Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings

During the cold winter months, this is a wonderful dessert to serve. Add whipped cream or ice cream and you got a real winner.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie
• 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a large rectangle, about 24 by 16 inches. Cut into 6 square pieces. Place an apple on each pastry square with the cored opening facing upward. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each apple; reserve remaining butter for sauce. Divide brown sugar between apples, poking some inside each cored opening and the rest around the base of each apple. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the apples.
3. With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of pastry square up to the top of the apple, then bring the opposite corner to the top and press together. Bring up the two remaining corners, and seal. Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple. Repeat with the remaining apples. Place in prepared baking dish.
4. In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract and reserved butter. Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Carefully pour over dumplings.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Place each apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over the top.

Notes

• Makes 6 servings.

Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner & Live Auction

Sunday, December 4, 2011
Stephan Pyles Restaurant, 1807 Ross Avenue, Dallas
Champagne Reception 6:00 p.m.
Dinner 7:00 p.m.

Join The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas and celebrity chefs throughout the state for the Foundation’s culinary event of the year, the 12th Annual Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner.

Named for Texas culinary legend Stephan Pyles, one of the original founders of Southwestern cuisine and the first chef in the Southwest to win the prestigious James Beard award, this event is a five-course, seated wine dinner. Rare and fine wines from around the world are carefully paired with each course for an incomparable culinary experience. Following dinner, a short and lively wine auction will take place, which will help benefit the annual Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship.

The Stephan Pyles culinary scholarship is awarded through an Iron Chef style competition each year, rotated to different cities and school locations throughout Texas. The 2011 Stephan Pyles Scholarship winner, Renee Morgan, will be creating the appetizers for the this fantastic fundraising event. Presenting with Renee will be Chef David Garrido of Austin, Chef Jason Dady of San Antonio, Chef Joel Harrington of Dallas, Chef Nick Badovinus of Dallas and Chef Rebecca Rather of Fredericksburg.

MENU

Bone Marrow Brulee Tartlett with Cranberry & Red Onion Relish
Country Ham & Gouda Grit Fritters
Tomato Martini Shooters with Mozzarella & Basil Oil
Chef Renee Morgan - Austin

Scallop with Bacon-Potato Ball, Red Jalapeno Crema and Pumpkin Seed Chardonnay Jello
Chef David Garrido - Austin

Bay of Fundy Salmon Confit with Horseradish Panna Cotta, Honeycrisps and Manchego Chicharron
Chef Stephan Pyles & Chef Joel Harrington – Dallas

Cider Roasted Texas Quail, Butternut Squash Grits, Luxardo-Walnut Compote
Chef Nick Bodevinus - Dallas

Pan Seared Lamb Loin with Root Vegetable Spoonbread, Fennel, Wild Mushroom and Smoked Huckleberry Bordelaise
Chef Jason Dady – San Antonio

Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Garrison Brothers Bourbon, Bacon Caramel Sauce and

Caramel ice cream
Chef Rebecca Rather – Fredericksburg

Held at Stephan Pyles highly acclaimed restaurant in the heart of the downtown Arts District in Dallas, the Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner is a wine and food lover’s dream. Space is very limited so make your reservations now by calling (512) 327-7555.

Tickets: $150 per person (non-refundable)

For more information including reservations, click here.

Monument Café Welcomes Diners on Christmas Day & Partners with Local Nonprofits to Celebrate 10 Years of Community Christmas Dinners

Monument Café Welcomes Diners for a Home-Cooked Meal on Christmas Day:
Café Partners with Local Nonprofits to Celebrate 10 Years of Community Christmas Dinners

’Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry. And, as it does every year, The Monument Café, Georgetown’s charming, classic roadside diner, will be open and serving up traditional holiday favorites with all the fixin’s on Christmas Day. In celebration of the 10th year serving its Community Christmas Dinner, Monument has partnered with area nonprofits Caring Place, Georgetown Independent School District and Meals on Wheels to offer meal vouchers to some of their clients most in need of a wholesome Christmas Day meal.
 
 The benefiting nonprofits will disburse Monument Café meal vouchers to their clients, who can then redeem the vouchers for a home-cooked meal on Christmas Day during the Monument’s Community Christmas Dinner service, which, as always will be staffed by a crew of loyal and dedicated volunteers. Additionally, hot and fresh Monument holiday meals will be packaged for delivery through the Meals on Wheels program by the café kitchen staff at the Monument Market location.
 
