The Lobster Pile

Hot Apple Soup

2011-11-18T17:49:00.001-06:00

Hot Apple Soup (Michelle's version based on Cordon Bleu recipe below)

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced thin
5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored & cut into wedges
1 tbsp flour
5 C beef or chicken stock (preferably homemade)
fresh herbs (parsley is ok... maybe sage is better?)
salt & pepper

Melt the butter with oil in a soup pot. Add onions & saute until lightly caramelized. Add sliced apples and season with salt & pepper. Cook until soft. Stir in flour and add stock. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Blend with immersion blender until smooth. Correct seasoning (be generous with the pepper).

Lightly saute apple wedges in butter.

Top soup with fresh herbs & apple wedges. Serve with cornbread.

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Hot Apple Soup (The Cordon Bleu Cookbook, Dione Lucas, 1947)

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp chopped onion
5 apples
salt & pepper
1 tbsp rice flour
2 C strong beef stock (or light stock or water to which 1 tsp beef extract or maggi has been added)

Melt the butter with the oil in a pan, add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add apples, cored and sliced but with the skins left on, salt & pepper and cook quite briskly until soft. Remove from the fire, stir in the flour and pour on the stock. Return to the fire and stir until the soup comes to a boil. Then simmer until soft. Be sure the soup is well seasoned. Rub through a fine strainer. Return to the pan and reheat. Garnish with apples, skinned, sliced and fried until golden. Serve with thin, crisp corn bread.

Scan me for a surprise!

2011-07-25T12:35:00.002-05:00

Chicken Feet Chicken Stock

2011-01-01T11:46:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again when I throw a bunch of bloody carcasses and an assortment of vegetables into a pot and let them simmer all day to create a velvety, rich stock.

As usual, I went down to the Chinese market to get the super cheap chicken bones, but alas they only had 7 out of the 8 lbs that I needed for the recipe. What to do, what to do. Poultry heads? Nah, a little too creepy. Duck wings? Nope, would alter the flavor too much. Ahhh, chicken feet! 1 lb. There you go. Perfect.

It's funny how the feet cost over twice as much as the bones.

For the past several years I've used the stock recipe out of CIA's The Professional Chef. It's simple, it makes just the right amount, and it's never let me down.

Simmering & skimming.

Yikes! The feet are looking a little scary, but they're adding lots of collagen which will give the finished product body and depth.

Adding the mirepoix and sachet. This is when it really starts to smell good.

And done.

I just wish I'd saved a foot to dry out in the sun. Decorated with a few beads from JoAnn Fabrics, it would have made a good object for use in hexing the Mr the next time he's bad.

-MDW

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Chicken Stock
The Professional Chef, The Culinary Institute of America, 7th edition

8 lb chicken bones (meaty) cut into 3-inch lengths
6 qt cold water or remouillage, or as needed
salt (optional), as needed

Mirepoix
8 oz medium-dice onions
4 oz medium-dice carrots
4 oz medium-dice celery

Sachet d'epices
2-3 parsley stems, 1/2 tsp fresh or dried thyme, 1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 1 garlic clove

Rinse the bones under cool running water and place in a stockpot.
Add cold water or remouillage to cover the bones by about 2 inches. Add salt to taste if desired.
Slowly bring the stock to a simmer. Skim the surface as necessary.
Simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Add the mirepoix and sachet and continue to simmer the stock 1 more hour, skimming as necessary and tasting from time to time.
Strain the stock through a sieve or a colander lined with rinsed cheesecloth. The stock may be used at this point, or it may be properly cooled, labeled, and stored.

Christmas Dinner

2010-12-25T20:30:00.052-06:00

I said I wasn't going to cook this Christmas, and what the hell, I did anyway. You can take the cook out of the kitchen, but you can't take the kitchen, uh.... hmmm. Anyway, I didn't make anything terribly fancy though, and it was mostly stuff I'd cooked before.

Brined Cornish Game Hen (grilled by the Mr)
Cranberry Sauce with Dates and Orange
Grilled Baby Potatoes
Green Beans with Maple-Pecan Butter
Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter and Red Wine
Roasted Red Peppers in Olive Oil
Riondo Pink Prosecco
Estancia 2009 Pinot Noir

-MDW

French Room Bar

2010-12-25T20:15:00.001-06:00

After dinner at the French Room, we wandered over to the FR bar across the hall. This has seriously got to be the swankiest old school place of imbibing that I've ever seen. Complete with fireplace, mosaic chess table and leather & damask as far as the eye can see. I want one of these in my house!

Afterwards the Mr and I went downstairs to the cheap bar frequented by the impoverished masses, where we dropped peanut shells on the floor and were regaled with stories of ghosts and evil hotel spirits lurking on the 19th floor. Stayed out way too late and had way too much fun with the bartender who stayed open after hours because "everyone was having a good time". A big thumbs up to all the great staff at the Adolphus who, despite having to work over the holidays, made us feel especially welcome. Merry Christmas, y'all.

For the rest of the pics, see our Flickr page.

-MDW

The French Room

2010-12-25T20:15:00.000-06:00

I have a soft spot in my heart for the French Room, perhaps because the architecture and decor remind me of Europe... or maybe it's simply because I've always had a really good time dining here. I dunno. Anyway, Jimi's and my Christmas present to one another was a multi-course dinner, accompanied by my brother and sister-in-law (at the table, not on the plate).

Eating at a restaurant like this is almost a formal structured ceremony. But a fun one. You would think with such a "stuffy" restaurant that the staff would be cold and pretentious, but that's not the case at all. The waiters were attentive but not overbearing. And the maitre d' was very down to earth, polite and accommodating, even though I was taking pictures like a crazy, horribly gauche person.

And now to the meal.

The French Room has a fixed price menu structure now. Three courses for $80 or a five course chef's tasting menu for $110 ($165 with wine pairings). We all went with the 3 course option, which was a good choice since we could barely walk out of there at the end of the evening.

Here is the amuse bouche, and I'm not sure that any of us figured out exactly what it was. Some kind of cold fish, mushroom and creme fraiche? I'm very proud of Jimi for not spitting it out at the table, as he thought it was a strawberry. Note the real sterling silver!

Cream of Black Mussel Soup, seared diver scallop and winter truffle.

Coriander Seared Ahi Tuna, tartar, quail egg, wasabi-saffron aiol and micro cilantro.

Dominion Farm Crisp Pork Belly, swiss chard, port wine glaze, pearl onions and five spice sauce.

Red Ruby Grapefruit and Baby Spinach Salad, goat cheese polenta crouton, crispy pancetta and shallot vinaigrette.

Lemon Butter Poached Maine Lobster, cauliflower gratin and vanilla butternut squash puree.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, lemon grass lobster sauce, tomato jam, mango and curry. Probably my favorite dish of the evening.

Hudson Valley Foie Gras, pecan crust, banana bread toast, quince jam, cranberry reduction and mint oil.

Cranberry sorbet intermezzo.

And now a chance to take a picture of Jimi and the ceiling frescos.

Maple Leaf Duck, saffron-poached red pears, foie gras mousse, confit, parsnip puree and natural jus.

Soy Caramel Glazed Arctic Char, butternut squash ravioli and blood orange sauce.

Black Angus Beef Tenderloin, bacon truffle potato terrine, carrot and beet purees and bordelaise. I want to know where they got this beef, cause it was the most tender cut I've ever had in my life.

Assorted chocolates, nuts and meringues.

All in all it was a great meal. Perhaps not innovative or on the cutting edge of gastronomy, but still definitely worth the money. I would pay just for the ambiance, excellent service and big Texas hair watching opportunities!

For the rest of the pics, see our Flickr page.

-MDW

The Adolphus Hotel

2010-12-25T11:00:00.112-06:00

For Christmas this year, Jimi and I spent a couple of days up in Dallas seeing the family, having some good eats, drinking some stiff cocktails and viewing a whole lot of big D big hair. Thanks to my good friend Hayley, we got a super deal ($99 via Travelzoo) on a room at the historic Adolphus Hotel.

