weekday market might be better—just be sure to review the vendor list or contact the market coordinator to ensure they have someone who carries what you seek.
Go early or late. Arrive at the market early if you’re after something that might be in limited supply (tomatoes, greens and meat go fast!). But if you have an eye for a bargain, the best prices can be had by getting to the market near closing time. Many vendors are more interested in selling their products than dragging them home, and may be willing to make last-minute deals.
Rethink your shopping list. Because the markets are seasonal, showing up with a detailed grocery list might lead to frustration. Instead, buy what’s fresh at the market, and then find a recipe that fits it. Before heading out to the market, check out the “What’s In Season” guide on Edible Austin’s Resources page at edibleaustin.com or sign up for weekly e-mail updates that many markets and vendors offer—some vendors even let you preorder items to pick up at the market.
Bring cash, preferably smaller bills.
Bring an open mind.
Showing up with a wad of twenty-dollar bills to buy two- to three-dollar items can make transactions more difficult. Save up ones and fives during the week, or get change on the way to the market. If you forget cash, the larger markets have ATMs. The Sustainable Food Center, which organizes the Downtown, Sunset Valley and Triangle markets, also has debit card machines at their market booths. For a small transaction fee, wooden tokens are available for purchase to spend like cash at any market vendor’s booth.
Farmers often offer produce not found on grocery store shelves. Be open to trying new things and ask questions about how to prepare an unfamiliar item. Smartphone recipe apps, like Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List or How to Cook Everything, can also come in handy as you shop.
Bring bags and a cooler. Juggling several small plastic bags while shopping is cumbersome at best. Bring at least one shopping bag large enough to hold your purchases. During the summer months, a cooler with an ice pack keeps items fresh in the car while you finish your errands.
Dress comfortably. To speed up shopping, wear something with pockets so you can easily access cash without having to dig through a wallet at each booth. Also wear comfortable shoes; several of the markets are in grassy areas and are not well suited for testing out those new kitten heels. 26
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Give yourself plenty of time to explore. While it’s possible to blaze in and out of the market in 30 minutes, budget extra time for your first visit to figure out the market layout. Walk the booths once, scoping out what’s available, then return to the booths when you’re ready to buy. Take time to chat with the farmers and vendors and learn about their products. Grab a cup of coffee or a snack and enjoy the music, community space and people watching. Do you have other insider tips for mastering the market? Share your ideas at info@edibleaustin.com.
Check edibleaustin.com for more tips on Embracing Local.
Illustration by Jenna Noel
F
armers markets, with their stalls packed with fresh produce, meats, cheeses and artisanal goods, can feel a little overwhelming to the first-time shopper. These easy tips will help you transition from a farmers market newbie to a pro in no time.
Meet the farmer that planted the seed that grew a tomato that went to market for you to choose to put on your table
for you to eat.
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Fredericksburg Grass Fed Beef Now available grass fed lamb, fresh sausage, summer sausage and snack sticks. Find us on Facebook
Available at the SFC Farmers’ Market—Downtown (830) 990-9353 www.fredericksburg-grassfed-beef.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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that goes far beyond Bier und Brats. If you come to Fredericksburg anticipating authentic German cuisine, we will not disappoint. But further exploration will reveal restaurateurs that offer decidedly more diverse menus. Escolar and lobster. Seared duck breast with ginger/orange glaze. Tender steaks. And very naughty desserts. All complemented by awardwinning cabs, zins, chards, rieslings and merlots from our numerous vineyards and wineries. Incidentally, “Zauber” is the German word for “magic”. Guten Appetit. ★ VisitFredericksburgTX.org | 866 997 3600
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Taste of Fredericksburg from the heart of the hillcountry
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COOKS at home
Larry McGuire b y D av i d A n s e l • p h o t o g r a p h y b y M a r c B r o w n
W
hen conjuring a mental image of a chef ’s home kitchen, one might envision small pots of fresh herbs sunbathing on a windowsill, a pegboard rack lined with naughty pans facing a wall or a magnetic knife strip stocked with varied shapes, sizes and patinas of blade. A peek in the refrigerator might reveal a cornucopia of fresh produce and proteins, rare condiments, preserved lemons, homemade Worcestershire sauce, perhaps a bit of hazelnut confiture picked up on a recent research trip to the South of France. But upon entering the home kitchen of Larry McGuire—the boy genius behind the monumentally successful Lamberts Downtown Barbecue and Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar—none of these things are present. Rather, one is confronted with an austere sort of Dwell-magazine-meets-Travis-Heights sense of low-fidelity minimalism—no hint of any recent activity; no pots, no pans; the refrigerator is empty save for some butter and fizzy water. In fact, the most commanding element of the kitchen—the open shelving that lines the entire north wall, where most home cooks would place some dishware, maybe a small sampling of cookbooks or even a few tchotchkes—cradles only numerous, neatly stacked ranks of manila accordion files. “Those are my end-of-month financial statements,” McGuire says proudly when asked if the files are full of recipes. It takes a bit of background to understand why a chef ’s home would be quite so…foodless. First, McGuire, at 28, is every bit a bachelor, yet without the usual pitiable gastronomic detritus of bachelorhood: the coffee grounds on the floor, the forlorn take-out containers in the fridge, the bag of limp carrots solitarily confined to the crisper. Why? McGuire simply doesn’t eat at home. “I wake up and go to Jo’s for coffee,” he says. “Then there’s usually eggs going on at one of the restaurants. I’m in the restaurant all day, and then, since my friends are chefs, I eat out at a great restaurant every night…Parkside, Uchi, Vespaio.” What might sound like an extravagant lifestyle is really, in a sense, just work. McGuire has graduated from the ranks of the struggling chef to the echelon of restaurateur and creator—one who travels to New York and Los Angeles just to eat and stay current; one who vo-
raciously reads cookbooks and the New York Times food section. His immersion into restaurant culture—both locally and nationally—is part and parcel of his career. “A lot of people ask me,” McGuire says with a genuinely humble pause, “‘How do you do things that people…like so much?’ My answer is that I just grew up here; I am the customer. I see what holes there are in the offerings here.” He also credits much of his success to what he refers to as the “Lambert aesthetic,” a distinctive mix of smart, comfortable design choices that include, for example, modern curves or postmodern minimalism with rough-hewn or aged elements like rusted metal, weathered wood or decomposed granite—elements that have become the hallmark of Lou and Liz Lambert’s hospitality projects. “Everything I’ve done is their design, their aesthetic,” he says. “Working with Lamberts, doing Steak Night at the [Hotel] San Jose and having contact with this whole up-and-coming creative crowd and seeing South Congress really evolve was a lucky break for me.” Breaks aside, McGuire worked hard to acquire his business degree from the University of Texas while pulling night shifts on the line at the old Lamberts. From both experiences, he was able to craft the business plans and investor packages for the new Lamberts, Perla’s and his two current projects—a new Vietnamese restaurant in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood and another that’s, as yet, top secret.
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Now, firmly ensconced on the other side, McGuire’s bootstrapping, dues-paying days may be over. “I started cooking around town when I was 16, and I’m 28 now, so holidays and weekends for that big chunk of my early life are gone,” he says. “I have weekends off for the first time in ten years.” To fill some of this newfound free time, McGuire has taken to hosting infrequent, small outdoor gatherings at his home, around the oversize grill that once served as the centerpiece of so many of those Steak Nights at the San Jose. Guests are usually chefs and their friends, and the rib eyes are, of course, impeccably seasoned and expertly grilled. Still, the image of the financial statements lining the walls of his home kitchen seems most telling. At the end of the day it’s still the food service business, after all, and McGuire is as proud of those spreadsheets as he is his rib eyes. Truth be told, the spreadsheets may even hold more promise as they describe a near future when McGuire can reliably take weekends, holidays and nights off; where he can settle down . . . maybe even cook a meal inside.
Larry McGuire’s d’Espellete Pepper Rubbed Rib-eyes with Tomato, Queso Fresco, Cucumber and Mint Serves 4 Espellete is one of my favorite chili powders. From the Basque region of Spain and France, it has a great sweet spice, texture and earthy, red color. The salad of cherry tomato, queso fresco, cucumber and mint is a fresh, cool and light counterpunch to the richness of the rib eyes. For the steaks: 2 16 oz. thick-cut ribeye steaks 2 T. olive oil 2 T. Espellete pepper powder 1 T. chili powder 2 T. kosher salt
1 T. brown sugar 1 T. coarsely ground black pepper Pinch cayenne
Prepare a hot wood or charcoal fire on your grill. Let the steaks reach room temperature, then brush each side with olive oil. Mix all of the dry ingredients together, then sprinkle on both sides of the steaks. Grill the steaks until your desired doneness. (I prefer rib eyes medium over medium rare because the extra cooking time renders the fat a little more.) Let the steaks rest on a rack at room temperature while you prepare the salad. For the salads: 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into ½-in. chunks ¼ c. diced red onion 6 big mint leaves, chopped 3 T. olive oil
1 T. sherry vinegar 1 t. kosher salt ½ t. freshly ground black pepper Pinch sugar ¼ c. queso fresco, crumbled Lemon slices
Combine the first four ingredients in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Add the queso fresco and toss lightly to combine. To Serve:
Quickly heat the rested steaks over the hottest part of the grill. When sizzling, remove the steaks and slice each one into 5 or 6 thick slices. Arrange the slices on 4 serving plates, and spoon the salad over the middle of each plate. Serve with sliced lemon. 32
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“We just came to the conclusion that not only could we do this, we should do this.” —Shaun Jones
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Farmer’s Diary
A+S b y T e r r e n c e H e n ry • p h o t o g r a p h y b y J o d y HO rt o n
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he adventures of A+S Farm began on a drizzly morning in the spring of 2008 with “The Great Chick Run,” as Amy and Shaun Jones—a newly married couple in their late twenties—set out from Houston to Fayette County to become sustainable farmers. In the car with them
were 150 chicks in a cardboard box, kept warm by a heat lamp running off of the car battery— a move that resulted in a completely drained battery by the time they reached the farm. First day of a new life, and the car won’t even start. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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The Joneses had decided to make the transition from urbanites to farmers while living in Houston, where Amy grew up and the couple married. Shaun worked in web design, and Amy at the Houston Zoo, but the two sought greater fulfillment and purpose. “We started getting kind of tired of the city life,” Shaun recalls. They began frequenting farmers markets where they were inspired by the dedication and ingenuity of people like Glen and Honi Boudreaux of Jolie Vue Farms and Bob and Darlene Stryk of Stryk Dairy. They read books by Michael Pollan and Joel Salatin and attended Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association meetings and the American Grassfed Association Conference, and soon there was talk of getting into sustainable farming themselves. Amy had inherited 20 acres of land in Flatonia from her great-grandparents—children of Czech immigrants in the Praha community—and without any agricultural background, the Joneses decided to leave urban life behind and start over as agrarians. “We just came to the conclusion that not only could we do this,” Shaun says, “we should do this.” And when they told their friends and family, all were excited and supportive. “At least to our faces,” Amy says with a laugh. But it was a difficult first year. The new commitment included time spent living in a large canvas tent on the property with no electricity or running water. “It was crazy,” Amy says now. In addition to farming and ranching, everyday tasks like cooking and doing laundry became mammoth undertakings. After 15 months of preindustrial living, they moved to a house in town.
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On the upside, the six sheep they’d invested in that first year were thriving. Because the Joneses had such relatively small acreage to work with, their new friend Boudreaux had suggested they raise sheep instead of cattle for a faster profit. After some research, the Joneses decided on the Gulf Coast sheep—a breed on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s critical list with fewer than 2,000 registered animals left in the world—which is particularly well suited to Central Texas. “They can take the heat, they’re resistant to parasites and they produce wool, which is pretty rare,” Shaun explains. The breed, valued for its mild flavor, is also included in the Slow Food USA Ark of Taste—a catalog of more than 200 unique and delicious regional foods in danger of disappearing. The Joneses worked tirelessly to restore the previously overgrazed pasture that first year, as well. The first things to come up were weeds—nightshade, sunflower, all the bad stuff—which actually turned out to be good. “Luckily, our sheep eat it,” Shaun says. “They thrive on it.” And the couple quickly realized just how valuable Boudreaux’s suggestion had become to their small parcel of land. “To an ordinary cattle operation it’d be useless,” Shaun points out. “You’d have to plow it, plant grass and then hope it rains. It was literally clay when we got here.” But by embracing low-impact rotational grazing, the land is used and restored simultaneously. Success with the sheep and pasture aside, the second year brought drought and chicken challenges. Hawks and vultures got to many of the original 150 chickens, and the broiler breed they raised was
laborious to harvest and didn’t sell well. To rebuild their flock, the couple switched to laying hens—Molted Javas and Delawares, which are also included in the Ark of Taste. Hawks have been less of a problem with more sheep and farm dog Frank around. And the eggs being produced are exemplary—the sort of eggs that Amy’s greatgrandparents likely ate when they lived there. With youth often comes idealism, and the Joneses have committed themselves to a deliberate path: organic, local, seasonal, sustainable. The sheep are 100 percent forage-fed—mostly pasture and chemical-free hay in drier times. The chickens feed off the pasture as well, and are supplemented with non-GMO grains like barley and millet. Antibiotics are only used if an animal falls sick or is injured. “We give the sheep the same health care we would want in their situation,” Shaun explains. And they extend the courtesy of giving the sheep individual names with each new generation. “They’re giving their lives for us,” says Amy, “so we feel they deserve a good name.” The first sheep were named after herbs and spices and included Fennel and Peppercorn. This year they’re being named after songs. “They deal with drought, flood and predators with a positive disposition,” says Shaun. “We’ve been humbled many a time.” The couple’s days start early, at first light—a bit earlier in the heavy heat of summer—with a set routine: move the electric paddocks and shelters, fill water and feed the hens. It takes a little over two hours, and the rest of the day is spent mostly working other jobs, which for Shaun, means building websites, and for Amy, juggling a
series of odd jobs ranging from a gig at the local flower shop and manning a register at the liquor store to working at the Schulenberg Chamber of Commerce. “It helps me get to know everyone,” Amy says with a smile. One of the biggest and most surprising challenges is that the Joneses don’t have access to fresh, seasonal, sustainable food in the middle of farm country; paradoxically, it was easier to find it in the city. They make monthly treks to Austin farmers markets, which lift their spirits. “It’s good for our morale to see people excited about food,” says Shaun. Another difficulty for the two is youth: Amy is 30; Shaun 31. “We’re the only young people doing this out here, so we do miss being around folks more our age,” Amy says. “The longest we can leave the farm is for three days, so we aren’t able to go see friends or travel. And our friends from Houston can’t make it out to see us very often.” They’ve also had to reset their mental clocks. “We had to switch to country time,” explains Amy. “The entire pace of life is different here.” Drilling their solar-powered well took much longer than expected, as did other contract jobs. But country time has its advantages as well—the farm is a refuge of tranquility: lambs bleat, chickens peck about and breezes soothe. From the top of the hill, you can see St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption—one of the historic painted churches of Texas. Some of the best moments, Amy notes, come at night. “The stars are incredible,” she says. The Joneses are building a farmhouse in the high center of the
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pasture, near an old oak and with a view of the church. Amy’s 97-year-old grandmother lives in a farmhouse on adjacent land on her own. The sheep paid for themselves last year, the solar-powered well is paid off and the farm is running debt-free. They are near their goal of having 50 breeding ewes on the ranch, with hopes of obtaining more property and expanding the flock. The customer list is full, and the lamb sells out before it’s even harvested. By next year, the couple hopes to produce enough to sell at farmers markets. Once the farm is self-sustaining, they can let go of outside work. Their advice to other young folks considering moving into farming full-time is to take it slow and start small. “Find a property to lease,” suggests Shaun, “and work out what you’re going to do there without the risk of a mortgage.” Amy adds that they were told, “‘Don’t quit your day job for the first five years.’ And we haven’t.” Also, get to know the locals. “Find a watering hole,” Amy suggests, “and buy a round of beers for everyone. Then start asking questions.” She adds that they’ll know where to buy feed, who can drill wells and the best place for replacement truck parts. At peace with their new life, the Joneses are hopeful about their future. They’re busy restoring their family’s land while reviving old ways of living. “Life on the farm doesn’t go in a circle; it’s more of a spiral,” Shaun wrote to family and friends recently. “It grows greater each rotation, and we are never in the same place twice.” Perhaps as their work spirals on, the couple will inspire others in their generation to reinvent themselves in a similar fashion—forgoing smartphones and laptops for pitchforks and plows. For the Joneses, they wouldn’t have it any other way. For more information on A+S Farms, visit goingtothecountry.com.
