Great Chili Recipe from Alton Brown

I am a big fan of Alton Brown and his show, Good Eats. This episode, "The Big Chili", is wonderful and funny at the same time. The recipe is a 5-star delight.

Making a Haunted Gingerbread House

I saw this video on the Epicurious website. It is a wonderful twist on a fun tradition of a Christmas gingerbread house.

With Halloween coming up quickly, this might be something you can do for your party.

Recipe: Asparagus Pie

Messina Hof Winery Paired Dinner

Food Fight, Round 3. Online Charity Austin Serves Up Foodie Experience​s

 

Austin’s most unique and tasty online charity auction gears up for Round 3 with a lineup of culinary contenders that are sure to have food lovers putting up their dukes. The 12-day online bidding battle begins Monday, Oct. 17 with a menu filled with one-of-a-kind foodie experiences.

 

The 3rd Annual Food Fight! is the yearly fundraiser for the Austin chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international service organization of women culinary professionals who support local school garden projects, culinary scholarships and hunger programs.

 

More than 75 unique and tasty culinary experiences ranging in value from $25 to $750 will entice food and wine lovers to battle it out to secure winning bids. Chefs, restaurants and culinary businesses have generously donated items from dinners to autographed cookbooks to VIP culinary experiences. The bidding begins on Monday, Oct. 17 at AustinFoodFight.org and new items are continually added throughout the auction. The online aspect of the auction makes it easy for anyone to bid and support the Les Dames’ community initiatives.

 

“Austin Dames have tapped their resources to create bid packages with many food and wine insider opportunities you can’t get anywhere else,” said Cathy Strange, president of the Austin Les Dames chapter and global cheese buyer for Whole Foods Market®. “And the best part is that the good-natured bidding wars all benefit school gardens and culinary scholarships for women.”

 

Whole Foods Market, a leading natural and organic foods supermarket, is the auction’s presenting sponsor, and is joined in support for the online charity auction by Greenling, CultureMap Austin, Field Branding + Design, MeFoodie and the Austin Food Blogger Alliance.

 

A sampling of auction items up for bid includes:

 

• A Tea Party for 12 – 24 guests at the Steeping Room with the Grande Afternoon Tea Service
• Cypress Grove Cheese Getaway with two nights stay in Arcata, Calif. at the Carter House Inn with VIP tour, wine dinner and cheese making with internationally renowned cheese master Mary Keehn, creator of Humboldt Fog.
• East Austin Farm Tour with Chef Sonya Cote of East Side Show Room.
• Best of South Congress - A night for two in a pool side bungalow at Austin’s famed uber-hip Hotel Saint Cecilia, plus dinner for two at Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar.
• Private Chef and Wine Dinner at Stone House Vineyard in the Texas Hill Country with winery owner Angela Moench.
• One Night of Your Travaasa for Two + Culinary Class - Austin’s newest destination hotel on Lake Travis offers a one night stay for two with breakfast and a private one-hour cooking class with Travaasa Executive Chef Ben Baker.

The Austin Chapter of Les Dames has one of the largest chapter memberships for the international organization and is filled with Austin’s most dynamic women culinary professionals committed to serving the local community. Chapter members offer scholarships and mentoring to women entering the culinary and hospitality industries, organize culinary education events, support school garden projects and volunteer hundreds of hours each year in the community helping to feed Austin’s homeless. To donate items for the Food Fight! Online Charity Auction, email info@AustinFoodFight.org.  For media queries, please contact Cathy Cochran-Lewis, cathy.cochranlewis@gmail.com.

Les Dames d’ Escoffier International (LDEI) is an organization of women leaders who create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in the food, beverage and hospitality professions. Founded in 1976 in New York as a non-profit organization, LDEI’s mission includes education, advocacy and philanthropy. The Austin Dames chapter was chartered in 2003 and is one of 28 chapters in the U.S. and Canada.