Built in 1912 by beer baron Adolphus Busch, the establishment is a wonderful example of old school money. They sure don't build them like this anymore.

We arrived just as afternoon tea service was winding down. Guests were seated in comfy little alcoves, stirring their tea with silver spoons and eating their crumpets from little china plates.

They even had a guy playing an ornately carved antique piano once owned by the Guggenheims.

The hotel is full of 18th & 19th century antiques, and you never know what you're going to find around the corner.

For the rest of the pics, see our Flickr page.

-MDW

23rd Caryn Cooks Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T19:55:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the awesome spread, Caryn & Mr. Cooks!
For the rest of the pics, see our Flickr page.

-MDW

Smoked Salmon with Mustard Dill Caper Sauce

2010-11-27T19:47:00.001-06:00

Jimi likes to smoke his own salmon, and it's always nice to have an accompanying sauce for a party. This recipe is mustard based, so it can sit out for a while. Jimi made a 2 lb fillet as an appetizer for a Thanksgiving, and the entire thing was gone in a couple of hours. Yum!

Recipe: Smoked Fish with Mustard, Dill and Capers.

-MDW

The Critter

2010-11-27T19:37:00.001-06:00

Looks like Jimi's going to keep the Texas Spiny Lizard that he found in the garage. Got some crickets at Herpeton, and she is loving life (at least we think it's a she).

-MDW

Silver Sunset

2010-11-13T21:00:00.000-06:00

Today was another beautiful day... the perfect day to try out another new cocktail! The silver sunset is a tangy refreshing beverage, similar to a whiskey sour except with vodka. The egg white gives it a thicker, more weighty texture, and the Campari lends a slightly bitter note. Lovely for a fall day.

-MW

Beef Yakitori

2010-11-13T20:54:00.001-06:00

One of our favorite happy hour restaurants is Kenobi. Tonight Jimi attempted to recreate their beef yakitori skewers. They turned out pretty well... smokey, savory and sweet.

-MW

Claude Dozorme's Laguiole knives

2010-11-07T21:04:00.001-06:00

Howdy, again....Jimi here....
For our 5th anniversary (wood being the traditional gift), we decided to treat ourselves to some really high-quality, fancy wood-handled steak knives.
This style and particular quality of knife is made only in Laguiole, France. Begun in 1829, the quality of this type of knife was such to inspire Napoleon Bonaparte to award the knifemakers of the region the imperial bee sigil. We thought these made by Claude Dozorme were pretty swank, so here we present our super-cool, extremely handy steak knives that we get plenty of use from considering the sheer volume of cowflesh that I consume (and pressure Mic to consume).

-JW

Homemade Chai

2010-11-07T19:57:00.002-06:00

After simmering for three hours...

In the winter (well, I guess in the summer too), I often make Yoga Yoga's recipe for homemade chai/yogi tea. All the ingredients are super cheap if you buy them from the bulk bins at Central Market or Whole Foods, and I like to get the Mexican cinnamon at HEB. I brew the decaf version, and a hot cup with soy milk and honey makes me feel all cozy and comfy. It's also awesome over ice on a hot day.

Yogi Tea (adapted from Yoga Yoga recipe)

2 quarts water
15 whole cloves
20 black peppercorns
3 sticks Mexican cinnamon (canela)
20 whole cardamon pods
8 fresh ginger slices (1/4")
1 tea bag black tea, decaf

Bring all ingredients except tea bag to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Remove from heat, add black tea bag and cool. Strain.

Serve hot or iced with soy milk and honey.

-MW

Beer-Marinated Steaks with Peppercorn Sauce

2010-11-07T18:21:00.001-06:00

Here's yet another recipe for steak with some kind of cream sauce, and boy howdy this is a good one. This recipe calls for marinating the beef overnight in brown sugar, beer, ginger and all other kinds of good stuff. Then it's served with a wine, pepper, stock and cream reduction. To get the full effect, it's necessary that you make both parts of this recipe (marinade & sauce). The peppery accompaniment combines with the smokey sweetness of the meat in a beautiful way.

Tips:
1. Definitely marinate the steaks overnight.
2. Add 1/2 the pepper. I think 2 tbsp is too much.
3. Reduce the sauce to one cup instead of two. It thickens it and intensifies the flavor.
4. I usually don't say this, but do not skimp on the heavy cream.
5. Serve with spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil.

-MW

Mussels Dijon

2010-11-07T17:38:00.000-06:00

Here's my simplified version of Andrea Immer Robinson's mussel recipe.

Mussels Dijon

2 lbs mussels
3 TBSP butter
2 large shallots, chopped
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 C white wine
1/2 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSP heavy cream
1/4 C parsley, chopped

Heat butter in a large heavy pot over moderately high heat. Add shallots, tomatoes & garlic. Season with salt & pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes. Add wine and bring to boil. Add mussels and cook covered until they open wide, 4-6 minutes. Transfer mussels to serving bowls. Remove pot from heat, and whisk in mustard, cream & parsley. Pour sauce over mussels.

And on the side: Roast a whole garlic head (drizzled in olive oil) at 400 for 45 minutes. Serve with baguette & sea salt.

-MW

TX Hill Country Trip

2010-10-26T16:56:00.261-05:00

This past weekend was Jimi's birthday, and we spent it tooling around the TX hill country near Fredericksburg. I'll tell you what, living in Austin kind of makes one forget that we're smack dab in the middle of Big Tex country. Cowboys, hunting, bbq, cattle, cactus, mesquite, God and ranch land as far as the eye can see.

Boy howdy, yee haw!

And yet, right in the middle of this rugged land, you have one of the largest emerging wine trails in the US. The vineyards in this area have really grown as of late, and we stopped off at one of the oldest ones, Grape Creek (literally next to a creek of that name) for a cellar tour.

Our next stop on 290 was the historic German town of Fredericksburg. After some quick shopping on the drag, we settled down at the festive Fredericksburg Brewing Co for lunch and a beer (thanks for the growler, Mark!).

The biggest plate of food, ever. Jimi and I were famished, and we were only able to finish about half.

Our destination for the weekend was a vacation house owned by our friend J's dad. Heaven's Gate, part of Dominion exotic game ranch, is about 15 miles south of Junction (off highway 83) and truly out in the middle of nowhere. The house sits on a hill with a great view of the surrounding countryside.

Jimi spent the evenings doing one of his favorite activities, building campfires. Relaxing and peaceful.

The harvest moon was very orange and very groovy.

One of the coolest things about staying on the ranch was that it was mating season, and the beasts were very vocal. We heard deer calling, coyotes yipping, wolves howling and what we think were feral pigs or wild boars grunting. Jimi spread out some deer corn to attract critters, and most of them came to the feeder at dusk and dawn.

The pic below is horrible, but I'm including it since you can see the shadow of the antlers. He was a spectacular white deer with the most incredible rack. Jimi whipped out the spotlight, thinking we would never see a deer like this again, and we were able to quickly snap this shot before he walked off. A few hours later, we were sitting quietly by the campfire when I heard a trotting sound. I turned around in my chair and saw this buck walking up to the porch, just a few yards from where we were seated. He'd jumped the fence surrounding the house and was casually checking out the scene. Two thoughts popped into my head. First - Damn! This is so cool! Second - Damn! The camera is in the house!

This little (red?) deer ended up stepping though the barbed wire fence and walking right up to the house to graze. She was tiny, very cute, and literally pranced and marched her way around the backyard. Jimi and I watched her for at least 30 minutes until she realized that her mother was gone and ran off.

Listen closely and you can hear her calls.

Jimi and I spent one afternoon hunting for arrowheads, fossils and petrified wood.

Found a lot of random pieces of flint, but the one in the middle of the photo looks knapped. What do you think? Worked Indian tool or not?

We stumbled upon these funny looking mule-like creatures while hiking around the property. At first we couldn't tell if they were giving us the squinty eyed (a) stare of dumb stupor or (b) glare of get-the-F-out-my-house-bitch anger. Turns out it was the former. They ended up following us back to the house and eating all our deer corn. Jimi had quite a time banging the pots & pans trying to get rid of them. Bad ass! Bad ass!