Monument will be open for business on Christmas Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Breakfast will be available until 11 a.m., and guests can choose from a hearty breakfast menu featuring a variety of egg dishes and omelettes cooked with free-range eggs and served with savory sides, and hot-off-the-griddle pancakes, waffles and French toast combinations made to order.
 
 While Monument’s everyday menu—featuring an assortment of homemade soups and salads, all-natural hamburgers and sandwiches, and mouthwatering entrées and desserts—will be available on Christmas Day, the special holiday menu is guaranteed to offer the best meals of the season. The special holiday menu includes a choice of Turkey and Cornbread Dressing ($12.95) served with Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans and Fresh Cranberry Sauce; a 10-Ounce Prime Rib served au jus ($21.95) with Roasted New Potatoes, Steamed Asparagus and Horseradish Sauce; Pecan-Crusted Pork Tenderloin ($19.95) served with a Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce, Seasoned Rice and Steamed Asparagus; and Tortilla-Encrusted Tilapia ($18.95) served with Cilantro Cream Sauce and Corn Relish, Seasoned Rice and Steamed Asparagus.
 
 Of course, it wouldn’t be a Monument Café meal without decadent, homemade dessert. And the special holiday menu includes a variety of tempting choices such as the Monument Chocolate Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, traditional Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie, Key Lime Pie, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, good old fashioned Apple Pie, Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting, Kendall’s Chocolate Cake and Texas Sheet Cake with vanilla custard.   
 
“We look forward to sharing Christmas Day with our customers and serving them the best Monument has to offer,” says owner Rusty Winkstern. “And we truly are grateful that we are able to provide meals to those who need our help this Christmas season.”
 
Monument Café is located 500 S. Austin Ave. in Georgetown. For more than 15 years, Monument Café has been a dining staple for the Georgetown community and beyond. The café serves only the best in fresh, locally grown and organic produce, and uses the finest ingredients in creating its delicious brand of Southern-style comfort food. For more information about Monument Café, its holiday offerings and the café’s partnership with area nonprofit organizations this holiday season, please call (512) 930-9586, or visit www.TheMonumentCafe.com.

Cuvée Coffee Partners with Austin Beerworks to Create Russian Imperial Coffee Oatmeal Stout Beer

Cuvée Coffee Partners with Austin Beerworks to
Create Russian Imperial Coffee Oatmeal Stout Beer:
Sputnik Beer to Debut at Austin Premiere of Locally Made Film ‘Man on a Mission’ 

Cuvée Coffee Roasting Company, Texas’ foremost coffee roaster, is partnering with two other local Austin businesses to premiere a one-of-a-kind beverage that is sure to be out of this world. Cuvée and Austin Beerworks, a hometown brewery known for its exceptional craft beers, have joined forces to create Sputnik, a truly unique Russian imperial coffee oatmeal stout. A dark, hearty beer combining the smoothness of an oatmeal stout and the rich bite of a coffee stout, Sputnik will make its draft debut during the Austin premiere of “Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott’s Road to the Stars” at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar on Jan. 20. Sputnik drafts will also be available during additional screenings of the film on Feb. 1 at Alamo Drafthouse Village and on Feb. 9 at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek. 
 
 Austin-based production company Beef & Pie Productions and local filmmaker Mike Woolf created the award-winning documentary “Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott’s Road to the Stars,” which chronicles Austinite gaming legend Garriott’s lifelong quest to become the first son of an astronaut to blast into space — a feat Garriott accomplished onboard a Soyuz rocket with the Russian space program.
 
“Mike Woolf told us about ‘Man on a Mission’ and someone suggested that, given the subject of the film, a Russian imperial stout would be a great beer to drink while watching the movie,” says Michael Graham of Austin Beerworks. “It's a style of beer we all really enjoy and the film gave us a great excuse to make one of our own. We were torn between making an oatmeal stout and a coffee stout, so instead of arguing about it, we decided to do both. Cuvée was our first choice. We wanted to work with a company that was as passionate and nerdy about coffee as we are about beer. Cuvée fit the bill perfectly.”
 