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Eco Business B y S o ll S u s s m a n • i ll u s t r at i o n b y M at t h e w Ly n a u g h
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t the University of Texas Division of Housing and Food Service, where Executive Chef Robert Mayberry estimates that 25,000 to 27,000 meals are served each day, kitchen exhaust hoods are cleaned with a nonpolluting, nontoxic system instead of the chemicals commonly used in commercial kitchens. And at Berry Austin, Kathy Steele’s yogurt shop in a North Austin strip mall, dine-in customers can choose washable green bowls and metal spoons instead of disposable containers. A sign in the shop explains the choice and cheerfully adds, “It’s Berry Good for the environment.” Beyond the food that they serve, op-
erators of many eating establishments in Austin and throughout Texas, large and small, are seeking green alternatives to standard practices and looking for information to help them navigate the sometimes-daunting list of available options. Along this road to green are new certification programs like Dine Green from the Boston-based Green Restaurant Association. Endorsed by the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council and others, the program not only provides information and advice to restaurant owners seeking to incorporate more sustainable EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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“What we’re realizing is that you can have the best-designed program, but if your employees aren’t trained and not willing to change their behavior, then it will fall flat on its face.” —Aiden Cohen practices, but also certifies the restaurants that complete the program. To earn enough points for each level of Dine Green certification, owners can choose from a wide and diverse list of options. Jennifer Fleck, communications manager for the association, explains that restaurant owners in different situations can pick the choices that make the most sense—renting instead of owning a building, for example, may mean lease restrictions, while setting out to build a new restaurant is different from operating an already-existing facility. “That’s why we have a huge menu of choices,” Fleck says. The list of ways to earn points includes water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainably grown food, energy, disposables and chemical and pollution reduction. After completing the certification process, restaurants are awarded stars based on points earned. For example, Barr Mansion has the highest certification in Austin, with three out of a possible four stars, and La Condesa downtown and Snap Kitchen at the Triangle each have a certification of two stars. The voluntary Waste Reduction Assistance Program (WRAP) from the City of Austin also offers information and assistance to restaurant and cafeteria owners seeking to reduce waste and incorporate recycled products into their business processes. Program participants, known as WasteSMART Partners, get waste and recycling tips for the bar and the kitchen, as well as for janitorial supplies, produce, grocery items and much more, and are encouraged to let diners know about their efforts by posting signs or including information on their menus. Of course, properly trained employees are paramount to the program’s success. “What we’re realizing is that you can have the best-designed program, but if your employees aren’t trained and not willing to change their behavior, then it will fall flat on its face,” says Aiden Cohen, sustainability program manager for the City. “There’s an outreach team, and we’re happy to provide on-site consulting.” To move further toward more recycling, the Austin City Council adopted a Universal Recycling Ordinance last November for properties—including restaurants—larger than 25,000 square feet with requirements that will be phased in through October 2015. And a growing number of private services have cropped up to offer convenient composting and recycling services to restaurants, as well. Phil Gosh, a lifelong composter and owner and master nurseryman at Organics by
Gosh, says that, “things are starting to change.” Gosh, whose company has created and provided compost, mulch and topsoil for many years, runs a pilot program with H-E-B—picking up produce and deli waste from 37 of the grocery chain’s stores in the Austin area. “Our goal is [to be] cost neutral,” he says, referring to the effort to make composting cost-effective for his customers. At Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse, a sign on the door proudly touts an association with ToGoCo, a local company that specializes in compostable plates, bowls, cups and other products. “[Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse] gave me my first ‘yes’ when I started out,” recalls ToGoCo’s Neal Farnell—noting that promoting a restaurant’s use of his products is a key part of his plan, as is making customers aware of their benefits. And at Hopdoddy, the burger bar on South Congress, the trash area near the counter is unavoidable and built with purpose; the woodtopped station features clear drops for recyclables and compostables. “We make recycling and composting easy,” says co-owner Chuck Smith. After diners do their job, Hopdoddy takes it from there. “We use Wandering River for recycling glass, plastic and aluminum,” Smith continues, “and Organics by Gosh for composting.” He estimates that using the trash services included in the restaurant’s lease would cost $300 to $400 a month, but he pays $900 a month for the two services—which he considers a worthwhile investment. Hopdoddy customers seem to be paying attention, too. “This is the first restaurant I’ve done in the postsocial-networking age,” says Smith. “If you’re doing the right thing, be prepared for the response you’ll get. The word spreads.” A different approach, with quieter promotion, is happening at FINO and ASTI. Both were the first restaurants in Austin to use the Natura filtered water system to provide still or sparkling water to diners. General manager Brian Stubbs says diners can have all the filtered water they can drink for $2 per person, served in refillable glass containers—saving not only the bottles of Acqua Panna or San Pellegrino that used to be offered at $6 each, but also the energy used to transport them from Italy and for the refrigeration to keep them cool. Alas, some green choices may just need more time to catch on, though. “It’s been a struggle to sell it,” Stubbs says frankly, and notes that even though the two restaurants are breaking even on the two-year-old water system, the imported waters used to bring in revenue. “Sometimes it’s tough to be an early adopter,” he says. Green changes are also happening in other cities throughout the state. Green Vegetarian Cuisine and Coffee in San Antonio installed an energy-efficient thermal roof barrier and has plans for a cistern to capture rainwater for landscaping. And in El Paso, Val Verde Restaurant at a Fort Bliss shopping center built its green concept around high-efficiency appliances and cooktops. National chains also are paying attention—as a pilot project, a new Fort Worth Chick-fil-A was built to the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Of course, green choices can extend into a restaurant’s dining area, as well. At Berry Austin, Steele drew on her experience as an artist and graphic designer for her first venture into the food business. She challenged herself to use as few new products as possible for the furniture and fixtures—much of it was procured from Craigslist. The mosaics on the walls are an eclectic mix of found objects—even old CDs once used by a Jazzercise instructor. “Eighty percent of this stuff in the mosaics is from Goodwill,” she says. As the list of eatery owners with an interest in going green, or greener, in their kitchens and dining rooms continues to grow, an even broader menu of environmentally friendly choices and services may arise to meet the elevated demand.
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Photography of beekeeper inspecting hive (left) and bees on hive bars (opposite) by Jody Horton
In your own backyard
Let it bee b y J e r em y Wa lt h e r
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or those of you with an already-full plate and a love for new projects, a warning: do not talk to a beekeeper. Their passion and love for bees is captivating, genuine and completely contagious. In other words, if you’re susceptible to such hobby siren songs, stay far away from Brandon Fehrenkamp, owner of Eastside Honey Company. “After eight years of keeping bees and doing live removals, still one of my most favorite things to do is set up a chair by the hives, open a beer and just watch,” says Fehrenkamp reverently. “The way their movements change each season…monthly…even throughout a day, the organizational hierarchy in each hive, the distinct flavor of honey sources from different parts of town…bees are absolutely fascinating.” Fehrenkamp goes on to describe how the flavor of local honey is manipulated and morphed to reflect a particular environment. “Forage sources for bees change as the vegetation changes across the Blackland Prairies to the east, the Balcones Escarpment to the west, urban areas in the city’s core. So when you taste fresh honey from a specific geographical place, you are literally tasting the landscape.” Sometimes a specific plant can even be identified as the main food source for a hive. “I did a hive removal from a house in North Austin once and noticed some of the comb had some honey,” Fehrenkamp continues. “It tasted exactly like agave nectar. Sure enough, there was a massive agave in bloom just down the street—the obvious source of forage for this particular hive.”
Eager as Fehrenkamp may be to wax at length about the nuances and complexities of bee culture, he’s also quick to note that beekeeping is pretty simple and that almost anyone can do it. “With basic equipment and a thoughtful plan, people can manage a hive to produce their own honey just about as easily as taking care of a dog,” he says. “But before you do anything, make sure you have the right safety equipment, and set up an exit strategy.” Meaning: plan for anything. People can have allergies to bee stings without knowing it or experience a life change that forces a move, for example. By networking early on with local beekeeping groups and experienced beekeepers, beginners can not only lean on a support system as they get started, but rest easy knowing they’ll have a new home for the bees (i.e., an exit strategy) if one is ever needed. As an architect, yoga instructor, pool cleaner, house painter and gardener, Richard Woodbury has his fingers in a lot of different pies—but as a beekeeper and avid bee enthusiast, those pies are probably sweetened with honey. “I actually started my first beehive out of concern for plants and the sudden decline in pollinator populations,” Woodbury says. “But after regular time observing bees, watching them do what they do, I was hooked. I became an activist for bees.” Woodbury concurs with Fehrenkamp that, for first-timers and pro beekeepers alike, safety is most important. “Coverage for arms and legs, EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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O
ur love affair with honey goes way back. Humans began hunting for honey at least 10,000 years ago, and have prized the amber nectar for its sweetness as well as its symbolic and medicinal properties ever since. More than just sweetness, honey brings an earthy complexity reminiscent of its floral source to dishes in which it’s used. True wildflower honey has a diverse pollen profile, typically has great body, color and a complex aroma, and if locally sourced, may guard against seasonal allergies. Honey’s hue ranges from almost white, to
amber, to a rich dark brown, but color isn’t always an indicator of flavor concentration— some mild-flavored honey can be quite dark, while some of the most intensely flavored honey can be almost white. Generally speaking, though, the darker the honey, the higher the mineral content and the higher the aroma and flavor levels. Whatever its source, honey represents a captured place in time, a gift of sweetness from the bees and the promise of flowers and fertility in the coming year. —Elizabeth Winslow
HONEY ICE CREAM
FRESH MELON SALSA WITH HONEY
Makes 1 quart
Serves 6
2 vanilla beans 2 c. heavy cream 1 c. whole milk ½ c. honey
Cut the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds from the pods with the blunt edge of a knife. Stir the vanilla seeds and scraped pods into a pot with the cream, milk and honey. Heat over moderate heat until the honey melts and small bubbles form around the edge of the pot. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 1 to 2 hours. Remove the vanilla bean pods and refrigerate the mixture until completely chilled—overnight if possible. Stir the mixture again and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
HONEY-GLAZED GRILLED PORK CHOPS Serves 4 ½ c. honey ¼ c. olive oil ¼ c. apple cider vinegar 1 T. minced garlic 2–4 t. herbes de Provence
1 t. salt ½ t. pepper 4 bone-in pork loin chops 4 red onions
Combine the honey, oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Add the pork, turn to coat and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally. Remove the pork chops from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare the grill for a medium-hot fire with an indirect heat area (build coals on one side of the grill). Slice the onions into ½ to ¾ inch-thick rounds. Remove the chops from the marinade and boil the liquid for 1 minute. Taste and add salt if necessary. Grill the chops over indirect heat until cooked to desired temperature, brushing them with the marinade as they grill. Grill the onion slices over direct heat, brushing them with the marinade as they grill. Once the onions are well marked and beginning to soften, move them to indirect heat to finish cooking. When the chops are cooked, remove from the heat and let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve the chops with grilled onions. 44
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3 c. diced melon (any combination) 6 T. lime juice ¼ c. honey ¼ c. diced red bell pepper 1½ T. finely chopped cilantro 1 T. seeded, minced jalapeño pepper ½ t. salt
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with grilled shrimp, fish or chicken.
HONEY THYME MUSTARD Makes 1½ cups
1 c. Dijon mustard ½ c. honey 1 t. crushed dried thyme leaves (or 2 T. chopped fresh)
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until well blended. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with pretzels, sandwiches, grilled sausages or brush on pork before grilling.
TEXAS HONEY SUpper Bee benefit June 5 Featuring Chef Will Packwood and Rohan Meadery Join us on Sunday, June 5 at Springdale Farm for a Texas honey tasting and five-course honey-themed supper created and prepared by Chef Will Packwood. Tickets are limited and proceeds will benefit bee research. For a sneak preview of one of Chef Packwood’s recipes for this feast, Honey-Scented Roast Beet and Berry Salad, go to edibleaustin.com.