We spotted these creatures from the car on our way out. Black buck antelope?

It's wildflower sowing season, don't you know, so we stopped by Wildseed Farms to pick up some Firewheel seeds.

And no road trip in Texas is complete without a stop at a bbq joint. Ronnie's in Johnson City (so which came first, the Johnson or the city?) was just ok. But que can be finiky, so maybe we caught them on an off day. The Whittington's jerky was pretty darn good though!

This was supposed to be a relaxing trip, but the hubby and I have a really hard time doing nothing on vacation. Turns out we enjoy the "doing" and the "seeing", so we got up at dawn and went to bed at midnight (or in Jimi's case, 3:00am). I'm glad we put forth a little effort, or we'd have never seen and heard the variety of animals that we did. Thanks so much to J for setting this up. And a big thank you to Joel and Polly for generously allowing us to make use of the ranch!

-MW

Rock Tumbling - Final Product

2010-10-26T11:31:00.000-05:00

We finally finished the last stage of rock polishing on the stones we picked up down the street at Walnut Creek greenbelt. Most of them aren't super shiny, I think because they're some sort of sand or limestone. Anyway, the tumbling really brought out the colors and striations. Pretty, no?

Before on the left. After on the right.

-MW

Beer Butt Chicken

2010-10-26T11:30:00.000-05:00

Hello there! Jimi here. Now, anyone who knows me KNOWS how much I enjoy cooking meat with smoke and fire. Recently I decided to do just that. Shocking, eh?

Beer-butt chicken just may be the single best way of cooking a whole chicken - tender, juicy meat and crisp, smoky skin. Not to mention that you get to use a BBQ pit to cook it! (that's just a little extra perk for me.)

BEER-BUTT CHICKEN

1 chicken
Fiesta Season-It-All
garlic powder
black pepper
olive oil
1 can beer
1 small lemon
1 sprig rosemary
3 large cloves garlic
onion
Italian seasoning blend

This recipe is very easy to make, and fun. First, crack open a can of beer. Drink half. (See, the fun's already starting) Then, rinse off the chicken (inside & out). Pat DRY (inside & out). Sprinkle liberally (including the inside) with seasoned salt, garlic powder, black pepper. Rub in thoroughly. Start up your bbq pit and drink another beer while you prepare your cooking can. It's easiest to fit everything in if you can manage to peel off the top of the can. Crush the garlic, and rough-cut the lemon and onion.put this all into the can along with the rosemary and generous pinch of the Italian seasonings. Once the pit is hot enough, oil up the chicken and insert can as shown. Place in smoker sitting on the can, using drumsticks to form tripod. Keep it away from the heat at first. Cook it slowly until it takes on a nice color from the woodsmoke. Bring it closer to the heat to finish crisping the skin and make sure that the beer is steaming lots of moisture and flavor into the meat from the inside. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into.

Italy 2003

2010-10-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

While I was getting our wedding pics scanned, I also decided to have them do our 2003 trip to Europe. I seem to have misplaced the negatives from Slovenia, but here are the ones from Italy. For the rest of the photos, see our Flickr page.

Here's our itinerary from the trip:

-MW

Italian Elopement is the Bomb - Part 2

2010-10-26T10:36:00.000-05:00

Finally got the 2nd half of our wedding pics scanned. For the rest of the photos, see our Flickr page.

Where's Jimi?

-MW

Support LGBT youth today!

2010-10-20T07:40:00.002-05:00

Italian Elopement is the Bomb

2010-10-17T21:03:00.005-05:00

For some reason I have an ungodly number of old photographs. Some of them are Desiderato photos from my youth... the family dog, the backyard in Denton, 2nd-cousin-twice-removed's wedding in Arlington. Others are from my time in the Czech. And just a few are from the Mr's and my life together, pre digital camera.

The first thing I decided to have converted to digital was our wedding trip. Gorgeous Alpine vistas. Crisp champagne. ~~Prom~~ Wedding dress from Dillard's. Snow in July. Dumbfounded great aunt. Medieval castles. Magical honeymoon ~~suite~~ little room. Ahhhh, I wish I could experience the whole thing again. And I'd even marry the same man.

This is just the 1st half of the wedding pics. Still need to get the 2nd half scanned. For more elopement images, visit our Flickr page.

In case you're interested, this was our itinerary:

Colloredo di Monte Albano
Buia (my grandfather's home and home of the best pizza in the world)
Venzone
Cortina d'Ampezzo (where we got married)

Hotel Ancora

Castello di Andraz
Pieve di Livinallongo

Cesa Padon (honeymoon night)

Sella Ronda

Little day trip into Austria
Sappada
Aquileia
Venice

-MW

Rock Tumbling Phase 4

2010-10-16T18:26:00.000-05:00

We're getting closer! Just one more phase after this.

-MW

Salmon with Chili-Fruit Salsa

2010-10-16T18:24:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to get more fish and other seafood in my diet (that omega-3 thing, you know). This fruit salsa was really quick, easy, fresh and healthy! Just chop up the ingredients & mix together. There weren't any ripe mangos at the store, so I substituted nectarines. This is one of those recipes you could put on regular rotation.

-MW

ACL 2010

2010-10-10T19:56:00.015-05:00

The Mr and I attended ACL this year after a 2 year hiatus. Much fun was had by all, especially since it wasn't a bazillion degrees outside. Here are the highlights from the shows we caught.

Most enjoyable: Phish
What can I say. The crowd was in a great mood (psychedelic dancing galore) and the laser light show was super groovy, man.

Most entertaining to watch: Gogol Bordello
Euro gypsy techno on Red Bull, complete with accordion. Reminds me of the stuff we used to hear in the Czech discos, but the stage show was highly amusing.

Best random band: White Rabbits
A spur of the moment choice, we really liked this semi-pop piano heavy group.

Best completely random band: Lance Herbstrong
So we go over to the ZYNC stage to see Gayngs, and the announcer comes on and says that their driver stole their bus & that "Lance Armstrong" was filling in. We're like, Lance Armstrong? He sings too? Turns out it was Lance Herbstrong, a super fun electronica group that sampled stuff like Led Zeppelin and the Beastie Boys. They even got my lame ass up and moving in the heat at 3:00 in the afternoon. And who doesn't love a band that pulls up a bunch of random people to dance on the stage with a big cheshire cat balloon.

Best completely random moment: Chuck Woolery
Wait a minute. Who's that guy on stage about to introduce Ruby Jane? Is that...? Is that who I think is it? Why, yes it is.
Check out this Austin 360 article about why Chuck Woolery is in Austin.

Band that sucked the most: Black Lips
Billed as a punk band with "the gleefully destructive impact of a 15-year-old with a bag of firecrackers". Yup, they sure sounded like a bunch of 15 year olds. Craptastic.

Band that most made me feel like a old person: Deadmau5
I so would have been front and center for this band 20 years ago. House musician dressed up as a giant mouse! And check out his light show. Epileptics in the crowd, beware!

Worst thing about the festival (besides the parking): $7 beer

And here's a list of all the bands we saw...

Friday

Gospel Stars
Wesley Bray & the Disciples of Joy
Carolyn Wonderland
Kings Go Forth
The Black Keys
Spoon
Phish

Saturday

The Jane Shermans
Black Lips
Beats Antique
Broken Bells
Gogol Bordello
Deadmau5

Sunday

Ruby Jane
White Rabbits
Foals
Portugal, The Man
Lance Herbstrong

For the rest of the weekend's pics, visit us on Flickr.

-MW

Drunken Fig Jam

2010-10-03T17:33:00.001-05:00

A while back, my friend Hayley gave me a bunch of fresh figs from her tree, and I'd frozen some of them for later use. I found this easy recipe for Drunken Fig Jam on Epicurious. The lemon peel makes this more like a quasi marmalade, and the brandy gives it a nice kick. J and I had it with some paté this evening, but it would also compliment cheese, ice cream, and (obviously) crusty bread with butter. Mmmmmm. Definitely a keeper, especially if you know someone with a fig tree!

