Edible Austin Heirloom 2017

No. 55 Nov/Dec | Heirloom 2017

Cel eb ra ti n g Cen tra l Texa s fo o d cu lt u re, sea so n by sea so n

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OUR PHILOSOPHY

THE STRUGGLE FOR REAL IS REAL We found there was a lot of garbage in most of the supplements on store shelves. Even the ones that seem healthy. From synthetic “nutrition” sources to leftover chemicals from the manufacturing process, fillers and additives – many brands aren’t actually as healthy as they appear. And there are brands that feature trendy but not proven ingredients, or maybe even smart ingredients but yet not in dosage amounts or blends that would be effective.

The thing is, you wouldn’t know it – so we are telling you. We exist to create a higher standard

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CONTENTS heirloom issue 8 notable MENTIONS 10 notable EDIBLES Siply, True Blue Tonic, Green Hen Farm.

14 COOKS at home

24

Kevin Russell.

22 PEOPLE

De J. Lozada.

26 edible TRIBUTE

30 cooking FRESH

42

An amiga’s amor for Miguel Ravago.

HEIRLOOM features

A gift of the house.

19 Black’s Barbecue 35 edible VINEYARDS

Newsom legacy comes to the Hill Country.

Four generations of barbecue pitmasters.

24 Pure Luck Farm & Dairy Raising kids in Dripping Springs.

48 The Directory

38 Chile con Queso How a Tex-Mex classic was born.

50 WHAT I EAT AND WHY

19

42 Heirloom Ice Cream

God save the pudding.

COVER: Black's Barbecue (page 19). Photography by Melanie Grizzel.

Handing down family recipes.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH

L

PUBLISHERS Marla Camp Jenna Northcutt

EDITOR Kim Lane

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR eaving someone or something you love is very hard to

Dawn Weston

do. And so it is with mixed emotions that I write my final

publisher's note to the readers of Edible Austin. With sadness, because I will miss all of you and the community I have come to know and love so well. With happiness, because I am confident that the future of this magazine and its mission is in good hands with Jenna Northcutt at the helm.

Edible Austin has been able to accomplish much in the past 10 years. Through storytelling and reporting, we have brought awareness to our local food providers—artisans, farmers and food-service heroes—

COPY EDITOR Anne Marie Hampshire

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Claire Cella, Dena Garcia, Cari Marshall, Michelle Moore

MARKETING SPECIALISTS Christine Andrews Rachel Davis

who are committed to local, sustainable food production. Through event production and social gatherings, we have brought our community together to help

DISTRIBUTION

raise awareness, support and money (approximately $400,000) for local food

Craig Fisher, Flying Fish

nonprofits such as the Sustainable Food Center, Urban Roots, Central Texas Food Bank and others. And we've been privileged to have a front row seat during a time of extraordinary growth in Austin's culinary scene.

None of this would have been possible without the support and contributions from you—our loyal readers, advertisers and sponsors—and our dedicated and talented team of staff and contributors. It has been a joy to work with all of you.

DIGITAL CONTENT COORDINATOR Darby Kendall

ADVISORY GROUP Terry Thompson-Anderson, Paula Angerstein, Dorsey Barger, Jim Hightower, Toni Tipton-Martin, Mary Sanger, Carol Ann Sayle

As any farmer trusting in crop, livestock and soil diversity will tell you, changing things up is a natural and healthy aspect of life on a farm. The same is

CONTACT US

true, I've found, with my life. Since entering my sixth decade, I have been feeling

Edible Austin 1411A Newning Ave., Austin, TX 78704 512-441-3971 info@edibleaustin.com edibleaustin.com

that changes are both necessary and enticing for me to instigate. I am looking forward to being an "empty nester"—free to find new challenges and creative outlets to help me move toward life goals and desires yet to be met. In reflection, my time spent publishing Edible Austin has changed me in so many valuable ways, from shopping and eating habits to providing the satisfaction of fulfilling responsibilities to those I have cared for. And I am sure that this magazine will continue to be a change-maker for all of us.

So what is ending for me is really all about new beginnings. While not as extreme as the dolphins leaving Earth for an alternate dimension as in Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series, I leave you not with a sad goodbye but a heartfelt 'so long and thanks for all the fish.' It's been a grand adventure for which I am deeply grateful.

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Edible Austin is published bimonthly by Edible Austin L.L.C. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. ©2017. 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.

notable MENTIONS CELEBRATING QUESO WITH THE HOMESICK TEXAN ON NOVEMBER 2 Join us at BookPeople on Thursday, November 2, to celebrate the release of Lisa Fain’s newest book, “Queso!” Fain is the beloved voice behind the food blog Homesick

Our 3rd & Lavaca store is bigger, better, and has even more of the great gourmet goods and necessities you want.

Texan, and we welcome her to BookPeople to talk about the regional spicy, cheesy, comforting staple we all can’t get enough of: queso. And of course, we’ll eat some, too, as we enjoy tastings of Kerbey Lane Cafe’s world-famous queso along with seasonal brews from Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Visit bookpeople.com for more information and to purchase a book in advance of the event.

GRAB & GO • STAPLES • WINE & BEER GOURMET DELI • CATERING • LUNCH SPECIALS 3RD & LAVACA • 4TH & NUECES • 6TH & CONGRESS • 3RD & BRAZOS • RAINEY STREET 6TH & COMAL • HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE DALLAS WWW.ROYALBLUEGROCERY.COM

NIGHT LIGHTS: A SEASONAL DELIGHT FOR THE SENSES Save the date for Friday, December 8, for Night Lights—the annual preview party that kicks off Austin’s favorite festive holiday event, the Trail of Lights. This year will again feature live music, makers and—like any event we help curate—delicious bites and beverages.

Among the Maker’s Market vendors will be handmade chocolates from The Turtle Enoteca, scrumptious mini macarons from Les Petits Plaisirs, copper goods hammered by Sertodo Copper and locally made jewelry from Vinca USA. Proceeds benefit the Trail of Lights Foundation and STARS at the Trail, a program that brings children, teens, families, seniors, veterans and others with unique circumstances to the Trail of Lights for a VIP experience. Visit austintrailoflights.org for more information.

GEORGETOWN TO HOST 2018 TOFGA CONFERENCE

fresh

rustic

i n t i m at e

Be sure to save the dates for the 2018 Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association (TOFGA) Conference, which moves to

DINNER TUESDAY-SUNDAY 5-10

Georgetown next year. Held at the Sheraton Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center

LUNCH TUESDAY-SATURDAY 11-2

February 3, the three-day conference educates producers and

BRUNCH SUNDAY 10:30-2:30

which hosts the conference, is the state’s leading voice in edu-

from Thursday, February 1 through Saturday, consumers on the many benefits of organic agriculture. TOFGA, cation and advocacy for local food, sustainable production and family farms in Texas. Visit tofga.org for more details as they

512.847.5700 JOBELLCAFE.COM 16920 RANCH ROAD 12 WIMBERLEY, TX 8

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become available.

TAKE A “WRITER’S TRIP” WITH MICHAEL POLLAN On Friday, February 2, the Long Center will welcome Michael Pollan to the stage to tell the story of his work, from the first garden he planted to the books he’s written about food, gardens, farms and engagement with the natural world. The talk, “One Writer’s Trip—From the Garden to the Plate and Beyond,” will include selected readings from Pollan’s previous books—which include “In Defense of Food” and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”—as well as a glimpse into a work in progress. Tickets start at $32. Visit thelongcenter.org for more information and to purchase yours.

TEXAS TECH TO TEACH THE TECHNIQUES OF LOCAL FOOD & WINE Texas Tech University has announced plans to offer an undergraduate degree specialization in Local Food & Wine Production Systems in the fall of 2018. The specialization will teach students about urban agriculture methods and subjects relevant to local, sustainable and organic food production in addition to the science and business of wine production. Students will also have opportunities to gain hands-on experience at Tech’s regional teaching site in Fredericksburg at the Hill Country University Center.

Classes in viticulture and sustainable fruit and nut production will begin in the spring of 2018. For more information about the program, contact Ed Hellman, professor of viticulture, at ed.hellman@ttu.edu.

LUMINATIONS IS BACK! Experience the warm glow of thousands of luminaries lighting up the grounds of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Luminations, an Austin holiday tradition, will be Wednesday, December 7 through Sunday, December 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. Enjoy the natural beauty of the grounds as they are cast into a veritable wonderland. There will also be free hot chocolate and taffy with admission. Food by Royal Fig Catering and drinks will be available for purchase. Visit wildflower.org, or call 512-232-0100, for more details and ticket information.

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notable EDIBLES GHEE FOR TWO

A

s a recruiter for the software industry, Raechel Kelley thrives

the picture for dairy-intolerant people like herself. The end result

in an orderly corporate world of projected growth charts and

is a soup-thick tea that’s healthier and more filling than the kind

market-testing reports. But as the owner of the tea company Siply, she’s flying by the seat of her pants. “I’ve taken the approach of running with it and figuring it out as I go,” she says.

that comes out of a tea kettle.

Since changing the company name to Siply in May, Kelley has shifted the business from ready-made tea to selling packages that

In a move that would make most marketing directors cringe,

customers can prepare at home. Her organic, fair-trade flavors

Kelley showed up at the SFC Farmers’ Market in Sunset Valley

include African honey, cream Earl Grey, Scottish caramel pu’er,

last February with little more than a batch of butter tea and

Nepali green and jasmine matcha. They’re all blended to mix with

not much else—no business plan, no projected earnings, no fo-

the jars of tea butter she makes with ghee, coconut oil, honey and

cus-group-tested name (she originally called it Sip Tea House).

pink salt—so no need for a yak.

Yet, the end results would have pleased any CEO: She soon devel-

Though Kelley hasn’t quit her day job, she’s grown Siply with

oped a loyal following of newly converted butter-tea enthusiasts.

a recent move to the SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown and a new

Butter tea was around long before paleo buffs started chugging

online store. Meanwhile, she’s expanded her own horizons with

butter coffee. The Tibetans created the best-known version of but-

tea sommelier training through the International Tea Masters As-

ter tea by stirring yak butter into their cups, which helped the fla-

sociation and a trip to northern India to pick up a few extra point-

vor without blocking out all the antioxidants that milk strips away.

ers from Tibetan butter-tea experts in exile. “Siply really feeds

A lifelong lover of tea (“It’s my comfort food,” she says), Kelley

my creative side,” she says. “I love my career in recruiting, but tea

took that recipe a step further by using milk from grassfed cows to

is definitely my passion.” —Steve Wilson

make ghee—the clarified butter rich in the fatty acids omega-3 and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that takes lactose and casein out of

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For more information, visit sipsiply.com or call 512-766-6031.

Fig & Cardamom

BY Max Hinojosa

martini

★ 3 oz. fig and cardamom infused

Tito’s Handmade Vodka ★ .5 oz. dry vermouth

Combine 2.5 oz. infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka with .25 oz. dry vermouth in a cocktail shaker. Shake hard, double strain (using a Hawthorne strainer and a 3” fine mesh bar strainer together), and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with half of a fresh fig or one of the “drunken” figs. fig and cardamom infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka: In a glass container with a tight lid, add a half cup of dried black Mission figs, 1 liter of Tito’s Handmade Vodka and 4 cardamom pods.