Photography of Boggy Creek Farm Yaupon honey by Jenna Noel
The Sweet Stuff
water,” says Bouffard. “A creek, or even a dripping faucet in the backyard, works great.” And Fehrenkamp notes that plain sugar water works well as a temporary food supplement for new hives. “I use mason jars that fit on top of a hive box,” he says. “Just plain white sugar is good; raw sugar, like turbinado, isn’t easily processed by bees.” There are very few limitations to raising bees in Austin, and plenty of local honeybee advocates to help along the way—but as in all things, consideration for the bigger picture is important. Dr. Jack Neff, considered the native bee expert of Texas, points out that no honeybees are native to the Americas, and that they have been imported to the U.S. for nearly 400 years, leading to the rapid spread of pests and diseases currently ravaging honeybees worldwide. One very common pest for honeybees is a parasite called the varroa mite. One mite-infested bee can infect an entire hive, and that infection can quickly spread to adjacent hives. Heavy importation of bees from one country to another has spread varroa mites across the globe—from Japan and Russia in the 1960s to Hawaii and Australia in the late 2000s. And imported honeybees have the potential to present threats not related to disease. “Honeybees can, in some circumstances, compete with our native fauna for limited floral resources,” says Dr. Neff. “The best thing people can do for bees is to provide more native plants for bee forage.” The internet is filled with information on beekeeping—some of it dubious, at best. Ferehnkamp encourages newbies to do their homework, keep open minds and try to avoid feeling overwhelmed. “For new beekeepers, I’d say the most important things are to have a solid foundation of basic information from good sources and to be safe,” he says. “Other than that, each individual has to find his or her own way. I’d bet that even the best-known beekeepers in history, like L.L. Langstroth, carried unknown answers about bees to their grave[s]. That’s something I love about keeping bees…it’s a journey of a million questions.”
Resources
Photography of honey bee collecting nectar from lettuce blossoms by Eve Cheno
a veil and a good smoker come first,” he says. “It’s very difficult to work with bees without the confidence that safety gives you.” Beyond safety, consideration for neighbors, family members and even the bees themselves falls next in line. City of Austin code allows for beehives on residential lots, but it requires a dedicated water source to prevent bees from congregating around other sources, like a neighbor’s birdbath. And a colony may not be kept if it “interferes with normal use and enjoyment of public or private property.” “Talk to your neighbors; give them as much information as you can to try to alleviate any stress they might experience just thinking about bees living next door,” suggests Woodbury. “Hives should be located in a shady spot,” he continues, “where they are both accessible and safe—so next to a patio would be a no-no, for example, but perhaps behind a vegetated area.” Once the proper safety equipment is secured, a beekeeping network is established and the perfect place is located, it’s time to purchase or build a hive. There are basically two types of hives: conventional box hives (known as a Langstroth hive—named for 19th-century apiarist, clergyman and teacher Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, who is considered the father of American beekeeping) and top-bar hives. Langstroth hives consist of a series of square wooden frames hung inside a rectangular box, often with manufactured wax sheets that are already stamped with cells. These cells serve as the foundation that the bees will draw comb onto. A top-bar hive is more trough-like, and instead of square wooden frames with cells already in place, bees draw out their combs with cell sizes of their own dimensions, using wooden bars that span the top of the box as a guide to keep each comb straight. “For those on a budget, I generally recommend a top-bar hive,” says Woodbury, “because it can be built relatively easily with scrap material. But there is less internal structure in a top-bar hive, which makes a Langstroth hive a little easier to work, because the foundations are already in place and don’t require such delicate handling. Really, both work well—it just depends on personal preference.” No matter which hive structure is selected, a hive tool (or improvised hive tool) is needed to handle the frames and monitor the combs. A hive tool, or wedge tool, is a flat bar of metal with a hook on one end that helps grab individual frames from a hive, though Woodbury notes that a large flat-head screwdriver works well in a pinch too. Once the hive is built, it’s time to find some bees. “There are three options,” explains Woodbury. “One: capture a swarm; two: split an existing hive; or three: purchase a nucleus hive from a professional supplier, which usually includes a set amount of bees, by weight, plus a queen. The last is by far the easiest and safest option, but availability is usually limited to certain times of the year.” The importance of timing is also emphasized by Konrad Bouffard of Round Rock Honey. “The best time to select a location for a new hive is January,” he explains. “Hive boxes should be set out in February. Generally speaking, the best time to transplant bees into a backyard hive is in late March or early April.” One of the most reputable Texas sources for bees is the Weaver family in Navasota, which has been in the bee business since 1888—when Z.S. Weaver received 10 bee colonies as a wedding gift. R Weaver Apiaries and BeeWeaver Apiaries specialize in chemical-free bee production and queens with heritable traits for mite resistance. They supply queen bees, packaged bees, bee supplies and honey, and are a great option for beekeepers who want to manage hives without the use of chemicals. New beehives greatly benefit from supplemental food and water sources as the colony establishes itself. “In Texas, it’s critical that the bees be close to
Find more resources with links on edibleaustin.com Austin Bee Helpers: web.me.com/jackmills Bee Source: beesource.com The Bee Space: thebeespace.net BeeWeaver Apiaries: beeweaver.com City of Austin beekeeping code: ci.austin.tx.us/health/eh_ch-36_beekeeping.htm Dadant: dadant.com DIY Beehive: diybeehive.com Eastside Honey Company: austinbees.com Living Off the Grid: livingoffgrid.org/top-bar-bee-hive-perfect-for backyard-beehives Round Rock Honey (beekeeping classes): roundrockhoney.com
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experience the Texas Hill Country Hill Country Lavender
The Leaning Pear Cafe` & Eatery
blanco, texas Texas First Commercial Lavender Farm
Serving the Texas Hill Country Fresh &
Farm Store & Blooming Season Opening on May 21st - July
Seasonal Favorites Using Local Ingredients
leaningpear.com
Fri & Sat 10-4 / Sun 12-4 Also Thur. June 9th 10-4
Wednesday to Monday ~ 11:00 am-3:00 pm Friday and Saturday ~ 11:00 am-8:00 pm
Blanco Lavender Festival June 10th - 12th Offering a full line of handcrafted local lavender products
111 RiveR Road • WimbeRley, Texas • 512-847-PeaR
For information about our year round location at Brieger Pottery call 830.833.2294 or check our website.
made from scratch since 1989
www.hillcountrylavender.com
B r i e ge r Po t t e ry Fine Crafts & Local Artists
Offering a full line of Hill Country Lavender products. located on the north side of the blanco square.
Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 11am - 4pm
www.briegerpottery.com
From seasonal to classics... Get it whole or by the slice, but don’t leave town without it! 13619 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley • 512-847-9462 • wimberleypie.com
(830)-833-2860
orchards...bakeries...apples...
F
Available at your local bookstore. $19.95
Shearer Publishing Fredericksburg
good eats... peaches...restaurants...roadside stands...
Soup, Salads, Sandwiches, Local Beer & Wine Featuring Blanco’s Real Ale beer on tap including seasonal releases
Evening Specials including gourmet burgers. Mon. - Thur. 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Fri. - Sat. 10:30 am - 9:00 pm Our food is made fresh using premium products, local and organic whenever possible.
On the Blanco town square, next to Brieger Pottery 830-833-0202 / www.redbud-cafe.com 46
Take a gustatory tour of the picturesque Texas Hill Country, recipes included...
roadhouses...wineries...olives...
rolling hills...spring-fed streams...lavender trails...
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Q&A with Laura Weaver
C
entral Texas is lucky to be home to one of the only chemical-free commercial apiaries in the country. BeeWeaver Apiaries, managed by Danny Weaver, represents four proud generations of beekeepers and producers. Danny and his wife, Laura, have focused the business on a bee-breeding program that produces mite-resistant bees. Edible Austin: What inspired the Weaver business? Laura Weaver: In 1888, my husband’s great-grandparents were given 10 hives as a wedding present from the bride’s beekeeping brothers. Zachariah and Florence Weaver grew their apiary and sold honey from the back of their horse-andbuggy wagon each week at a farmers market in Houston. Their oldest son, Roy, took over the apiary and began producing queens commercially in the 1920s. BeeWeaver’s commercial package bee, queen and honey production business grew under Roy’s son, Binford, and later his grandson, Danny. EA: Why is the chemical-free approach important? LW: The varroa mite and other bee pests reproduce quickly, and therefore become tolerant of different pesticides quickly. Beekeepers using chemicals are in a cycle of using stronger and stronger chemicals to kill the same bugs. As we left hives untreated, and bred from surviving colonies, we were rewarded with hives that no longer needed chemicals to kill varroa mites, and hives that were more disease resistant over all. Our bees became hardier and easier to keep alive in a tough world. EA: What are the biggest threats to pollinators such as bees? LW: Habitat loss, climate extremes, pesticides and herbicides. EA: Have you seen an increase in backyard and/or commercial beekeeping? LW: Because of colony collapse disorder issues [a decline in honeybee populations] being experienced by beekeepers across the U.S., bees have been in the spotlight for several years. This in turn has increased beekeeping interest across the U.S., and there has been an evident rise in the urban backyard beekeeper. I have also seen more women choose to start beekeeping each year.
Texas Grown
EA: Why are bees so fascinating?
Chef Prepared Chef Nathan creates exciting culinary specials using many of the local ingredients found throughout the Hill Country. These include cheeses, olive oil, produce and meats. Our private dining room is also available for any private, festive or intimate gathering. NTE E
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www.UptownBlanc o.c om
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Open for Lunch Daily - Dinner Thursday - Sunday
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Pick up sites: Austin Fredericksburg Wimberley
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health/beauty
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LW: Beehives are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of individual beings that work together as a single organism. The energy and effort of every bee is for the benefit of the colony as a whole. Hives also produce so many useful products for human use: honey, wax, propolis, pollen, royal jelly and the venom used in sting therapy.
U p t ow n B l a n c o R e s t a u r a n t Main Street in Blanco 830 833-1579
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“America’s Premiere Plant-based Cooking School”
ENRO LL NO Fall P W! rogra m be Augu gins st 21, 2011
“
The Natural Epicurean is where I have found the necessary tools to better prepare myself in the healing culinary arts through a wide variety of teaching styles and techniques. -Georgina
“
Featured Graduates • NadaMoo! Made with coconut milk
All natural and organic non-dairy frozen dessert. www.nadamoo.com
LEARN
• The Blissful Chef
Follow your bliss Dedicated to making sustainable, plant-based delicious cuisine that will nourish your mind, body and spirit. www.theblissfulchef.com
the THEORY, PRACTICE and • Macro Taco transforming your ART of macrobiotic, ayurvedic, health...poco a poco...taco a taco Assisting positive transformations in classical vegetarian, vegan health by offering chef services, classes, and raw foods cooking as a menu planning and pantry make-overs. www.macrotaco.com profession. Visit The Natural Epicurean online and tune into complimentary “Plant-based Cooking as a Career” monthly webinar’s!
www.naturalepicurean.com
Locally sourced Mexico City-style cuisine 2010 James Beard Award Nominee Best New Restaurant
Best lamb on the planet! Grassfed and delicious. Many cuts to choose from.
Loncito Cartwright Twin Oaks Ranch 361-438-1289
Available at: SFC Farmer’s Market Downtown and Sunset Valley and Boggy Creek Farm 48
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Edible Brew
Rohan Meadery by Andrea Bearce • photography by andy sams
I
t was the first fermented beverage known to man—dating back to preagricultural civilization when barley and grapes were yet to be cultivated. It was the drink of gods and nobles and lauded in the works of Chaucer, Aristotle and Pliny the Elder. But in more recent centuries, mead—this most ancient of tipples—fell out of favor. John and Wendy Rohan of Rohan Meadery in La Grange say that mead, or honey wine, declined in popularity several centuries ago as
honey prices rose and grape winemaking took hold. “It slowly lost favor with the populace,” Wendy says, “and by the time the colonists came over here, they were already into beer and rum.” Today, the Rohans are striving to revive the allure of mead while simultaneously revamping their personal lifestyle; the couple, who met and married in Houston, says that after having children, their number-one goal was to get out of the city, be more self-reliant, have some land and dream. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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savor
New Braunfels/Gruene
Opened in 2009, Rohan Meadery is still in its infancy. And while all of the ingredients needed for the mead are currently sourced from outside the property, big changes are on the horizon as the business grows. Throughout the 28 acres surrounding the Rohans’ private residence are rows of tree saplings that promise future seasons of ripe cherries, peaches, pears and apples. A small vineyard boasts several grape varietals, and low-lying blueberry bushes are already beginning to sprawl. “Our goal is to be totally self-sustaining here,” says Wendy. The couple is inspired to learn as much about mead-making as possible, and welcomed their first honeybee hive to the property this spring. Having a hobby hive will allow the Rohans, their three children and visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the process. For now, though, all of the honey used for the mead comes from Reed Honey Farm in Montgomery. More than 300 pounds of either Texas wildflower honey or South Texas Guajillo (also known as Huajilla) are used in just one batch of mead. The honey is diluted with water, fed with commercial wine yeast and left to ferment for four to six months. “Once you begin to dilute it, it’s the same process as grape wine,” notes John. Just like with wine, any flavor mead is possible. The Rohans acknowledge that mead has an undeserved reputation for being little more than a cloyingly sweet dessert wine, but they’re quick to defend the validity of their product’s place on the table. “All of our meads are considerably dryer than any mead you would find in Europe,” says Wendy. “Just like wine, anything is possible: sweet, dry and anything in between.” The meads featured in the Rohans’ newly built, spacious tasting room truly do run the flavor gamut. Their Traditional Mead is minimalist in nature, allowing the distinct honey flavor to emerge. It’s dry on the palate, with a pleasing beer-like scent and aftertaste. Cinnamon, orange peel and powerful clove are prominent tastes in the Orange Spice Mead. Wendy thinks it’s ideal for her hot winter wassail. Fruit lovers and patio loungers will become fast friends with a glass of rosy-pink Raspberry Mead—beautiful when served chilled or with a splash of Champagne—and the Apple Mead, the sweetest of the 50
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“Somebody asked if we milked bees to make mead. I told him yes…at least he knew where bees came from!” —John Rohan bunch, serves the same role as a cooling riesling might when paired with spicy entrées. All of the Rohans’ meads are available for purchase on their website and in specialty retail shops throughout the state, including Austin’s East End Wines. But the Rohans enjoy the face-to-face interaction their tasting room allows. “Part of the fun is the education,” Wendy says. She estimates that about 70 percent of their visitors have never tried mead. More often than not, that works in their favor. The Rohans also keep a close eye on the recent honeybee blight that has swept the nation, and take every opportunity to inform customers about it. While their business has yet to be affected, they started a “Save the Bees, Drink Mead” campaign, and all the proceeds from shirts sold at the
meadery are donated to the Texas Beekeepers Association and the new bee research center at Texas A&M. “We’ve thought about doing mead-making classes and eventually hosting a beekeeper school,” Wendy says. “There’s lots of possibility.” As two of only a handful of mead brewers in Texas, the Rohans welcome friendly competition and eagerly offer advice to other brewers. It’s all part of the laid-back culture the couple is working hard to cultivate—where community is paramount, self-reliance is a virtue and humor is the cure to all frustration. “Somebody asked if we milked bees to make mead,” John says with a laugh. “I told him yes…at least he knew where bees came from.” Rohan Meadery 6002 FM 2981, La Grange 979-249-5652 rohanmeadery.com
IMAGINE
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visit us at SFC Farmers Market & Pearl Brewery Farmers Market
Farm Open April–July 3, Fri–Sun 17582 FM 337 E,Vanderpool
(8 miles from Lost Maples State Natural Area)
830-966-5105
Navidad Farms
Texas Pecans, Candies & Gourmet Foods
Every Saturday
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9AM-1PM Friesenhaus on s. Castell historiC Downtown new BraunFels www.nbfarmersmarket.com
9914 HWY. 290 West 512-288-1196 Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm
www.navidadfarms.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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Cooking Fresh
Turkish Summer b y E l İ f Se lv İ l İ • P h o t o g r a p h y b y K n o x y
T
he phrases “Chinese food” and “Italian food” are likely to evoke instant palate recognition, complete with smells and tastes. However, when most people hear “Turkish food,” they don’t automatically know what to expect. Maybe that’s because there is no single ingredient or dish that fully defines the cuisine. Turkish cooking is best interpreted as going to the market, choosing what’s in season and preparing it in the simplest possible way. And as a cook who specializes in this wonderfully diverse cuisine, I am a little reluctant to admit it, but Turkish cooking takes no special skills—only a commitment of time and an appreciation for local, fresh produce. When I put together this menu of Turkish summer recipes, I realized that, with the exception of the shrimp dish, all the recipes are vegan. The word vegan would probably have no meaning to a Turk; most of our summer recipes don’t include animal products—not because of intentional omission, substitution or restrictive diets, but simply because of common sense. Summer dishes are often served at room temperature, and might languish on a table for two or three hours, the typical length of a Turkish meal with friends. Keeping dishes vegan also makes them lighter and easier to digest on a hot summer day. I picked two appetizers for this summer menu that can be prepared a day in advance—allowing the cook to relax on the day of the party. Yalancı dolma (fake dolma) is a summer staple and is cool and refreshing to the palate. It’s called a fake dolma because the real dolma includes ground meat, whereas this recipe uses rice, currants and pine nuts as a stuffing. Mercimek köftesi (red lentil patties) become tastier on the second day as the lentils and bulgur are infused with the herbs and spices to create a delicious combination that is light in calories but heavy in nutrition. The shrimp dish is a specialty of the Aegean, where seafood is much more popular than meat. The sauce can be prepared in advance, allowing the flavors to intensify, and the pilav (cooked rice) recipe is one of the tastiest and the showiest ways to prepare rice. The eggplant for the pilav is traditionally fried, but I prefer to bake it in the oven to reduce the calories and the time spent in front of a hot, sizzling frying pan. The idea of dessert without eggs, butter or milk might be hard to imagine, but here it is. Aşure is part of a fable that accounts for the unusual combination of nuts, fruits, grains and dried beans. As the story goes, upon finally spotting land, the survivors on Noah’s Ark threw all of their remaining provisions into a pot and made one last meal for the end of their journey. Traditionally, it includes various dried beans, such as navy and garbanzo, but I prefer to use dried fruits and nuts because finding a mushy dried bean in my dessert bowl is a little too disconcerting, even for me! Make it the day before to get all the flavors to blend and to check off another item on the to-do list. The last word on this summer Turkish menu is that it’s ideal for people who shun recipes, hate running to the store for that one forgotten ingredient and don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen cooking while everyone else socializes on the patio. Substitute to your heart’s content, eyeball the measurements, have a sip of the cooking wine and don’t forget to brag that it’s not only good, but also good for you!