-MW

Taxco Fizz

2010-10-03T17:08:00.002-05:00

Damn, it sure is a lovely day today in Austin, TX. Weather so beautiful that it warrants a brand new cocktail. This afternoon the Mr. and I tried out a Taxco Fizz. Similar to a margarita, but a lot less sugar and a little bit of club soda. If you like sour cocktails with a touch of bitters, this one's for you.

-MW

A Day of Whole Foods

2010-10-03T16:56:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it's fun to go to Whole Foods with no grocery list in mind, just to pick up whatever random item catches your eye. Today it was heirloom tomatoes, the last of the season, fresh mozzarella and an Italian prosecco that was on sale.

Some interesting pumpkins...

And then it was on to HEB to buy Jimi yet another grill.

-MW

Green Mesquite, Austin, TX

2010-10-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

We had some errands to run on S. Lamar and thought, hey! Green Mesquite! You know what that means. A ham and brisket po-boy.

Jimi, working on some serious business...

-MW

Rock Tumbling Phase 3

2010-10-03T16:02:00.000-05:00

A week has passed, and it is now time for phase 3 of our rock tumbling process, otherwise known as pre-polish 600. The colors are really starting to come out now. The steps are the same, just the grit coarseness has changed.

And we'll be back in another week!

-MW

North Star Greenbelt: After Flood

2010-09-28T18:03:00.000-05:00

Got 1/2 a free day today due to this morning's events at the University. Spent most of it just chilling outside, and Jimi & I took a walk down to the neighborhood park. Here's some video of the pleasant little creek running through the greenbelt. Take a moment to compare it to the flash flood we had a few weeks ago, when tropical storm Hermine blew through.

One of the gorgeous oak trees in the park.

-MW

Rock Tumbling Phase 2 (aka Slurry with the Fringe on Top)

2010-09-27T18:00:00.001-05:00

And Phase 2 has begun.

Here's what our Walnut Creek rocks look like after a week of tumbling in coarse grit. The foamy stuff is called a slurry (which, for some god awful reason, always makes me think of that Rodgers and Hammerstein song about a surrey).

The rocks must be thoroughly washed...

... before a new batch of finer abrasive (220 silicon carbide) is added with some plastic pellets for filler. The barrel must be "charged" at 2/3 full.

And now I will leave you with a parting gift. See you in another week!

-MW

Rock Tumbling Phase I

2010-09-27T17:32:00.003-05:00

Jimi and I put my rock tumbler into action last weekend. I wanted to see what the local stones would produce, so we picked up some random rocks down the street at Walnut Creek greenbelt.

Here's Jimi breaking up the rocks into smaller pieces. You're supposed to have a variety of sizes up to 1".

Who knows what kind of stones these are, or if they're even hard enough to polish. Lots of sandstone & limestone around here.

Add 4 tbsp coarse grit silicon carbide, some water, and sit back & watch the fascinating machine that is the Lortone Model 3A. For SEVEN. WHOLE. DAYS.

-MW

Carrie's Bachelorette Party

2010-09-21T18:39:00.011-05:00

Our dearest darling Carrie is getting married in a few weeks. The bachelorette celebration started at the Stephen F Austin, with stops at the Belmont, Prague, Lanai, and Oilcan Harry's. A few bruises and a lot of alcohol later, Carrie and crew crashed at at the hotel. Yours truly chose to hop in a cab (in which I DID NOT pass out, thank you very much) and fall asleep in my own bed.

Here's the awesome Palmtini from the Belmont. Grey Goose, fresh cucumber and lime.

For the rest of the photos, check out our pics on Flickr.

-MW

Peach Pancakes

2010-09-12T18:18:00.001-05:00

About twice a year I'll get it into my head to make pancakes or waffles from scratch. Yesterday it was peach, and since I didn't have any syrup I used a little powdered sugar. Pancakes and espresso on a Saturday morning. Yum.

-MW

Tropical Storm Hermine

2010-09-12T18:12:00.002-05:00

Jimi and I witnessed a mini flash flood first hand last week when tropical storm Hermine blew through Austin. Parts of the area got up to 15" of rain. Here's some video of the park down the street from our house. The stream in the first video turned into the flash flood in the second video in a matter of minutes!

-MW

The New Study

2010-09-12T18:01:00.003-05:00

We finally finished Jimi's study this weekend. It's about as done as it's going to get for a while, but eventually we'd like to get a leather wingback chair with an ottoman. The wall color is kind of lavender (which Jimi picked out), and the curtains are a gold paisley brocade (which J also picked out), so it has somewhat of a Golden Girls effect. J thinks it's very English study, so I just nod my head and say yes dear.

Here's the before shot.

-MW

Greg Seider's Triple S

2010-09-12T17:50:00.002-05:00

I was perusing a copy of Wine Spectator on my lunch break the other day and came across this intriguing drink recipe. I was skeptical after making it, but the flavor really grew on me... tangy, fruity, spicy green savory, smokey (yes, that's right) and a real kick on the finish. I used much less jalepeno, not because I don't dig me some spicy, but it was overpowering the rest of the drink. You'll either like this one or hate it. Jimi and I were in the thumbs up camp.

Greg Seider's Triple S

Jalapeno
2 oz tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz watermelon puree
3/4 oz agave syrup
hickory-smoked salt (can find at Whole Foods)

Muddle jalapeno in shaker. Add tequila, lime juice, puree and syrup, plus ice. Shake, strain, and serve in a double old-fashioned glass rimmed with hickory-smoked salt.

-MW

Patch Mania

2010-09-12T17:35:00.003-05:00

My friend Hayley came over last weekend to take advantage of my mad sewing skills & get some help putting patches onto her kids' backpacks. I have to say, they turned out pretty well. Most rockin' backpacks in school, I'm sure!

-MW

Mic's Birthday

2010-09-12T17:30:00.001-05:00

In his typical goofy style, Jimi created a treasure hunt so that I could seek out and find my present. See if you can read the clues and guess what my gift was!

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Did you guess correctly?
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Craig's Friday the 13th Birthday Party

2010-09-12T17:21:00.000-05:00

We posted some pics from Craig's Friday the 13th birthday party on our Flickr page.

-MW

Eggs at the Office

2010-08-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

Angela brought me eggs from her chickens today. In a basket. In hay! All it needs is a pretty checkered bow.

-MW

Piglets

2010-08-05T20:56:00.002-05:00

These are some cute babies at Herpeton that I met while waiting for my car inspection. I dunno WHAT Chaka Khan would think about one of these, but I fell in love.

-JRW

The Chicks Are Getting Bigger

2010-07-29T18:27:00.003-05:00

The chicks are getting bigger! I'm so glad that they've appeared to have gotten past the high risk stage when they're easily picked off by local predators. And we just figured out last week that there's another clutch wandering around too.

-MW

9th Wedding Anniversary

2010-07-19T21:16:00.003-05:00

Nine years ago today, Jimi and I got married in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

To celebrate, we whipped out a little prosciutto & salami, a little cheese, a little melon and a lot of chianti.

Couldn't find duck breast today, so we made the tagliatelle with pork belly. Jimi went over to Central Market to find some of the fancy shmancy imported pasta (made with semolina) so that we could pretend like we were back in Italia. And he doesn't even really like pasta. I heart him.

Recipe: Tagliatelle with Duck Ragù

-MW

Fresh Figs

2010-07-19T20:43:00.003-05:00

My friend Hayley just gave me a bunch of fresh figs from her tree. Yum!

-MW

The Painted Study

2010-07-10T20:21:00.000-05:00

Finally finished painting the study. That trim was a pain in the ass.

-MW

Greenling Box 7/5/2010

2010-07-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

Here's what came in my Greenling delivery this week.

