Fun With Your Food

Wait. I just need to point out that I blog from the public library because I like to get out of my house to write and currently, there is an old man next to me snoring right now.  WOW, this is both awkward and extremely distracting.

Moving on.

This weekend the austin food bloggers met up for another one of our (in)famous potlucks. I have to say that after going to these potlucks, I’m spoiled. Most people go all out and bring beautiful, complicated and amazing dishes. I’m always slightly intimidated about these things.  Since I almost forgot about the event entirely (BAD TEDDY!), my dish seems less impressive when standing next to others but I loved it.

A watermelon, mango, orange, lychee and avocado salad dusted with a small amount of salt to increase the sweetness of all the fruits and extract their liquids.

Fresh from the fire pizza.  Christian from Austin Food Journal manned the wood burning oven for hours.  I’m not sure how he survived it! But thank you for some of the BEST pizza I’ve ever had- seriously.  Now I apologize to everyone else for mixing up who made what.  Some of my favs follow:

Homemade onion BAGELS with everything schmear!

Lavender macaroons. I don’t normally like either of these things.  I think lavender can taste like soap in dishes and all the macaroons I’ve had are hard and plain gross. One bite of these changed my mind about both.

Husk Cherries (aka ground cherries or cape gooseberry) .  Kristi said she picked these up at a local farmers market simply because she had never seen them before.  They were odd in a great way.  Sweet like a pear or plum with the texture of a tomato. Fun!

It was a great potluck, no?
Back to my normal meals this week!

Teddy

Sharon and I have made a few more lunches together.  Did I mention she’s Korean? Probably not, but that means she knows tons of homemade normal Korean dishes that I’ve never tried.  This was one of them. So I had to research the dish we made because 1) I couldn’t spell the name 2) I had a hard time remembering the name altogether. From what I’ve found, Bibimguksu is basically noodles, veggies, protein and spicy paste (Gochujang).

We chose some oat flour noodles.  To be quite honest, since I smother noodles in different sauces and veggies, I don’t know what they taste like on their own.  I loved them in this dish though!

We both were overzealous while filling our lunch bowls.  I, for one, was STARVING.  We ended up having to upgrade bowls before we added out spicy paste.   It looked so pretty before we plopped them out and mixed them up.  Our veggies were whatever we had on hand. The list included lettuce, carrot, green beans, bean sprouts and some roasted garbanzo beans.

What a great action shot of me adding the Kochujang (I still cannot properly pronounce that word).  I like it spicy and plopped on two heaping spoonfuls. I scarfed this down in about 5 minutes flat while watching True Blood. Sharon and I’s lunches have officially made me a fan of the show and I’m not ashamed to admit it!  I’ve actually caught up and now our lunches have turned to Sunday screenings of the show.

Thanks to Sharon for all the great foodie shots!

Until next time,

Teddy

I don’t come from a “Sunday morning pancake eating” kind of family. In fact the only time I remember eating pancakes as a child was in restaurants like IHOP or Dennys and I rarely chose them over eggs and potatoes. Sure, there were a few times I’d stay the night at friends’ houses and wake up to chocolate chip pancakes but I honestly don’t think I started making pancakes on my own until my late college years (maybe even after college). The first time I tried to make them was a DISASTER.  Each pancake came out wrong: burnt on the outside and raw inside, raw altogether and doughy, you name it and I’ve made that incorrect pancake.  I hear they are supposed to be easy to make, child’s play even. Perhaps to everyone else this will be a pointless post but I’d like to make the time to pat myself on the back for this one.

After 2 years vegan/macrobiotic culinary school I can hold my head high and say “I can make amazing vegan pancakes!” High five to me.  I also can make a million and one other, more complex, dishes but I’m happy with how these turned out.

I used this recipe from the food network site and substituted vegan ingredients for the non vegan ones.  I left out sugar, used slightly watered down coconut milk instead of milk, I used self ground peanut butter and my homemade jam from this post to top the whole dish off.  My favorite pan to cook pancakes in is my cast iron skillet.  It heats evenly on my crappy apt stove and that makes a huge difference. They’re not expensive pans, they have easy clean up and they last a lifetime.

Well, hope they look as pretty as they tasted.