Filmmaker Woolf, an avid coffee drinker, agreed that Cuvée would be a perfect coffee to integrate into the Sputnik beer, adding, “As soon as I heard Michael say Cuvée Coffee, I knew we were in good hands. We’ve admired their beans and their brand from the beginning.”

Cuvée Coffee is known for its roasted-to-order, sustainable, artisan blends, single-origin and estate coffees from South America, Central America and Africa. The premier coffee roaster in Texas, Cuvée has gained a reputation for providing only the highest quality coffee for its customers, and the creation of Sputnik is no exception. The beer will feature a coffee flavor distinct to Cuvée’s precision roasted beans, creating a beer experience unlike any other. 
 
“We have a super cool project, an amazing story and a soon-to-be-amazing product to consume,” says Mike McKim, who founded Cuvée Coffee in 1998, and has grown the company to a thriving $1 million business. “It is great to work with such a quality-focused, out-of-the-box local brewery like Austin Beerworks, and we’re very excited to debut Sputnik at the local premiere of ‘Man on a Mission.’ Great beer, great coffee and a great movie — what could be better?” 
 
Offering more than a dozen coffees, as well as top-quality coffee equipment and training for baristas, Cuvée Coffee Roasting Company is located in the Texas Hill Country. For more information about Cuvée Coffee, the company’s partnership with Austin Beerworks and Beef & Pie Productions, or the eagerly anticipated Sputnik Russian imperial coffee oatmeal stout beer, please call (512) 264-1479, or visit www.CuveeCoffee.com.

Big Celebratio​ns at 24 Diner: Chef Drew Day & More

24/7/365: The Year In Review

Mayoral Proclamation Closes Out A Momentous 2011

 

On December 1, 24 Diner will celebrate its second birthday. It will probably be a relatively quiet affair, celebrated by the restaurant’s five local partners over pints and shared plates of corn fritters and chicken & waffles. But on the eve of our anniversary, November 30, Mayor Lee Leffingwell is inviting the whole city to celebrate Chef Drew Day and recognizing 24 Diner as “Small Business of the Month!” There will be a ceremony on site around noon, and we will be offering $3 Brooklyn Lagers (Drew’s favorite beer) throughout the day for anyone who would like to raise a glass in honor of these accolades!

Our 2011 highlights include:

• Chef Drew Curren was a nominee in the People’s Best New Chef competition sponsored by Food & Wine magazine & CNN’s Eatocracy
• “America’s Top Six Destination Diners,” Bon Appétit
• “Best Grilled Cheese in the U.S,” Food&Wine.com
• Our meatloaf & sweet onion gravy recipes were featured in Food & Wine
• “Diners That Are Lip-Smacking Delicious,” MSNBC
• Chef Drew competed on season 9 of Bravo’s top-rated “Top Chef: Texas”
• “40 Best Breakfasts,” Texas Monthly

Perhaps our most satisfying accomplishment to date is the fact that (under Chef Drew’s leadership) we have spent more than $100,000 in purchases from 73 farms since January 2010. Incorporating local and organic fare whenever possible and supporting other small businesses in the community is central to our philosophy.

Here’s to Chef Drew and 2012 – and the tremendous support of our customers and the local food community! We look forward to the year ahead.

24 Diner: 600 N. Lamar, (512) 472-5400, www.24diner.com, twitter.com/24DinerATX.
For more information, contact: Evelyn Sher, (512) 589-6596, 24DinerATX@gmail.com

Growing Austin's Food Economy - Dinner (Austin, Texas)

Friday, Dec 2 5:30p

at Barr Mansion, Austin, TX

Come join us and celebrate the best food slow money can buy!

We are thrilled to announce our sponsors and participants:

Barr Mansion, Salt & Time, Quality Seafood, Bastrop Cattle Company, Lick Ice Cream, Tiny Pies, The Nurturess, Maine Root, Arnosky Farms
... EIEIO Organic Farm, Greengate Farms, Johnson's Backyard Garden, Springdale Farm, New Earth Center, Farmhouse Delivery, Greenling, Bountiful Sprout, Windy Hill Organics, Pure Luck, 5 Mile Farms, Love Creek Apple Orchard, Tecolote Organic Farm, Real Ale Brewing Company

Barr Mansion's own Chef Chris and Chef Simon will be combining elements from the above participants and creating a hyperlocal, bountiful feast.

Many thanks to our hosts at Barr Mansion, we can't wait to share this spectacular space!