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YalancI Dolma
(GRAPE LEAVES STUFFED WITH PINE NUTS, CURRANTS AND RICE)
Serves 10 to 12 The name of this appetizer translates to fake dolma because it’s stuffed with rice instead of ground meat. Dolma means “filled” and can be used to describe any stuffed vegetable. Prepare up to a day in advance. Filling: 5 T. dried currants 3 T. olive oil 5 T. pine nuts 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 c. hot water 1 t. sugar 1 c. short grain rice Salt and pepper, to taste ½ c. chopped flat leaf parsley
Assembled dolmas: 1 large jar of grape leaves 2 c. hot water Juice of 1 large lemon ¼ c. olive oil Lemon slices
Soak the currants in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the pine nuts over low heat until golden. Add the onion and sauté until barely softened. Add the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the currants, sugar, rice, salt and pepper and cook over low heat until all of the water is absorbed. Add the parsley and set aside to cool to room temperature. Carefully pull the grape leaves from the jar, then rinse and drain them in a colander. If any of the leaves still have their stems, trim them with scissors. Pick out the torn or irregular ones to use in lining the dish. Line a large ovenproof dish with a layer of grape leaves (use the damaged or irregular leaves). On a nonstick work surface, arrange the grape leaves with the vein side up and the stem side closest to you. Place a tablespoon of filling near the stem side, then fold the left and right sides of the leaf over the filling. Gently roll the grape leaf away from you, taking care not to make it too tight. Place over the grape leaf lining in the dish, seam side down. When all of the filling is used, pour the hot water, lemon juice and olive oil over the dolmas. Cover the dolmas with the remaining leaves and place a heavy plate on top of the leaves. Bring just to a gentle boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the dolmas are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Arrange the dolmas on a serving platter and decorate with lemon slices.
Mercİmek Köftesİ
(Red Lentil Balls)
Serves 10 to 12 Low fat, high fiber and vegan. Prepare up to a day in advance. 2 T. olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 T. tomato paste, plus water to measure 3 c. total 1½ c. red lentils ¾ c. bulgur (cracked wheat) 4 green onions, thinly sliced 1 c. chopped parsley
1 T. mild dried red pepper (paprika, smoked paprika or a blend with paprika and red pepper) 1 T. ground cumin 2 T. dried mint 1 lemon, juiced Salt, to taste Lemon wedges, for garnish
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pot. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the tomato paste mixture, lentils and salt, and stir well to keep the lentils from sticking to each other. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Add the bulgur, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are very soft. Mix in the green onions, and turn off the heat. Add the parsley, spices and lemon juice. Taste and add more salt or spices to taste. Stir well and allow to cool, covered, to room temperature. Shape the mixture into patties or balls, garnish with lemon wedges and refrigerate for half an hour before serving. 54
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Ege Usulü FIRInDA Karİdes (Aegean-Style Shrimp) Serves 8 ¼ c. olive oil 5 shallots (or 1 mild onion), chopped 4 green onions, sliced 5 cloves of garlic, finely sliced 1 28 oz. can of peeled whole tomatoes, sliced and drained, juice reserved 1 t. dried oregano 2 bay leaves 1 T. paprika 2 t. red pepper Salt and pepper, to taste 1 c. dry white wine ½ c. parsley, chopped 24 large shrimp, peeled and washed (about 1½ lb.) ¾ c. crumbled feta cheese
In a large, flat pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the shallots, green onions and garlic for a few minutes, until slightly softened. Add the tomatoes, two-thirds of the reserved juice, and all the dry spices and herbs, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Heat the broiler. Add the wine and the parsley to the pan and simmer for about 5 more minutes, until the mixture is hot. Stir in the shrimp, top with the feta and place under the broiler for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the feta is slightly melted and browned. Take care not to overcook the shrimp. Serve immediately.
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Aşure (Noah’s Pudding) ¾ c. wheat berries 1 T. uncooked rice 12 c. water Grated zest of 1 orange ½ c. golden raisins 1 c. sugar Pinch of salt 15 dried apricots, cut into slices 10 dried figs, cut into quarters
Garnish (in any combination): Ground cinnamon Walnut halves Chopped pistachios Chopped hazelnuts Chopped blanched almonds or almond slivers Pine nuts Dried currants Pomegranate seeds
Cover the wheat berries and rice in water and soak overnight (this process can be sped up by using hot water). Drain and rinse. Place the wheat berries and the rice in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot, leaving a little room for the steam to escape. Cook until the wheat berries are tender, about 60 to 75 minutes. Add the orange zest, raisins, sugar and salt. Mix well and cook another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the apricots and figs, continue to stir occasionally and cook for another 15 minutes before turning off the heat. Pour into a large decorative bowl or divide into individual dessert bowls and allow to cool before placing in the refrigerator overnight. Decorate with cinnamon, nuts, currants and pomegranate seeds. Nuts can be left out or doubled in quantity to suit individual tastes.
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Elif Selvili
PATLICANLI PİLAV (Rice with Eggplants) Serves 8 This rice can be prepared ahead of time and served warm or at room temperature. Eggplant: 4 Japanese eggplants (long variety) Salt for purging the eggplant ½ c. olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Rice: 2 T. butter or olive oil 3 bay leaves 4 c. water or chicken stock 1½ t. salt 2 c. basmati rice
Be Spoiled. Have Fun. Eat Well. Relax. Cool Mint Cafe 415 Burleson San Marcos 512.396.2665 www.coolmintcafe.com
Heat the oven to 400°. Peel ½-inch strips of the eggplants lengthwise, giving them a striped look. Slice the eggplants lengthwise, about ¼-inch thick. Take care to make the slices the same thickness to ensure even cooking. Place the eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse well and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and place in a heavy-duty baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 10 to 15 minutes on each side, until the eggplant slices are soft and golden brown. Line the bottom and sides of an ovenproof bowl with the eggplant strips in a pattern that radiates from the center—like a star or an asterisk—and set aside. Place the butter or olive oil, bay leaves, water or chicken stock and salt in a medium-size heavy-duty pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice and wait until the liquid resumes boiling, then turn down the heat to the lowest setting. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked—about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pilav rest for about 10 minutes before transferring into the bowl lined with eggplant slices. Tamp down very gently to allow the rice to take the shape of the bowl. If any of the eggplant slices are longer than the sides of the bowl, fold the ends over the top of the rice. Cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm and allow the rice to rest for another 10 minutes. Remove the towel, place a large serving platter on top of the bowl and invert the bowl to unmold the rice with the eggplant decorating the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
hyde park, austin 4220 Duval Street (512) 531-9610
Tues-Sat:11-7; Sun:12-5
AntonellisCheese.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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PEOPLE
Leslie Horne B y T e r ry T h o mp s o n - A n d e r s o n • P H o t o g r a p h y b y M a r c B r o w n
T
he remembered taste of a much-enjoyed flavor is a magical sensory experience. It’s sort of like the mind’s tongue, a place where we store those special tastes from long ago. From this place, we can recall the memory of a taste to our palates so vividly that it can cause us to salivate. For most people, these taste memories come from childhood—something our mothers or grandmothers cooked for us, like chicken and dumplings, apple pie, cherry cobbler. For Leslie
Horne, though, the most poignant flavor memory was her first taste of real Spanish chorizo. In 1991, a friend with relatives in the far northern region of Asturias in Spain—a region known for the quality of its smoked meats— returned from a trip with a can of handmade chorizo as a gift. At the time, Horne had no idea that this tiny tin of brick-red sausages packed in orange-streaked pork lard was a family treasure, or that she had
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been honored with the gifting of it. When her friend explained that the chorizo had been made from a secret family recipe that had been handed down for generations, Horne knew that she must try them, lest she offend her friend. That first bite is burned into her memory; the flavors unlike anything she’d ever tasted—tart on the palate with nuances of wood-grilled meat, a sensuous bite of smoked paprika, then finally the subtle, back-of-the-throat touch of spiciness. “When I first heard people talking of the new fifth-flavor perception they were calling umami, the savory element,” says Horne, “I knew exactly what they were talking about. That tin of chorizo was the epitome of umami.” She was hooked. But at the time, it was virtually impossible to find imported Spanish meats or charcuterie, and smoked paprika was largely unheard of. But the flavor memory haunted her and, amazingly, her friend shared the family recipe for making the chorizo. Horne began to research the history and process of making Spanish chorizo—an air-cured, dry sausage, unlike the fresh chorizo produced in Mexico. She discovered that in Asturias, the chorizo is smoked over chestnut wood so she scoured the far reaches of the U.S. looking for a source for chestnut wood, but to no avail. Further research showed
Besitos Bites Serves 10 as finger food 1 lb. Aurelia’s Spanish Style Besitos 2 T. olive oil 3 large garlic cloves, minced ¼ c. light brown sugar 1 c. dry sherry Heaping ¼ t. saffron threads
Using kitchen shears, snip the Besitos links into single sausages; set aside. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the Besitos and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the sausages are seared—about 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir quickly to spread around the pan. Cook until the sugar melts and forms a smooth paste— about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the sherry and stir to blend it into the brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sherry is reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze—about 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the saffron threads and cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Turn the Besitos and the syrup out into a chafing dish and serve with toothpicks.
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that hickory, another nut-producing tree, would produce a similar sweet-smoke flavor. She found a source for the smoked paprika in Spain and ordered a large supply of it. Then she and her husband, Keith, began producing 80-pound batches of chorizo in their home kitchen. They wanted to be as true to the original recipe as possible, so they bought fresh hams, made the sausages and took them—along with the hickory wood—to their favorite barbecue and smokehouse joints and paid to have them smoked. But the results were never quite perfect because the smokehouses use hot smoke and chorizo requires cold smoking to produce the desired taste and texture. Even when the hams were put in the far back corners of the smokehouse, the atmosphere was still too hot. It was an intense trial-and-error process at first, and an arduous chore, as the Hornes had no commercial-grade equipment—just a standard KitchenAid mixer with a meat grinder and sausage stuffer. Adequate space to air cure the sausages was an issue, as well. Friends loved the chorizo, though, and were always willing to come over for a sausage-making party, but Horne began to worry about the safety of making the chorizo in a home kitchen. When the internet became readily available, she immersed herself in serious online research— seeking a definition for each term or procedure she didn’t understand and learning about the laws governing charcuterie production, the inspection process and things like water activity and pH. Horne went to local and state health departments to learn their requirements, and it was there that she discovered that the biggest roadblock would be the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—she would need their approval if she ever hoped to produce the chorizo for shipment out of state. She also learned that the USDA is very hesitant to approve coldsmoked charcuterie products. But Horne wasn’t about to give up. When her son graduated from high school and headed off to college, she dove headfirst into chorizo production. She went to the food science department at Texas A&M and consulted with professors who helped her develop a pasteurization process that the USDA would approve. Then she began a search to find a sausage maker who would produce the chorizo according to her specifications. The search eventually led her to Jonathan Pace at Smokey Denmark’s in Austin, where she formed a partnership. Horne purchased the necessary equipment to cold smoke and air cure the sausage, and Jonathan remodeled his operation to accommodate the production process. Aurelia’s Authentic Spanish Chorizo—named in honor of an elderly woman Horne met in northern Spain who taught her to really savor food and to appreciate its ingredients and respect those who made it—became a reality. Horne also wanted a pure, all-natural product with no fillers, binders, nitrates, nitrites or curing ingredients, so she had to come up with alternative natural products that were also USDA approved. She still uses the piquant smoked paprika from her original source in Spain, and she recently introduced two new products to the Aurelia’s line that also feature it. Aurelia’s Spanish Style Besitos are a version of the original recipe made using finely ground fresh meat formed into little bitesize sausages that are perfect party finger foods, and Aurelia’s Grillers are a finely textured, freshly ground product somewhat longer than the original chorizo—perfect for backyard barbecues. ou can find Aurelia’s products at Central Market or online at Y aureliaschorizo.com.
