36 Hours in Fredericksurg with your Four Legged Friend

It's amazing how different the pace of life can be when you venture an hour and a half away from home.  My husband and I loaded up our spoiled mut for a much needed spring getaway and headed west to Fredericksburg, Texas.  Our first stop, Alamo Springs Cafe. 

We arrived on a Thursday as the evening sun was making its descent.  Had it not been for Matthew's coworker, we'd have never known of this place, as it's tucked away deep in the tangle of Texas back roads and located next to a bat cave (yes, that's right...a bat cave).  The cafe was featured on the cover of Texas Monthly, and the green chili cheese burger is the cafe's claim to fame. 

The cafe had a welcoming back patio with picnic tables and a stage with a handpainted mural.  I could only imagine the buzz of a weekend night at the cafe with loyal patrons and live music filling the air.  The building itself must have been an old house, turned restaurant.  The path around the perimeter led you to the front entrance of the cafe that led up stairs to a quaint wrap around front porch. 

The place was "no-frills" and before ordering you could serve yourself the beverage of your choice (beer, fresh brewed iced tea, soda pop, etc).  Once seated, a friendly waitress introduced herself (and greeted Griffyn, too!) and took our order.  I couldn't resist ordering the cheeseburger with diced green chilis on a jalapeno cheese bun, and Matthew stayed true to his vegetarian roots with the spinach, garlic, and jack cheese quesadillas.  Did I mention the homemade fries and onion rings, too?

To sum up the meal, I devoured the entire half pound burger immediately (no lie!).  I can honestly say it was one of the (if not the best) burger I've ever had.  The combination of the juicy burger and the jalapeno cheese bun just can't be beat.  My husband demolished the quesadillas and we both agreed the homemade onion rings were melt in your mouth good.  I'd skip the fries on a future trip and save the room to try the jalapeno bites or mozzarella sticks.

After our meal, we enjoyed the sunset, conversed with a trio of friends on their annual visit, and watched a set of siblings chase each other around the property.  The cafe setting evoked the feeling of a summer barbecue at home with the family or neighborhood friends.  You can be sure that we will be making our return to this place very soon!  Until next time.....

Alamo Springs Cafe
107 Alamo Road
Fredericksburg, TX 78624-6101
(830) 990-8004

After a good nights rest in Fredericksburg, we arose early to burn off some calories on a hike at Enchanted Rock.  The State Park is located about 20 miles outside of the town, located just off of Ranch Road 965.   You'd be a fool to miss out on the Summit Trail Hike, as the views from the top of the dome are breathtaking.  Pack some water for both you and your pooch, as you'll work up quite a sweat on the 0.6 mile steep climb.  If vistas aren't your thing, take the 4 mile Loop Trail that wraps around the park and lets you experience the landscape up close and personal.  It's a flat course that is easy on the knees and back.  If you haven't been "enchanted" yet, give yourself some peace of mind by working off some calories here!

Enchanted Rock State Park
16710 Ranch Rd 965
Fredericksburg TX 78624
830/685-3636

After working up a sweat, we were ready to satisfy our appetites.  I am reluctant to share this next venue, as I feel as though it's better kept under wraps.  Rather Sweet Bakery is located on the corner of Lincoln and Main Street set in the quiet courtyard of a beautiful 2 story home turned bake shop.  The restaurant bares the name of its owner, Rebecca Rather (daughter of journalist, Dan Rather) who has turned the bakery into a hidden gem.  Customers can choose from full table service seating, to point and pick sweets at the coffee bar.  It's hard to refrain from gawking at the delectable showcase of freshly baked desserts that greet you in the main room.