Store in a cool, dry area for at least 3 days (longer is better). Strain off the figs and return the infused vodka to the Tito’s bottle. Enjoy the leftover drunken figs!

Check out more recipes at TitosVodka.com

WHERE WILL YOU TAKE IT?

STEP RIGHT UP!

D

even Penn sells a cure-all tonic in old-style apothecary bottles to large outdoor crowds. In other words, he's an

old-timey tonic hawker and proud of it. “I just need a top hat and a soapbox to stand on,” he jokes. But instead of being run out of town like the con-men quacks of yore, Penn has built a growing and faithful clientele who keep coming back for his immune-boosting True Blue Tonic. “When you feel yourself coming down with something, take three shots a day and your body realizes this is the real deal,” the karate instructor says in a decidedly non-salesy voice. He notes that in his experience if you’re already getting sick, the tonic can make your infection less severe and also help prevent it from rolling into additional infections.

Working with young children back when Penn taught school wrecked his immune system to the point that he developed a bacterial strep infection in his heart and wound up in the hospital for a week. He attributes his recovery, in part, to a recipe a friend found, which by some accounts dates as far back as the Middle Ages. After some tweaking, he shared the blend with friends, and the response was so positive that he started selling it in 2-ounce, 8-ounce and 16-ounce bottles at the Texas Farmers Markets at both Mueller and Lakeline. Eventually, stores such as Thom’s Market and Peoples Rx picked it up, too.

Instagram: #abgbcrowler | theabgb.com

In his industrial kitchen space, Penn ferments a blend of garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, habanero, turmeric, oregano and kombucha for two weeks, producing an elixir that’s part spicy, part bitter, part sour and all memorable. “Most people learn to love the flavor,” says Penn. The tonic has the consistency of vinegar and works the same taken straight or mixed with something to help it go down.

In the past, versions of this concoction were called Fire Cider, Master Tonic and Super Tonic. Penn himself couldn’t land the trademark for “True Tonic,” which he’d used in the first two years of business, so he inserted the “Blue.” A newcomer to running his own business, he’s had to wing it like that, but he believes in his product so much that it’s worth it to him. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for this stuff,” he says. —Steve Wilson For more information, visit dchikitchens.com or call 512-431-8223.

Wine Tasting ~ Bistro Wine Club ~ Private Events Holiday Shipping Hours: Monday - Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday, Noon – 6 p.m.

Last wine tasting, 30 min before closing.

www.beckervineyards.com 830-644-2681 Directions: 11 miles east of Fredericksburg, 3 miles west of Stonewall, off US Hwy 290 at Jenschke Lane.

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CODDLED EGGS

W

hich came first, the chicken or the industrialized egg supply chain that hauls around weeks-old, non-organic product?

To get better eggs, you’ve either got to get to the farmers market before they sell out or raise your own poultry. But now there’s one more option: fresh eggs brought straight to your door by Green Hen Farm.

Owners Liz and Alvaro Mejia deliver their eggs (two dozen minimum) straight to customers who can’t make it to their stand at the Texas Farmers Market at Mueller. “You can have eggs in your house one or two days max after they’ve been laid,” says Alvaro. “You can see by the yolk that it’s a huge difference.”

Home delivery isn’t the farm’s only innovation. When Liz and Alvaro drew on their childhood experiences on farms to launch Green Hen this past January, they took pains to go easy on their feathered partners. They bought hundreds of Rhode Island Reds almost as soon as they’d hatched to ensure they’d be raised humanely from the start. The couple fusses over how to get their free-ranging hens more shade and water on their 100 acres in Goldthwaite, Texas, and they make their own feed from scratch—blending organic, non-GMO corn, soy and alfalfa from nearby farms. They also use vitamins, minerals and herbs instead of antibiotics to keep the chickens healthy, protect them with a complement of guard dogs and give their eggs the star treatment by stamping the company logo on each one. “We want to give the hens a good life,” says Alvaro.

Almost immediately after the hens started producing full time in the summer, delis and bakeries, such as Baguette et Chocolat

When you join the Y, you’re committing to more than simply becoming healthier. You are supporting cultivation of community and creating opportunities for all to grow and thrive.

an eye toward growing their own feed ingredients in the future.

The YMCA of Austin has brought gardens and nature into our branches to educate and involve the community in contributing to environmental sustainability and to promote healthy and active lifestyles by reconnecting individuals to the food they eat and grow.

Meanwhile, they aim to keep the operation sustainable by turning

For more than a workout. For a better us.

in Bee Cave, came knocking. The couple plans to offer their supply to more restaurants as they expand their ranging area with

chicken waste into compost and using recyclable egg containers.

“We spend a lot of time on all the little details to make sure it’s a full circle,” says Liz. —Steve Wilson

LEARN MORE & JOIN TODAY AT AUSTINYMCA.ORG

Find out more at greenhenfarm.com or call 512-956-4671.

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COOKS at home

KEVIN RUSSELL

BY DA N H A R D I C K • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY M E L A N I E G R I Z Z E L

K

evin Russell might just be one of the best frontmen in

Eventually, Russell found a crawfish pie recipe and tried it. His

America today. We’re a little light on frontmen these days,

first attempt was just good enough that he continued to search

too (2016 took Prince and David Bowie; 2017 took Chuck

for other crawfish pie recipes until he landed on the one he uses

Berry and Tom Petty). I hear David Lee Roth gave up his para-

today, which is a combination of actual recipes and Russell’s own

medic job a few years back to beef with Eddie on the road, but

cooking experience.

I missed it. I do, however, cross paths with the inestimable Rus-

Pie mystery solved, Russell made the dish many years in a row

sell—known musically as Shinyribs—on occasion, and he always

for the annual New Year’s Eve party he used to throw for friends.

brings down the house. You get the feeling that bras are being

Eventually, however, the party became too large. “Complete

unhooked as minds are being unhinged. Musically and artistically,

strangers would come up to me and ask me to take a picture with

that’s a really nice place to be.

them,” he says, “and I would think: ‘Wait…no, that’s not what this

In person, Russell appears joyful and sated. Even his stage

is about.’” Then, about four years ago, one of Russell’s friends got

name derives from a plate of barbecue he once gave a homeless

married on New Year’s Day and Shinyribs played the wedding. It

woman. Russell says that food was important in his family, and

provided an easy excuse to put an end to the big New Year’s party

as a growing boy, he was always enthusiastically encouraged by

at the Russell house.

relatives to eat. “Oh, you eat so good!” they’d say. “Hey! I’m good at this!” Russell thought. “I’m a good eater!”

Nowadays, New Year’s is more of a low-key affair, but crawfish pie is still a fixture. Russell is completely at home in the kitchen

All that good eatin’ started in East Texas, where Russell spent

where he’s spent the last couple of decades as family chef for his

part of his childhood—first in Beaumont, then in Shreveport,

wife, Robin, and their kids Guthrie (19), Lilly (17) and Harlan (12).

where he finished out his school career and entered into the rich-

“I care more about food than my wife does,” he says. “And she

ly rewarding world of entertainment. Growing up near Cajun

works, and I have time to cook…and I like to cook.”

country, Russell always felt he had a good handle on Cajun cui-

Today, Russell is standing behind the long counter that sepa-

sine, but one dish managed to evade his palate and plate through-

rates his spacious kitchen from the living room—a pleasantly open

out his childhood and early adult years. The dish in question is

floor plan that is as accommodating as the host, who is, at this mo-

mentioned in the classic Hank Williams song “Jambalaya.”

ment, cooking in a green suit emblazoned with marijuana leaves that he bought at a store in New Orleans called Soul Train. It’s

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filé gumbo…

stage-wear, of course; Russell’s just returned from playing a gig in Cedar Park—a grand opening for a new Whole Foods Market,

Russell was well familiar with the rib-sticking Cajun staple

which is a fitting entrée to an afternoon spent whipping up some

jambalaya, and had even tried filé gumbo a few times, but found

delicious crawfish pie. “I love eating these as is,” Russell says, as he

filé (a seasoning or thickening agent made from sassafras) not to

plucks some precooked Louisiana crawfish meat from the simmer-

his liking. Crawfish pie, however, was still a mystery. He’d caught

ing mirepoix. “They’re fully cooked and yummy…like Cajun meat

plenty of crawfish growing up, and he’d eaten plenty more, but

candy.”

he’d never experienced a crawfish pie.

As the pie finishes baking, Russell gets a bit reflective. “I’m not

“I asked people…I asked my parents, grandparents…people…

saying I had anything to do with it,” he says, “but in the last few

nobody had ever had it! Nobody knew what it was!” Russell says.

years, crawfish pie has been showing up everywhere. Or maybe

“I began to wonder if it was real or if Hank Williams had made it

I’m just more aware of it.” Then he pauses for a moment to con-

up, you know? So when I got old enough and started cooking, I set

sider and says, “You know…I do get around. Maybe I had some-

about finding recipes in old cookbooks and various places.”

thing to do with it.”

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KEVIN RUSSELL’S “SON OF A GUN WE’LL HAVE BIG FUN” NEW YEAR’S CRAWFISH PIE

Thanks for reading!

As a thank you this holiday we’re giving away this amazing package that includes a YETI cooler and a 44 Farms Prime Rib.

Enter the Giveaway Now! edibleaustin.com/giveaway Winners will be choosen on December 15

16

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Makes 1 double-crust pie

½ stick butter 1 onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced ½ c. chopped celery Salt and pepper, to taste Cayenne, to taste 2 T. paprika 1 lb. cooked crawfish tail meat 1–2 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning 2 T. flour 1 c. water ½ c. chopped tomatoes (optional) 2 piecrusts (homemade or store-bought) 1 beaten egg Method courtesy of Kevin Russell: “Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Melt the butter in your pan. Add your onions, peppers and celery. Cook those ’til they’re looking nice and smelling good. Hit ’em with a little salt and pepper and the cayenne and paprika. Put your crawfish tails in a bowl and hit ’em with some Chachere’s. Mix it up good. Season to your taste. Throw those tails in your pan and cook ’em a few minutes.

Now, if you have a lot of liquid in there, just add the flour to it and stir it up. If it’s dry, then make a slurry with that water. Stir the flour into the water and then pour it in the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer/stir it up until it thickens. Add the tomatoes and stir. Spoon the mixture into your piecrust. Put the top crust on. You might need to trim it so it looks the way you want. Then brush the whole crust with the egg.

Cook for 30 to 45 minutes until it’s golden and bubbly. Let it cool for 15 minutes. Enjoy. Send me a picture to facebook.com/shinyribs.”

REAL FARMERS WHO MAKE

REAL WINE

Vineyard manager Jake Terrell and his dog, Willie.

From our farm to your table.

Authentic Sonoma wines, handcrafted from 100% Sonoma County grapes.