Peaches (Caskey Orchards, San Marcos)
Lemon basil (Acadian Family Farm, Lavaca County)
Plums (Massey Farm)
San Marzano tomatoes (Acadian Family Farm, Lavaca County)
Bell peppers (Ringger Family Farm, Smithville)
Patty pan squash (Massey Farm)
Cantaloupe (Orange Blossom Farm, Carrizo Springs)
Kirby cucumber (My Father's Farm, Seguin)
Curly mustard (Texas Natural)
Garlic (Ringger Family Farm, Smithville)
New potatoes (Tecolote, Austin)

-MW

Guinea Hen Chicks

2010-07-04T19:01:00.001-05:00

The semi-wild guinea hen flock down the street had chicks again. They're now big enough to venture out to our yard, and I finally got some video before Jimi scared them off. They are such funny birds. And loud, as you can see from the clip.

-MW

Fresh Eggs, Straight From the Chicken's *** !

2010-06-24T19:19:00.003-05:00

So raising chickens in urban Austin is the hip thing to do these days. My super cool co-worker Angela gave me 1/2 dozen little eggs from her "teenage" hens (which they got as chicks last Christmas). I fried a couple of them over easy, and they were quite rich and tasty. Look at the color of that yolk.

-MW

Remodel of the Historic Weedman Study

2010-06-20T17:31:00.000-05:00

Well after 10 years I've finally gotten around to redoing the study (ie. the really boring, really small 2nd bedroom that we've been using for storage). It took me an entire day to clear that sucker out, and hopefully someone will buy the treadmill that's been sitting idle for ages.

Here are the color candidates. The bottom half of the wall will be a semi-gloss off white to reflect the light, and the top half will be a flat eggshell paint from the palette below. Jimi's leaning towards one of the periwinkle blues. I'm digging the blue-greens. They both kind of have a Tiffany/Wedgewood look to them, and in fact my latest nail polish color gave me the idea. We both agree that the reds are not conducive to relaxation.

-MW

A New Look!

2010-06-16T14:07:00.002-05:00

And our blog has a new look. Love the rainy mountain background. Makes me feel a little cooler here in hot & steamy Austin.

-MW

Watermelon Agua Fresca

2010-06-16T13:14:00.003-05:00

I got this recipe out of the Statesman several years ago and modified the ratios a bit. You can substitute just about any fruit and add more water if you want just a hint of flavor. It's very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Watermelon Agua Fresca

4 C diced watermelon
6 C water
Juice of 1-2 limes
Sugar to taste (optional)

Puree in blender in batches and strain. Serve over ice.

-MW

The Green Mesquite, Austin, TX

2010-06-13T19:52:00.006-05:00

Oh I forgot my camera today, so I had to settle for a crappy phone pic of this awesome sandwich. I wanted to capture the heaven that is the Green Mesquite ham and brisket po boy with a side of onion rings, but all I managed to get was a quick shot of a very happy Jimi Jimi. I suppose that's good enough.

-MW

Our New Outdoor Chandelier

2010-06-13T18:12:00.004-05:00

So we FINALLY put up the outdoor candle chandelier that I bought, like, a year ago. Got some really cool battery powered candles from Jo-Ann Fabrics that are set in real wax... and flicker too.

-MW

Duck Bondage - Vegetarians Beware!

2010-06-13T18:05:00.002-05:00

Candied Kumquat Syrup over Vanilla Ice Cream

2010-06-13T18:00:00.005-05:00

And here's what to do with the leftover kumquats from the last blog post.

-MW

Seared Scallops with Spicy Citrus Sauce

2010-06-13T17:51:00.003-05:00

I love love love scallops. I saved this recipe from Cooking Light years ago and just never got around to trying it. I have to say, it's AWESOME. Spicy, tangy, nutty. You can substitute oranges for the tangerines, but the kumquats are a must. And don't leave out the pistachios.

-MW

Ham with Tart Berry Sauce

2010-06-13T17:37:00.004-05:00

I always forget that a cheap little ham steak from HEB doesn't always have to be for breakfast. Here's an easy recipe for a quick fried slice of ham with fruit sauce. I used canned cranberries instead of lingonberry... good and tart. Next time I'd cut down on the butter or maybe even use a non-stick pan.

Mexico Day 6: 5/18/2010

2010-05-29T14:49:00.009-05:00

Oh, dear lord. What a hangover. I am never never never doing tequila shots again!

It was a dreary and overcast day to match my mood, and we decided to seek out the barracuda in the Akumal Yal-Ku lagoon. Since it had been raining, visibility was poor and a lot of the fish had disappeared. We gave up after 30 minutes and moved over to the bay to find more sea turtles. Then it started raining again. So much for that. We pretty much spent the rest of the day just walking on the beach, hanging out, eating (and later) drinking again.

Here's our favorite restaurant in Akumal, the Loncheria. Great tacos and really fresh guacamole. Cheap too!

Playa has certainly grown in the past 20 years. There are all kinds of high end stores on the drag, and the place is almost like a mini Cancun.

The Reina Roja, a bizarre neon red fetish hotel off 5th Avenue.

Dinner that night was at a swanky restaurant on 5th called Boston Grill (cause of course Jimi wanted steak again). The restaurant was built on a cenote, and since we were in the middle of a tropical downpour by that time, it was quite nice listening to the sounds of the rushing water beneath us. Nothing like eating Italian prosciutto and drinking Chilean wine while sitting in Mexico!

The cenote under the restaurant.

The prosciutto, salami and cheese plate.

And that was it, except for an uneventful return flight and drive home. What a fabulous trip. This one seriously ranks up there with Peru, and that's saying something. Adios, Mexico! We will be seeing you again in the future, I'm sure. Here is a parting shot showing my editing prowess on Flickr.

-MW

Mexico Day 5: 5/17/2010

2010-05-29T12:42:00.012-05:00

Today was the day that Jimi was most looking forward to, the spider monkey sanctuary The Jungle Place near Akumal. The reviews on Trip Advisor were intriguing, so I made a couple of reservations.

A shot of our trusty Fiat Panda 4x4 in front of the sanctuary. This little SUV, if you can even call it that, got us through some pretty rough roads.

The Jungle Place is seriously out in the jungle. The owners, Heidi and her husband Joel, kind of fell into this profession. They take in orphaned and discarded pet spider monkeys and let them pretty much have free reign of the place. They've constructed a huge labyrinth of caged huts and runs that all sit about twenty feet off the ground so that you (and the monkeys) really feel like you're in the tree tops. Heidi said they let the monkeys out to run around the jungle, but that they always come back before dusk. They know where their home is.

There were about 10 of us on the tour, and we crowded into one of the huts and sat down (to appear less threatening). We had to take everything out of our pockets, take jewelry off, and hand over our cameras to Joel. Why? Because the monkeys will snatch at anything and refuse to give it back. In fact while we were there, Luna (one of the more aggressive ones) yanked a hair band off of a girl's head and made off with it. She put it on her arm like a bracelet and sat down to admire it. It was a little disconcerting in a way, and yet amazing to see such human behavior in an animal.

This video of us pretty well demonstrates what the experience was like.

Climbing all over us!

Heidi gave us treats to give the monkeys, while Joel snapped photos with all of our cameras. The monkeys were not shy about prying our hands open to get at the food.

We got to stay in the enclosure for about an hour. Jimi and a couple of others stayed longer for some special bonding time.

What a cool experience.

On the small jungle road back to the highway, I noticed a little sign reading Cenote Xunaan Ha. On an adventure once again!

Trekking through the jungle once again!

Xunaan Ha is a backwater cenote in the middle of nowhere. In fact when we arrived, no one was there. We finally found a woman who was apparently the ticket lady, paid a few pesos, and went down to the pond.

We were the only people there, surrounded by exotic bird calls and wild sounds of the jungle. The cenote was filled with little yellow and silver fish which glittered in the sunlight like mirrors. You can see some of them in this video, as I "commune with the fishes".

On our way back to Playa, we decided to stop in Akumal again. This time to try and find some wild turtles in the bay. Akumal is a small, funky & artsy little town with a lovely protected bay used for nesting sea turtles. All you have to do is strap on your snorkeling gear and march forward into the ocean.