Seasonal Plate by jody Horton
Chef Jam Sanitchat presents Thai Fresh’s Pad Ka Prow Nuer (Spicy Basil Beef): Marinated shoulder roast from Bastrop Cattle Company (Bastrop); peppers from Milagro Farm (Red Rock); onions from Simmons Family Farm (Niederwald) and fresh basil from her own garden.
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Edible grillin’
Pull your own Pork b y F r ed T h o mp s o n from his book Grillin’ With Gas (Taunton Press, April 2009)
F
Photograph by Ben Fink, courtesy of Taunton Press
ew of us will ever cook a whole hog, but we all have the ability to smoke a pork shoulder. This recipe started out as North Carolina-style barbecue (remember, barbecue is a noun) and has, over the years, evolved from low-and-slow-cooked smoked pork in a vinegary sauce to a meat that works as a base for all the regional sauces, including Memphis and Georgia styles. The rub in this recipe is more Memphis, and it helps produce a better “outside brown,” those prized bits of char that get chopped into pork barbecue. You might find the use of a Cuban ingredient weird here, but smoked or roasted pork shoulder is a favorite in Cuba. Like so many good recipes, this happened almost by mistake, but as I continued to tinker with it and serve it to a multitude of different people, I found that I might well have hit on the ultimate recipe. You could use a whole shoulder, a Boston butt or a fresh picnic here. Injecting whole hogs and pork shoulders is all the rage now, with good reason: it helps to keep the pork moist and achieve flavor from the inside out. This makes a lot, but it freezes beautifully.
Fred Thompson’s Ultimate Smoked Pork Shoulder Serves 12 to 15 1 T. paprika 1 T. sugar 1 T. kosher salt 1 T. freshly ground black pepper 1 t. freshly ground white pepper 1 t. granulated garlic or garlic powder 1 t. dry mustard 1 bone-in pork butt or picnic shoulder, 5–7 lbs. 1 c. strained Cuban mojo marinade (Goya brand), or 1 c. apple juice mixed with ¼ c. kosher salt 6–8 c. hickory or apple wood chips, soaked in water for at least 1 hour Lexington-Style Sauce (see recipe on page 63) or your favorite barbecue sauce Special equipment: meat-injection syringe
In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, sugar, salt, black pepper, white pepper, granulated garlic and mustard. In another small bowl, reserve 1 tablespoon of this spice-rub mixture; set it aside. Rub the remaining mixture evenly over the pork. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. At least 90 minutes before you plan to put the pork on the grill, remove it from the refrigerator. Take an injection syringe and pull 62
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the mojo marinade up into the tube. Plunge the injector into the pork, and then slowly push in the mojo as you move the needle back toward you and out of the meat. (You want to do it this way so that you don’t have huge puddles and so that the mojo is more evenly distributed.) Repeat this several more times at random spots in the meat until all the mojo has been used. Drain the wood chips. Preheat your grill using all burners set on high for 10 to 12 minutes with the lid closed. Oil the grill racks. If your grill is equipped with a smoke box, fill it with chips and place the box at one end of the grill. (You will use more of the chips later.) If you do not have a smoke box, divide the wood chips evenly among 6 perforated foil packets and place 1 packet at the end of the grill. Place a disposable 9x13-inch aluminum pan crosswise on the grill rack at the end opposite the smoke box (or foil packet), and fill the pan halfway with water. Turn off the center or back burner, and adjust your heat to medium-high. Close the lid. When the wood chips have started to smoke, cut off the all but one
burner and turn it to low. (Make sure the center burner is turned off.) Position the pork in the center of the grill, away from the direct heat of the burner. Cover the grill, and go drink a beer. Typically, smoking chips or even chunks will last 15 to 20 minutes. The pork will gather most of its smoke flavor in the first 2 hours of cooking. Every 20 minutes, working as quickly as you can to keep the smoke from escaping, replace your smoke packet or the chips in the smoker box and add water to the aluminum pan, if necessary. When you’ve used all the chips, try not to open the grill again until the barbecue is close to being done, which will take 4 to 5 hours longer. The best way to tell that the barbecue is done is to take a pair of tongs and grab the flat bone that runs through the center of the meat. If it moves easily or you can pull it out, then the pork is done. Sometimes in windy conditions or when it’s cold, it can take up to 7 hours for a shoulder to magically become barbecue. The internal temperature should be 180° to 190°. When you’ve determined that the barbecue is ready, transfer it to a large roasting pan and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Then with forks or tongs, begin to pull the meat so that it comes off in stringy chunks. Separate out the skin and as much fat as you desire. Any of the outside brown, which is crispy, should be set aside and finely chopped, then stirred back into the meat. You can leave the barbecue pulled as it comes off the shoulder, or you can chop it a little finer, if you desire. At this point I like to sprinkle the pulled pork with the reserved tablespoon of spice rub that I used for the outside, tossing the barbecue to blend. Some people like to sauce their barbecue at this point, and I tend to do that with about ½ cup of the barbecue sauce that I intend to serve. Again, toss to combine. Serve hot with coleslaw and additional barbecue sauce on the side.
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Lexington-Style Barbecue Sauce Makes about 3 cups This is the dividing line for North Carolina barbecue. In the Piedmont, which includes Lexington, pork shoulders are smoked and the sauce features some ketchup and sugar, but more sugar than sauces from eastern North Carolina and less ketchup than sauces from western places like Memphis and Kansas City. Use the “dip” to toss with any pulled pork, chicken or turkey; it makes an excellent table sauce, as well. People who prefer predominantly dry, Memphis-style ribs might like to use this sauce as a mop during the last few minutes of cooking. 2 c. apple-cider vinegar ½ c. water ½ c. ketchup 2 T. light brown sugar 1 T. hot sauce 2 t. crushed red chili flakes 2 t. kosher salt 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, hot sauce, chili flakes, salt and pepper until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Shake before using. Barbecue reheats nicely in a microwave at medium power. Don’t nuke this stuff full bore or it will dry out. Another way I like to reheat pork is to put about an inch of water in a 3-quart saucepan and then insert a vegetable steamer. As the water begins to simmer and steam, pile the barbecue on top of the vegetable steamer and cover. Steam the ‘cue for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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Edible Gardens
Eat your roses by Jim Long
I
s a rose an herb? Most people would say no, believing herbs to be merely parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and a few others. However, if you visit India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey or neighboring countries in the region, you’ll find the rose firmly planted in the list of important culinary seasoning plants. In fact, the rose is so important that the International Herb Association (IHA) has designated it the official herb of the year for 2012, and the Herb Society of America will be promoting the rose throughout 2012 as well. Since I grew up eating roses, pea blossoms and redbud and tulip flowers, it wasn’t a big surprise to find roses used as flavoring during a trip to India. The traditional Indian dish gulab jamun—a pastry rolled into little balls and fried, then soaked in rose water and honey—is very popular. Just about any ice cream parlor throughout the country offers the typical chocolate and vanilla flavors, but rose outsells them both. Rose milkshakes, sherbets, sauces, cakes and cookies are all common, as well. All roses are edible, but some taste better than others, and some should be avoided. Here are some tips for eating your roses: • Eat only roses that have not been sprayed with insecticide, or grown using systemic insecticides and fungicides. Many systemic commercial rose fertilizers include chemicals meant to prevent insect and fungal problems, such as black spot. The rosebush absorbs the fertilizer, and the chemicals tag along. You don’t want to eat those.
• Choose roses that have a pleasing fragrance. If a rose smells good, then it’s going to taste good. You’ll find that many tea roses, as well as some of the endless-blooming roses, have virtually no fragrance, and thus no flavor. Red roses, generally speaking, have little fragrance or flavor, but the pinks, yellows and occasionally the white bloomers often have both. • Never eat roses from a florist shop. Growing those fabulous long-stemmed beauties takes a lot of chemicals and fertilizers—and none of them are safe to eat. The best roses to eat are those you grow yourself. Try the old-fashioned heirloom roses that are generally low maintenance and don’t require spraying or special chemicals to encourage blooms. When choosing roses to grow in your garden, select plants that are blooming. Give them the smell and taste tests. Chances are if you like the fragrance, you’ll enjoy the flavor. Pull a petal from the rose and enjoy, but avoid the white area at the base of the petal as it is generally slightly bitter. The best time to harvest roses is midmorning, after the dew has left but before the heat of the day. As you harvest, place the petals in a barely dampened tea towel. If stored in the refrigerator, the petals will keep for up to a week without wilting.
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INSTANT ROSE HONEY**
ROSE AND RASPBERRY SALAD
Whip this up after guests arrive, while the muffins are baking. Or serve with fresh buttermilk biscuits at breakfast.
This is an elegant yet simple salad to serve before a main course of salmon or other seafood, or as a simple, healthy lunch with your favorite crackers.
3 c. fresh rose petals ¾ c. honey
Put the rose petals in a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Empty into a dish, add the honey and mix well. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.
RASPBERRY ROSE YOGURT SALAD DRESSING ½ c. raspberry yogurt ½ t. food-grade rose water 2 t. milk or water 1 T. finely chopped fragrant rose petals Mixed salad greens
Blend the first four ingredients together and serve over the salad greens.
ROSE TEA SANDWICH Cut prepared angel food cake into half-inch thick slices. Spread softened cream cheese on each slice of cake. Next, layer half the slices with lots of rose petals—mixing colors if you have them. Press the halves together to make sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches into smaller shapes and serve with rose tea.
ROSE AND BLACK TEA 1 c. boiling water 1 tea bag of black tea 1 heaping T. fresh rose petals or 2 t. dried Honey to taste, optional
Pour the water over the tea and roses. Cover with a saucer and steep for 5 minutes. Sweeten with honey if desired.
CHILLED ROSE SOUP This is an elegant and easy dish for hot summer afternoons. Serve it with tiny cookies for dessert, or with miniature sandwiches at teatime. 4 c. fresh or frozen red raspberries, pureed in a blender 2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 c. plain yogurt 1 c. whipping cream ½ c. buttermilk 1 c. fresh, fragrant rose petals 1 t. rose syrup* 2 t. sugar Dash of cinnamon Rose petals and fresh mint, to garnish
Place the raspberry puree, lemon juice and yogurt in the blender and blend briefly. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again. Chill for at least an hour, or overnight. Serve in small, chilled glass bowls and top each with fresh rose petals and a sprig of mint. *Rose syrup can be found at liquor stores or Asian markets. ** Recipes courtesty of How to Eat a Rose, by Jim Long
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6–8 c. torn spring lettuces 1 c. fresh red raspberries ½ c. freshly picked fragrant rose petals ½ c. crumbled blue cheese 2 T. toasted sunflower seeds or local pecans Balsamic vinegar or rose vinegar, to taste
Arrange a helping of salad greens on each plate and top with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar or rose vinegar over each and serve.
ROSE SALAD VINEGAR Gather enough fragrant rose petals to fill a quart jar—pushing down a bit to fit plenty of petals in the jar. Be sure to snip off the bottom white tip of each petal if it tastes slightly bitter. Completely fill the jar with white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar—making sure all of the petals are covered. Cover the container with plastic wrap and set on the kitchen counter. Give the container a little shake or stir once each day for 4 days. On the 5th day, strain out the petals and discard them. To the liquid, add 1 level tablespoon of brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Store the vinegar in the refrigerator for up to a month. Use rose vinegar on any summer salad. It’s also good on grilled seafood.
SOURCES for antique roses Look for fragrant old rose varieties from sources below, as well as Jim’s book, How to Eat a Rose. Find out more at longcreekherbs.com. Additional sources for antique and heritage roses online at edibleaustin.com. Antique Rose Emporium 10000 FM 50, Brenham 979-836-5548 7561 E. Evans Rd., San Antonio 210-651-4565 antiqueroseemporium.com Austin Rose Society 512-837-0295 austinrosesociety.org Barton Springs Nursery 512-328-6655 bartonspringsnursery.net Great Outdoors 512-448-2992 gonursery.com
It’s A Jungle 907 Kramer Lane 512-837-1205 itsajungleaustin.com It’s About Thyme 11726 Manchaca 512-280-1192 itsaboutthyme.com Natural Gardener 512-288-6113 naturalgardener.com
Tech support B y A n d r ew Sm i l e y
A
t the 2011 TEDxAustin (an offshoot of TED, a global conference that invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to share insight and ideas about technology, entertainment and design), Sustainable Food Center (SFC) appeared with a live chicken, prominently featured as part of the display. Though comfortable and happy, the hen looked a mite odd amid the other, mostly high-tech, electronic, interactive exhibits featured in the Ideas Worth Spreading-themed event, but she helped convey the important message that SFC is not shy about mingling elements of healthy food and farms with today’s technology. And although several distribution challenges still exist within local food systems, SFC has been using this philosophy to meet them head-on. In 2007, along with forward-thinking collaborators at the Texas Department of State Health Services obesity prevention program, WebChronic Consulting, LLC and Naegelin Farms, SFC created Farm to Work. This workplace wellness and local food marketing initiative allows employees at work to place an order and pay online for a basket of fresh produce from a local farmer. The farmer harvests only the amount of produce that has been preordered and paid for, and delivers the goods during a scheduled weekly distribution time. The ordering, payment and administrative processes exist entirely online—helping maintain low overhead costs and resulting in high value for customers. The convenience of online ordering combined with workplace delivery makes choosing healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables easy. The website also provides opportunities for online communication and education with farm photos and stories, weekly basket contents listings and searchable recipe pages. SFC also leads the Farm to Cafeteria program, which allows farmers to sell to universities, hospitals, school districts and other institutions. The first version of the program relied on phone calls, faxes, emails and spreadsheets filled with clunky formulas. But our new Farm to Cafeteria web portal allows farmers to enter their wholesale product information and institutional buyers to browse available items and make purchases—all with the ease of Amazon.com and the style of Etsy.com. The online application also creates packing slips and invoices for the farmers to use to manage harvesting, packing and weekly deliveries. The built-in efficiencies of these two web-based tools allow each partner to concentrate on their strengths. SFC maintains relationships with farmers and builds relationships with new work sites and institutional customers, while using our administrative capacity to manage all the processing and payments to the farmers for both programs. Farmers can then focus on farming, while individual buyers through Farm to Work and commercial buyers in Farm to Cafeteria can spend more time ordering, cooking, serving and eating healthful, local food. More good news is that both online applications are available for use by other organizations to create or manage their own similar efforts. Technology can present much-needed solutions to many of the challenges facing our burgeoning local food movement. SFC is helping to lead the way. or more information about the Sustainable Food Center visit F sustainablefoodcenter.org. For more info on TED, visit ted.com.
