Tuesday, January 26, 2010

New Chefs at Eddie Vs & Roaring Fork

NEW EXECUTIVE CHEFS JOIN EDDIE V’S 5TH STREET AND
ROARING FORK, STONELAKE RESTAURANTS

Austin, Texas (January 26, 2010)…Management at Eddie V’s Edgewater Grille and the Roaring Fork in Austin recently announced new leadership in the kitchens of their award-winning restaurants.

At the Roaring Fork on Stonelake Blvd, Frank Johnson was promoted from sous chef to executive chef. Johnson helped opened Austin’s second Roaring Fork in early 2009. The North Carolina native is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University’s culinary program with prior positions at the renowned Hank’s Seafood in Charleston, South Carolina and the Baltimore Country Club in Maryland before relocating to Austin.

Eddie V’s flagship location on W. 5th Street welcomes Executive Chef Chris Bauer who has more than 20 years experience in fine restaurants throughout the country including Brennan’s in New Orleans. A graduate of Hyde Park’s Culinary Institute of America, Bauer has also overseen the kitchens at some of Austin’s top restaurants including Finn and Porter and the dining room at the Barton Creek Country Club.

Both chefs have been deeply influenced by the cooking traditions of the south and bring a passion for creating bold American cuisine utilizing the freshest, often locally sourced, ingredients.

About Eddie V’s and Roaring Fork
Founded in Austin in 2001 by Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso, the award-winning Eddie V’s Edgewater Grille serves the freshest prime seafood, USDA prime aged steaks as well as offering an extensive raw bar. There are two locations in Austin -- the original at 301 E. 5th Street also features the V Lounge featuring live music nightly; the second restaurant is at 9400 B Arboretum Blvd. Both have become local fine dining institutions with sister locations in Scottsdale, Fort Worth and Houston.

Foles and Villavaso opened Austin’s first Roaring Fork at 7th and Congress in 1998. The rustic yet refined restaurants specialize in bold American flavors using wood-fired cooking techniques. The second location at 10850 Stonelake Blvd. along Quarry Lake in Northwest Austin, opened in April of 2009. For more information on both Eddie V’s and Roaring Forks including hours and reservations, visit www.eddiev.com.


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Lisa O'Neill
Newton O’Neill Communications
O: 512.494.6178
M: 512.963.7944
www.newtononeill.com

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Korean Beef Barbecue

Here's a great beef recipe that I enjoy serving. Add some rice and may be some kim-chee and you have a wonderful authentic Korean meal.

Marinade
1 Asian pear (baseball size), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped*
3 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
6 large garlic cloves
2 cups water
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar

*Considering the price of Asian pears and the scarce nature of them, you can substitute another pear (Bartlett, Anjou or Red).

12 flanken-style beef ribs, about 4 pounds total and 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed

Directions
1. In the bowl of a food processor, finely chop the pear, scallions, and garlic. Add the remaining marinade ingredients. Process until well combined.

2. Put the ribs in a large bowl and pour in the marinade. Mix well to coat the ribs evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

3. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat.

4. Brush the cooking grates clean. One at time, lift the ribs and let the liquid and solid bits fall back into the bowl. Discard the marinade. Grill the ribs over direct high heat, with the lid open, until they are nicely charred on both sides and cooked to a medium or medium-rare doneness, 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Direct high heat is 450° to 550°F. You can use one of those fancy non-contact infrared thermometers or you can hold your hand over the cooking surface just above the cooking grate. DO NOT TOUCH THE GRATE! Remember, it is very hot. If you count 2 seconds before you remove your hand, the temperature is correct.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Bad to the Bone Chef Smackdown Rescheduled!

Due to the rain, Bad to the Bone has been rescheduled for February 27th, from 6 to 9:30PM at Stubb's Bar-B-Q.

Three of Texas' youngest and most acclaimed chefs - David Bull, Shawn Cirkiel, and Paul Petersen will go head to head in a high-energy, fun event with great food, live music and a competition that's interactive and exciting. DJ, el john Selector will spin bad-to-the-bone soul, funk and world beats to keep the tempo going until final votes for the chefs have been cast. Once the winner is announced, the evening melds into a rockin' live concert with Charanga Cakewalk, a seven-piece Latin band.

This event is benefiting the Sustainable Food Center. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.stubbsaustin.com or call 512-480-8341. Stubb's Bar-B-Q is located at 801 Red River, Austin, Texas.

Click here for full details.

Southwest Salsa Chicken with Fresh Greens

Southwest Salsa Chicken with Fresh Greens

This is a fantastic dish and doesn't take a lot of time to prepare. I serve this dish with Spanish Rice.

Ingredients
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into strips
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup water
1 bag (about 7 ounces) mixed salad greens

Directions
Stir the chili powder and cumin in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

Heat the oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's blackened and cooked through, stirring often. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the salsa and water in the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Divide the greens among 6 plates. Top with the chicken and salsa mixture.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Olivia adds new Talent to the Kitchen

NEW DECADE BRINGS TWO NEW TOQUES
Olivia adds new talent to the kitchen

AUSTIN, TX—Austin's favorite locavore, Chef James Holmes of Olivia, has kicked off the new decade with the exciting decision to hire two new talented chefs—Chef de Cuisine Andrew Francisco and Pastry Chef Taff Mayberry. The chefs bring impressive skills and experiences that blend harmoniously with Olivia's mission to stay local, seasonal and fresh.

This decision comes as a result of Morgan Dishman's recent departure from the Chef de Cuisine position to focus on family endeavors. Chef Holmes says, "Morgan is a friend and was my partner in the kitchen since Olivia opened so I'm sad to see her leave, but I'm also excited about the new creativity that will come from this talented new team." Holmes made the decision to not only replace the Chef de Cuisine, but expand his staff to include a Pastry Chef and says, "I want to take the Olivia experience to the next level and ensure that our diners are satisfied from the first bite to the last."