We swam around & swam around & swam around. And didn't see anything. We were discussing whether to go back into shore, when I thought oh, let's give it another try. And ohmygodohmygodohmygod! We saw not one, but three sea turtles! We followed them for quite a while, as they munched on the seaweed at the bottom of the ocean floor. It was so cool. I mean really really cool. Unfortunately, we'd already run out of underwater film by then, but this video shows EXACTLY what it looked like.

This was such an awesome day for both of us. I will never forget it as long as I live. We celebrated by doing way too many tequila shots back at the hotel swing bar.

-MW

Mexico Day 4: 5/16/2010

2010-05-28T23:17:00.022-05:00

I was kind of obsessed with doing this off roading jungle adventure thing in Mexico. You know, go where no Austinite (or at least few) had gone before. I'd read a lot about Punta Allen, especially about the pain-in-the-ass 40km "improved" dirt road that you have to take to get there, and thought well, let's give it a shot and see how far we can get.

Here's a map of our destination - that little sliver of land below Tulum, ending in Punta Allen.

We drove through the beach front Tulum properties and soon came to a gate for the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, where we had to pay a small entrance fee and fill out personal and destination info in a registry book (guess they don't want anyone getting lost in the jungle). A few kilometers down the road, we came to the biosphere main camp. Here's a little info on the place:

Sian Ka'an, a Mayan phrase for "Where The Sky Is Born," was one of the first established Biosphere Reserves in Mexico. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and remains a high priority of protection for the state of Mexico. As the third largest protected area in Mexico, the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve comprises 1.3 million acres of tropical ecosystemsin the State of Quintana Roo. Consisting of lowland forest, flooded savannas, mangroves, and a portion of the world's second largest coastal barrier reef-- the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef--the Reserve is home to 800 plant species and provides habitat for 350 species of birds, as well as jaguar, puma, ocelot, spider and howler monkeys, crocodiles, and many types of turtles. Additionally, the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is home to 23 different archaeological sites of pre-Columbian culture.

Here I am in the observation tower, swaying in the wind.

Here's a little video from the tower. You can get a good view of the fresh water mangroves and the extent to which we're surrounded by jungle, even though the ocean was on our east side the entire time. No grassy sand dunes here. It's pretty much dense foliage right up to the beach.

And we're back on the road. Jimi had a lovely time trying to navigate the gigantic potholes and felt like he was playing a video game. The one guy they had working at the reserve said to drive until we got to a fishing place called Boca, and that we could go to the beach there. I'm thinking, ok, it's going to be a tiny village with a few buildings and maybe a place we can park.

So we drive. And drive. And drive. And no beach until we get to this old bridge over one of the mangrove lagoons that leads to the ocean. We stop for a bit, take a few pics and keep driving, and then it hits me. Wait a minute! Boca! Boca means mouth. We're here.

We park by the side of the dirt road, unload our gear, walk down a small overgrown path in the jungle...

...to come to this. A beautiful pristine beach, untouched by man.

There were a total of 10 people on the beach, including us. Here are 2 of them.

The sand was blindingly white, and there were shells and pieces of coral everywhere.

I liked the lagoon side, where the water was as calm as a swimming pool.

Here's the lagoon pouring out into the ocean.

Also check out this super cool aerial pic of where we were. You can check out the entire Mayan Riviera using the forward/back arrows.

It was getting late in the afternoon, so we decided to head back to town. We stopped at a restaurant in Tulum called Casa Banana, which was funny since there was nothing on the menu having anything to do with bananas or banana leaves. I had chicken in tropical juice reduction and coconut shavings wrapped in tortillas with a side of toasted almond rice. It was sooo good.

Our next stop on our adventure was the cenote Dos Ojos. Although the highlight of this place is serious cave diving, there is some amazing snorkeling to be had. Once again, we drove straight into the jungle (look! school!).

The cenote was pretty chilly around 77 degrees, and it took all of Jimi's gumption to get in. The clarity was spectacular, and these photos just don't do it justice. The water was so crystal clear that I felt like I was a fish in an aquarium. Since Dos Ojos is in a cave system, there were bats flying all around too! You could also see the glowing aqua blue of the other caves in the distance.

This is what it really looked like. The divers in this video are coming from the snorkeling area and heading towards the stalactite/stalagmite area, into the pitch black darkness of the adjacent underwater cavern. Frightening, yet enticing.

Much later that evening, back in Playa, we went to a restaurant at the recommendation of our hotel bartender called La Pesca.
Our waiter seriously thought Jimi was Jim Carrey. Maybe that had something to do with our excellent service.

A soup for all you men out there.

Jimi's skirt steak was very good, just the right seasoning.

Unfortunately, the caribbean lobster was overcooked and served with generic frozen vegetables. Uninspired [sigh]. Oh well, we're not really here for the food anyway. And it's pretty freakin hard to beat some of the margaritas made in the fine Mexican food establishments in Austin, TX.

-MW

Mexico Day 3: 5/15/2010

2010-05-28T22:12:00.011-05:00

Yal-Ku lagoon in Akumal was our first stop on our snorkeling adventure. It's basically a fresh water spring which empties into the ocean. The water was amazingly clear, and the variety of tropical fish was astounding. I hope we managed to capture some of the rainbow of color with our crappy $10 underwater camera.

On a side note, I wish everyone could have seen Jimi's flailing about in his mask and fins. To his credit, he did eventually get the hang of it, and actually really enjoyed his subsequent snorkeling outings.

Seriously, check out the clarity of the water. The color is surreal.

Here are some underwater shots for you. Jimi had a school of fish following him the entire time. I think they were attracted to something shiny on his person.

We saw some really colorful and large parrot fish.

After Akumal, we hightailed it down to Tulum to check out the Mayan ruins. Although on the beach, Tulum is pretty hot... like tropical jungle sweating like a pig hot... so we decided to stop an have some lunch and a cool beverage. As we were about to pay, look what caught our eye. People. Way up high. In costume. Twirling around!

Twirling around by their ankles while playing the flute!!!

Jimi and I are both into archaeology, but quite frankly, we were a little too overheated to really appreciate the ruins. I was most fascinated with the water, which was once again a surreal shade of aqua blue. Will never get tired of looking at it. Jimi loved the plethora of iguana.

Here's a video of the aqua blue surf down below the ruins. Beautiful beautiful water.

-MW

Mexico Day 2: 5/14/2010

2010-05-28T21:34:00.007-05:00

Can you believe that there is a jungle paradise on a Caribbean beach less than 2 hours from Houston? We rented a car from Cancun Rent-a-car, a find from Loco Gringo, for the awesome sum of $225/week (insurance, fees & taxes included!). Stayed at Hotel Luna Blue in Playa del Carmen, a groovy little spot with swings at the bar and free Tequila shots from Jorge, much to Michelle's dismay and Jimi's delight.

The hotel was a jungle paradise, complete with strange animals like this (which we later saw near the beach).

Check out the groovy coconut palm right outside our balcony.

And the swing bar! And did we mention THE SWING BAR?!

Jimi making friends.

Some calamari at Mamita's Beach Club.

The view from Michelle's urine colored sunglasses.

-MW

On the way to Mexico Day 1: 5/13/2010

2010-05-28T20:25:00.012-05:00

On the road to Houston. The sky was angry that day, my friends......well, honestly the day was very comfortable and we drove to Houston without incident. We stayed overnight at the (quoting Michelle), "Hyatt something-or-other-that-we-got-on-Priceline-for-$45". And as luck would have it, the hotel was right next door to a Cajun restaurant, aptly named Jimmy G's.

It was an oyster bar, but unfortunately oysters were unavailable due to the BP catastrophe in the gulf. They did have boiled crawfish though.

Tasty, yet strangely herbal.

Now, let's go to Mexico!