©2016 Kobrand Corporation, Purchase, NY www.kobrandwineandspirits.com

edible ENDEAVOR

BLACK’S BARBECUE

BY C L AU D I A A L A RC Ó N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY M E L A N I E G R I Z Z E L

Barrett Black at the original Black's Barbecue location in Lockhart.

C

entral Texas is home to many barbecue dynasties, and

the offer, went to a friend who had a building in Lockhart, and

Lockhart’s Black family is among the most famous. Of

on a handshake agreement, opened a meat market and grocery

course, their story isn’t one without obstacles: their icon-

store, instead. This is how Black got into the barbecue business—

ic smokehouse and restaurant started almost by chance, and at one point, was threatened (although a bit indirectly) by the Houston oil industry.

through a somewhat side-door approach.

“Refrigeration during the 1930s consisted of purchasing fifty-pound blocks of ice from the local ice plant,” explains

The Black’s history in the annals of meat-smoking dates back

great-grandson Barrett Black, a fourth-generation member of the

to the late 1920s just outside of Lockhart, where Edgar Black Sr.

family who now runs the business. “When the meat [in the market]

owned a few head of cattle. The Great Depression was hitting him

started to turn, they would either make sausage or smoke the meats

hard, so when the federal government came calling and offered

to get a little more shelf life out of them. Barbecue in those days

$1 for each cow, he considered taking it. But when he found out

was very inconsistent, because the cuts of meats varied from day to

the cattle were to be shot on-site and left to rot, he turned down

day, as did the recipe for the sausage.” Edgar Sr. got a lot of practice EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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(Left) 1988 family photo hanging at the Lockhart location: Edgar Jr., Norma Jean, Barrett and Kent. (Right) Sampling of Black's smoked meats. making barbecue, thanks to the short life of ice in Texas heat.

ing various recipes until she landed on what we still serve now.”

Edgar Jr. eventually felt the pull of the family business, too.

Currently, Barrett’s father Kent is the pitmaster. Like Edgar Jr.,

“After serving in the U.S. Navy, marrying my grandmother Nor-

Kent still uses locally sourced and aged post oak wood and pre-

ma Jean and graduating from Texas A&M, my grandfather, Edgar

mium cuts of meat, including certified Angus briskets. “We have

Jr., was offered a job at Exxon in Houston,” Barrett says. “[Edgar

the responsibility and privilege to carry on the family traditions,”

Sr.] talked him into coming back to Lockhart…for just a couple

says Barrett. “We’ve been given many amazing gifts from the gen-

weeks…to help run the businesses so he could have a little time

erations in the form of recipes and cooking techniques, and an

off. Those two weeks turned into sixty-five years.”

outlook on life. We’d see it as a waste and act of selfishness to not

Edgar Jr. made some important changes to the business—he

try to share what we’ve been given.”

was one of the first purveyors in the country to begin smoking

Barrett just celebrated his ninth year working in the family busi-

and selling specific cuts of meats—namely brisket—instead of

ness, with accomplishments that include a website that allows the

just whatever the meat market had available. “He also standard-

company to ship barbecue to all 50 states, and a recent trip to

ized our handmade sausage recipe that we still use today, which

Amsterdam where he was invited to teach Texas barbecue tech-

contains trimmings from our briskets with a touch of pork,” says

niques. He’s also overseen expansion to locations in Austin and San

Barrett. “I always remember him telling me, ‘If the meat’s not

Marcos, and is about to close a deal on a fourth location. But he’s

good enough to sell at the meat market, then it’s not good enough

quick to give credit where credit is due. “My grandparents built

to put in our sausage.’”

Black’s Barbecue into what it is today,” he says. “They worked side

Another important early decision was to desegregate the din-

by side for sixty-five years…and still liked each other! They had

ing room. Barrett says that many asked, “Where are the [black

a passion for barbecue and a dedication to the craft way before

people] going to sit?” To which his grandparents would respond,

barbecue was cool. Their hard work, dedication and struggle are

“Wherever the hell they want.”

the only reasons the original Black’s Barbecue is where it is today.”

“Through [involvement in] the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce

“Some folks call and ask if they should come to our Austin

and Kiwanis Club, my grandfather leveraged his influence there

location or go to Lockhart,” Barrett continues. “We always en-

to help desegregate the local Little League, schools and swim-

courage people to go to Lockhart. The barbecue is the same, but

ming pools” as well, says Barrett.

how often do you have the chance to walk on the floors of four

Norma Jean also made important changes. She’s credited with

generations of pitmasters and eighty-five years of satisfied guests?

developing the sides, which were slowly introduced to the menu,

We have so much history in Lockhart that you can only fully

as well as the barbecue sauce that now bears her name. Black’s

experience by making the trip.”

didn’t offer sauce with their meats for the first 40 years, but Barrett says his grandmother came up with the recipe after “many folks

Find out more at blacksbbq.com or call 512-524-0801 (Austin) or

from up north started asking for sauce. She spent over a year test-

512-398-2712 (Lockhart).

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Meticulously crafted of the highest quality.

Every time.

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

HEIRLOOM 2017

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PEOPLE

DE J. LOZADA

BY ST EV E W I LSO N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY A N DY SA M S

W

hen artistic inspiration strikes, some write, some paint,

that followed, Lozada left small-town North Carolina for college

some perform. De J. Lozada makes popcorn. Nothing

and graduate school; served as a public affairs officer for the U.S.

less than the muse of kernels struck Lozada when she

Department of Defense in Germany; started her own communi-

dreamed up and perfected nearly all 14 of the unique varieties for

cations company in Colorado; and worked in education advocacy

her company, Soul Popped, in the course of a single week. They

with a state agency in Austin. Then she got divorced, and after

came to her in a series of flashes—flavors unlike anything else

that, her switch to a new job with a different state agency didn’t

on the popcorn aisle: chicken ’n waffles, nana (banana) pudding,

work out. She found herself without a job and wondering how she

sweet potato soufflé, Auntie’s best pecan pie, red velvet cake, but-

could pay her mortgage, let alone college tuition for her two sons.

tered corn off the cob and others.

In the midst of a long cry about it all, a voice in her head told her,

As she pulls out samples in a conference room at Soul Popped’s

“Get up and go make your popcorn.”

marketing firm, she lists their flavor profiles like a wine sommelier.

Rather than rationalize the voice away, she took its advice.

Big Momma’s fried chicken: “This one is important to smell before

She’d always made her own popcorn (“None of that microwave-

tasting,” she says. Austin smoke BBQ: “You get a tangy smoky in

able stuff!”), but using the soul-food ingredients she’d been raised

the front end, and on the back end you get a sweet and spicy.”

on took things to a whole new level. “Soul food is about putting

Chicken ’n waffles: “The maple syrup sneaks up on you.” Choco-

part of you into the food, and that's what makes this popcorn

late-covered strawberries: “It tastes like Cap’n Crunch.”

what it is,” she says. “I don’t go into my kitchen if I’m not in a

Lozada is proprietary about how she gets the flavors just right

good space spiritually. It comes out in the food. You can taste it.”

(“All I’ll say is a European-grade dehydrator’s involved”), but she

Within a few months of rolling out Soul Popped at the Texas

makes no secret that the ingredients come from real, preserva-

Farmers Markets at Lakeline and Mueller last September, Lozada

tive-free, organic-when-possible food—not chemicals. Everything

got calls of interest from Walmart, Williams Sonoma and—even

tastes about as close as you can get to an actual soul-food dish,

more unexpectedly—musicians Snoop Dogg, Grandmaster Flash

minus many of the health risks. That’s a real boon for health-con-

and 2 Chainz. Not long after that, Soul Popped became the young-

scious, soul-food aficionados like Lozada, who only cooks the

est company invited to join the SKU consumer product training

decadent stuff on Thanksgiving and Christmas. “I never wanted

program. And soon, Soul Popped will be selling on Amazon,

my kids eating the bad things usually associated with soul food…

with a logo update from a classic soul sister to a gender-neutral

‘the more lard, the better’ mentality.” She waves a napkin that’s

soul person (but just as bad-ass).

just held a pile of heavenly macaroni & cheese popcorn. Not a

Next up, Lozada plans to bring Soul Popped to grocery stores,

trace of grease. “Soul Popped proves that there’s a healthier way

and hire staff so that she doesn’t have to rely on friends and family

to experience soul food,” she says.

volunteering their time. Still an advocate for education, she also

Lozada learned the ways of soul food from her grandmother,

wants to use some of her company’s proceeds to set up a schol-

who took her in after she wound up homeless for a few months

arship program for students. She’s the first to admit that this is

in middle school when her parents were no longer in the pic-

all uncharted territory for someone who’s never even worked in

ture. It’s a stretch to say her grandmother taught her how to cook

a restaurant, but she’s up for the challenge. “It cracks me up to

(“When Big Momma’s in the kitchen, you don’t go in the kitchen,”

think I had this in me and I didn’t know it.”

says Lozada), but she picked up a lot by watching. In the years

Find out more at soulpopped.com or call 512-765-4784.

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FARMERS diary

PURE LUCK FARM & DAIRY

BY M AY K . C O B B • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY PAU L I N E ST EV E N S

P

ulling into the drive of Pure Luck Farm & Dairy on the

family already had goats, and they would go to Mexico and bring

western edge of Dripping Springs, you’re greeted by the

their goats over for us to take care of. And she just knew she need-

sights and sounds of bucolic farm life: gentle breezes

ed goats.” Amelia’s mom began making cheese and yogurt from

combing through the ancient oaks that shade the farm’s 50 acres,

the fresh goat milk and eventually decided to open a commercial

pumpkin-colored chickens clucking in the fenced-in yard around

dairy. Pure Luck claims to be one of the first farms in Texas to be

the family’s home—and in the distance, the tinkling of a bell,

certified organic.

which adorns one of the many goats, chiming through the air. The

After traveling in Mexico and working in Austin, Amelia re-

farm, which produces artisanal goat cheese and organic culinary

turned to Pure Luck to help her mom with cheese making. “In

herbs, is presently closed to the public, but Amelia Sweethardt,

some ways, I never left,” she says. “[Mom] taught me to make

who owns the farm with her family, has offered a private tour. She

cheese and we had so much fun. At that time, the business was on

greets me on the porch of the cheery yellow bungalow she shares

a steady growth path and it was very natural for me to do produc-

with her husband, Ben, and their two children.

tion. I like to think I was an asset for her.”

Amelia grew up across the road on the farm’s original 11 acres

Stepping into the pasture on our tour, Amelia calls out to the

where the herbs are currently grown. Her mother, Sara, who

goats by name as if they’re family. “They still think of me as the

passed away in 2005, bought the original land that borders Bar-

mother,” she says. “They trust us, and that’s one of the reasons

ton Creek in 1979 as a place to raise her daughters. “When Mom

why we bottle-feed them. They imprint early, and I tried to hold

bought the place,” Amelia explains, “it already had a big orchard

them as much as possible.” Amelia notes that the kids have their

and a garden. She got goats a year or two later. Some friends of the

own separate area, because “they are just growing up, and it’s just

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fair that they have their own space. And when they do join the

“Best place to cure what ails you.”

herd, they already have solid relationships so they will take care

SATURDAY NATURAL TALKS

of each other…as much as a goat takes care of anybody else,” she

10:30 AM—ALWAYS FREE! ALWAYS EMPOWERING!

adds with a laugh. “They are so selfish.”

