Okay, okay. We all know how much I adore Fino. But seriously! They outdid themselves this time…

I received an invite to their Chef’s table, billed as a four-course meal paired with cocktails, with chef Jason Donoho and mixologist Bill Norris. It was $100 per person, and though I really wanted to go, I wasn’t sure I was ready to dish out that much cash. Then I looked at the menu. And voila! We dined at the chef’s table tonight.

There were 13 of us around the large table in the dining room, and many of us had never met before. It reminded me of a Dai Due dinner… strangers gathered ’round a table, connected by their love of great food and drinks.

I tried to photograph everything, but of course, I missed some things. Everything was spectacular… the cocktails were so inventive and complex, and they complimented the food perfectly. (Or did the food complement the cocktails perfectly? I’ll never know.)

When we arrived, we had cocktails on the patio. This is a peach and mint ratafia… white wine infused with peaches and peach pits, a bit of vodka, and mint. So refreshing… it would be easy to down three of these without realizing their alcoholic content. Also, isn’t Justin cute? (Sigh.)

We then moseyed inside to our table, where we were brought some nibbles… a plate of farm watermelon and crispy prosciutto.

And profiteroles filled with lemon-dill yogurt. Profiteroles! With savory yogurt filling! Who knew?!

Next came the Liberdade… made with leblon cachaca (a sugar cane distillate), yuzu (a japanese citrus fruit that tastes of a mix of tangerine and lime), cucumber, ginger, and green tea syrup. So fresh and delicous…

And it paired perfectly with the first course of Gulf Snapper Crudo… raw snapper, cucumber, yuzu and green tea salt.

Next we had the Gin Provencal… made with Hendricks gin, heirloom tomatoes, basil, creme de cassis and sparkling mineral water. This tasted like a sparkling garden.

It went perfectly with the heirloom tomato salad with juniper vinaigrette. The vinaigrette was made with Hendricks gin and juniper, reduced down and mixed with olive oil. The tomatoes were so sweet, the vinaigrette perfectly salty.

Bill surprised us next with an off-the-menu drink… a St. Croix Crusta. The recipe came from an 1880’s bartender’s handbook that called for orchard syrup and St. Croix rum. Bill made his version with Orinoco rum aged in chestnut barrels, maple syrup, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, lemon peel, bitters, and a sugar-crusted rim. The drink had an amazing bruleed-lemon flavor.

With this, we also got a surprise plate of fried white anchovies and aioli. Perfection.

The next drink was called “Breakfast of Champions,” and featured bacon-infused Corner Creek reserve bourbon, amaro nonino, orange zest and pecan syrup. Bacon in a beverage… so good. It was served with pork belly confit with saffron honey, bomba orange risotto and candied pecans. I mean, really, can pork belly ever be bad? The answer is no, my friends.

Finally, we made it to dessert. Oh, dessert. We started with a Cafe Correcto… house decaf espresso grappa, Ron Zacapa 23 year rum, allspice syrup and freshly grated nutmeg. Sweet and deep with coffee flavor.

The dessert… oh, the dessert. I’m finding it hard to write about the dessert without swooning. Freshly fried churros dusted with orange sugar, and the most perfect cup of chocolate ever. It was like a cold liquid chocolate mousse, or melted chocolate ice cream, or a chocolate pot de creme that hasn’t quite set up yet. I could have eaten this all night. I could eat this for the rest of my life and be happy.

And after all that perfection, Bill STILL brought out more… tiny glasses of preserved cherry liqueur, sweet and perfect, cooked down with cinnamon, lemon juice and lemon peel.

We sipped a bit of coffee after dinner, chatted with our tablemates, and marveled at how lucky we are to have this kind of food and these great cocktails so close to home. The lesson to be learned here? If you get an invitation from Fino, accept it. Immediately.

Well, kind of. We drove down to the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery for some Torchy’s Tacos.

Justin got some super greasy tacos with eggs and queso and chicken fried steak and other such madness.

I got my favorite green chile pork taco:

And I promptly picked the onions off. I hate it when I forget to request no onions.

Justin tried the green chile queso, which was pretty spicy. Also, I’m a wimp.

Also, don’t forget to tip your servers!

This is my “hi, I’m getting old” photo. Look at those crow’s feet! At least they’re smile lines, right?