By this point in the day, the grumbling of our stomachs had settled in and we quickly ordered an appetizer of tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa with some fresh brewed iced tea.  The appetizer came quickly and my husband repeatedly commented on the satisfying crunch of the homemade chips.  Our lunch plates were equally as good as our starter course, and I enjoyed a tuna salad sandwich with a house salad while Matthew dined on a tomato, basil, and mozzarella sandwich and tomato basil soup (what can I say, he likes tomatoes!).  I don't think we uttered one word to the other until our plates were cleaned.  The foccacia bread was the perfect texture, and the house salad was lightly topped with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

As the lunch crowd poured in, we finished our meal with a cup of coffee and a Chocolate Ice Box Pie.  O-M-G, this was good!  The pie was created with a chocolate cookie crust (think Oreo), a hearty mousse like chocolate filling, and whipped cream that was as light as a cloud.  If you dine out in Fredericksburg, do NOT miss out on a sweet treat at this amazing local jaunt.

Rather Sweet has received much notoriety in the culinary world, and Rebecca Rather has been featured in Food & Wine, Southern Living, O (Oprah), USA Today, and Texas Monthly.  I call it a hidden gem, but by the framed articles scattered about the bakery, it is clear that this location is a Texas staple.

Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe

249 E. Main St
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
830-990-0498

It's easy to enjoy a trip away from home with your pooch.  Pack up the car, pick a spot, and go!  Fredericksburg is the perfect location for a weekend getaway, with plenty of outdoor cafes and pet friendly accommodations.  Don't miss out!

  Griffyn was exhausted from so much fun!

To Juice, or not to juice? That is the question

Have I mentioned how much I love Costco?  For some odd reason I get a thrill scouring the aisles in search of the next bargain purchase.  Because of my rapidly growing fondness of this place, I must limit my trips to once a month (or my husband would kill me for the rapidly growing Amex bill.)

My long awaited monthly trip culminated in the purchase of two new "appliances."  My husband entertained himself with the new Blu-ray player I brought home, while I spent the rest of the evening cutting fruits and vegetables as my ode to Jack Lalaine.  I had been pining over a new juicer for quite some time, and finally broke down and made the purchase.

The juicer was quite easy to use, and the included recipe book helped clarify the "do's and dont's" of juicing.  In short, I learned the following:

• peel citrus fruits (lemons optional)
• deseed apples (the seeds are poisonous)
• bananas can NOT be juiced
• low juice volume fruits/veggies should be followed by high juice quantity fruits/veggies (i.e. kale followed by apple or orange)
• almost any combination of fruit tastes great!

After trying my hand at several recipes (anything with watermelon is my favorite), I tackled the clean up process.  As much as I love to cook, I always hate the mess that comes with it.  In the end, the entire process took me 5 or 6 minutes to complete.  Okay...I cheated a little by only running scalding hot water on all of the parts (it's an old trick my lazy husband taught me), but....nonetheless, it was "clean"!

Ironically enough, Jack Lalaine died two days later.  (I hope that wasn't a sign discouraging my efforts to live a "healthier" life.)

It's been over a month now and I've managed to make a regimen out of creating fresh juice batches on Sunday night for the upcoming work week.  I usually use the fruits and veggies that are on sale, and I find myself craving a glass or two if I forget to pack it in my lunch. 

Here are a few of my favorite recipes so far (and names that I thought were appropriate).  If you don't prefer to compost your puree, you can freeze it and add it to cake and bread recipes for a moist consistency. 

Happy juicing!

Pinky Lee
1 personal watermelon
1/2 pineapple
3 apples
6 baby carrots
3 oranges
2 grapefruits
1/2 lemon
1/2 lime
splash of fresh pomegranate juice
splash fresh coconut juice

direction:  remove all peels and rinds. cut and quarter each fruit.  juice, and voila!  serve chilled.

Green is Good
4 pears
1/2 pineapple
4 stocks kale
1 kiwi
piece of ginger
1/2 lemon
2 apples

directions:  same as above.