As we continue, Amelia shares that there’s really no “typical” workday on the farm, but that Mondays often look like this: “I get up at four twenty-five,” she says. “I get dressed, make coffee and wake up. I get my headlamp on and head to the barn at five.

Morning milking begins at five. I’m done milking by six thirty and I clean up and feed the other animals. I come back to the house and see my kids before school. My sister Claire comes to work and we clean the barn and flip the compost; we compost all of the goat’s waste for the herb farm. I get cleaned up and go to my office

VISIT US 200 WEST MARY ST. AUSTIN

512-444-6251 THEHERBBAR.COM •

[another house on the property] and work on the spreadsheet for deliveries, which are on Tuesdays. I might milk again at four.”

I spy a cute blue house off in the distance with a huge screenedin porch and ask about it. “We plan to open up a cheese shop and sell fresh vegetables and flowers. This will allow for the public to come out and visit the farm,” she explains. “It gives us a way to host people simply but comfortably. It’s been a couple of years in the works and we are about to take the leap and get it ready to open, I hope, by next spring.” Husband Ben later adds that he also sees the blue house as a hub for connecting with customers who

Pasta & Co

buy their product. “It’ll be a landing pad for tours so we can start and end there,” he says. “And we’ll also have a dedicated workshop space for cheese making.”

Amelia, sister Claire, Ben and two additional employees run

3502 Kerbey Lane

512-453-0633

www.austinpasta.com

authentic | creative | contemporary

the farm. “I handle the deliveries,” Ben explains. “I also do the farmers markets every Saturday and Sunday and fix anything onP&C edible austin ad REV_F 092315.indd

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the farm that breaks—basically, all the plumbing, the electrical and moving things around. For instance, today I’m unloading about 20 tons of alfalfa as it comes in. I don’t have a title…it’s just ‘Anything That Comes Up.’” “I love the land and being out here,” Amelia says. “It’s a kind of study…how to know more about what we are actually doing with the goats. We make good milk, [but] what’s actually in the milk?

It’s a luxury getting to geek out on this stuff, because it ups my chances of getting to do it forever.”

Find out more at purelucktexas.com or call 512-917-2803.

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HEIRLOOM 2017

25

edible TRIBUTE SAN MIGUELITO On gilded wings you fly hovering gently in the sky just long enough to sprinkle our sorrow with comfort y amor ¡QUE EN PAZ DESCANSE! R.I.P.

AN AMIGA’S AMOR FOR MIGUEL RAVAGO

BY LU C I N DA H U TSO N

hen loved ones pass away, they

W

Miguel and Fonda San Miguel

leave us with so many ques-

co-founder Tom Gilliland met while work-

tions we forgot to ask and

ing at the Texas House of Representatives

stories we wish we could hear again and

in the 1960s. This perhaps unlikely pair

again. Having known Miguel Ravago—be-

of visionaries—a dashing, dark-skinned

loved chef at Austin’s Fonda San Miguel

Latino from Arizona and an inquisitive

restaurant for nearly 45 years—I might

Scot-Irish Nebraskan—became partners

mix up recollections of the countless

and soon began traveling throughout

times, travels and meals we shared, the

Mexico. Miguel’s abuelita, Guadalupe

laughter and the tears. I might acciden-

Velasquez, native to Mexico’s northern

tally omit details of memories, or even

state of Sonora, had helped raise Miguel

spice them up a bit. But Miguel’s smil-

in Phoenix—teaching him to speak

ing face, generosity, genteel manners

Spanish fluently and sharing her culinary

and exquisite grace will always remain

magic. This made Miguel a perfect guide

crystal clear in my mind. At age 72,

on the many Mexican sojourns with

Miguel lost his battle with lung cancer.

Tom—enabling them to experience the

He took his last breath on June 24, 2017, leaving behind a wake of

culture, restaurants, markets, home kitchens and art galleries on

the brokenhearted.

a deeper level than that of the average tourists.

Miguel brought beauty and delight to all, illuminating every room

Tom’s entrepreneurial élan, coupled with Miguel’s culinary

he entered. He was everyone’s best friend. A consummate host, he

skills and their mutual love of art, made a fortuitous match. And

took interest in the lives of all—friends and strangers, patrons and

in 1975—at a time when most Austinites were eating Tex-Mex-

staff. He was always a true gentleman, even when he whispered

restaurant enchiladas and processed-cheese queso under swaying

ribald and irreverent thoughts (with a mischievous giggle!), so as

piñatas—Miguel and Tom opened Fonda San Miguel, introducing

not to offend others. A trickster at heart, his playful sense of humor

complex, traditional recipes using hard-to-find ingredients from

found him pulling pranks whenever he could. In his presence, a

south of the border. To international acclaim, Fonda San Miguel

warm abrazo was always close at hand.

has since regaled hungry diners and distinguished guests—from

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politicos and presidents, screen stars and musicians, celebrity

On the dessert table, Miguel paid homage to his family by serving

chefs and academics—with authentic food from the interior of

his grandmother’s Sonoran-style capirotada bread pudding or aromat-

Mexico in a lovely hacienda ambiance among an unrivaled collec-

ic orange flan de naranja and his sister Betty’s favorite Mexican-choc-

tion of contemporary Mexican art and furnishings.

olate ice cream, and platters of cookies, such as his mother Amelia’s

Miguel was always a presence in the dining room, but perhaps

bizcochitos, little balls of cinnamon-dusted pecan shortbread.

Fonda’s Sunday brunch best personifies his unique touch. He would

Miguel made the brunch even more memorable by standing

arrange lavish centerpieces on colorful-clothed tables in the center

behind the tables in his immaculate, starched white chef ’s jacket,

of the restaurant and serve guests from huge hand-painted talavera

joyfully greeting each guest and tirelessly tantalizing them with

cazuelas (terra-cotta bowls) and copper pots. Palm fronds, flowers,

descriptions of each dish. It’s no wonder magazines and food, trav-

folk art and handwoven baskets, spilling forth with fruit and chiles,

el and lifestyle networks vied to feature him preparing dishes and

made his centerpieces as stunning as the art hanging on the walls.

sharing his smile for the world to see. Meanwhile, large fundraisers,

Each Sunday, there was always something new to discover as

special events, celebrity chef dinners, weddings and conferences

the ever-curious Chef Miguel celebrated cuisines from many

kept the restaurant constantly booked. Miguel also co-authored

Mexican states: Oaxaca’s mole verde with tender chicken bathed

two cookbooks ("Cocina de la Familia" and "Fonda San Miguel:

in a thick, green sauce flavored with sassafras-scented hoja santa;

Thirty Years of Food and Art"), leaving a legacy of award-winning

Yucatan’s cochinita pibil with spicy steamed pork and pickled red

volumes filled with beautiful photos of his recipes.

onions wrapped in banana leaves; pescado a la Veracruzano, a classic

How did this charming chef and I cross paths? In the late ’70s,

fish dish stewed in a savory tomato sauce speckled with capers and

Miguel attended a Mexican cooking class I taught at Bon Appétit,

olives; or enchiladas de mole poblano smothered in thick choco-

Austin’s first cooking school. The rest is our shared history, love

late and chile-flavored sauce made famous in Puebla.

of Mexico and many exciting adventures together. When Miguel

Sometimes he’d offer mouth-watering tamales filled with huitlaco-

was invited to cook for the James Beard House in New York City in

che, a truffle-like delicacy derived from a corn fungus. Or he’d serve

1993, he invited me along to serve one of my tequila punches. At the

interpretative recipes of other prominent Mexican chefs—Patricia

International Association of Culinary Professionals conferences in

Quintana’s velvety corn pudding, or Diana Kennedy’s poblanos stuffed

Oaxaca and San Antonio, Miguel and I each set up elaborate dis-

with picadillo. In fact, Kennedy served as a consultant for Fonda for

plays, but he always found time to help me with any last-minute

many years, utilizing her penchant for preserving Mexican traditions

details. And in the late ’80s, we joined Chef Patricia Quintana and

and recipes. But it was Miguel who brought the recipes to life.

a posse of prestigious Southwestern chefs to spend a week at her

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rancho in Veracruz. Miguel and I were the only ones brave enough

querido so that you too may understand the enthusiasm and kind-

to watch the butchering of the puerco to roast for our evening feast,

heartedness with which he approached life. My home is rich with

and while others slept, we’d walk down dusty roads at 6 a.m. to

the gifts he gave me: handblown Mexican glasses in swirls of ame-

peruse village markets, bakeries and tortillerias.

thyst and silver he found especially for my signature sangria; Span-

But in the ’90s, a new adventure beckoned. In Paris, Miguel met

ish rose perfume; a silk purse from the newest Mexican designer;

Philippe Mercier, the man who would change his life. And for the

and talavera platters, like the ones he used in Fonda’s Sunday buffets

next few decades, Miguel sometimes left Fonda for other endeav-

to showcase his dishes so spectacularly. Memories of his love sur-

ors: as chef at Zócalo in New York, at Bertram’s in Austin and on a

round me…like him sneaking up behind me at Fonda with a birthday

stint in Santa Fe (where we considered a restaurant project). After

candle lighting up his crepas de cajeta—scrumptious crepes cloaked

their marriage, Philippe and Miguel moved to Madrid to be close

in a rich goat’s milk caramel and ice cream sprinkled with toasted

to Philippe’s family, and then to Brighton, England, in 2012. Their

almonds. I will always remember and miss the glimmer in his eyes,

shared love of home décor, comforting meals, gardening and so-

and dancing with him Sunday afternoons at Güero’s…he danced like

phisticated style kept them contented spouses for the past 25 years.

a dream, just as he did on American Bandstand as a teen in Arizona.

These were perhaps Miguel’s most sanguine years—a reprieve

For decades, I have created Day of the Dead altars in my home

from decades of long hours and limelight, and a well-deserved sab-

to celebrate and honor deceased loved ones. In 2007, I invited

batical. Even so, he kept in daily contact with Fonda via Skype—still

Miguel as a special guest when Central Texas Gardener filmed my

ruling the kitchen, and returning every few months to an exhaus-

altar for PBS. He brought a photo of his mother, a candle and a

tive schedule of cooking and PR, always with a cheerful attitude.

bowl of her favorite pozole stew, and talked about the importance

Miguel and Philippe loved the elegance of Europe. Fashionistas at heart, they donned haute couture to walk Dita, their beloved

of remembering family and friends by bringing their photos and favorite foods to a memorial altar.

Chow Chow, through the streets of London, stopping for tea (and

On my altar this year, Miguel will hold a sacred spot. I’ll place

a croissant for Dita) or for spice-laden gin and tonics in Madrid.

his photos and a miniature Mexican kitchen cabinet filled with

They frequented museums and the theater, neighborhood pubs,

little dishes and cooking utensils so he can cook in the great be-

five-star locales and took long walks on Brighton Beach.

yond. The glass heart necklace he gave me will join a mélange of

In April 2017, after transatlantic trips grew tiring, the couple returned

tin heart milagros, in remembrance of a man whose own heart

to Austin and began to make a new home. But fate had other ideas.

beat so passionately. And I’ll light a candle in his name, reminding

I’ve painted a picture of what it was to know Miguel as my amigo

me of his gracious manner of living.