Francisco, a C.I.A graduate, best known for his work as Executive Chef of Word of Mouth Catering and most recently as Chef de Cuisine of Lambert's, brings an authentic "farm-to-table" sensibility that is an ideal match to Chef Holmes's approach. In addition to his recent experience, Chef Francisco served as Sous Chef at Vespaio, and Cook at Asti, Mars and Emilia's after completing a coveted internship at the renowned French Laundry. Despite his impressive resume, Francisco keeps a quiet confidence and says, "When I die I will still have so much more to learn about food so I maintain a sense of humility and patience about my profession that is not always seen in chefs."

Mayberry, a Georgia native, is a self-taught pastry whiz with innate talents honed as Executive Pastry Chef at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens, GA, Pastry Cook at the Four Seasons in Austin and most recently, as the Executive Pastry Chef of the Shoreline Grill in Austin. Despite earning a full scholarship to the University of Georgia on academic merit, Mayberry elected to pursue his professional training on the job working his way up in front- and back-of-the-house positions in bakeries, hotels, restaurants, country clubs, catering and more. Mayberry brings a keen eye for presentation and a penchant for fresh, interesting flavor profiles and says, "Dessert is the last thing a customer sees and tastes so it has to leave a lasting, delicious, impression."

After opening its doors in 2008, Olivia has gained countless praise for its innovative take on Mediterranean cuisine with a seasonal, Southern spin. Chef Holmes is a fervent locavore who changes his menu at Olivia every day ensuring that it captures the absolute best the market has to offer. A follower of seasons and an avid supporter of local ranchers, farmers and artisans, the majority of the menu items, from the tiniest herb to the chunkiest cut of lamb, come from Texas. This dedication resulted in Bon Appétit magazine naming Olivia among the “Top Ten Best New Restaurants in America” in 2009. The restaurant is open for dinner Monday-Thursday from 5:30-10:00; Friday and Saturday from 5:30-11:00; Sunday brunch from 10:30-2:30 and Sunday dinner from 5:30-9:00. The restaurant is located at 2043 S. Lamar Blvd, Austin TX, 78704 and reservations can be made by calling 512.804.2700.

Web: www.olivia-austin.com.

Media Contact
Bread & Butter Public Relations
Meredith Vachon
512.363.6485
Ali Slutsky
815-210-7454

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Stubb's Bar-B-Q Rocks Austin as Celeb Chefs Take the Stage for 'Bad to the Bone' Competition

American Idol-Style Challenge, Rockin' Night of Music & Secret Ingredients Add Up to Benefit Sustainable Food Center
Acclaimed live music venue and legendary barbecue restaurant Stubbs Bar-B-Q will launch a dynamic event series benefiting SFC called Bad to the Bone on Friday, January 15, 6 - 9:30 pm, taking culinary competitions to a higher level by combining star chefs, audience text voting and live music.

Stubb's outdoor stage in downtown Austin is host to some of the nation's hottest bands and will turn into a kitchen arena where three of the state's highest profile chefs will battle it out, each choosing a preferred ingredient to stump their competitors' culinary prowess. The chefs will create a dish that includes all three of the chef-picked ingredients which could range from diverse edibles such as grapefruit to cauliflower to oysters.

Audience participants and a panel of noted culinary experts will sample the dishes and use live text voting to determine the winning chef. The DJ, el john Selector, will be spinning bad-to-the-bone soul, funk and world beats to keep the tempo pumping until final votes have been cast.

Once the winner is announced, the evening melds into a rockin' live concert with Charanga Cakewalk, a seven-piece Latin band featuring master multi-instrumentalist Michael Ramos and known for pan-Latin tunes that dive into deep, urban grooves.

"We wanted to take culinary competitions to the next level," said Margaret Vera, Creative Director at Stubb's. "We're combining all of the elements that Stubb's is known for to create a high-energy, fun event with great food, live music and a competition that's interactive and exciting."

On tap for the chef throwdown are three of Texas' youngest and most acclaimed chefs - David Bull, named as one of Food & Wine magazine's Top Ten Best New Chefs in 2003 and who is now Bolla's executive chef at the Stoneleigh Hotel in Dallas; Shawn Cirkiel, executive chef of Austin's Parkside Restaurant, recently named by Bon Appetit magazine as one of the "Hot 10 New American Taverns"; and Paul Petersen, star of TLC's BBQ Pitmasters and author of Keeper of the Flame Interactive Cookbook. Petersen was also former executive chef of Café Cenzio at the Gage Hotel.

"This event is a unique blend of talent and technology in one of Austin's most incredible venues," said Bull, Author of Bull's Eye on Food Interactive Cookbook and former executive chef at The Driskill Grill in Austin. "I am most excited about the audience interaction and the challenge of the event while cooking and competing with two great chef friends."

A live video feed will project all of the kitchen stage action onto Stubb's stage canopy so the audience can see close-ups of the food preparation as well as the live feed for the text voting results.

Bad to the Bone tickets are $35 and available at www.stubbsaustin.com. Ticket sales will benefit the Sustainable Food Center which helps more than 35,000 Central Texans access healthy, affordable and locally grown food annually.

"We're thrilled to partner with the Sustainable Food Center," said Vera. "Our goal is to increase the awareness of SFC, support local farmers and raise funds so they can continue to help the Austin community."
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Stubb's Bar-B-Q is located at 801 Red River, Austin, Texas. For more information on upcoming events, go to www.stubbsaustin.com or call 512-480-8341.
About Sustainable Food Center
With roots dating back more than 30 years, SFC is involved in every step of the local food system from seed to table. Our mission is to cultivate a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food.