 

Our own East Austin tour

"One beer, then food?" my husband gestures as we stand in the dim light of the bar at Italo's pizza.  I couldn't help but gawk at the pizza maker throwing dough in the air, as a server hustled by with a beautiful pepperoni pie.  "Sure," I gave a distracted reply as he ordered me a sample of an interesting coffee porter on tap (which was delicious by the way).  We only stayed at the east side pizzeria for a half hour or so to meet friends at a birthday party...and after catching up over a Fireman's 4 we decided to take the party around the corner to Blue Dahlia Bistro for some French fare.  Before we hopped into our jetta for our next venue, I made my husband pinky promise (he'll appreciate me divulging this info) to take me on a future date to this pizza joint.  Thirty minutes and it already left its mark on my heart.  A nice open patio, a huge parking lot, a real pizza tosser, and a no front kind of crowd...as I type this I think I just located my next birthday celebration!

We parked around the corner from the bistro on 11th and Waller and stopped to take in a glimpse of the painted murals on the side of Victory Grill.  The artwork cries of history and the four of us stop to appreciate the time the building has endured, while snapping a few photos.  A hop, skip, and jump later (as our friend Erik almost gets run over jay walking), we find ourselves greeted by the hostess at Blue Dahlia.  Unanimously, we opt for patio seating, but later comment that the community tables and yellow glow of the pendant lamps were an equally appealing alternative.  The menu offered typical French dishes, and immediately I am reminded of my recent trip to Paris.  Chocolate croissants, egg frittatas, tartines, and plats du soir made it difficult to decide on a meal.  Finally, we agree to order a variety of dishes so we could "sample" the menu.  A couple salads, a sandwich, and mushroom crepes later were just light enough to leave us room for sweets.  As I scoured the dessert menu, the triple chocolate mousse roped me in.  The presentation was eye catching, and the mousse itself was palate pleasing.  A clear view of the state capitol and the buzz of a satisfied crowd left me with a lasting impression of the Blue Dahlia.

Blue Dahlia Bistro
1115 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78702-1908
(512) 542-9542

Filipino food for dummies

"You don't know how to cook," my grandmother mutters under her breath as she whips up some fresh carne norte (corned beef hash) for me for lunch.  My husband sniggers at her comment from across the kitchen as we watch her glide through the kitchen with ease.  In self defense, I proceed to explain to her that I KNOW how to cook, it just simply isn't the food she's used to.  "Well, let me show you a few things," she says...and begins to give me a mini lesson on the basics of Filipino cooking.

What she reminded me that afternoon was that a delicious dish begins with a few simple ingredients.  Namely, garlic, onion, and a little bit of olive oil.  If you've entered a kitchen with this trio simmering, you know it's heavenly scent.  I didn't grow to appreciate the smell of these three ingredients until my husband and I relocated to the west coast a month after we married.  I no longer had the luxury of a home cooked pot of chicken adobo waiting for me when I arrived home.  So much for the sunny California beaches!  I wanted my own pan of pancit!!

My husband and I searched the San Fernando Valley high and low for an authentic Filipino restaurant that could do my grandmother and mother's cooking justice.  However, what we found were dishes that were too salty...too tangy....or just plain bad!  It was back to the drawing board...and I realized I would have to learn how to make the dishes myself.

The following weekend I awoke bright and early on a mission to get the recipe just right.  I called my mom and prepared her to educate me on the "secret family recipes."   This wasn't just some regular catch up call....it was for real.  My stomach and palate depended on it!  

I spent the latter part of the morning on the phone with my mom, recording a detailed grocery list for lumpia, pancit, and chicken adobo.  I know it seemed a bit much for two people...but I was determined to get it right!  I spent the next 3 hours doing my best impression of an Iron Chef.  My mother was patient and walked me through the entire process...from rolling each individual egg roll wrapper, to stirring the final bits of bay leaf in the adobo pot.  One last taste...and....it was a success!