Moving You in the Right Direction.

od

lin

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Ro

o gw

W

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Barbara Van Dyke

Realtor® Associate, GRI

512-431-2552 barbara.vandyke@sothebysrealty.com

t es w h n rt sti No Au

barbaravandyke.kuperrealty.com

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cooking FRESH

A GIFT OF THE HOUSE

BY V I V É G R I F F I T H

S

obremesa is a term common to

hushed and leaned forward to place

Spain and parts of Latin America.

their hands on the ornate sides. It re-

Translating as “around the table,”

minded us that these processions are

the word reflects the act of gathering and

more than just spectacle. They are a sa-

lingering beyond the meal. It’s when

cred tradition.

the dishes are pushed aside, the coffee

If tapas aren’t quite a sacred tradi-

or liqueur poured and the real conver-

tion, in Granada they come close. The

sation begins.

city is one of the few places where tapas

When my husband and I visited the

are still free—considered a gift of the

enchanting city of Granada in southern

house. With each drink you order, you

Spain, we witnessed sobremesa every-

are handed a small plate of food. And

where. Tapas bars overflowed with inter-

each round brings a different, and some

generational crowds—children chased

say better, tapa. To encourage you to

balls on the sidewalks while their par-

stay in one bar versus moving to anoth-

ents talked over glasses of wine. Older

er, the proprietors save the fancier tapas

couples sat together past midnight at

for your later drinks.

Café Futbol, espresso cups before them.

Tapas can be as simple as olives

At El Pozo, we joined a group of food

with a few slices of cheese, but of-

explorers and dug into revueltos—garlic

ten they are far grander. We ate pork

shoots and tiny shrimp scrambled with

stewed in Moroccan spices, heaping

eggs—and sandwiches of roast pork.

plates of fried anchovies, chorizo with

Then, we sat back and chatted.

a side of salmorejo (a chilled tomato and bread soup that’s like gazpacho’s

We were in Granada for Semana Santa, the weeklong festivities that culminate in Easter Sunday.

sturdier cousin), roasted peppers capped with tuna, bread with

The week unfurls with fervor. Thirty-four church organizations

marbled red ham and a slice of tomato, and plump mussels from

prepare for months for the massive processions that travel through

the nearby coast. No one rushes you at the table, and people stay

the streets. When we arrived, we naively wondered where to go to

out late. Sobremesa is a natural result of a culture that places food

see a procession. We soon learned we didn’t need to go anywhere.

and congregation at its core.

We’d hear a drum’s deep bass tone and soon after, the crowds

Of course, it’s possible to recreate some of that spirit here. After returning from Spain, we invited friends over for a Spanish-style

would part to make room.

Men in vivid, long gowns led the groups, with other men in bro-

dinner. We tried out versions of some of the food we loved—both

cade carrying scepters just behind. Sometimes children, tucked in

tapas and larger platters for sharing. The conversation was lively

alongside the adults, wore miniature versions of the same dress.

and guests delighted in seeing what dish we’d carry out next from

Marching bands played mournful songs. Women in black lace man-

the kitchen.

tillas, their wrists wrapped in rosaries, carried candles. By week’s end, the streets were covered in a layer of wax.

To throw your own Spanish party, keep the food simple and the courses coming. Lay out cheeses, bread, olives and cured meats,

The highlight was the pasos, or floats, borne on the shoulders

then try out some of the recipes featured here. Make sure there’s

of the young and strong. Flickering with gold and candles, heavy

a comfortable place to sit after eating. The point is to linger, and

with flowers and religious relics, the floats passed and the crowds

after a good meal, what’s better than that?

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SALMOREJO (CHILLED TOMATO SOUP) Adapted from spanishsabores.com Makes 6 bowls or 12 tapas portions This chilled tomato soup is quintessential Andalucía—the region of southern Spain that is home to Granada. You’ll be amazed by how creamy it is without any dairy. It can be served in bowls, in small glasses as tapas or even as a kind of spread or dip alongside a good piece of cured meat. The ingredients are simple, so quality is important; use the best tomatoes and olive oil you can find.

8 medium tomatoes 1 loaf of bread or baguette 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 T. sherry vinegar 1 c. olive oil

2 hard-boiled eggs, divided ½ c. diced ham or bacon (optional) Handful chopped parsley Salt, to taste

Score the bottoms of the tomatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the tomatoes in for 1 minute. Remove and place in a bowl filled with ice water to quickly stop the cooking. The skins should slip off the tomatoes easily. Remove the cores. Remove the soft insides of the bread and chop in large pieces to measure 3 cups. Place the tomatoes in a blender and blend on high speed until broken down. Add the bread to the blender. Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the tomato liquid. Add the garlic and sherry vinegar and blend until smooth. Continue to blend while slowly drizzling in the olive oil. Add salt, to taste. Finally, add 1 hard-boiled egg and blend. Chop the remaining egg and serve the soup garnished with the egg, a bit of the meat (if using) and a flurry of parsley.

PATATAS BRAVAS (SPICY POTATOES)

Tastings. Platters. Gifts. (We ship too!)

4220 Duval Street | (512) 531-9610

www.AntonellisCheese.com

Makes 6 sides or 12 tapas portions Few dishes are as ubiquitous on Spanish tapas menus as patatas bravas.

These fried potatoes are made special by the slight heat of the brava sauce and sometimes a dollop of creamy mayonnaise. Though the recipe varies from bar to bar, the most traditional brava sauce is made simply from sweet and spicy paprika in chicken broth thickened with flour. This adaptation draws on those flavors but uses tomato as a base.

2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 4 T. olive oil, plus more for frying the potatoes 1 small onion, diced 2 c. crushed tomatoes

1 T. sweet paprika ½ T. hot smoked paprika 2 T. sherry vinegar Salt, to taste ¼ c. mayonnaise or aioli (optional)

Parboil the potatoes by placing them in a large pot of salted water.

Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and chill in the refrigerator until cool, or overnight. Make the brava sauce by sautéing the onion in the olive oil until softened and translucent. Add the crushed tomatoes, sweet and hot paprika, sherry vinegar and salt. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth, then keep it warm on the stove. Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chilled potatoes and fry, tossing often, until they’re golden brown. Remove the potatoes to a plate covered with several layers of paper towels to drain.

Salt generously. Serve the potatoes hot and drizzled with brava sauce and, if you like, a spoonful of mayonnaise or aioli on top.

1500 South Lamar Blvd 512.473.2211 barlataaustin.com

finishing and ramen salts available for holiday gifts

1807 South First Street 512-215-9778 lenoirrestaurant.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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ROASTED PEPPER SALAD WITH ANCHOVIES Serves 6 as salads or 12 as tapas portions Another classic Spanish ingredient is roasted peppers. You’ll find peppers heaped on bread, topped with tuna, spread artfully along a plate’s edge and served as a salad alone, or with seafood. In a small Spanish village, I saw a man set up in the square tossing peppers in a round drum over an open fire. People lined up to roast their peppers with him. If you don’t happen to know a local pepper-roaster like him, an oven will work just fine. Whole anchovies in olive oil work best here, or you could substitute pickled white anchovies, called boquerones, or even a quality tuna.

6 bell peppers (I used a combination of red and yellow) ¼ c. olive oil 1 garlic clove, peeled, flattened 1 T. sherry vinegar ¼ c. toasted pine nuts ¼ c. chopped parsley ½ cucumber, peeled and sliced 3.3 oz. jar anchovies in olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Place whole peppers on a baking tray in a 450° oven for 25 to 30 minutes—turning halfway through. The skins should begin to brown and wrinkle and the peppers soften. Using tongs, remove the peppers to a large bowl and cover with a plate to steam. Leave the peppers until they’re soft and cool enough to handle. Place the peppers on a cutting board and remove the skins, core and seeds. Slice the peppers lengthwise into ½-inch strips and place in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic and salt, to taste. Set aside or refrigerate overnight. To serve, bring the peppers to room temperature and remove the garlic. Mix the peppers with the sherry vinegar, pine nuts and parsley. Place a pile of peppers in the center of a plate. Garnish with 2 slices of cucumber to the side and anchovies crisscrossed on top.

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CHORIZO BRAISED IN WHITE WINE Makes 4 sides or 8 tapas portions When I told my Spanish friend Carlos I was writing about tapas, he told me I needed to include chorizo braised in wine, as it can be found all over Spain and is incomparably delicious. So this recipe is for Carlos.

While they share a name, Spanish and Mexican chorizos are quite different. The Spanish version is cured in a casing and flavored with paprika. For this dish, look for a softer version of chorizo instead of the harder version often found cubed in soups. Any white wine that isn’t sweet will work for this dish.

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2 links Spanish chorizo (I used Fermín Ibérico spicy chorizo sausage from Central Market) Dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc) 2 bay leaves Sliced baguette Slice the chorizo in half and prick a few holes in the casing. Place in a medium skillet and cover halfway with white wine. Drop the bay leaves in the pan. Bring the wine to a low boil and cover the pan. Cook the chorizo in wine for 15 to 20 minutes until it plumps—flipping occasionally.

(There’s no harm in lowering the heat and cooking the chorizo longer, if needed.) Before serving, uncover the pan and turn up the heat, reducing the sauce until it thickens slightly. Remove the chorizo from the pan and cut it into ½- to ¾-inch thick slices. Serve slices on bread with a drizzle of sauce or in a shallow dish with toothpicks.

EGGPLANT WITH HONEY

Try a taste of Comfort 142 Lindner Branch Trail, Comfort, Texas

830-995-2948 | bendingbranchwinery.com

Makes 6 sides or 12 tapas portions Granada was a Moorish kingdom for more than three centuries, and the flavors of North Africa are still prevalent in its food. The mix of sweet and savory in this popular eggplant dish is a prime example.

1 large or 2 small eggplants Olive oil for frying 1 c. flour

Salt and pepper, to taste ½ c. molasses or honey

Peel the eggplant and slice into sticks—about 3 inches by ½ inch. Place the eggplant in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt—tossing the eggplant to cover on all sides. Set aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. To fry the eggplant, heat about 1 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant sticks from the colander and set them on paper towels to remove the excess liquid.

Working in batches, dredge the sticks in flour and then drop them into hot oil—frying until they’re golden brown on all sides.

Remove the sticks with a slotted spoon to paper towels and continue with new batches. Salt the fried eggplant, drizzle with molasses, honey or a combo and serve hot.