Haddington​s & Mulberry Update Hours and Menus: Brunch & Late-Night Menus Reflect Change of Season & Locally Sourced Fare

While the late-night hours are abuzz at Mulberry, brunch has been expanded at sister restaurant, Haddingtons. Ideal for fall dining, the inviting atmosphere and American Tavern cuisine have been particularly popular with recent Austin City Limits Music Festival visitors, who supported Haddingtons as the place to dine on West Sixth Street.
 
 Already a staple for Sunday morning weekend recovery, Haddingtons’ brunch is now also offered on Saturdays, and includes an extended menu. Served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, Haddingtons’ brunch menu includes a variety of breakfast dishes like the egg and tomato centric Gypsy Eggs ($10) and a current special of Oyster and Steak Hash ($18); as well as fruit-and-grain dishes like hot oatmeal ($9) and fresh grapefruit ($5); two varieties of French toast ($9) and freshly made pancakes topped with seasonal fruit ($9). Additionally, diners hungry for lunch dishes may opt for the newly added Haddingtons Burger ($14); a variety of satisfying sandwiches including the Roasted Lamb Sandwich ($12), a vegetarian Zucchini Sandwich ($9) and a Salmon Sandwich ($13); a toasted bagel with cream cheese ($6) and optional house cured salmon. And, as always, Haddingtons’ brunch menu will feature a slew of classic cocktails and creative originals that perfectly complement any brunch item.        
 
 Downtown Austin’s cozy neighborhood wine bar and New American-style restaurant is serving up some seasonal specials specifically created to tempt hungry night owls. Mulberry, known for its innovative, locavore cuisine that complements the local style of its downtown neighborhood, is offering another reason to stay up late this fall with its newly extended hours and seasonal late-night menu.
 
 Now open until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, Mulberry features a late-night menu inspired by locally sourced foods, autumnal flavors and Executive Chef Jacob Weaver’s culinary creativity. Mulberry’s late-night menu, served from 11 p.m. to close each night, includes lighter fare such as snacks and plates of Devils on Horseback ($7); house ricotta served with oven-roasted tomato and pine nuts ($6); tortilla Espanola with sour cream, tomato fondue and bulb onions ($8); and house-made meatballs in a white wine and lemon broth ($11). Hungry late-night patrons will delight in Mulberry’s sandwiches like the fried green tomato sandwich with oven-roasted tomatoes, pimento cheese and fresh, seasonal greens ($7); the corned beef brisket sandwich served with braised cabbage, house mustard and provolone ($9); and the Cuban-style pork sandwich with gruyere, pickles and Cholula mayonnaise ($8). Since a late-night meal isn’t complete without dessert, the Mulberry menu features the most scrumptious buttermilk pie, poached berries and lemon curd ($7). And with one of Austin’s most celebrated wine menus, Mulberry will continue to offer several sparkling, white and red wines by the glass, as well as draught beers as part of its late-night menu.   
 
“One of the things that’s uniquely appealing about Mulberry’s special menus like the late-night menu is that they provide offerings outside of our basic menu. If you’re hungry past 11pm, Mulberry is a central place where you can find a meal inspired by local ingredients and caring chefs that is reasonably priced. Chef Weaver has really put together a great fall menu for late-night service.” says Mulberry owner Michael Polombo
 
Located at 601 W. Sixth St., Haddingtons is open for dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.; and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Late-night cocktail service is available Monday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. For more information about Haddingtons and the updated seasonal brunch menu, please call (512) 992-0204, or visit www.HaddingtonsRestaurant.com.
 
Mulberry is located at 360 Nueces St. on the street level of the 360 Condominium Tower in downtown Austin. For more information about Mulberry and the new late-night menu offerings, please call (512) 320-0297, or visit www.MulberryAustin.com.

America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams Host AFF's 9th Annual Film & Food

Austin Film Festival presents the 9th Annual Film & Food, one of the most fun and exciting culinary events in Austin. The glamorous and historic Driskill Hotel is the setting for this evening of flowing cocktails and inventive, delicious cuisine presented by some of Central Texas’ most notable chefs. Live and silent auctions offer attendees opportunities to bid on unique items and experiences.