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased by clicking here.

For more information, click here.

Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail, Holiday Crystal Wine Trail: Dec. 3, 4, 10 & 11

Get a jump start on your holiday gift giving by touring the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail, Holiday Crystal Wine Trail on December 3-4 and December 10-11, 2011. Your trail ticket allows you to enjoy two specially-selected wine tastings, paired with a terrific holiday food sample at each winery on the trail. As an added bonus, have your ticket stamped at five of the participating trail wineries and receive the third in a series of commemorative keepsake crystal wine glass. These 24-ounce Pinot Noir glasses feature the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail logo.

This holiday trail package, worth almost $70 per person, is yours for the low single ticket price of $25, plus tax or $45 for a Ticket-for-Two, plus tax. You have four days, on the first two weekends in December, to use your ticket and visit 10 great wineries along the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail. The food and wine pairings for the wineries are listed below.

Bernhardt Winery: Antipasto Skewer with an Italian hard salami, cheese tortellini, marinated mozzarella ball, calamari olive, cherry tomato, and basil leaf drizzled with fresh basil Italian dressing paired with Pinot Grigio and Pinnelli.

Colony Cellars: Butter fried, rolled roast beef with olives & cheese paired with Random Harvest Red.

Cork This! Winery: Holiday meatballs paired with Staycation Chardonnay and Boot Leg Red Pinot Noir.

Messina Hof Winery: Raspberry Chipotle Cheese ball paired with Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Mama Rosa Rose’.

Pleasant Hill Winery: “Sicilian” chili paired with 2010 Sauvignon Blanc and sweet Collina Rossa.

Retreat Hill Cellars: An assortment of cake balls from Sweet Tooth Montgomery, paired your choice of any two of our wines.

Retreat Hill Winery & Vineyard: Slow-smoked pork tenderloin, rubbed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic and fresh rosemary, paired with FM 1836 Riesling and Reserve Cabernet Franc.

Saddlehorn Winery: Holiday Tamales paired with Black Spanish and Muscat Blanc.

Texas Star Winery: Twisted Turkey and Sherry Pecan Tarts with Cranberry Wine and 17K Chérie (Prickly Pear Cactus Sherry).

To purchase tickets, click here.

For more information about the event, click here.

Big Ranch, Big City, Big Beer - Fort Worth, Texas

Big Ranch, Big City, Big Beer
Tuesday, Nov 29 6:30p
Lambert's Steaks, Seafood & Whiskey, Fort Worth, TX

Experience the tastes of Big Ranch, Big City at a fall dinner party with Rahr beer parings hosted by Texas Toast Culinary Tours. Spend the evening enjoying Chef Lambert’s unique cuisine and hearing the stories that have shaped his cooking philosophy. Special guest, Fritz Rahr, will enhance the meal by sharing the stories behind the evening’s beer pairings. Chef Lambert’s co-author, food writer, June Naylor, and photographer, Ralph Lauer, will also be in attendance. Reservations are required.

THE MENU
to be served with specially chosen pairings from Rahr & Sons Brewing:

Passed appetizers:
Pecos Duck Rillettes with Fruited Grain Mustard
Pickled Cajun Shrimp Louie
Foie Gras Mousseline Croustade
* Rahr Blonde (Lager)

Seated dinner courses:
Seafood Posole Verde with Gulf Shrimp and Lump Blue Crab
Pit-Roasted Chile-Dusted Quail with Fig Barbecue Sauce and Smoked Bacon Polenta
Wood-Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Béarnaise,
Parmesan Potato Gratin and Pan-Seared Rapini
* Rahr Stormcloud (IPA) and Winter Warmer (Old London Ale)

Gingered Pear Fried Pies with Honey Buttermilk Ice Cream.

Price: $95, includes:
* an autographed copy of Big Ranch, Big City Cookbook
* appetizers and four courses with beer pairings
* tax and gratuity
(Extra copies of the book will be available for sale, too.)

For more information including reservations, click here.

St. Nikolausmarkt - Fredericksburg, Texas - December 2-3

Join us for
St. Nikolausmarkt
A Traditional German Christmas Market

at the Marktplatz in Fredericksburg Texas

Friday, December 2, 2011
2:00pm-9:00pm
&
Saturday, December 3, 2011
10:00am-7:00pm

Lighting of the TreeJoin us as we light Fredericksburg's new Christmas Tree on Friday, November 25th at 7:00 p.m. The 30-foot tree features hand-crafted ornaments by local artists and will be on display at Marktlpatz through the holidays, until January 6th.