After dinner, we stopped by Holy Cacao for some treats. I had been wanting to try cake balls, after drooling over Bakerella’s site forever.

Justin got the sour ball (lemon cake), and I got a dark chocolate ball. We also tried the frozen hot chocolate. So… we each took a bite of the cake balls and didn’t take another. The texture was just… gummy. Like underbaked bread. I’m not sure if that’s how cake balls are supposed to be, but we didn’t like them. As for the frozen hot chocolate, it tasted too… milky. Like they used Cadbury milk chocolate to make it. I’m sure plenty of people love Cadbury chocolate, but I’m not one of them. So, we won’t be returning to Holy Cacao.

After that, Justin stopped at Petsmart to pick up kitty cat food, and was kind enough to drop me off at DSW so I could search for the perfect black heels.

These were not the perfect ones. I did buy some black wedges, but I’m still chasing after that perfect black shoe in my imagination. Someday, black shoe. Someday.

Happy Tuesday!

This is my new favorite night-time snack. A cup of hot chai with soymilk (no sugar), and an olive oil torta. I love these things… made in Seville, Spain, perfectly crispy, sprinkled with big sugar crystals and flecked with anise. They remind me of the biscochos we used to eat at weddings growing up in New Mexico.

Also, I’m completely in love with this little girl:

How can you not adore Opal? (Sigh.)

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Summer is:

• Tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes
• Apriums, sweet and juicy
• Hot, hot, hot
• Worrying for months about not being tanned enough, but worrying even more about getting skin cancer, which means never getting tanned
• Popsicles made from strawberry lemonade
• Monday night at the movies (so far we’ve watched Up and Away We Go)
• Days at my friend’s pool
• Electric bills that are way too high
• Impatience with my 13-year old car’s inability to cool down fast enough
• Choosing parking in the shade over parking near the door
• Wearing a huge sweater at work because the air conditioning is so cold
• Dreaming about autumn (which will never come in Austin)

And I want to remember to:

• Drive our scooters to the sno-cone stand
• Hike the greenbelt and swim at Sculpture Falls
• Walk down to Cheap-o records to buy vinyl
• Take late-night strolls
• Take at least one dip in Barton Springs pool, even though it’s too cold
• Buy striped socks and tights for the fall
• Eat watermelon and cantaloupe and sweet corn and lots of tomatoes

So we got these red carrots from Farmhouse Delivery:

Aren’t they gorgeous? I decided to whip them into a quick salad to go along with some spicy coconut chicken, all from Cooking Light magazine.

The salad was fresh and delicious, and the chicken was nice and spicy, but tame enough for me to eat. (If you like things really spicy, add more Sriracha.) Also, after I made this, I realized that tofu would have been a great substitute for the chicken.

For your eating pleasure…

Carrot and Cucumber Salad

3  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
2  tablespoons  rice vinegar
1  teaspoon  sugar
2  teaspoons  canola oil
2  teaspoons  dark sesame oil
1/2  teaspoon  minced garlic
1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
2  cups  chopped seeded cucumber
1  (10-ounce) bag matchstick-cut carrots
1  teaspoon  sesame seeds, toasted

So we FINALLY tried La Condesa for dinner last weekend. We had a great time with Lindsay and Chad (Opal was at the babysitter’s)!

We all loved the decor… from the amazing light sculpture above to the bright turquoise staircase leading up to Malverde. Our waiter was fabulous, and the drinks were wonderful. The food was spotty… some things were delicious, others were just okay.

(Please note that all these photos came from my iphone, so they’re not the best shots in the world.)

We started with some ceviche: Atun con Sal de Gusano (yellowfin tuna, young coconut water, serrano and lime). This was okay, but not great. The tuna and coconut were both very mild; I would have preferred a little more oomph.

On the left are the chapulines - crispy toasted crickets. The boys were so excited to try this, and they loved it. They couldn’t really describe the flavor or texture for me, and I couldn’t stand to look at the dish, because at one point I swear I saw a little cricket leg, and it grossed me out.

Lindsay and I shared the tacos de acelgas, on the right. These were filled with swiss chard, white beans, pico de gallo and salsa verde. These really had potential… the greens were tasty, the salsas seasoned just right… but there was a very noticeable amount of grit in the greens. Yuck! Nothing is worse than biting into dirt… I set my greens aside and waited for something better to come. 