-JW

Blackberry Thyme Margarita

2010-04-25T18:17:00.003-05:00

Today's cocktail was a Blackberry Thyme Margarita from epicurious. I didn't have any tequila, so I made it with pisco. A mistake perhaps, since pisco has a very distinctive flavor and the drink had a noticeable alcohol bite. I also couldn't taste the thyme. Definitely have to make some modifications to the recipe next time. It has such a nice color to it though, doesn't it?

-MW

Maudie's: The Square Meal

2010-04-25T18:07:00.006-05:00

Ahhhh, Maudie's North Lamar. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. (1) The happy hour $3.50 knock-you-on-your-ass margarita, (2) thin crispy tortilla chips right out of the fryer, (3) spicy fresh salsa and (4) that damn addictive queso.

The perfect square meal.

-MW

Rhubarb Strawberry Ice Cream

2010-04-25T17:56:00.003-05:00

I've never cooked rhubarb before. What to make. What to make. Pie's out of the question, since our oven is still broken. Hmmm. How about some ice cream? Rhubarb is one of the strangest vegetables out there. When you cook it, it turns into this weird apple sauce kind of mush. Tasty though. I got this recipe out of the Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein (highly recommended if you have your own maker).

-MW

Gold Rush

2010-04-12T18:39:00.003-05:00

Like an appletini, but without the sickly sweet schnapps. Oh yeah!

Recipe: Gold Rush

-MW

Greenling Delivery 4/9/2010

2010-04-12T18:38:00.004-05:00

Here's what came in our box last Friday:

Organic ceasar salad mix

Local kale

Montesino organic spinach (Wimberley, TX)

Rhubarb

Bella Verdi broccoli micro greens

Groovy Greens lentil bean sprouts

-MW

Pasta with Sardines, Bread Crumbs & Capers

2010-04-12T18:34:00.002-05:00

Here's a fun pasta recipe from the New York Times. Loved the bread crumbs & lemon zest idea (I actually added a little lemon juice as well), but I wasn't too fond of the warm sardines. Don't get me wrong... I enjoy canned sardines on a good piece of crusty french bread, but I've found that I don't particularly care for them heated up. I think next time I'd just add a little anchovy paste and some chopped tomato.

-MW

Kale with Pine Nuts and Cranberries

2010-04-12T18:26:00.002-05:00

Here's an easy and healthy side for you. I can't remember where I saw this recipe, and I usually make it with spinach, but kale works just as well.

Trim and boil the kale until tender. In a saute pan, brown shallots or onion in olive oil. Add kale, pine nuts, dried cranberries or raisins (microwaved in a little water), salt & pepper. Add freshly ground nutmeg before serving.

-MW

Full Quiver Farms Garlic-Basil Cheese Spread

2010-04-04T15:33:00.003-05:00

We got this delicious Full Quiver Farms spread in our Greenling box a couple of weeks ago. It's a simple mixture of 4 ingredients - Neufchatel cream cheese, garlic, basil & salt. It's kind of addicting.

-MW

Richardson Farms Pork Cutlets with Brown Butter and Capers

2010-04-04T14:18:00.005-05:00

Our second attempt with a local meat from Greenling turned out much better than the first try. I took the pork cutlets from Richardson Farms (Rockdale, TX), pounded them out to 1/4" and fried them up using this veal recipe. Sooooo good, but all the butter makes it a recipe for just special occasions.

-MW

Wild Mushroom Risotto

2010-04-03T22:34:00.019-05:00

Behold. The elusive perfect risotto.

I wish [sigh].

I've been in search of a flawless dish which now exists only in my memory, a plate of perfection that I had one summer in the alpine village of Corvara. Nothing that I've eaten in an American restaurant or attempted at home has ever come close to that sublime taste of arborio rice soaking up wine & stock until it becomes a rich creamy mess mixed with wild mushrooms, parmesan, sweet butter and herbs.

Well, this attempt wasn't half bad. I think I got the consistency down - the rice had just the right amount of firmness to it, and the sauce developed fairly well. It's easy to make risotto, but it's really really hard to make an excellent version worthy of a northern Italian's praise. It takes just the right combination of good rice, stock, heat level and stirring, and I just haven't figured out that ratio yet.

Recipe: Wild Mushroom Risotto
I'd cut down on the amount of mushrooms (used crimini & oyster), as they kind of overpowered the rice, which should be center stage. The sherry was a nice touch, and the dish in general had a good flavor.

-MW

Bella Verdi Farms Microgreens with Curry Vinaigrette

2010-04-03T20:23:00.005-05:00

Earthy. Almost meaty, which is strange for basically... lettuce. A very unusual salad, and you definitely have to love curry to like this. I used microgreen arugula from Bella Verdi Farms in Dripping Springs, and it had quite a bitter bite. Next time (and there will be a next time) I'd definitely mix more of another variety in there.

Recipe: Microgreens with Curry Vinaigrette

-MW

1st Crawfish of the Season

2010-04-03T19:52:00.001-05:00

Mango Sour

2010-04-03T18:41:00.004-05:00

I was in the mood for a springy Easter drink, and Jimi picked this recipe out of a selection of fruity concoctions. Tart lemon and refreshing mango come together in this extremely simple vodka based cocktail. If you don't like super tart drinks, I'd cut down on the lemon juice. Otherwise, just perfect for a spring afternoon.

-MW

Spanish Dagger Flowers

2010-04-03T18:31:00.003-05:00

The spanish daggers have gone crazy with the flower stalks this year. Jimi cut them off, since they tend to attract pesky bugs that eat the plants, and arranged them in vases. They look pretty nice, even if they do smell slightly funky.

-MW

Jimi's Dutch Oven Cornbread

2010-04-03T18:16:00.000-05:00

So maybe you're thinking oh, they finally got their oven fixed. But no. Jimi actually whipped up the hot coals on the smoker and did this the old-school-camping way, outside in the backyard. It got a little burned on the bottom (need to adjust that top/bottom coal ratio), but turned out pretty well. He based it on his grandmother's recipe:

2 C cornmeal
1/4 C flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1 egg

...and then added creamed corn, bacon grease, jalapeno & onion.

-MW

Kale Salad with Pinenuts, Cranberries and Parmesan

2010-03-30T18:21:00.002-05:00

Raw kale salad??? Sounds like a tough, stringy dish from vegan hell. But no. This recipe is the bomb, even with the mature leaves that I got in my Greenling box. The trick is to slice the kale crosswise into very thin 1/4 inch strips. I didn't have currants, so I used chopped dried cranberries instead, and increased the amount of dressing. The sharpness of the parmesan contrasted well with the sweet vinegar/honey dressing and fruity cranberries.

-MW

Cheddar - Full Quiver Farms

2010-03-29T17:50:00.004-05:00

In last week's Greenling order came a raw milk cheddar from Full Quiver Farms in Kemp, TX (between Dallas & Tyler). The farm apparently sells all sorts of dairy products in addition to pork & beef. The cheese was a lovely medium-sharp with a buttery taste and creamy smooth texture. No cave-aged/moldy notes apparent (Jimi's favorite), but he liked it nonetheless.

-MW

Wisteria in Bloom

2010-03-28T19:16:00.005-05:00

We lost a couple of plants due to the bad summer and really harsh freezes, and the entire garden's looking a little anemic. Curiously, the wisteria did very well this spring. I guess it liked all the rain we had this winter. I'm just thankful that our (extremely expensive) Mexican palm made it through the rough climate, and I hope we've seen the last of the extreme weather for a while.

-MW

Pink Daiquiri

2010-03-28T18:02:00.005-05:00

When was the last time you had one of these? The 80s? Seems like I was always getting my parents to buy me virgin daiquiris at some restaurant or another. Well, here's a recipe for the real deal. The pink comes from a touch of grenadine, but the drink is basically rum, lime juice and sugar. Be careful though. These things pack a punch.

-MW

Pea Shoot Salad

2010-03-28T17:51:00.005-05:00

I got this plastic bag of dirt and plants in my Greenling order last Friday, and I thought what the hell is this? Ahhhh, fresh pea shoots with the dirt plugs intact! I forgot that I'd ordered the "surprise me" produce item.