Teddy

My friend Sharon and I have been meeting a few times a week to hang out, watch true blood (officially a guilty pleasure) and COOK for the past month- emphasis on the COOK please .  We went to culinary school together so we both understand the need to prepare new, fun and experimental meals. We also know that sometimes you’re just starving and NEED TO EAT.  Arepas are one of my meals for this occasion.  They still feel exotic enough that I’m not cheating myself out of a unique meal but are almost as simple as making tortillas.

She’s amazing at plating the dish isn’t she?  This presentation is all Sharon for sure!  Now onto our” recipe” used

Arepas for two

1 cup Masa

2/3 cup HOT water (not quite boiling but close)

1/2-3/4 cup finely diced veg- carrot, onion, bell peppers…

1 -2 Tablespoon oil

Salt

Place masa, salt and oil into a bowl and combine with a fork. Add the hot water and mix everything with a fork. Let the mix stand for about 2-3 minutes or until it’s cool enough for you to touch it. Add in your veg. Using your hands,mix the veggies in with the masa then form patties.  Fry the patties in a small amount of oil (about 4 minutes each side). Sprinkle with salt or shoyu when done.

I like having these with a cucumber/avocado guacamole or some sort of salsa but that’s optional. I’ve made these while watching spanish soccer, the super bowl and just randomly for lunch. Give em a whirl sometime!

What is your “I’m hungry and NEED food” meal?

Teddy

Any readers watch the world cup this year?  I have been slightly obsessed with it.  I’ve found my favorite spots in austin to watch and based on FOOD and crowd my favorite is TAKOBA.  Takoba opened it’s doors for the world cup and has been a favorite for east 7th patrons.  Since it had just opened, Takoba was not easy to find.  They didn’t even have a sign up for the first few days.  Now there is a sign and it seems much easier for people to get to.

I’ve taken about 10 friends here for games and to try food.  They have all been pleasantly surprised by 1) the atmosphere 2) breakfast and 3) lunch.  I’ve only sampled the breakfast tacos but their salsa verde is creamy, spicy, and exquisite.  It is made with avocado, cilantro and jalapeno (I’m guessing here).  A few friends were adventurous and tried other menu items. Their french toast looks beautiful.  It is served with fried bananas, vanilla creme, and a fruit salad that includes fresh mango!  I’m not 100% sure if they will be open for breakfast after world cup. Judging by their hours they should be open for breakfast on the weekend but let’s move on to lunch.

Platos de tacos de veduras- Sauteed zucchini, caramelized sweet potatoes, roasted corn, queso fresco and salsa verde (of course)!  Note: you have to choose which salsa to try, they have three.  I suggest trying all 3 salsas on your first visit then choosing your favorite. I think we all know what my preferred salsa is.

I was lucky enough to talk to some of the people that taste tested/developed this menu.  They let me know that making some great tasting vegetarian items on the menu was a priority and that is how this dish was borne.  I learned this at happy hour there.  Takoba has about 15 beers on tap and during happy hour they are all $3.00.  What a great deal.  They even have local Austin beers! Apps are half off as well.

In summation: 1) great food 2) affordable and delectable happy hour 3) good atmosphere and 4) SALSA VERDE!

My next post needs to be a recipe, right?  I’ve been eating out a lot and loving it.  Time to get back to the kitchen lol

Teddy

TAKOBA – 1411 East 7th Street Austin, TX Free parking on 6th and Navasota.

Okay this is my LAST California visit post (mostly because I’ve been back for two weeks).  How can you go to STONE Brewery and not post about it?  You can’t.

I didn’t realize how early you were supposed to show up for a brewery tour (2 hours!) and had to finagle my way in.  I mean, this brewery is 75 miles from my parents house and I didn’t want to have to wait another 2 hours!  Since it was only lil ole me they said it wouldn’t be a problem that I got there 15 minutes before the tour. But note that if you want to go in a group, get there EARLY.  There’s a store, a restaurant, and gardens to peruse while you wait.

We were treated to a 10 minute mini lecture about the ingredients that go into every beer.

A few steps away and BAM giant fermenting tanks. The white barrels were vigorously bubbling the whole time.  The shear size of this operation was amazing.

Beer ingredients + fermenting = these bottles that are ready to go out to stores!  The 20 minute tour ends in a tasting of  four of their beers. Did I mention the whole tour was free? Well worth a drive, right?