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department of organic YOUTH
The Pastry Chef’s Daughter b y E l l a Spee r
such as a character scrapbook, posters for book reports and science fair projects. In fact, for third, fifth and sixth grades, I did my science fair projects on food—one on yeast and rising, one on the ratio of agar (a vegan substitute for gelatin) to water for producing the most successful bouncy ball and one on the ratio of vinegar to water for preserving cucumbers the longest. All these projects were inspired by Callie and my dad! One year, my friends and I were going roller-skating for my birthday party. My dad came to pick up all of my friends from school and brought with him his new peanut butter dessert. We each got to try it and loved it. Doing fun projects at my house with friends is unique, too—like making gingerbread cookies. We have various unusual ingredients on hand such as edible silver balls and glitter that give the cookies a professional touch. As my friend Kendall says, “The gingerbread cookies were so cool because of the interesting supplies Callie had. They looked like gingerbread models that should be walking down a runway!” It’s the little perqs like these that make being a pastry chef ’s daughter awesome. Because of Dad’s and Callie’s occupations, I have always been inspired to be a pastry chef when I grow up—it’s just what I’ve been raised around. I’ve always felt very privileged that my dad gives me the opportunity to help him in the kitchen, and I hope to someday be as talented and creative as he and Callie are. I love them so much and will cherish my time with them until I become a talented pastry chef myself. Well, a girl can dream, right? Photography by Jenna Noel
I
walk in the front door after school on Friday and smell something delicious. Even though my dad’s main titles are Executive Pastry Chef and Director of Culinary Operations at Uchi and Uchiko restaurants, the possibilities of the meals he might make at home are endless. For all I know, it could be anything from a big salad with delicious and hearty ingredients like lettuce from our garden and tender, wonderful chicken, to a fat, juicy, mouthwatering cheeseburger. Whatever it is, though, I know it will be delicious. Saturday morning I wake up to the smell of my stepmom, Callie Speer, making her famous homemade cinnamon rolls. As I run down the stairs, I notice my twoyear-old sister, Lucia, already stuffing her face with them. There’s always something cooking here at the Speer house. As a matter of fact, I can also smell Callie making a chocolate cake for our good friend Chef Zack Northcutt. There are many pros and cons to having pastry chefs for parents. For example, my dad works really weird hours, and I don’t see him as much as most of my friends see their dads. But I often get to go to work with him, and I have the honor of helping him with his desserts. I remember one time making mint gelatin for a meeting. The best part was when I saw the outcome and smelled the tasty aroma and knew “my name” was on it. With pastry chef parents, I also do a lot of things that most kids don’t. For instance, I get to go to restaurant soft openings (a preopening meal that’s usually invitation only), and I most definitely know my way around a restaurant kitchen. And because Callie often helps me with goodies like homemade lollipops for Valentine’s Day, or end-of-the-year cupcakes for the last day of school, I always have delicious treats for my classmates. She even helped me make a cake for one of my best friends! Also, because their jobs require a lot of creativity, it encourages me to be more creative with school projects
Ella Speer is a sixth grader. Her dad, Philip Speer, is executive pastry chef and director of culinary operations at Uchi, Uchiko and Uchi Houston. Her stepmom, Callie Speer, is the owner of Cakemix. Ella loves being a pastry chef’s daughter and couldn’t wish for anything more. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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T i p s y Te x a n
tiki Time B y D a v i d Al a n • p h o t o g r a p h y b y J e n n a N o e l
T
he Eastern Polynesianinspired tiki theme was a dominant aesthetic in American popular culture for decades. No doubt images come to mind of Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, mai tais and the eponymous torches. “Polynesian Pop” proliferated in the postwar years and is resurfacing again with the opening of elaborate tiki bars like Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco. In honor of this tiki renaissance, let’s prepare an ambrosial concoction, garnish it extravagantly and take a look inside the thatched-roof hut. The word tiki refers to the large, carved-wood figures created as religious or folk art in the Maori and Marquesan cultures. Co-opting the term, though, is as close as American tiki gets to referencing any actual culture. Although tiki draws on elements from many island and tropical locales, it’s not representative of any specific geographical place or culture, but rather a uniquely American cuisine and aesthetic. Tiki, after all, can happen anywhere—from a high school prom or college frat party to one of the Hollywood-glam tiki palaces of the 1940s. A grass skirt and a lot of imagination (and no small amount of rum) can take you on an exotic adventure. Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, a Texas native, opened his first Don the Beachcomber restaurant in Hollywood in 1934. The bamboo bar was an instant success, attracting Hollywood’s biggest stars. In a single stroke, Gantt—who would later legally change his name to Donn Beach—created not just the tiki cuisine, but also a design aesthetic that would sweep the nation. The location of Don’s was as significant as the chronological context. Tiki was a product of Hollywood—not just geographically, but also creatively—and the tropical decor was not reflective of any specific island cul-
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ture, but rather a pastiche of many of them. It was a tropical fantasy, where the drinks flowed as copiously and voluptuously as the island maidens in coconut bras. In the wake of the Depression and the atrocities of World War II, this paradise offered an easy escape. American soldiers in WWII experienced the allure of the Polynesian culture, and brought home their new affinity for all things tiki. As the story was told in such spectacles as South Pacific (the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on the book by James Michener, himself a veteran of the Pacific war), American curiosity about the tropics was virtually insatiable. In the postwar years, tiki popped up everywhere. Every major city had a tiki palace à la Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic’s, but it wasn’t limited to restaurants and bars. The aesthetic also crept into many aspects of American visual culture. The allure of the tropics enthralled Americans from coast to coast, allowing them to experience the exoticism of far-flung destinations without having to leave the comfort of home. By the time Hawaii became a tourism hot spot in the 1950s, colonizing Europeans had replaced much of the state’s indigenous artifacts and architecture with their own. Tourists who sought an aesthetic similar to what they’d seen in suburban tiki restaurants back home were sorely disappointed. So developers began importing “authentic” tiki artifacts from firms like Oceanic Arts, located in the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier, just a few miles from tiki’s spiritual homeland in Hollywood (and still in business crafting Polynesian artifacts for restaurants and theme parks). Even Central Texas fell prey to the tiki craze. Drivers heading east of Bastrop on Highway 71 may have noticed the Tahitian Village develop-
ment—a 1970s ode to Polynesian architecture. Closer to home was our own tiki restaurant, Lahala House (now Joe’s Crab Shack on Riverside), a partnership between Corpus Christi restaurateur Harry Porter and G. Jim Hasslocher of Jim’s Restaurants fame. Porter eventually sold his interest to Hasslocher, who renamed the restaurant Steak Island. The thatchedroof establishment billed itself as “Austin’s Most Exotic Restaurant,” and was built on the shores of Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake) at a time when there weren’t many businesses on the water. Though the Steak Island menu was more steak and seafood than pupu platter, the decor and sarong-wrapped waitresses were definitively tiki. It was considered fine dining by Austin standards of the time and was a favorite haunt of President Johnson when he visited Austin. Of course, you can’t talk about tiki without mentioning rum. Rum originated in the tropical destinations that the tiki aesthetic was meant to evoke, and at the time tiki culture was flourishing, aged rum was in abundance while whiskey was not. American whiskey production suffered from the dual blows of Prohibition and the war effort, while the distilleries in the Caribbean continued to produce aged rum. Most tiki drinks featured at least one type of rum, but sometimes many types were used—each adding its own nuance of flavor to the cocktail. Though rum is known as the spirit of choice for tiki drinks, it may come as a surprise that tiki drinks use every spirit in the bartender’s tool kit, and that not all tiki drinks are sweet and punch-like. The suffering bastard, for example, is made with bourbon and gin, and is a far cry from a piña colada.
MAKE YOUR SPIRITS LOCAL
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MAI TAI Arguably the most famous of the tiki cocktails, but one of the most misunderstood. Though proportions may vary and different rums may be used, the traditional mai tai is generally agreed to be comprised simply of aged rum, orange liqueur, lime juice and orgeat—a traditional almond syrup.
LEMO and p N DROP: S martin remium vod hake equal i glass ka ove pa with a r ice. S rts Paula’s sugare train in Texas PAULA L to a c d ’S ri m . hilled emon Lemo LEMON over ic n, 1 oz. pre ADE: Comb ine m e in a rocks ium vodka 1 oz. Paula glass a . Garn nd 2 oz. c ’s Texas lu ish w ith fre b soda sh min t.
1½ oz. aged rum ¾ oz. orgeat syrup ½ oz. Paula’s Texas Orange ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and an orchid (optional). EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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THE SNAIL In the Tiki era, cocktails often had long lists of ingredients—and many recipes were closely kept secrets. The snail takes this tradition to the extreme, with over a dozen ingredients that together make for a beguiling but well-balanced punch. 8 oz. Flor De Caña 4 Year Gold Rum 4 oz. Daron Calvados 2 oz. Cruzan Black Strap Rum 2 oz. St. George Aqua Perfecta Pear liqueur 2 oz. Cachaça 2 oz. Domaine de Canton 2 oz. Balcones Rumble 1¾ oz. Aperol ½ oz. Hum liqueur 2 oz. simple syrup 4 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice 2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice 6–8 oz. The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Own Decanter Bitters
FLOR DE PIÑA Though rum is the most frequently used base spirit in tiki cocktails, it is not a prerequisite. This cocktail features tequila as its base. 1½ oz. plata tequila ¾ oz. St. Germain Elderflower liqueur 1 oz. pineapple juice ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice ¼ oz. canela syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a tiki mug filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Try
GRAHAM’S TEXAS TEA &
TREATY OAK PLATINUM RUM Handcrafted in AUSTIN, TEXAS GRAHAM BARNES DISTILLING CO.
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Mix all ingredients in a large mixing cup and transfer to a porcelain snail (or similar tiki-ware) filled with large ice cubes and topped with crushed ice. Serve with colorful straws.
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Behind the vines
b y Te r ry T h o mp s o n - A n de r s o n
S
cott Roberts is proud to carry on the tradition of sustainable living that was begun by his ancestors who settled in the area now known as Driftwood in 1867. Ranchers and farmers by trade, they cared for the land and helped establish the small town named for the logjams of driftwood that piled up in the narrows of Onion Creek each year from early-spring floodwaters upstream. It was an annual annoyance, to be sure, but the floodwaters also carried and dumped copious amounts of fertile Hill Country soil over the rocky land downstream, and provided abundant driftwood for folks to salvage once the water had receded. Scott’s parents, Thurman and Hisako Roberts, purchased 500 acres of the original family land—on which Thurman had been born—in 1956. They farmed the land and sold their produce to nearby residents from a modest farm stand. Scott remembers that black-eyed peas were an essential crop to plant; if you had those, then people would come and they’d generally buy the other produce you had, too. 76
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Estate grapes with the Salt Lick Cellars beyond; opposite: vineyard manager Jay Knepp pours for guests; photography by Andy Sams
Salt Lick Cellars
In 1969, the Robertses decided to open a bare-bones barbecue place on the ranch, and the now-famous Salt Lick Barbecue was born. In the ensuing years, the Salt Lick grew, both in scope and reputation, and Scott eventually took over the operations of the restaurant and the family land. In 2006, the family made a joint decision to develop a large swath of the land for a new project. From the beginning, Scott has been dedicated to keeping the project agriculturally focused. He developed the multi-use master plan for the property, which will eventually include homes, parks, restaurants, community gardens, a winery and more—all with self-sustaining elements built in, like green construction restrictions and water conservation methods. Preceding the project’s groundbreaking by two years was the partial planting of the vineyards that play an important role in the overall project. In the process of determining which grape varietals to plant, soil samples from the vineyard land were sent to labs in California. Surprisingly, the
results showed that the soil was better suited for growing wine grapes than 90 percent of the soil in California’s wine-growing regions. After studying the history of grape growing in Texas, Scott and vineyard manager Jay Knepp made the decision to plant equal portions of five Mediterranean varietals: tempranillo, sangiovese, syrah, grenache and Mourvèdre. Today, the vines are flourishing and producing high-quality fruit. In the three years that the grapes have been harvested, Scott has sold the crops to various Texas wineries, and all have reported that the flavors were outstanding. Twenty more acres of vines will be planted in 2012, and even more thereafter, with the eventual goal of 65 total acres planted. A state-of-theart wine-production facility and a tasting room will be built on the highest elevation of the ranch to allow for the use of gravity in the production process. The entire project will eventually be 100 percent solar powered. Scott continues to work with other area wineries and agricultural enterprises to further the reputation of the Driftwood area—“The Napa Valley of Texas,” as he refers to it—as a mecca for wine and food lovers. One step in this direction is Salt Lick Cellars, a new wine bar with a rustic Hill Country feel that opened on Labor Day of 2010. After the grand opening, Scott immediately turned the operation over to his daughter, Maile. “It’s obvious she’s watching the bottom line closely and she’s got a good feel for business,” Scott says with a laugh. “She makes me pay when I come to have a glass of wine.” Within six to eight months, the daughter-dad team intends to have a large selection of Salt Lick Cellars wines produced from their estate grown grapes; for now, they currently offer two (not estate grown): BBQ Red and BBQ White—both of which are very good wines at an extremely affordable price point. Maile describes them simply as wines that “drink so easy.” The rest of the wine list, while not estate-grown, is comprised solely of Texas wines (see sidebar). Nestled within the pastoral walls of excavated and reused caliche and natural stones that snake the entire Roberts ranch, Salt Lick Cellars is a splendid place to sip a glass or share a bottle of good Texas wine amid beautiful Hill Country vistas. The wine bar also offers excellent cheeses
from Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin, as well as a tempting selection of locally produced Texas artisanal products for gift buying. Make Salt Lick Cellars the last stop on a tour of other Driftwood area wineries—Duchman Family Winery, Driftwood Estate Winery and Bell Springs Winery—for a day well spent in the Napa Valley of Texas. Salt Lick Cellars 18300-C FM 1826, Driftwood 512-829-4013 saltlickcellars.com
Sampling the Wines of Salt Lick Cellars Whites Duchman Family Winery Vermentino Flat Creek Estate pinot grigio Brennan Vineyards viognier Bell Springs Winery chardonnay Flat Creek Estate Buckin’ Horse White Brennan Vineyards Austin Street White ’09 Driftwood Estate Orange Muscat ’09 Reds Mandola Estate dry rosé McPherson Cellars sangiovese ’08, cabernet sauvignon ’08 and Tre Colore Brennan Vineyards Austin Street Red ’07 Bell Springs nebbiolo ’07 Flat Creek Estate Super Texan Tempranillo Fall Creek Vineyards merlot and Meritus Ed’s Smooth Red La Diosa Cellars stunningly refreshing sangria Dessert wine Award-winning Dotson-Cervantes Gotas de Oro ’08, one of the most outstanding of all Texas dessert wines
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La Casita de buen sabor By lucinda hutson
M
exican market and street-cart vendors use creativity and artistic displays to entice customers and draw attention to their fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, without piercing the skin of an unpeeled mango half, vendors will score the flesh in a crisscross pattern, turn the mango inside out and open it like a flower, or partially carve the peel from a whole cucumber to make it resemble leaves sprouting from an exotic blossom. They even make plastic cups look pretty—filling them with colorful chunks of ripe pineapple, oranges and jicama, then sprinkling the top with pomegranate seeds when in season. Wedges of juicy papaya and crimson watermelon also call to passersby. What gives these fruits and vegetables extra flavor and color? The ubiquitous dusting of chili powder (or a dousing with fiery red chili salsa), a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice and sprinkling of salt. In the produce sections of Central Texas grocery stores and Mexican markets you’ll find lively seasoned salts in shakers (Tajin and Trechas are the most popular brands) flavored with dried chilies, salt, chili powder and perhaps a bit of sugar and citric acid, which adds a mouth-puckering lime-like tartness. Chili-seasoned salts taste delicious sprinkled over summer fruits, veggies, salads, grilled meats, seafood and poultry—and don’t forget popcorn! Flavorful salts are especially tasty when used to rim margarita glasses and tropical fruit and tequila cocktails. Pique taste buds at once with sweet, salty, fruity and tart flavors. Imagine colorful prickly pear or mango margaritas with a chili-salt rim. Yum! A trip to Mexico with each sip! For a treat, pour icy shots of tequila blanco (keep the bottle in the freezer) accompanied with a platter of fresh summer fruits cut into wedges and chunks and sprinkled with chiliseasoned salt and lime juice. It’s easy and fun to make your own flavored salts; here’s what you’ll need: Kosher salt: large, flaky crystals adhere better to glasses and dissolve less easily than table salt. Kosher sea salt is also available. Or experiment with specialty salts like French fleur de sel, pink Hawaiian sea salt or other coarsely ground and flavored salts.