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edible VINEYARDS

NEWSOM LEGACY COMES TO THE HILL COUNTRY

BY RUSS E L L D. K A N E • P H OTO G R A P H Y BY JA M ES W. S KO G S B E RG

W

hile at Texas

After weighing them, we

Tech

the

got a check for nearly a

late 1970s, Neal

thousand dollars, which

Newsom (Texas High

made me even more excit-

Plains cotton farmer Doyle

ed about growing grapes.”

in

C. “Hoss” Newsom’s son)

The

Newsoms

now

had the fortune to encoun-

grow 19 grape varieties on

ter

professor

more than 150 acres in the

Dr. Roy Mitchell. At that

High Plains, and they sup-

time, Dr. Mitchell’s com-

ply fruit to the top win-

bined personal and aca-

eries in the state. Work-

demic interest in wine was

ing in combination with

advancing the Texas wine

many of the best Texas

and grape-growing indus-

winemakers for three de-

try, then in its infancy. Dr.

cades, Newsom Vineyards

Mitchell had a profound

has become the symbol

influence on young Neal

of quality Texas grapes

and, ultimately, on the

from

Newsom

ty, award-winning Texas

chemistry

family

legacy.

“I’ve always been interested in alternative crops to cotton,” says Neal. “I’ve

which

high-quali-

wines are made.

Nolan Newsom and his wife, Mei, in their tasting room in Comfort.

examined soybeans and

“I’d always been my father’s right-hand man,” says Nolan, “but in 2011,

several varieties of grasses, but Dr. Mitchell really gave me the bug

when I was to assume vineyard manager responsibility from him,

to grow wine grapes.”

I had a major car accident. It left me damaged and needing several

In 1984, Neal and his father ordered enough cabernet sauvignon

surgeries and long rehabilitation. Our family always had a plan to

cuttings to start a 3-acre vineyard. “We really didn’t know what to

open a tasting room. After my accident, I had to look past full-

expect,” says Neal. “Would the vines live? Would they produce fruit?

time vineyard operations. I took ownership of the tasting room

Would the wine be drinkable? There were a lot of unknowns, but

as my new career path. I’m a ‘people person’ with a talent and

I knew we had a combination of our good soil, hot days and cool

experience in food service—useful in running our tasting room

nights. I knew that cabernet were sought-after grapes with low yield

business.”

and high price-per-ton.” Around the time their vineyard was plant-

The plans for opening the Newsom tasting room started in ear-

ed, Neal and his wife, Janice, welcomed the birth of their son, Nolan.

nest in 2013. It was a bad year with multiple spring freezes that re-

In two years, the Newsoms got their first crop. “All the

sulted in a harvest of despair for the family. Neal delivered his en-

grapes from that harvest fit in five-gallon pails tucked into the back

tire harvest to the Llano Estacado Winery loading dock. “It didn’t

of our Suburban,” says Neal. “We took them to a winery near Odessa.

even fill a one-harvest bin designed to hold a thousand pounds of EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

HEIRLOOM 2017

35

Stimulate your senses.

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grapes,” he says. “I had the harvested grapes weighed primarily for insurance purposes.”

Even though the grapes made barely a barrel of wine, the Llano Estacado staff came up with a plan to make Neal’s grapes into a private blend. “They called me up and said, ‘You gotta come down here and taste this stuff. It’s great!’” says Neal. “It was a cabernet-centered blend supported by sangiovese and other red varieties.”

“This single barrel of wine was the start of our Newsom Vineyards brand,” says Nolan. “We named it ‘Inception.’ It was the event

150 S. LBJ Dr., San Marcos 11am-11pm Mon.-Wed. 11am-12am (bar til 2am) Thurs.-Sat. 10am-11pm Sun.

that launched our tasting room project. For decades, our family has grown grapes and sold them to wineries to make wine selling under their labels. We’ve reversed things up. In our tasting room, we’re selling small-batch wines made by some of our favorite Texas winemakers and selling them under our Newsom and Inception labels.”

Today, Nolan works with his wife, Mei, in Comfort, furthering

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the Newsom legacy with their new tasting room set in a converted centennial house. While Nolan comes from the sandy red dirt of West Texas, Mei comes from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, China. “I came from China to Lubbock as one of Texas Tech’s

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graduate winemaking students,” she says. “Nolan and I met on one of my vineyard assignments. We are completely committed to this tasting room business and feel we have great potential to extend the Newsom Vineyards legacy.”

The Newsom tasting room has quickly become a Hill Country wine and food destination. Working with other Comfort businesses, Nolan created “The Comfort Backyard.” “It’s a common area,” he says, “that links our tasting room with our neighboring food and beverage establishments where people can gather, relax and enjoy themselves. We also host gourmet food trucks and have live bands in our new outdoor music venue.”

While in Comfort visiting Newsom Vineyards, check out the neighboring local establishments: Hill Country Distillers, Huckleberry’s beer and wine bar, High’s Cafe for breakfast and lunch, 814 A Texas Bistro for dinner, Branch on High wine bar and a new brewery (opening this fall) in the historic Comfort Community Theatre building.

For more information, visit newsomvineyards.com or call 806-549-6732.

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NEWSOM VINEYARDS WINES READY TO SIP AND SAVOR White Wines: 2015 orange muscat—aromatic, floral and dry 2015 pinot grigio—lemony, light and dry 2016 albariño—fragrant and peachy Red Wines: 2014 Bending Branch Newsom Vineyard tempranillo—full-bodied 2014 Inception cabernet/tempranillo blend—medium-plus body and finesse Special Newsom Wine Club Wines: merlot, syrah, albariño (oak-aged) and 2013 Inception

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37

edible BOOKS

CHILE CON QUESO

BY L I SA FA I N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY AU B R I E P I C K Reprinted with permission from “Queso!” by Lisa Fain, copyright © 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

(The Mangy Parrot) by José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi. The next citation occurred in 1865 in the Mexican poem “Glosa del Chile Verde con Queso,” in which an anonymous poet laments that women of his era know much about artifice and fashion but little about practical matters such as stewing chiles with cheese.

Despite the presence of chile con queso in the literature of the day, Mexican cookbooks from the 1800s did not feature recipes with that name, though dishes composed of chiles with cheese did exist. One such recipe, Chiles Poblanos, found in the 1887 cookbook “La Cocinera Poblana,” was made up of poblano chiles, cheese and tomatoes.

Although chile con queso most likely originated in Mexico, the first published recipe to use the phrase appeared in the United States. An 1896 article about Mexican cuisine in the magazine, “The Land of Sunshine,” included a dish called Chiles Verdes con Queso, which was a mixture of long green chiles, tomatoes and cheese. Like all early Mexican versions, it was intended to be a side dish, with the cheese enhancing the chiles, much like cheese melted onto cauliflower. Its evolution to a dip was yet to come.

Now, looking toward Europe, Swiss fondue and its British counterpart, Welsh rarebit (or rabbit), became popular in the United States in the late 1800s. Fondue is a pot of melted cheese for dipping bread and vegetables; Welsh rarebit is a melted cheese dish that is poured over toast. Neither was considered a side dish but

I

instead was an appetizer or the main event of a meal. n the late 1500s, Spanish explorers arrived in the area around

Then, in 1908, a Kentucky newspaper ran a recipe for Mexican

what is known today as El Paso, Texas, along the Mexican-

rarebit, a take on Welsh rarebit that added chile pulp to a base of

American border. With them, they brought livestock, such as

melted cheese, milk and egg and was served over toast. In 1909,

cows and goats, which that part of the world had never seen. Dairy

the San Francisco newspaper Call published a similar recipe, but

was not known to the Native Americans, as their diet was made up

replaced the chile pulp with chili powder, a blend of ground ancho

of indigenous ingredients such as corn, squash and chiles. From

chiles with herbs and spices, such as oregano and cumin.

that point, however, as the old world connected with the new, it was perhaps inevitable that one day cheese would be paired with chiles and a culinary alliance would be born.

•••

About the same time, recipes for and references to Mexican chile con queso began appearing more frequently in the press. Eventually,

Although the exact moment when chile con queso came into ex-

an astute cook realized that combining rarebit (and getting rid of the

istence has not been determined, the earliest reference to it in print

egg often used in its preparation) and chile con queso would make

can be found in the 1816 Mexican novel, “El Periquillo Sarniento”

for a fine dish, which leads us to a recipe for Mexican rarebit that

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EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

appeared in the 1914 edition of Boston Cooking School Magazine and that called for green chiles, tomatoes, cheese, beer and corn. This version, though intended for pouring over toast, was very close to what most would consider American chile con queso today.

In Texas, chile con queso appeared in restaurants as early as 1910, when San Antonio’s Gunter Hotel offered it, according to the book “The Menu Maker.” It is not known what form this dish took—whether it was a side dish or a sauce to be poured over tostadas or toast.

Then, in the early 1920s, a recipe with the name Chile con Queso appeared in the “Woman’s Club Cook Book of Tested and Tried Recipes,” published by the Woman’s Club of San Antonio. Like some Mexican rarebit recipes, this chile con queso used cayenne and paprika instead of the fresh chiles found in Mexican chile con queso. But it did not contain egg and it was the first chile con queso recipe to call specifically for American cheese. A truly American queso in both name and style had arrived.

After that, chile con queso appeared frequently in Texas publications and community cookbooks. These early recipes were served over toast or tostadas or were enjoyed as dips with potato chips, crackers, tostadas or Fritos, after their invention in 1932. American cheese was a popular choice in these early recipes; Velveeta, which was invented in 1918 but not widely marketed until later, didn’t make its first appearance in a queso recipe until 1939, in “What’ll I Cook?,” published by the First Christian Church of Lubbock.

In 1943, Carl Roetelle opened his canning plant in Elsa, Texas, and began to market Ro-Tel tomatoes, which were tomatoes blended with green chiles. Then in 1949, a Ro-Tel ad appeared with a recipe for making a chile con queso by simply heating a can of the spicy tomatoes with American or processed cheese until melted, and serving the dip with toasted tortillas or Fritos: a Tex-Mex classic was born.

While most of Texas was enjoying chile con queso made with American cheese, green chiles and tomatoes, in the area around El Paso and southern New Mexico, the dish with that name had more in common with what was found across the border in the Mexican

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state of Chihuahua. It wasn’t meant to be just a side dish any longer, however, as it was also served as an appetizer with tortilla chips and tortillas, much like it was across the rest of Texas.

Chile con queso, in all its forms and permutations, was still very much a regional specialty when First Lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson shared her version in the Washington Post in 1964. Despite the attention, the dish wasn’t popularized, though people in the Southwest, Texas, and Midwest continued to make queso. In these regions, it became a staple at social gatherings. There wasn’t much variation in the recipes, however, until recent years, when creative cooks took the basic formula and crafted it into something new.

LISA FAIN AT BOOKPEOPLE Join Edible Austin at BookPeople on Thursday, November 2 at 7 p.m. with Lisa Fain to talk about her new book, “Queso!” and share tastings of Kerbey Lane Cafe's world-famous queso with seasonal craft brews from Saint Arnold Brewing Co. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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AUSTIN DINER-STYLE QUESO Serves 6–8 In Richard Linklater’s film “Boyhood,” the protagonist finds himself in an Austin diner with his girlfriend late one night. They are being philosophical, and when she asks what they are doing there at three o’clock in the morning, he replies, “You know what we’re doing here?