The ParadeFriday, December 2nd, is the Fredericksburg Community Christmas Parade, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Main Street.  Bring your hot chocolate and comfortable seating and enjoy this small town Willkommen to the holiday season.  At parade completion, join your family and friends at the St. Nickolausmarkt – where good times await!

The PyramidBuilt in Germany to Fredericksburg’s specifications, the 5-tiered, rotating, wooden Christmas Pyramid rises twenty-six feet with each tier decorated with a different theme.  Tier one depicts the nativity scene; tier two, carolers; tier three, nutcrackers; tier four, Santas, and tier five, angels.  The rotating pyramid will also be decorated with lighted candles for a beautiful display.  Skilled craftsmen in Erzgebirge, Germany manufacture these internationally collected Christmas pyramids, which in their smaller, table-top forms, are staples for most German holiday decorations. 

Fredericksburg is currently the only municipality in the United States to have an outdoor pyramid of this grand scale – 26-feet.  The pyramid was shipped from Germany to Fredericksburg where it will be displayed at the City’s Marktplatz (town square) November 25 through January 6. 

St. Nikolausmarkt
White tents at the festival will house the 40+ booths that feature everything from Christmas ornaments, nutcrackers, children’s toys, pyramids, and jewelry, to traditional German clothing.  In addition, traditional German foods and beverages will be served on site.  Enjoy sausage, schnitzel, warm pumpernickel rolls, sauerkraut, and, for sweet lovers – cakes, cookies and candies.  Plus Glühwein, warm and spiced German wine, will be available, along with soft drinks, local wines, and an assortment of German beers.

There’s no admission charge on Friday to the St. Nikolausmarkt; however, tickets on Saturday are $5 for adults and free for children age 12 and younger.  Adult admission is one dollar off on Saturday for individuals with active military ID and seniors age 65 and older.

St. Nikolaus will be available for photos on Friday evening following the Parade and all day on Saturday.  Attendees are invited to take their own complimentary pictures.

For more information, click here.

Sugar Cookies

One of the items I enjoy making are sugar cookies. They are very easy to make and are wonderful gifts.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Notes

• Makes 48 cookies.

Zinger Hardware and General Merchant Brings You "Jelly Belly On Tour"

Sunday, December 4th

10AM-2PM

Zinger Hardware and General Merchant, Austin, TX

The Jelly Belly touring bus is making a special appearance at Zinger Hardware and General Merchant, located at 4001 N. Lamar, Ste 300, Austin, TX 78756 with a host of fun activities.

At the stop on December 4, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jelly Belly will offer tastes of the newest flavors, and invite the more daring to take the challenge to taste BeanBoozled, with flavors from Skunk Spray and Pencil Shavings to Top Banana and Coconut. Prizes and fun for the kids take place during the stop.

To visit their website, click here.

Breakfast With Santa! Cedar Creek, Texas

Saturday, November 26th
9:00a to 11:30a
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort And Spa, Cedar Creek, TX

Save the date to have Breakfast with Santa at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. Extend your Thanksgiving stay over Saturday, November 26 or drive in for the day and delight in holiday themed arts and crafts, savory breakfast treats and visits with Santa Claus himself!

This is your chance to see if you made the naughty or nice list. To book your stay at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, visit lostpines.hyatt.com.

Brunch at Bistrot Mirabelle!

We are happy to announce that Bistrot Mirabelle is now open for brunch! 
Join us on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm.  The new brunch menu will be on our website shortly. We happily accept reservations.  Make a reservation online or call 512.346.7900.

HAPPY HOUR

Next week we are introducing Happy Hour!  Join us from 3pm til 6:30pm daily for:
$5 glasses of our house French red and white wines
$1 off all glasses of wine and bottled beer
$5 off all bottles of wine
$2 off all appetizers and salads
$6 for Chef Clinton's famous house grind burger with gruyere

PLATS DU JOUR

Beginning next week we'll have a special dish for every week day!
Monday: Cassoulet
Tuesday: Lobster Pot Pie
Wednesday: Poussin
Thursday: Choux Farcis
Friday: Beef Bourguignon