On Wednesdays this summer the brewery does a free showing  of  a film with discounted dinner items in their garden. This, like the tours, fills up and getting there early is a must for good seats.  The films are pretty good too. Office Space, The Big Lebowski, Army of Darkness…. you get the idea.

The vegetarian option for the Wednesday night that I was there looked great and a good price to boot!

I opted to have a fancy dinner with friends at the restaurant instead.

Garden fresh salad  with organic locally grown greens with a hop vinaigrette.

Tempeh Sheppard’s pie! Description on the menu-
Chock full of spiced tempeh, carrots, zucchini, corn and onions, topped with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. Served with a side salad. Boy, those tempeh shepherds sure knew how to eat, and they liked it spicy! (Can be made Vegan on request.)

I was very happy with what I ordered and would recommend it to anyone, vegetarian or not.

Dessert: Fresh Berry, Blue Cheese Jalapeño Cheesecake (description menu)
Luscious cheese cake with just a touch of Shaft Blue Cheese, beautiful local strawberries, and a whisper of jalapeno – enough to hint at warmth but not destroy the smooth goodness of this marvelous dessert. On the top are preserved jalapenos in a sweet syrup.

This was off for me.  There was just SO much going on flavor-wise I wasn’t sure what to make of it.  It wasn’t BAD at all it was… well, interesting.  I say try it and see what you think. I have friends who love it.

I would go back for appetizers, beer, a movie or just to hang out every time I visit home. MMmmm Stone Brewery.

Teddy

Spicy "Tuna" Roll

Besides farmers market extravaganzas while in California, I wanted to try as many completely new to me restaurants as possible.  Mitasie, a Vietnamese vegetarian spot with over 60 item choices,  was one of the first on the list.  I was lucky enough to have a few friends that LOVE it .  They helped me with my choices and we weren’t disappointed.

I did some research and Mitasie is not exactly a *new* restaurant.  It’s more a revamped one with an all new veggie menu (soon to list out which items are VEGAN on the menu). The owner was also our server and she was the nicest lil thing!  The service will definitely never let you down here.  She also knows the menu like the back of her hand (I believe she created it) so any questions were easily answered.

Our appetizer was my favorite dish of the whole meal- the Spicy “Tuna” Roll.  It had a mild kick and I’m not sure what was used to substitute tuna but it was spot on. This one will definitely be a repeat order for me.

Chickun Drumsticks

The texture of the drumsticks was satisfying, meaty and I think it’s cute that there is even a “bone”  to eat them off of.  The drumsticks were probably my runner up  item of the night.  My favorite part about all “Asian” eateries is the way they cook their vegetables.  They are rarely over done and have a nice crunch to them.  Can you tell they’re crunchy from this picture??    yum

Peppery Shrimp

1st off, AVOID EATING ALL THE JALAPENOS in this dish!  Not that I tried but I want it noted: Teddy did not recommend you to eat ALL of them. lol Again shrimp texture was correct but my only problem with this one is the SALT.  There was too much for my taste. Other than that, I <3 spicy and this dish doesn’t hold back on that.  I pushed myself to eat a few of the peppers but stopped out of fear of experiencing  repercussions later that night.

Garlic Noodles

I didn’t have much of these noodles so I feel ill equipped to fully review them.  They had shrimp in them too (less salty and, therefore, more enjoyable). I would try this one again too, if only to make a full assessment of it.

okay, one restaurant down only a MILLION more to go haha

Teddy

I’ve spent that last two weeks in Southern California taking advantage of vast farmers markets, visiting friends/family, trying new restaurants, sitting on beaches- you know, typical vacation activities.  These are all the things I’ve missed the  most since moving to Austin. We all know I LOVE Austin but not one of it’s farmers markets can compare in size and variety to California. Sorry it’s just a fact.  This visit I went to the Santa Monica Farmers Market.  It’s been around 30+ years and I had never been once.   It was about time right?

My uncle works a few blocks away from the market so I was able to have lunch with my family after shopping as well. I was joined by my mom, my uncle, my grandma and my friend Stacy.

Welcome to the photo montage of my trip to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market!

As soon as we walked it people started to throw samples at us (okay not THROW).  Stacy and I was starving. Thank god for samples.  This nectarine was juicy enough to require a napkin and it still dribbled down my chin a little.