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Citric Acid: this crystalline compound looks like sparkling salt and is watersoluble. Extracted from citrus and acidic fruits, it’s sometimes called “sour salt” and is used in mouthpuckering candies. Its tartness adds flavor to homemade seasoning salts used to rim glasses, though you just need a pinch. Find it where pickling and canning supplies are sold, in Middle Eastern groceries and online. Citrus Zest: fresh lime, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine or a combination. Dried Chilies: try a mixture of dried red chilies for color and flavor, such as arbol, cayenne, ancho or guajillo, or add a pinch of fiery, dried habanero if you dare. Boost the flavor by quickly roasting them for a minute on each side on a hot comal (griddle), but take care not to burn them. Remove the seeds and stems, then grind the peppers coarsely in an electric spice or coffee grinder. Many spice companies also sell pure ground chili powders, but make certain they don’t already contain salt and other spices.
Master Recipe for Seasoned Salt Makes about 8 tablespoons I like to make a master blend of flavored salt, and from it, make several variations. Let this recipe inspire your own creations. In small increments, add more sugar, a pinch of citric acid, spices and other ingredients to your own taste. 4 T. Kosher salt 1½ t. freshly grated lime zest 1½ t. freshly grated orange zest 1 T. granulated or turbinado sugar ¼ t. citric acid
Using a mortar and pestle or the back of a wooden spoon, gently grind all the ingredients in a small bowl. Spread the salt out on a large plate to dry for several hours, stirring occasionally. If needed, place the salt in an oven heated to 200°, turn off the heat, allow to dry and then grind gently again. Store in a tightly sealed container.
Variations (from the Master Recipe) Spicy Mexican Seasoned Salt Freshly made, this beats commercial brands of chili-seasoned salt. Use it for rimming glasses or for topping popcorn, fresh fruit, salads and grilled meats. 4 T. Master Recipe 1–2 t. sugar ¼ t. citric acid 1 t. fine quality paprika ½ t. freshly ground arbol or cayenne chili 1 t. ground ancho chili
Combine the ingredients using the Master Recipe instructions.
Pink Peppercorn Citrus Salt I love this fragrant and zesty salt speckled with pink peppercorns and orange and lime zests. It’s gorgeous on ripe honeydew or cantaloupe, sprinkled on seafood or salads and as a rim for fruit-flavored cocktails. 1 T. Master Recipe 1 t. freshly ground pink peppercorns 1 t. sugar ¼ t. lime zest
Combine the ingredients using the Master Recipe instructions.
Hibiscus Flower and Orange Zest Salt Pretty and exotic, this purple-hued floral salt made with ground flor de jamaica (hibiscus calyx) is tart, tangy and delicious on drink rims or sprinkled over seafood and fruit salads. 1 T. Master Recipe 1 t. coarsely ground flor de jamaica ¼ t. sugar ½ t. orange zest ¹/8 t. citric acid
Combine the ingredients using the Master Recipe instructions.
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Capital Area Foodbank
Bull’s Eye on Hunger By John Turner
A
s the executive chef of Congress and Second Bar + Kitchen restaurants, a Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef award winner, a James Beard Foundation award nominee and a 2006 Iron Chef America contender, Chef David Bull is a busy man. In addition to opening two of the hottest new restaurants in downtown Austin recently, he’s also a committed father of five children with his wife, Fawn, and they both know the stresses and strains of juggling career and full family life. Chef Bull also understands the role food plays in the dynamics of a healthy family and in nourishing the development of children. On June 24th, he will demonstrate the power of food and that philosophy by preparing lunch for 80 children as part of Capital Area Food Bank’s Summer Food Service Program. Because one in four Texas children are now at risk for hunger, the food bank’s program fills the lunch gap created during the summer for thousands of kids who would normally receive reduced or free lunches throughout the school year. “As a father and chef, [I believe] it is unacceptable that children go hungry in our country today,” says Bull. “It’s hard for kids who go hungry to concentrate, develop and learn. This program steps in to feed children all summer long, and I’m excited the food bank offered me the opportunity to cook a tasty and nutritious lunch for them.” Bull will be preparing and cooking lunch at one of the Food Bank’s summer food sites in South Austin, the campus of El Buen Samaritano, a nonprofit organization. The program, which formally launches June 6th, will operate on 30 sites around town and is expected to serve 40,000 lunches over the course of the summer. There’s also a little twist to the lunch—one that Bull will summon his Iron Chef America experience to solve. He can spend only three dollars per child for ingredients—about the same amount the food bank is reimbursed by the Texas Department of Agriculture for each meal—and the lunches must still meet the nutritional guidelines for the program. “Finding the perfect balance of taste and texture is a discipline I strive for at home and in the restaurants,” says Bull. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of cooking a delicious and wholesome lunch for these children that meets the additional requirements. I may have to get my kids to be taste testers, though, before we serve the critics.” Chef Bull will be cooking lunch between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Any child under the age of 18 is welcome to participate. No registration is required. El Buen Samaritano is located at 7000 Woodhue Drive in Austin. For more information on the Summer Food Service Program, please visit austinfoodbank.org, or call 211 to locate the site nearest you.
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Back of the House
Franklin Barbecue by Marshall Wright
“I
t’ll be close, but we’ve got enough to feed the line for about two hours,” says Aaron Franklin, owner and pit master of Franklin Barbecue. “When it’s gone, it’s gone…until tomorrow, though.” Stop by Franklin Barbecue on any given morning and you’re likely to find a line of people a hundred or so deep, snaking down Branch Street, waiting in anticipation for Franklin to turn the lock and swing
open the door to the popular East Austin ’cue shack. And those lines aren’t without merit—in just under a year, the upstart trailer-cum-brick-and-mortar has been serving what some say is the best brisket in Central Texas to long lines every day of the week but Monday. What originally started as a ramshackle food trailer tucked away on the I-35 access road and surrounded by a chain-link fence has quickly become a bona fide foodie destination.
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Franklin got his start working with legendary barbecue icon Johnny Mueller and throwing countless backyard cookouts until he’d honed his chops enough to take it to the streets. It was then that he and his wife, Stacy, began quietly seducing barbecue aficionados with smoky, moist brisket, pork ribs and a beefy smoked sausage that immediately set the Central Texas barbecue circuit abuzz. “Hey, how y’all doing today?” Franklin asks the throngs of hungry people streaming in at opening time. “You want that lean or Fatty McFatterson?” With Franklin’s world-class food, and personality to match, it’s easy to see why folks are willing to stand in line for hours for a chance to score a few pounds of smoked meat. Previous page: a combo plate—lean and fatty brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, sausage and fixin’s. On the left: “Skinny” John Lewis, Franklin’s nighttime pit master, tends the smoker; the wood pile; employee Jennifer Tucker mixes up coleslaw; the line outside Franklin Barbecue. This page: Aaron Franklin behind the counter; another happy customer; sausage links on the smoker; slicing the meat. Next page: end of the line. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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seasonal muse
Very SuperstiTious b y c a r o l a n n s ay l e
Y
ou might think But seeing the quizzical farming is just a look on the customer’s simple matter of face, we hesitantly—and putting seeds into fertile with a little nervous soil, going on vacation laughter—guess at what and then returning to a we might have. splendid harvest—but We know that it’s fucome on; that would be tile, if not arrogant, to boringly predictable. To predict future produce keep things lively, or to because Mother Nature test our nerves, the Muse is listening. Such boastof the Unexpected, Othing might bring about Nest of the overzealous home-building bird erworldly and Unrelated a stern correction, like frequently dishes up not only calamitous weather episodes, but also plagues of stinkbugs or harlequin harlots, or a weather event such as human peculiarities and peccadilloes that don’t have much to do with February’s big freeze. It’s much wiser to ignore any progress or potenthe otherwise-purposeful growing of food. tial until the harvest is over, or, at the very least, knock on wood until For example, many years ago, a rift developed between two of our our knuckles are as calloused as our palms. workers—let’s call them “Jane” and “Martha.” Jane accused Martha of We’ve also learned a non-crop-related lesson over the years: creputting some sort of evil eye on her; Martha, of course, denied doing ate a T-shirt featuring a beloved pet chicken (Aunt Penny) or farm any such thing. Heated exchanges between the two took place in the cat (Tubby J. Tupelo), and, rather promptly, each will come down field, as if it were a turf war. with an abnormal “disease” and die. Although Tubby survived for Upping the ante, Martha summoned a friend from Nuevo Laredo another printing (with a halo added above his head), we now feawho proclaimed to me that it was actually Jane who was thinking maliture only dead chickens on our shirts. Might as well cut to the cious thoughts, and probably had an effigy of Martha at home studded chase, no? with toothpicks, needles and anything else sharp. This friend, apparently Furthermore, because we are truly in the organic vegetable business accomplished in determining black-magic behaviors on farms, didn’t (as opposed to the chicken or cat business), the lesson has taught us convince me, but the tension carried on from one harvest to the next. to take great care when it comes to using images of vegetables around The final blow came when Jane was convinced that Martha had here. Except for last year when we foolishly had the nerve to have a filled a bag of her personal belongings with trash. But when simitomato embroidered on our farm-stand staff’s shirts! Now we live in lar “trash” turned up all over Martha’s belongings, as well as in my fear that the tomatoes will all wither and rot! But because that was a own sun hat in the salad shed, it was obvious that the twig-and-leaf year ago (how long does a curse last?), and the tomatoes were featured curse was simply an overzealous home-building bird. We all got a good on only a small number of shirts that, hopefully, will wear out soon, laugh out of it, and after that, Jane and Martha surprisingly hatched a perhaps the main crops will survive. friendship—to my great relief. Gosh, I’m almost afraid to finish writing this article! Pet hen Tootie Ambiguous evil eyes and not-so-mysterious nests aside, we do harJ. Tootums wrote an article for Edible Austin last year and died in time bor what we’ve learned to be more prudent superstitions on the farm. to get an R.I.P. added to her bio. Fame is fleeting, they say—as is life. Almost weekly, we dance around a customer’s casual but tricky quesSo keep an eye out for one of our tomatoes—at the very end of the tion: “What produce will you have next month?” Thinking of everygrowing season—writing an article dripping in red juice. We’ll just thing that could go wrong with the crops, we usually borrow the deadeat the Cherokee Purple author before the issue comes out and get it pan answer of our farmer friend Gary Rowland: “Probably nothing.” over with! EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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From left: Kayla Washington, infant daughter, Holly Washington, Louise Washington with GCP crew
GreEn Corn Project
Tilling for Louise b y D av i d H u ebe l
K
ayla Washington's grandmother, Louise, has had a life-long love affair with growing, preparing and eating fresh vegetables, but she hasn't been able to plant or enjoy her own home garden for many years because of health issues. Luckily, Kayla knew about Green Corn Project (GCP)—a non-profit organization that specializes in installing food gardens for qualifying residents. She'd learned about GCP while working with Urban Roots during high school, and by volunteering in GCP garden installations, and had seen, firsthand, the life-changing effects of the work. Kayla knew her grandmother would be the perfect candidate for a GCP garden. Louise grew up in the Taylor-Luling area and remembers picking cotton on the Rundberg farm as a young girl. Her mother and grandmother grew up on a farm, as well, and they instilled in Louise deep, long-lasting agricultural ties. Throughout the Depression, Louise’s mother grew and raised everything the family needed—only venturing into town occasionally to get grain milled. And when asked about that challenging period of American history, she would simply answer that, “they never knew they were poor.” But the ability to grow and raise her own fresh produce had been missing in Louise’s life for some time, so when a team of Green Corn volunteers arrived at her house on a recent spring morning during the GCP’s garden dig-ins, Louise was so excited that she set a picnic table with flowers, cold water and donuts in their honor. Louise’s health didn’t allow her to help with the heavy digging work, but her daughter Holly, granddaughter Kayla and grandson Nate happily joined in. The chosen location for the new garden bed was close to the house, to make it easier for Louise to keep an eye on things and help with the watering. Volunteers loosened the grass and weeds, then double-dug the four-by-twelve bed—a labor-intensive method, but one that results in a low-maintenance garden. Then they spread two to three inches of compost and planted transplants and seeds for
tomatoes, squash, beans, cucumbers and several types of herbs. Even with limited mobility on her right side, Louise loves to cook and has her family over for dinner every Sunday. She even prepares food for her Tuesday-night Bible class and says she’s looking forward to all of these meals coming from her garden. For now, though, she’s enjoying going out every morning and watering the garden and absorbing what she refers to as “the healing powers” of putting your hands in the soil. “If my mother were alive today,” she says, “she’d be so proud of me.” The best part about working with GCP, of course, is meeting and talking to the gardeners, their families and the volunteers who donate a part of their weekends to help spread the joys and benefits that come from growing and harvesting a part of what we eat. or more information on Green Corn Project and to find out how to F register as a volunteer, visit greencornproject.org.