Queso!” In Austin, inviting places such as Kerbey Lane Cafe and Magnolia Cafe have long been popular spots for people to get their queso fix in the darker hours. This recipe is not specific to any particular place, but will remind you of late nights and good friends.

2 T. unsalted butter ¼ c. diced yellow onion 4 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and finely diced 2 T. cornstarch 1 c. whole milk 1 cup water 1 lb. white or yellow American cheese, shredded 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro 1 t. ground cumin ¼ t. cayenne ½ t. kosher salt Guacamole, for topping Pico de gallo, for topping Tortilla chips, for serving

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Anaheims and cook for 30 seconds longer. Whisk together the cornstarch, milk and water until well combined, then pour into the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture begins to thicken.

Add the cheese, turn down the heat to low, and cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted. Stir in the cilantro, cumin, cayenne and salt, then taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer the queso to a serving bowl or a chafing dish over a flame. Spoon guacamole and pico de gallo into the center of the queso. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

CHILES POBLANO Serves 4 1 T. unsalted butter 1 ½ c. diced grape tomatoes 4 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin slices ¼ c. whole milk 4 oz. Gruyère or asadero cheese, shredded ¼ t. kosher salt Warm corn or flour tortillas, for serving In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and some of the juices have been released, about 5 minutes. Stir in the poblanos and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until fragrant and warm. Stir in the milk, cheese and salt. Cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Taste and add more salt, if you like. Serve with warm tortillas.

now available at

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WHAT I EAT AND WHY

HEIRLOOM ICE CREAM

BY K N OXY K N OX

This is the taste of my childhood: sitting on the bed of a truck in South Texas eating this ice cream with Hill Country peaches on top. As you can tell, my Grammy passed along her love of turquoise to us as well. This summer we got together with the last of the year’s peaches so Grammy could hand down this family recipe to my Mum and me.

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Completely Custom & From Scratch!

SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER

ARMENIA MEETS THE HILL COUNTRY

Cakes | Sculpted Designs Small Bites | Cake Bars Cupcakes | Popper Shots

BY A D R I E N N E H ASC H K E

J

ust 102 miles west of Austin in Fredonia, Texas, Texas Food Ranch farmers Rick and Alik are successfully growing heritage

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Armenian crops on Hill Country ranch land that’s been in Rick’s family since 1858. The area is steeped in the tradition and culture of raising cattle, and Rick says if his grandpa were alive today, he would skeptically ask, “Why are you growing food out there?”

Turns out the high alkaline soil composition is similar to the soil in Armenia, where Rick lived for 23 years before recently returning to his Texas roots with his partner, Alik. Having been raised on a small farm in Armenia, Alik immediately began harvesting wild mushrooms, herbs and spices, and saw the potential for food production on a small section of the sweeping 200-acre property. They decided to cultivate the land using sustainable growing methods characteristic of Armenian agriculture: non-mechanized, high-density production on smaller plots with a reliance on companion planting. In determining which crops to grow, they continually ask what grows well with the ecosystem and climate.

Texas Food Ranch boasts an abundance of common Texas varieties interspersed with heritage Armenian diversity, and their green tunnels yield bountiful year-round harvests of exquisite lettuce mixes, greens and herbs. Old-world varieties include Armenian basil, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, savory and aveluk (wild sorrel).

They recently planted a field of pomegranate trees with more than 100 seeds from Armenia, where the pomegranate is a cultural icon and revered as a life force. Also coming soon will be the ranch’s first Texas-Armenian areni—a red-wine grape varietal.

Dried fruit is a cornerstone of Armenian cuisine and has historically provided nourishing sustenance through the cold winter months. Many of the prepared foods Rick and Alik bring to market each holiday season feature dried fruits, which delight the palate with earthy, sweet richness. One of Rick’s favorite seasonal recipes is creamy Armenian pumpkin stuffed with dried fruit and baked in a tonir (clay oven) submerged in the ground. Unwilling to relinquish this special holiday delicacy, he and Alik created a Western-oven version that you can find online at edibleaustin.com.

Visit Rick and Alik at the SFC Farmers’ Market– Downtown Saturday mornings, and find out more at honeysucklenaturals.com

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THE DIRECTORY ARTISANAL FOODS

Balcones Distilling

Antonelli’s Cheese Shop We love cut-to-order artisanal cheese and all that goes with it. Order a picnic platter, take a class or host a private guided event. Free tastings daily.

512-531-9610 4220 Duval St. antonellischeese.com

Started from scratch in 2008, Balcones is driven by a passion to create original and authentic spirits in the Heart of Texas with an emphasis on ingredients from grain to grass.

254-755-6003 225 S. 11th St., Waco balconesdistilling.com

Becker Vineyards

Delysia Chocolatier Handcrafted in Austin. Our products are handmade using fine quality, sustainable chocolate and only the freshest ingredients.

512-413-4701 2000 Windy Terrace, Ste. 2C delysia.com

Winery, vineyards, and tasting room with wines for tasting and for sale.

Lavender fields, lavender products and annual Lavender Fest.

830-644-2681 464 Becker Farms Rd., Stonewall beckervineyards.com

Bending Branch Winery

Lick Honest Ice Creams Artisan ice creams celebrating the finest ingredients Texas has to offer!

Handmade in small batches in our Austin kitchen. Natural, local and seasonal.

512-363-5622 1100 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 1135 512-609-8029 6555 Burnet Rd., Ste. 200 512-502-5949 1905 Aldrich Street, Ste. 150 ilikelick.com

Bending Branch Winery is a premier Hill Country winery with award-winning wines, including our signature Texas Tannat. Visit us Thursday through Sunday.

830-995-2948 142 Lindner Branch Trl., Comfort 830-995-3394 704 High St., Comfort bendingbranchwinery.com

Lone Star Meats

Bent Oak Winery is a local winery and tasting room bringing you fine wine with grapes sourced from Texas and California.

512-551-1189 2000 Windy Terrace, Ste. 2B bentoakwinery.com

Delivering high-quality products chefs desire with a meticulous eye on consistency.

512-646-6220 1403 E. 6th St. lonestarmeats.com

Pasta & Co. Austin’s only fresh pasta manufacturer serving the greater Austin area’s retail and wholesale pasta needs since 1983.

512-453-0633 3502 Kerbey Lane austinpasta.com

BAKERIES

Bent Oak Winery

Bloody Revolution From Bloody Revolution Gourmet Mixes in Austin, TX comes a nothing-else-needed Bloody Mary Mix that’s as great for cocktails as it is for cooking. Start a REVOLUTION! bloodyrevolution.com

Messina Hof

Blue Note Bakery Blue Note Bakery is Austin’s premier custom cake shop, meticulously creating one-of-a-kind desserts for your special occasions.

512-797-7367 4201 S. Congress Ave., Ste. 101 bluenotebakery.com

BEVERAGES

Est in 1977. Messina Hof is a family owned winery based on the three cornerstones of family, tradition & romance.

979-778-9463 4545 Old Reliance Rd., Bryan 830-990-4653 9996 U.S. 290, Fredericksburg 817-442-8463 201 S Main St., Grapevine messinahof.com

AquaBrew Brewery & Beer Garden Craft beer, culinary delights, local music and community all meet here. Come get a taste of what we’re all about.

512-353-2739 150 S. LBJ Dr., San Marcos aqua-brew.com 48

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Spec’s Wine Spirits and Finer Foods Family-owned since 1962, Spec’s offers expert service and Texas’ largest selection of wines, spirits and beers along with gourmet foods and more!

512-366-8260; 4970 W. US Hwy. 290 512-342-6893; 10515 N. MoPac Hwy 512-280-7400; 9900 S. I-35 512-263-9981; 13015 Shops Pkwy.

512-366-8300; 5775 Airport Blvd. specsonline.com

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards For more than four decades, the wines of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards have reflected the finest mountain and valley vineyards in Sonoma County.

888-675-9463 100 Pythian Road, Santa Rosa, CA stfranciswinery.com

Texas Coffee Traders East Austin’s artisinal coffee roaster and one-stop shop offering a wide selection of certified organic and fair trade options for wholesale and retail.

512-476-2279 1400 E. 4th St. texascoffeetraders.com

Texas Keeper Ciders Small-batch cider made in south Austin from 100% apples. Available in stores, bars, and restaurants throughout Austin, Houston, and DFW areas.

512-910-3409 12521 Twin Creeks Rd. texaskeeper.com

Tito’s Handmade Vodka Tito’s Handmade Vodka is handcrafted from 100% corn and distilled six times

by Tito Beveridge in Austin, TX at America’s original microdistillery. Gluten-free!

512-389-9011 titosvodka.com

BOOKSELLERS BookPeople Texas’ leading independent bookstore since 1970. Located in the heart of downtown, BookPeople has been voted best bookstore in Austin for over 15 years!

512-472-5050 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com

University of Texas Press Our mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge through the publication of books and journals and through electronic media.

800-252-3206 utexaspress.com

CATERING AND MEAL DELIVERY Spoon & Co. Catering

Paula’s Texas Spirits Paula’s Texas Orange Liqueur & Paula’s Texas Lemon Liqueur—all natural and handmade in Austin since 2006.

Available throughout Texas. paulastexasspirits.com

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

It’s our business to delight you with the details, memorable events with mindfully chosen, prepared and presented food and a caring crew!

512-912-6784 spoonandco.com

EVENTS Palm Door Our facilities boast a total square footage of 7255 versatile indoor and outdoor space available for private events for groups up to 1000. Each section can be customized to suit the needs of creative and functional events.

512-386-1295 508 E. 6th St. 512-391-1994 401 Sabine St. palmdoor.com

FARMERS MARKETS Sustainable Food Center SFC cultivates a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food.

512-236-0074 400 W. Guadalupe St. 3200 Jones Rd., Sunset Valley 4600 Lamar Blvd.

2921 E. 17 St., Bldg C (Office) sustainablefoodcenter.org

FARMS 44 Farms Founded and Family-owned since 1909 in Cameron, 44 Farms is the U.S. premier producer of ethically raised Angus beef. Our ranchers produce beef with no added hormones, antibiotics or artificial ingredients.

254-697-4401 963 PR 44, Cameron 44farms.com

GROCERS Royal Blue Grocery Downtown Austin’s neighborhood grocer—with dairy, prepared foods, beer and wine, Royal Blue has it all, in a convenient and compact format.

Catering too!

512-499-3993; 247 W. 3rd St. 512-476-5700; 360 Nueces St. 512-469-5888; 609 Congress Ave. 512-386-1617; 301 Brazos St., Ste. 110 512-480-0061; 51 Rainey St. 512-524-0740; 1645 E. 6th St. royalbluegrocery.com

Whole Foods Market Selling the highest quality natural and organic products.

512-542-2200 525 N. Lamar Blvd.

512-345-5003 9607 Research Blvd.

512-206-2730 12601 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave 512-358-2460 4301 W. William Cannon wholefoodsmarket.com

HEALTH AND WELLNESS Peoples Rx Pharmacy and Deli Since 1980, Austin’s favorite pharmacy keeps locals healthy through Rx compounding, supplements and prescriptions, holistic practitioners and natural foods.