My husband and I dined like kings that evening..and it was worth every ounce of sweat and love that went into the process.  The following are the Abeto Family recipes for my favorite Filipino dishes.  There are a multitude of variations for each dish, but this is what I think of when I think of home.

I hope you'll find some time to try these for yourself or to share with your family.  You don't need to be an Iron Chef to create these...but your family will treat you like one when you're done!!

Tayo'y magsikain!  (Bon Appetit!)

Filipino Chicken Adobo

(c/o Ludie Litz and Esperanza Abeto)

Ingredients (amounts will vary according to taste):

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

1 onion, chopped

1/3 cup white vinegar

2 tbsp.oyster sauce

1 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp. lemon juice

3 or 4 bay leaves

2 lb. chicken (either drum/wingettes, boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs)

1 tsp. Accent (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

Heat a pot over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil.  Add the garlic until it’s golden (not brown).  Add the onions until they are soft.  Brown the chicken.  Season with salt and pepper.  Once chicken is almost cooked, add the vinegar to the pot. Cover pot and allow chicken to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Once chicken is cooked, add oyster sauce, soy sauce.  Stir.  Break up bay leaves into pieces and add to pot.  Add accent, a little more salt and pepper, lemon juice.  Give one more good stir, then cover pot and let simmer at low heat (will taste better the longer it gets to simmer). 

Filipino Pancit

(c/o Ludie Litz and Esperanza Abeto)

Ingredients:

Canton (Flour) or Bihon/Bijon (Rice) Noodles (1 or 2 packages depending on how much you want to make)

2 or 3 pieces of bacon

3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion chopped

2 or 3 pieces of carrots and celery, chopped

½ head of cabbage

Soy sauce to taste

1 can low sodium chicken stock

Black Pepper to taste

Red Pepper to taste

Oyster Sauce to taste

1/3 cup of water

½ lb. shrimp (optional)

Cut up bacon into small pieces and brown.  Add olive oil and garlic.  Cook until garlic is golden.  Add onions, cook until soft.  Add shrimp until cooked.  Add veggies, then soy sauce and oyster sauce (just enough to make the mixture look a brown color).  BE SURE NOT TO BOIL OR OVER COOK THE VEGGIES.  Add red pepper.  Take out half of mixture and put in a bowl.  Add 1 can of chicken stock to the half of the veggies still in the skillet.  Wash noodles and add.  Add 1/3 of the chicken broth can of water.  Cook the noodles until they are soft.  Add remaining veggies and serve.

Filipino Lumpia

(c/o Ludie Litz and Esperanza Abeto)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (can substitute turkey, or any other meat you want in it)

2 carrots, finely chopped in food processor

2 celery, chopped as carrots

1 small can of water chestnuts, chopped

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 egg

1 or 2 packages of Lumpia wrappers (can find at any asian food store)

Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping

Heat pot with olive oil.  Add garlic and cook until golden.  Add onions until soft.  Brown ground beef until cooked.  Drain excess liquid out of pot.  Incorporate chopped veggies until mixed in.  Set aside.

Break egg into a small dipping dish.  Spoon small amount of filling into a wrapper, roll, and seal with a bit of the egg. 

Once done rolling all of the egg rolls, fry in oil and serve with sweet chili sauce.

Takoba

I hate Austin traffic.  I can't help but repeat this phrase in my head as my husband and I venture to the east side on a Tuesday night to meet our good friends Erik and Chelsea for a bite to eat.  I despise I-35 and its masses of people.  However, we surprisingly arrive within 30 minutes of leaving our northwest home and are actually.....(brace yourselves)...early.  For those of you who know us, you know this is not a regular occurrence.  Apparently while I was anticipating the I-35 traffic I failed to recognize that there wasn't much traffic at all! As we park around the corner from East Seventh and Onion street, Takoba whispers hints of east side gentrification. 