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eat wild
Preserving the Wild Harvest Pickles and Relishes b y a m y c r o we l l
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hen stumbling upon the mother lode of edible delights on a foraging hike, the instinct to gorge and hoard might kick in. Abundance is brief and rare in the wild, and there’s nothing wrong with indulging and collecting enough to store for later, as long as the plant can still regenerate once you’ve picked your share. Over the years, I’ve learned to stick plastic bags in my pockets when I set out on a walk or a bike ride, just in case I find the perfect patch of something delicious to eat. I also keep canning supplies at the ready in my kitchen, in case the bounty should need to be preserved. Think pickles and relishes— great ways to capture the tastes, textures and colors of your foraged finds. Pickling is the art of preserving foods in a vinegar or salt solution, and relishes are vegetables and fruits that are chopped, quickly cooked and pickled. Traditional brining often requires long, involved procedures in which fruits or veggies are covered with salt water and allowed to produce lactic acid for fermentation. The fresh-pack, vinegar-brine method of pickling is much quicker, requires less space and equipment and is perfect for preserving crunchy vegetables like cucumbers, green beans and okra. Wild vegetables that are good candidates for pickling include prickly pear pads, wild onion bulbs and bulbils (the tiny teardropshaped onions that appear like flowers on some species) and the thickest purslane stems. Green grapes with soft seeds are delicious pickled,
but their tangy, rhubarb-like taste is more suitable for sweet brines. Green grapes are also great for more forgiving relishes that allow you to blend interesting flavors and textures, as everything in a relish is chopped to roughly the same size. Add a few wild chile pequin peppers to a relish, and the hot dogs at your next cookout will be a spicy hit!
Pickled Prickly Pear Pads (say that ten times fast!) Makes roughly 4 quarts I first pickled prickly pear pads on a date. Even though the experience was more about getting to know the guy who pickled them with me, I did manage to learn a valuable thing: prickly pear pads are better left whole, or in large pieces, than sliced. Sliced pieces of the pads certainly work (and you will find sliced pads pickled and sold commercially), but the whole pads retain their texture better and release less “slime” or mucilaginous sap into the brine.
Hot (Hot, Hot) Pepper Relish Makes about 8 pints 50 Hungarian hot wax peppers 20 chile pequin peppers 2 c. plain mustard 2 c. white vinegar
3 c. sugar 1 T. salt 1 c. flour
Special equipment: 8 hot, sterilized pint-size jars with lids and bands Water bath canner or lidded pot large enough to hold 8 pint-size jars covered by at least an inch of water
First of all, decide whether you want hot pepper relish (remove the seeds from the Hungarian peppers) or hot, hot, hot pepper relish (leave the seeds!). Chop the peppers either by hand or using a food processor. Place the chopped peppers in a pot with the mustard, vinegar, sugar and salt and boil on medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the flour, ¼ cup at a time, stirring constantly. Place the relish in the jars, add the lids and rings and process in a hot water bath for 5 to 8 minutes.
40 young prickly pear pads 4 cloves garlic 4 sprigs dill (optional) 4 hot peppers (optional)
4 c. vinegar 4 c. water ½ c. salt
Special equipment: 4 sterilized quart-size jars with lids and bands Water bath canner or lidded pot large enough to hold 4 quart-size jars covered by at least an inch of water
Harvest young prickly pear pads with new leaf growth (tiny leaves, not spines, will be growing out of the areoles, or round openings, all over the surface of the pad). Scrape off all of the thorns with a knife. Because so many tiny thorns grow from the rounded edges of the pads, slice off the edges as well. Wash and cut the pads, if necessary, so they will fit into your jars. Put 1 clove of garlic, 1 sprig of dill and 1 hot pepper into each jar, then pack the jars full of the prickly pear pads—about 10 pads per jar. Pour the vinegar, water and salt into a pot, and boil until the salt dissolves. Fill the jars with the hot brine to about ½ inch from the top, place the lid and band onto the jar and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Let the pickles sit in a cool, dark place for 3 to 6 months, and they’ll taste even better! EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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Chez Nous
512-473-2413 cheznousaustin.com
Chiapas Farms
512-658-3836 chiapasfarms.com
Cipollina West Austin Bistro 512-477-5211 cipollina-austin.com
City of Austin Solid Waste Services 512-974-9727 austinrecycles.com
Community Renaissance Market 512-522-6161 communityrenaissancemarket.com
Cool Mint Cafe
512-396-2665 coolmintcafe.com
Dish a Licious
512-940-9662 dishalicious.com
Ditch the Box
512-415-0346 ditchthebox.com
Dripping Springs Vodka
512-858-1199 drippingspringsvodka.com
Earl Abel's
bountifulsprout.com
210-822-3358 earlabelssa.com
Breed & Co.
East End Wines
Bountiful Sprout
Barton Creek Farmers Market
cedarparkfarmersmarket.com
830-997-4937 littlechef.com
BookPeople
The Austin Wine Merchant
Cedar Park Farms to Market
Blue Note Bakery
512-926-4650 boggycreekfarm.com
866-427-8374 austinstreetretreat.com
512-385-3452 callahansgeneralstore.com
Der K端chen Laden
Boggy Creek Farm
Austin Street Retreat
Callahan's General Store
blancochamber.com 512-797-7367 bluenotebakery.com
512-495-9224 amoa.org
Please support these business that help bring you Edible Austin.
Engel Farms
830-889-3714 engelfarms.webs.com
Farm and Food Leadership Conference September 12-13 farmandranchfreedom.org
Farm to Market Grocery 512-462-7220 fm1718.com
Farmhouse Delivery
512-529-8569 farmhousedelivery.com
FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar 512-474-2905 finoaustin.com
Fonda San Miguel
512-459-4121 fondasanmiguel.com
For Goodness Sake 830-606-1900 4goodnesssake.net
Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest October 22 fbgfoodandwinefest.com
Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau 888-997-3600 fredtexflavors.com
Fredericksburg Farmers Market fbgfarmersmarket.com
Fredericksburg Grass Fed Beef
830-990-9353 fredericksburg-grassfed-beef.com
Graham's Texas Tea
grahamstexastea.com
Great Outdoors Nursery 512-448-2992 gonursery.com
512-474-6679 (Central) 512-328-3960 (Westlake) breedandco.com
512-904-9056 eastendwinesatx.com
Broken Arrow Ranch
800-962-4263 brokenarrowranch.com
512-524-0933 (East) 512-454-7437 (Airport) eastsidepies.com
Hail Merry
Brownwood Chamber of Commerce
Eastside Cafe
The Herb Bar
325-646-9535 visitbrownwood.com
512-476-5858 eastsidecafeaustin.com
512-444-6251 theherbbar.com
6701 Burnet Rd Market
Ecologique Design
The Highball
512-879-8565 6701burnetroadmarket.com
512-705-7864 ecologiquedesign.com
512-383-8309 thehighball.com
Cabernet Grill
Emma
Hill Country Lavender
830-990-5734 cottonginlodging.com EDIBLE EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM EDIBLEAUSTIN AUSTIN
East Side Pies
800-595-4401 myemma.com
Greenling Organic Delivery 512-440-8449 greenling.com
hailmerry.com
830-833-2294 hillcountrylavender.com
Imagine Lavender
830-966-5105 imaginelavender.com
INNU Salon
512-458-4668 innu.net
It's About Thyme
512-280-1192 itsaboutthyme.com
Jack Allen's Kitchen
512-852-8558 jackallenskitchen.com
Jeffrey's Restaurant and Bar 512-477-5584 jeffreysofaustin.com
Jody Horton Photography jodyhorton.com
Mr. Natural
512-916-9223 (South) 512-477-5228 (East) mrnatural-austin.com
The Natural Epicurean 512-476-2276 naturalepicurean.com
Natural Gardener
512-288-6113 naturalgardeneraustin.com
Navajo Grill
830-990-8289 navajogrill.com
Navidad Farms
512-288-1196 navidadfarms.com
New Braunfels Farm to Market nbfarmersmarket.com
Johnson's Backyard Garden 512-386-5273 jbgorganic.com
Kerbey Lane Cafe
Old Oaks Ranch
512-847-8784 theoldoaksranch.com
512-451-1436 (Central) 512-445-4451 (South) 512-258-7757 (Northwest) 512-477-5717 (UT) 512-899-1500 (Southwest) kerbeylanecafe.com
Onion Creek Kitchens
Kim the Dog Trainer
Organics by Gosh
512-796-5783 kimthedogtrainer.com
La Condesa
512-499-0300 lacondesaaustin.com
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 512-232-0100 wildflower.org
The Leaning Pear Café & Eatery 512-847-7327 leaningpear.com
Loncito’s Lamb 361-438-1289
Magnolia Cafe
830-833-0910 juniperhillsfarm.com
Organic Valley
organicvalley.coop
512-276-1211 organicsbygosh.com
Paula’s Texas Spirits 512-636-6389 paulastexasspirits.com
Peach Basket
800-701-9099 peachbasketonline.com
People’s Rx
512-219-9499 (Lakeline) 512-459-9090 (Central) 512-444-8866 (South) 512-327-8877 (Westlake) peoplesrx.com
Picture Your Health
512-330-0266 pictureyourhealth.com
512-478-8645 (West) 512-445-0000 (South) themagnoliacafe.com
The Purple Fig
Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop
Quintessential Chocolates
512-473-0222 mellowjohnnys.com
Mobile Chicken Coops
512-756-7537 mobilechickencoops.com
512-351-1405 cleanfig.com 800-842-3382 chocolat-tx.us
Red Corral Ranch
866-833-4801 redcorralranch.com
Reel Popcorn
Texas Performing Arts
River House Tea Room
Texas Quail Farms
512-280-7335 reelpopcornaustin.com
800-982-2386 texasperformingarts.org
830-608-0690 riverhousetearoom.com
Ronda's Montessori Garden 512-707-8635 rondasgarden.net
512-376-2072 texquail.com
Texas Food & Wine Gourmet
thetexasfoodandwinegourmet.com
Thai Fresh
Royal Blue Grocery
512-499-3993 (3rd & Lavaca) 512-476-5700 (4th & Nueces) 512-469-5888 (6th & Congress) royalbluegrocery.com
Salt Lick Cellars
512-494-6436 thai-fresh.com
Thom's Market
512-479-9800 thomsmarket.com
Thunder Heart Bison
512-829-4013 saltlickcellars.com
210-930-0841 thunderheartbison.com
San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau 800-447-3372 visitsanantonio.com
Tito's Vodka titosvodka.com
Torchy's Tacos
512-366-0537 (Trailer Park) 512-444-0300 (South) 512-514-0767 (William Cannon) 512-494-8226 (Campus) 512-291-7277 (North) 512-382-0823 (Burnet) 512-614-1832 (South Lamar) torchystacos.com
Sarah's Texas Pantry
512-642-5067 sarahstexaspantry.com
Spec's Liquors
specsonline.com
St-Germain
The Turtle Restaurant
stgermain.fr
325-646-8200 theturtlerestaurant.com
The Studio Kitchen
Twin County Dorpers
512-244-6496 thestudiokitchen.com
830-864-4717 twincountydorpers.com
Sustainable Food Center 512-236-0074 sfcfarmersmarket.org
Uptown Blanco
830-833-1579 uptownblanco.com
Tacos and Tequila
Wheatsville Food Co-op
512-436-8226 tntgrill.com
512-478-2667 wheatsville.coop
Takoba
Whole Foods Market
512-628-4466 takobarestaurant.com
Ten Thousand Villages
512-440-0440 austin.tenthousandvillages.com
Texas Casual Cottages
979-278-3015 texascasualcottages.com
512-476-1206 (Lamar) 512-345-5003 (Gateway) wholefoodsmarket.com
Wimberley Pie Co. 512-847-9462 wimberleypie.com
Wink Restaurant
512-482-8868 winkrestaurant.com
The Texas Hill Country: A Food and Wine Lover's Paradise
Woerner Feed & Garden Supply
shearerpub.com
830-997-2246 woernerfeed.com
Texas Olive Ranch
Zed's
877-461-4708 texasoliveranch.com
512-339-9337 zeds.bz EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM EDIBLE AUSTIN.COM
SUMMER 2011
89
Herman Miller Summer Picnic poster, 1970, designed by Steve Frykholm
art de terroir
Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller On view at the Austin Museum of Art 823 Congress Avenue June 4 – September 11, 2011
Cold War, Cold Cocktails Thursday, July 28 | 7 pm Join David Alan of Tipsy Texan for a midcentury-themed cocktail hour, as he discusses the popularity of home bartenders, barware, cocktail guides, and why vodka became the Cold War drink of choice. Tickets at www.amoa.org/coldwarcoldcocktails. Co-presented by Edible Austin.
Don’t Let Another Summer Go By!
Build Your Dream Home Now!
TexasCasualCottages.com
Call Today! 979.278.3015 Building your dream home is much easier than you think.
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