512-459-9090; 4018 N. Lamar Blvd.

512-444-8866; 3801 S. Lamar Blvd.

512-327-8877; 4201 Westbank Dr. 512-219-9499; 13860 Hwy 183 N. peoplesrx.com

Wiseman Family Practice Wiseman Family Practice is an integrative medical practice in Austin that focuses on health education and natural approaches to wellness.

512-345-8970 2500 S. Lakeline Blvd. Ste. 100 300 Medical Arts St. 3010 Bee Cave Rd, Ste. 200 wisemanfamilypractice.com

YMCA of Austin Building programs for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility that promote strong families, character values, youth leadership and community development.

8 Austin area locations.

512-322-9622 austinymca.org

HOUSEWARES AND GIFTS Der Küchen Laden Retail gourmet kitchen shop, featuring cookware, cutlery, bakeware, small electrics, textiles and kitchen gadgets.

830-997-4937 258 E. Main St., Fredericksburg littlechef.com

The Herb Bar Best place to cure what ails you and a resource center since 1986. Our Optimal Health Advisers are highly trained, knowledgeable and compassionate.

512-444-6251 200 W. Mary St. theherbbar.com

Weston Table Weston Table seeks to provide beautiful online entertainment driven by a passion to share extraordinary experiences, personal memories and cherished traditions.

617-899-4907 14 Irving Rd., Weston, MA westontable.com

LANDSCAPE AND GARDENING Barton Springs Nursery Locally grown Texas native plants.

Organic pest management. Environmentally friendly soil amendments.

Beautiful gifts.

512-328-6655 3601 Bee Caves Rd. bartonspringsnursery.net

It’s About Thyme Garden Center

Green Mango Real Estate

G’Raj Mahal

Top quality herbs for chefs, and native plants for gardeners. A nursery with expert staff and pocket-friendly prices.

Free lectures most Sundays.

512-280-1192; 11726 Manchaca Rd. itsaboutthyme.com

Boutique firm specializing in Central Austin since 1987, especially the 78704 where we have sold more homes than any other single realtor.

512-923-6648 905 Avondale Rd. greenmangorealestate.com

G’Raj Mahal offers the best of Austin’s atmosphere with a combination of traditional and innovative Indian comfort food coupled with local music.

512-480-2255 73 Rainey St. grajmahalaustin.com

Judd Waggoman — Christie’s International Real Estate

Honey’s Pizza

Natural Gardener We are a garden center and teaching facility dedicated to promoting organic time-tested gardening practices.

512-288-6113 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd. naturalgardeneraustin.com

LODGING AND TOURISM Onion Creek Kitchens at Juniper Hills Farm Cooking classes, beautiful dining room venue for private events, hill country cabin rental.

830-833-0910 5818 RR 165, Dripping Springs juniperhillsfarm.com

NONPROFIT

Your ultimate source for luxury real estate in Los Cabos. Ranked #1 Realtor in Los Cabos, Mexico by InMexico Magazine.

530-751-6797 judcaborealestate.com

RESTAURANTS Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. Locally-sourced lunch and dinner. Craft brewery, live music, good people, dog friendly, creative community. #beermakesitbetter #ouratx 512-298-2242 1305 W. Oltorf St. theabgb.com

Central Texas Food Bank The Central Texas Food Bank is on the front line of hunger relief in a 21-county area, helping nearly 46,000 Central Texans each week access nutritious food when they need it the most.

512-282-2111; 6500 Metropolis Dr. centraltexasfoodbank.org

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Austin Label Company Custom labels up to 10 x 20 on paper, foil, synthetics, multiple adhesives, embossing, hot foil and UV coatings. Proud members of Go Texan, FTA and TWGGA. 512-302-0204; 1610 Dungan Ln. austinlabel.com

Merchant Cafe Inc.

Barlata Tapas Bar Located in the heart of South Lamar.

Barlata offers a variety of tapas, paellas, regional Spanish wines and cavas.

Come and enjoy a bit of Spain with us.

512-473-2211 1500 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 150 barlataaustin.com

Cannon + Belle Cannon + Belle is a dynamic, multi-station open kitchen restaurant featuring a delicious Texas-fresh menu plus specialty tap wine and cocktail program.

512-482-8000 500 E. 4th St, cannonandbelle.com

Harbortouch is a leading national supplier of point of sale (POS) systems, credit card processing equipment and a full range of merchant services.

866-973-9988 9901 Brodie Ln., Ste. 160, #712 harbortouchgeorgetown.com

East Side Pies

SHELF Studio

Flyrite Chicken

We’re a small, Austin, Texas-based team of packaging and brand experts who partner with entrepreneurs. We specialize in the food & beverage, and fitness & nutrition industries.

512-382-5884; 2131 Theo Dr., Unit D shelfstudio.com

REAL ESTATE

Fresh, local thin crust pizza - we know what you want.

512-524-0933; 1401B Rosewood Ave. 512-454-7437; 5312 G Airport Blvd.

512-467-8900; 1809-1 W. Anderson Ln. eastsidepies.com At Flyrite, we believe fast food should be real food. Our delicious sandwiches, wraps and shakes are fresh and made to order. Drive Thru. Eat Well!

512-284-8014 2129 E. 7th St. 512-243-6258 6539 Burnet Rd. flyritechicken.com

Barbara Van Dyke — Kuper Sotheby’s Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty Realtor. Helping buyers and sellers move to the next chapter of their lives.

512-431-2552 4301 Westbank Dr., B-100 barbaravandyke.kuperrealty.com

Fonda San Miguel Distinctive interior Mexican cuisine and fine art.

512-459-4121 2330 W. North Loop fondasanmiguel.com

Neapolitan pizza, baked goods, ice cream and burgers.

512-237-5627 109 NE. 2nd St., Smithville honeyspizza.com

Jobell Cafe & Bistro We offer a carefully selected and prepared take on French bistro fare with wonderful wines all served amidst the intimacy and charm of Texas Hill Country.

512-847-5700 16920 RR 12, Wimberley jobellcafe.com

Kerbey Lane Cafe Kerbey Lane Cafe is a local Austin haunt serving up tasty, healthy food (mostly) 24/7. Stop by any of our 6 locations for a delicious stack of pancakes!

512-451-1436 kerbeylanecafe.com

The Leaning Pear Café & Eatery Serving the Texas Hill Country fresh and seasonal favorites using local ingredients.

512-847-7327 111 River Rd., Wimberley leaningpear.com

Lenoir Lenoir is an intimate, family-run restaurant offering a weekly, local prix-fixe menu, great wine and friendly service.

512-215-9778 1807 S. 1st St. lenoirrestaurant.com

Vinaigrette A farm-to-table restaurant serving entrée salads and botany-inspired drinks/ cocktails. Patio dining and parking available. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

512-852-8791 2201 College Ave. 505-820-9205 709 Don Cubero Alley, Santa Fe, NM 505-842-5507 1828 Central Ave. SW, Albuquerque, NM vinaigretteonline.com

SPECIALTY MARKETS Make It Sweet At Make It Sweet, you can find tools, supplies and ingredients to make cakes, cookies and candies and learn fun, new techniques in the classes offered.

512-371-3401 9070 Research Blvd. makeitsweet.com

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

HEIRLOOM 2017

49

WHAT I EAT AND WHY

GOD SAVE THE PUDDING

BY J U D I T H EG E RTO N

grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins to join us now, but we had invited our son Gareth’s newlywed teacher and husband, who had recently hosted us at this new and wonderful feast of Thanksgiving, with turkey and sweet potatoes and pecan and pumpkin pies!

We plowed our way through the Christmas roast beef with its accompaniment of crisp potatoes, Yorkshire puddings (a.k.a. popovers), Brussels sprouts, buttery carrots and rich gravy. We were replete, and we all looked very silly wearing paper hats and reading really stupid jokes to each other after we had pulled our Christmas crackers. Sentimental carols from dear little choirboys in ancient British cathedrals chorused us from the record player, and we all became a little watery-eyed over our post-prandial beverages.

Then! THE BIG EVENT! The lights were dimmed, save for those decorating the Christmas tree, and a reverent silence fell over the dining room. John plated the long-steamed Christmas pudding with hallowed respect, sloshing it most liberally with brandy, while I bore in with a bowl full of brandied whipped cream. There was a gasp of awe from all present

W

as John lit the pudding into flames. Cheers of joy rang out and tears hen we brought our four small children from “England’s

of sentimentality flowed as we remembered harder times when any-

Green and Pleasant Land” to Texas in 1975, we felt it

thing available—even potato peelings—were thrown into that pre-

imperative that they learned our long-standing British

cious pudding just to keep the beloved custom alive.

traditions and customs. It was sweltering mid-August when we

John and I had decided that we should connect this wonderful mo-

arrived, but that is almost too late to begin the preparations for

ment with another intensely British tradition, and what more appro-

the traditional Christmas pudding, and indeed, the Christmas

priate than the national anthem? Our dear guests were Americans,

cake! But the pudding was tantamount. We hauled out a huge,

as we are now, and this is the same tune as “America” (“My country

deep bowl, and in it we combined currants, raisins, candied fruit

’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty…”). Our four small novice Amer-

peels, almonds, chopped apples, diced carrots, orange and lem-

icans were so confused. We suffered through a rendition of “God

on peels, beef suet, flour, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, brown sugar

Save the Queen,” followed by a heartfelt bellowing of “My Country

and sloshes of brandy, then we all kneaded and beat the mixture

Is a Flea.” Then we all nibbled tiny portions of our rich Christmas

with wooden spoons until it was blended. We draped a dampened

pudding as its flames died down. The sweet choirboys merged into

kitchen towel over the bowl to refrigerate.

Elvis, who then was actually still alive, and we slithered into a stupor

Meanwhile, my husband, John, and I, exhausted, sat at the table

of sated joy, uniting ancient traditions and New World excitement.

to drain the remainder of the brandy, while the children—aged 9

More than 40 years have lapsed since that memorable Christmas

years to Baby Annwen—sipped the leftover orange juice that we

Day—the day we christened with fire what our son Owen has hurt-

had also added to our concoction.

fully described as “dinosaur poop set ablaze.” Nowadays, I am gifted

The following morning, we spooned the fragrant mess out of

a pudding from an upscale London grocery by my sister-in-law, and

the bowl and into English pudding basins that we had hauled over

this classy pudding has an entire Seville orange buried in its center!

The Pond, then we steamed, cooled, refrigerated and forgot about

The puddings keep for years, and I am too sentimental not to store

it for four months as the thrill and anxiety of settling into a new

one. But still, each Christmas, with our large family and many be-

house, new schools, new jobs and new friends (who supposedly

loved friends gathered, we bellow out “God Save the Queen!” as we

spoke English, but a different one to ours) absorbed our lives.

watch our pudding flames die down. Bless the Queen’s heart; she

Then Christmas Day arrived! Such excitement! We had no beloved 50

HEIRLOOM 2017

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

would be so flattered, and I know she would love a nip of the brandy!

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