I mixed them with olive oil (shoot me - no pun intended - if I ever start using the acronym EVOO), raspberry vinegar, salt & freshly ground pepper. I don't think I'd ever had really young shoots like this. You could taste the nutty flavor of the peas, and the only other word I can think of to describe them is fresh. Really fresh. Like you took the word spring and put it on a plate.

-MW

Sweet Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing

2010-03-28T17:42:00.004-05:00

This salad has been a favorite of mine for over a decade. The original recipe calls for regular potatoes as well, but I had a hankering for just the sweet ones today. Used the local organic potatoes from Greenling, and added extra vinegar, red bell pepper and gherkins for that tangy zip. Love it, love it, love it.

-MW

Riondo Sparkling Shiraz

2010-03-21T20:10:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted a review of Riondo pink prosecco, which both Jimi and I really enjoyed. I saw a display of their sparkling shiraz this weekend, and I thought hey, I like sparkling & I like shiraz. Let's try it!

Well, it was just... ok. First of all, the color was too dark to really appreciate it as a sparkling wine, and it almost looked like grape juice. The taste was like you'd taken a shiraz and had just added soda water to it. A little too sour. A little too bitter. Thumbs down on this one.

-MW

Panini

2010-03-21T19:53:00.005-05:00

Ever since Jimi went to Italy, he's been fascinated by prosciutto and, by extension, panini.

Here we are putting together the sandwich. Fresh mozzarella is necessary. And would you believe that Central Market carries prosciutto from the same area where my grandparents lived? San Daniele is in the Friuli region of Italy, in the foothills of the Alps, and their ham is as fresh and sweet as the mountain grass the animals feed on.

The ancient waffle iron we use as our panini press.

Voila!

-MW

Archipelago Botanicals

2010-03-21T19:44:00.002-05:00

Archipelago Botanicals is my new favorite brand of home fragrances. I was in Central Market the other day, just checking out the candles, and noticed that a lot of these scents are really fantastic. I got the Soleil diffuser, which has fresh and springy notes of grapefruit and hyacinth, and also picked up a Havana candle for the bedroom (Bergamot, Tobacco Leaf and Ylang Ylang...sultry!).

-MW

Bastrop Cattle Co. Ribeye Steak

2010-03-19T19:21:00.005-05:00

Both Jimi and I were really excited about trying the grass fed beef from Bastrop Cattle Co., so it was a disappointment when we found that we didn't like the ribeye steaks we purchased via greenling.com. They were extremely lean, which is not necessarily something you want in a grill steak, and Jimi found the texture "way too soft". Maybe it was because they'd been frozen for too long? We might give another cut a try.

-MW

Greenling Delivery 3/19/2010

2010-03-19T19:12:00.004-05:00

Here's what came in our box this week, along with a copy of Edible Austin.

Yellow onion (local)

Navel orange

Red beets

Spinach (local)

Sweetish Hill baguette

Ribeye steak, Bastrop Cattle Co.

-MW

Sweet Potato Soup

2010-03-18T12:49:00.010-05:00

I made this soup out of the local sweet potatoes from Greenling last night. Following the recipe to the letter gives you an unfortunate sickly sweet pot of "liquid pumpkin pie", but thankfully the suggestions made in the comments helped me to make it a recipe worth saving.

First, I sauteed 1 c chopped onions in olive oil and a little bit of butter until golden brown. Then I added the flour, stirred for a minute, and added the stock (scraping up the bits), cinnamon, sugar (could probably leave this out), sweet potatoes & milk. Left out the ginger & Kitchen Bouquet, used freshly grated nutmeg, used much less salt, added 1/2 c water, and subbed 2% milk. And now for the most important part... 1/8 tsp cayenne to give it a kick!

Had it for dinner again tonight, and let me tell you those flavors really come together the following day. Here's a pic of the Greenling spinach I had with it.

-MW

Tony Bourdain's Boeuf Bourguignon

2010-03-14T20:31:00.003-05:00

An easier version than Julia's and done on the stove top. Also added some tomato paste, beef stock, potatoes, and a lot more wine!

Our First Greenling Delivery

2010-03-13T11:30:00.003-06:00

I've decided to try out an Austin based organic delivery service called Greenling. The thing that appealed to me about them is that they have a lot of stuff from local farmers & vendors... things I love, but hate to drive all the way to the farmer's market to get. Check out their list of farmers.

Here are the local items we got in our first box (from top left). So far everything tastes great!

Two mini cheesecakes (unknown origin)

Fat Turkey 70% dark chocolate with caramelized cocoa nibs

Austin Java ground coffee

Baby spinach (local out of stock, so organic replacement)

Sweet potatoes

Sweetish Hill croissants

Humble House Foods Lemon Sunrise cream cheese spread (this stuff is awesome!)

Brazos Valley raw milk smoked gouda

Veldhuizen raw milk cheddar

-MW

Sliders!

2010-03-08T18:27:00.002-06:00

Sliders! Little burgers of goodness with some caramelized onions piled on. J even toasted the buns on the griddle.

-MW

Pork Chops with Balsamic Cranberry Sauce

2010-03-07T14:13:00.012-06:00

Our oven has been broken since Thanksgiving, and neither Jimi nor I have had the time or inclination to get it fixed. Therefore, we're continuing our "sauteed meat with sauce" odyssey until it's nice enough to bbq on the weekends or we get that damn repairman out to our house.

This Sunday we prepared another Epicurious recipe, pork with balsamic cranberry sauce. They were out of tenderloin at the HEB, so we substituted 1/2 inch cut pork chops instead. I implemented some suggestions from the reviews by doubling the amount of balsamic vinegar, reducing the sauce for a much longer period (approx 20 minutes), and straining it. Used a black currant balsamic from Con Olio at the Arboretum.

I also picked up a bottle of Riondo Pink Prosecco at Central Market. I saw a guy with a case of it, and it just looked so pretty! The tag said it had "flavors of sweet cherries and fresh picked strawberries" & was "explosively fruity", and I have to say they hit the nail on the head. Medium bodied and slightly dry, it would be a great drink for a bridal/baby shower, girls night or a sunny weekend afternoon. It's cheap, but it's a far far cry from Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill. Those I-talians sure know how to make wine.

And every once in a while you just have to get a chianti in a one of those silly wicker holders.

-MW

Beef Medallions with Brandy Sauce

2010-02-28T19:31:00.005-06:00

I am perpetually in search of good sauces to accompany grilled or pan sauteed tenderloin. Epicurious came through for me once again with this recipe: Beef Medallions with Cognac Sauce.

At first glance 1 teaspoon of sugar seems excessive given that the recipe is only 2 servings, however the savory nature of the meat cut through that. I used generic brandy (the recipe calls for a whopping 1/2 cup) and homemade chicken stock instead of canned. The sauce is rich given all the cream, and you just need a little on the plate with a drizzle over the top of the filet. Very easy and very good. This is a great recipe if you need to make something special in a hurry. Brandy really is a handy thing to keep in your pantry!

-MW

Austin Blizzard 2010!

2010-02-23T15:20:00.006-06:00

My oh my. They kept saying it was going to snow, and it actually did this time. And as chance would have it, I got a little 24 hour stomach bug last night and got to stay home today. My offering to the porcelain god paid off!

By the afternoon, I was feeling much better so I bundled up and went down the street to check out our neighborhood park. The blanket of white was so beautiful and peaceful, and I got some fairly good shots with our little point-and-shoot.

For the rest of today's pics, go to our Flickr site.

-MW

Jimi's BBQ

2010-02-23T14:05:00.004-06:00

Jimi has to smoke meat on a regular basis, or he goes into a funk. BBQing is a zen like experience for him, and he really gets a whole heck of a lot of enjoyment out of watching pork cook over fire. I dunno. It's a guy thing, I guess.

Anyway, Sunday was the perfect balmy day to smoke some ribs... and a chicken... and some sausage. I like his creative photo of the links spewing out of the chicken's neck.

For more pics of Jimi's bbq, go to our Flickr site.

-MW