Proceeds from the ticket sales and event auctions benefit AFF’s Young Filmmakers Program. The Young Filmmakers Program was founded to encourage students, ages 9 - 18, to explore their creativity and improve their literacy skills through the arts of screenwriting and filmmaking. Programs are offered free through AISD schools and partner organizations and grant more than 300 students and teachers access to the annual Austin Film Festival & Conference.

Restaurants participating in this year's Film & Food :

Austin Cake Ball

The Driskill Grill

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Whole Foods Market

Polkadots Cupcake factory

Ranch 616

Driskill 1886 Cafe & Bakery

Buenos Aires Cafe

Eddie V's Prime Steakhouse

Roaring Fork

Haddington's

Mullberry

Garridos

Passion Cafe

Parkside

Truluck's Seafood Steak and Crab House

and more...

Sponsors of the Film & Food include Whole Foods Market, KVUE, Twin Liquors, Dos Equis, Shweiki Media Printing, Livestrong Austin Marathon & Half Marathon, and United/Continental Airlines.

Recipe: Blue Cheese Dressing

If you like a great blue cheese dressing, don't buy it. Make it! Here's a great recipe. Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup salad oil
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (2 oz.) crumbled blue cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced onion

DirectionsPlace milk, oil, salt, and onion in blender.
Add vinegar while mixing. (This is important for consistency. If you add less vinegar, it will not be thick enough.)
Add blue cheese and mix briefly to distribute it evenly. (I like large chunks, so I sometimes do this part by hand.)
Refrigerate until thickened.

Breakfast Club is Back at J. Black's Feel Good Lounge

J. BLACK'S
FEEL GOOD LOUNGE
BreakfastClub
SATURDAY
9.10.11
Doors Open at 10am

TEXASvs. byu

Complimentary Shuttle to Tailgates
3pm-7pm
----------
Brunch & Game DayMenu
----------
Drink Specials
----------
Book your reservationnow!Ellie@JBlacks.com

Savory Spice Shop-Arboretum Announces Grand Opening!!

The Savory Spice Shop will be holding its grand opening on Thursday, September 15th.

Savory Spice Shop provides over 400 spices and herbs, along with 140 hand blended seasonings, ground weekly. We invite customers to taste what they want and buy what they need in amounts as small as a 1/2 ounce.

Savory Spice Shop-North Austin is a locally owned business located right next to Con Olio in the Arboretum. We look forward to teaming with our sister location on West 6th Street to bring the Savory Spice Shop experience to Austin!

Please feel free to stop by for some samples and a tour of our new location anytime during our opening week. You can also follow us on Facebook at Savory Spice Shop-North Austin for more information on upcoming events. We look forward to meeting you!

Savory Spice Shop North Austin
10000 Research Blvd. #129
Austin, TX 78759
www.savoryspiceshop.com

office: (512)524-3964
email: northaustin@savoryspiceshop.com

The Pearl & The CIA, San Antonio to host Foodways Texas Benefit

PEARL AND CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA TO

HOST BENEFIT FOR FOODWAYS TEXAS

All Star Chef Line-Up Dinner plus Molly O'Neill to Speak

The Pearl, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America San Antonio, to sponsor benefit for Foodways Texas. Come enjoy an evening of all-star chefs including Jason Dady chef and restaurateur of The Lodge; Tan Nguyen of Central Market, San Antonio; Jesse T. Perez, Burbank graduate and executive chef, consultant for Alamo Cafe; Rebecca Rather restaurateur of Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe and author of "The Pastry Queen"; and Andrew Weissman, restaurateur of Il Sogno & Sandbar and CIA grad on Thursday, Sept. 8 from 7 pm to 10 pm.


"We're thrilled that Pearl Brewery and The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio are helping to introduce us to San Antonio. Both Pearl and the CIA are in tune with the food cultures of the area, so forming this relationship is ideal for Foodways Texas and we hope it continues well into the future," said Marvin Bendele, executive director of Foodways Texas. "There is a rich culinary history in the city and surrounding areas and we hope to document that history and emerging food cultures through our oral history program."