From the moment we walk up the porch like walkway, I appreciate the atmosphere the place has to offer.  Hipsters and the hippy at hearts, along with young families and first dates fill the candle lit patio tables and beach chairs.  We are seated promptly on the patio and served a basket of warm chips and salsa.  They were de-lish.  I'll spare you the details of every ingredient on my plate...but will suggest you try any of their made-from-scratch  tacos.  In particular, the carnitas tacos made from braised pork shoulder on wood burning fire pits are melt in your mouth good - especially when washed down with a prickly pear margarita or mexican martini (or so Chelsea tells me)!

 Thumbs up to Takoba for offering authentic Mexican food away from the throngs of people downtown.  It's worth the drive!

Check it out when you can!
www.takobarestaurant.com

1411 E 7th St
Austin, TX 78702

Neighborhood: East Austin

(512) 628-4466

Sticky Buns

There are several names that I'd love to take on as an Alias.  Ina.  Giada. Nigella.  I'm not sure what order I'd prefer them in, but it depends on the day.  Today it is Ina.  Yes, Ina as in Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa.  When I watch her show I can't help but think of how many calories will go straight to my ass when I consume the end result of the recipe, but nonetheless, I find myself trying to think of reasons why I should make it.  One Saturday afternoon after a long walk at Town Lake, I caught the ending of Barefoot Contessa goes to London.  When I flipped to the channel, the first image that appeared was a pan of the most caramely, gooey, buttery Sticky Buns I'd ever seen.  Immediately I knew I had to make them. But when?  As luck would have it, we would soon be venturing to Corpus Christi for the Christmas holidays and I couldn't think of a better place to make a tray of sweets then at my in-laws.  I've yet to meet a group of people that enjoy sugar as much as the Thornton's.  I knew this was the perfect recipe for the group.
When the hustle and bustle of the family settled down one afternoon, I found some time to try my hand at Ina's recipe (see below).  Amazingly, it was fun, quick, and painless!  I loved the airy lightness of the puff pastry, and the gooey-ness of the butter and brown sugar.  It was fun to see the rolls take shape as I formed the dough into a log, and cut the individual pieces and placed into the muffin tin. As the rolls bake it creates the most scintillating smell throughout the house, and attracts curious passers by.  When finished, the sticky buns melt in your mouth and are the perfect afternoon snack with a cup of coffee - or are a great grab and go for the morning.  It only took about 15 minutes to put together and the final product looks like you worked your way through a gourmet french recipe!  If you get a chance, try 'em out for yourself.  You'll surprise yourself at the ease and joy of the process.  Here's to your buns (and....calories to your other buns!).


Easy Sticky Buns  
(Ina Garten)

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
• 1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

nocoupons

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

The Debut

January 2, 2011

Grumble.  It's my stomach, yet again reminding me that it's hungry.  I sit at Austin Java with my husband and my spoiled mut, deliberating over the menu.  Breakfast or lunch? Brunch?  It's always a running debate on a Sunday afternoon what to order.  Brunch.  Definitely brunch.  Eggs Benedict and a slice of french toast.  And a coffee.  Perfect.  The waitress takes our order, and my husband and I brainstorm the prospects of a new year.  We begin to ramble back and forth our goals for 2011.  My husband, the ever changing actor and artist proceeds to tell me his plan for his next film and chapter of the book he is writing, and all I can think about is food.  What to cook?  What to eat?  Where to eat?  What to order?  And it hits me.  If all I can think about is food, and all I want to watch on TV is food...then I must have a passion for....food!  My husband has encouraged me over the past year to start a food blog and I finally had the gumption to follow with his encouragement.  So here it begins....a blog on what I love to do most.  Eat. Good. Food.

I hope you enjoy my journey in discovering local food jaunts here in Austin (and around the world).  It is my joy and passion to cook, eat, and converse with friends and family over a delicious meal.  I owe that passion all to my dad.  I can envision him now at the dinner table, rubbing his hands together in delight and proclaiming "I think this was the best meal we've ever had!"

Bon appetit!