I bought a 3 pack of organic strawberries.  Whenever I can get cheap organic strawberries I jump on it. Come to think of it, I’ve eaten a LOT of strawberries this year. (see my strawberry picking adventure)

Loquats= apple/apricot like Chinese fruit.  These ones looked less than ripe but just seeing them was exciting for this foodie nerd!

You can’t go to California without eating artichokes.  I mean, we provide over 90% of them to the rest of the country. It’s the best place to get the freshest artichokes in the states.  Heck my neighbor even has some growing in this front yard haha.

Patriotic berries.  I sampled the white raspberries (again, YAY samples) but passed on purchasing.

Cherries are everywhere here. You can’t escape them but why would you want to?

I’ve never cooked with fresh garbanzos before. I can’t recall seeing them fresh before either actually.

I nabbed one to see and taste the bean inside. It was very…. green tasting and starchy. It’s probably better when cooked.

There are at least 50 additional pictures from this farmers market trip alone.  It’s definitely still not fun for me to drive to LA but the food makes it worth a once a month drive for sure. I also went to farmers markets that were closer to home. (I’ll post photos of those later)

Now I’m off to make a menu for my grad party with my SoCal friends and enjoy the rest of my vacation.

Teddy

I’m probably one of the last foodies from Austin to try Odd Duck.  It’s been open since January 2010 and I’ve yet to officially post on it. You can read other reviews here:

Edible Austin

Foodie is the New Forty

Austin Farm to Table

I should hide my face in foodie shame right?  That’s just me, 6 months late hahaha!

What makes most foodies in town  go gah gah over this place?  Odd Duck serves LOCAL and SUSTAINABLE food. The menu changes from week to week based on what is is season in town. FUN!  They also tend to sell out (especially the veggiw options) every day as well, so get there early! The owner, Bryce Glimore, has worked around town at both Wink and Moonshine.  Bryce has a family linage of food and with local food principals it’s no surprise that this venture is a huge success.

Beet salad with goats feta, baby arugula and sweet onion.

I wonder if they slightly pickled the onion on this one.  They must have because it had such a mild flavor. This was a refreshing take on a bruschetta type dish. The beets were mild and sweet and the peppery arugula was soothed by the creamy feta. It makes me wish Odd Duck had a set menu so I was able to reorder it!

OH. On a side note, I over heard someone else ordering and Odd Duck will modify orders to your tastes (ie remove meat).  Great news for vegetarians, no?

Fellow foodie friend Dining In Austin,  aka Mariah. You have to get those food pictures just right…

Grilled zucchini bread with grilled Texas peaches, goat cheese and ribboned zucchini.

One of the best mild desserts I’ve had in Texas.  At times, desserts can be too sweet and in-your-face for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I nom some triple dark chocolate brownies sometimes but mild sweet is refreshing as well. The balance of the sweet bread, tart, creamy goat cheese and sweet peach was superb.  All for $4 too. Yes, may I please have another? Mmkaythanksnow.

Teddy

I’ll be heading to Southern California for a visit soon.  That means I’ve been avoiding the grocery story like the plague and desperately trying to use anything perishable in my home.  My greens are pretty much gone and I’m left with carrots, onions and an insignificant amount of lettuce.

once the temperature gets above 85, I want spicy food so chili was in order.  I call this an “eastern” chili recipe because I use lentils with my beans and a few non traditional spices.  The lentils provide an enjoyable, more meaty, mouth feel in the chili.  Again no real measurements but the chili included the following items:

Pinto beans, red lentils, green lentils, carrot, onion, homemade canned tomatoes (from a great friends garden!), chili powder, smoked sea salt, Garam Marsala, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes

Unfortunately I made a TON of it. I’m pretty sick of chili even though this is probably my favorite chili recipe to date. Perhaps I should freeze the rest so when I want it again in a month, I won’t have to make another batch haha

I leave in about 48 hours and I think I’ll do a pre packing run through today.  The weather in SoCal is going to feel freezing compared to the 90+ days I’m used to. Lucky for me it looks like a heat wave is coming in SoCal.  It might get to 78 in Huntington Beach for ONE day of my visit.  5 bucks says people complain that it’s too hot hahaha.

Talk to you soon!

Teddy