During the event, Molly O'Neill author of One Big Table; A Portrait of American Cooking, will speak about immigrant foodways, while guests enjoy a meal celebrating a variety of cuisines focused on the San Antonio region. Copies of the book signed by the author will be available for purchase courtesy of The Twig Book shop.


Keeping with Foodways Texas mission, the dinner highlights Texas products with Texas crafted cocktails, wine and beer with a Master Sommelier pairing Texas wine. Tickets are $150 per person including beverages and dinner. All proceeds to benefit Foodways Texas, which preserves the vibrant foodways of Texas through oral history projects, documentary films, recipe collections, and scholarly research.

To purchase tickets, go to http://texasfoodwaysatpearl.eventbrite.com/

ABOUT FOODWAYS TEXAS
Foodways Texas is an organization founded by scholars, chefs, journalists, restaurateurs, farmers, ranchers, and other citizens of the state of Texas who have made it their mission to preserve, promote and celebrate the diverse food cultures of Texas. By joining and supporting Foodways Texas, you become part of a movement to preserve the vibrant foodways of Texas through oral history projects, documentary films, recipe collections, and scholarly research. You will join us in highlighting the state's distinctive foods and food cultures at our annual scholarly symposium, supporting educational food-based seminars, promoting local food networks, and partnering with universities and other non-profit organizations to educate future generations about healthy and sustainable food practices. For more information on Foodways Texas, go to http://foodwaystexas.com/.

ABOUT THE PEARL
Pearl, a former brewery that operated from 1883 until 2001 and a landmark just north of downtown, today is a groundbreaking culinary gathering place where you can eat, live, learn and play on the banks of the San Antonio River. 

The 22-acre Pearl site is home to the Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio and Aveda Institute San Antonio, the year-round Pearl Farmers Market. Pearl restaurants include Il Sogno Italian Osteria and the Sandbar Fish House and Market, both by CIA graduate and James Beard Award-nominated chef Andrew Weissman, and La Gloria Ice House by CIA graduate chef Johnny Hernandez.  Pearl is also known for the Melissa Guerra Latin American kitchen store, the Twig book shop, Adelante Boutique, Run Wild Sports, The Synergy Studio and Bike World.  The Center for Architecture houses the AIA San Antonio and the Architecture Foundation of San Antonio.  Office tenants at Pearl include the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber, the Nature Conservancy, the CE Group, WestEast Design Group and other creative firms.  Event space includes the Pearl Stable, the Pearl Studio and the newly completed Pearl Park, a community gathering space, which includes amphitheater seating overlooking a stage alongside the San Antonio River Walk.


ABOUT THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts, and certificate programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies.  As the world's premier culinary college, the CIA has a network of more than 40,000 alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Michael Chiarello, Cat Cora, Steve Ells, Todd English, Duff Goldman, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi.  The college has campuses in New York (Hyde Park), California (The CIA at Greystone, St. Helena), and Texas (San Antonio), and an international location in Singapore.  In addition to its degree programs, the CIA offers courses for professionals and enthusiasts, as well as consulting services for the foodservice and hospitality industry.  For more information, visit http://www.ciachef.edu.

Cleaning Your Grill Grate

When you finish grilling, I recommend turning up your burners with the lid closed for about five to ten minutes. This will burn off most of the food remains on your grill grates.

For the more stubborn items that still remain, take a section of heavy duty aluminum foil and  wad it up into a ball. Do not compact it too much. You still want a rough, uneven surface. With the burners turned down to medium, use a pair of tongs to hold the aluminum and gently scrub the grates. Do not over do it and ALWAYS use long tongs to scrub the grates.

Additionally, remember to oil the grates prior to grilling to keep food from sticking.

Recipe: Layered Pizza Dip

If you have guests who drop unexpectedly and need something quick, here is a great recipe and it requires about 25 minutes.

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
1 cup Spaghetti sauce (garlic and onion is a great one to use)
Frozen garlic bread, any variety, heated according to package directions (or use pita bread)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spread the ricotta cheese in an even layer in a 9-inch pie plate. Top with 1/4 cup of the pepperoni and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Carefully spread the sauce over the cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until hot. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Serve with the garlic bread or pita bread for dipping.