On the right, you can get a glimpse of Chad’s drink, El Cubico. This was whole leaf-tobacco-infused Sauza Hornitos Reposado, Navan vanilla liqueur, lemon, grilled pineapple juice and mezcal essence, with a volcanic-saffron-infused salt rim. It was very complex, and you could really smell and taste the tobacco leaf in there. I didn’t care for it, but Justin and Chad adored it. 

Speaking of drinks, I had La Clasica (sorry, no photo) - a basic margarita made with Sauza Hornitos Plata, Cointreau, lime juice and agave nectar, with a lemongrass-infused salt rim. It was lovely… so lovely that I had two.

Lindsay tried the Passion Fruit & Spiced Mango Margarita (And can I say how surprised I was by that? Lindsay is a wine girl, through and through!), made with Sauza Tres Generaciones Reposado, ginger essence, passion fruit, spiced mango and lemon juice, with a pasilla-spiced salt rim. This was also very good, though too mango-ey for me. Or maybe it was the passion fruit. Either way, I was really digging these flavored salt rims.

Justin opted for the Alma Blanca: habanero-infused Chinaco Blanco, ginger essence, aloe vera-lemongrass syrup, pineapple juice, fresh corn and hoja de hierba santa, with a hibiscus-rose infused salt rim. Wow… this one was so interesting, with a bit of a kick from the habanero.

The drinks were amazing… I’d be happy to visit La Condesa for after-work cocktails any day.

For his main course, Justin chose the barbacoa: spiced lambchop and shoulder baked in maguey leaf, esquites, cactus salad, and jalapeno-mint recado. The lamb was so tender and tasty, and the dish of corn was cheesy and flavorful. 

Chad decided on the Carnitas de Panza: berkshire pork belly, roasted jicama with bacon, avocado-chicharron salad, and salsa moranita. Holy moly… that’s a huge slab of pork belly, plus pork in two other forms on that plate! Let me tell you, though, it was wonderful. Decadent and fatty, but wonderful. I’m not sure how he ate all that and still had room for dessert.

Lindsay decided on taquitos de camarones al pastor: shrimp, achiote-guajillo chile, grilled pineapple, onion and cilantro. So good. The chile sauce reminded me of red enchiladas in New Mexico… deep and dark and delicious.

I had the taquitos de cochinita pibil: seville orange-marinated berkshire pork, banana leaf and pickled red onion. Wowza! This was my favorite thing of the evening… it was better than the pork belly, better than the perfect margarita, better than the chocolate dessert. I’m fairly certain that I will go to La Condesa and order nothing but tacos de cochinita pibil from now on. The pork had a great orange flavor and was so tender, and the pickled red onions on top complemented it perfectly. Seriously, these were some of the best tacos I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot of tacos.

For dessert, Lindsay and Justin shared the lemon meringue tart with blackberry sorbet. It worked out perfectly, as Justin loves lemon tart and Lindsay loves meringue. We all thought this was good, but wished it had been more tart, more acidic, more lemony.

Chad and I shared the chocolate caramel tart with coconut ice cream. The tart had a crispy chocolate crust, a filling of perfectly gooey caramel, and a topping of hardened chocolate ganache. It was really good. I thought the coconut ice cream was a little bland, but still, a good dessert.

So dinner had its ups and downs… one of the downs came when the check hit the table… Yikes! Very expensive. I’d hesitate on having a full dinner here again, especially when my favorite parts of the meal were the tacos and the drinks… a perfect excuse to come during happy hour and have a light meal. There are still so many inventive cocktails on the menu to try, so we have to go back soon!

We got our Farmhouse Delivery today, and I used up our leeks, sorrel, and some red potatoes for this soup. It was supposed to be chilled, a Sorrel Vichyssoise, really, but we ate it warm. 

I dropped the sorrel in the pot, and seriously, after about a minute, it turned from brilliant green to murky olive. So, olive-colored soup it was. Sad, but tasty.

The lemony tang from the sorrel really added a surprising flavor to the soup. We ate it with baguette and butter, and handfuls of cherry tomatoes. I followed it up with some watermelon, also from Farmhouse Delivery. The watermelon is not quite sweet enough yet, but it was nice with some salt sprinkled on top.

Here’s the recipe I used for the soup!

Sorrel, Leek and Potato Soup

1 cup finely chopped white and pale green part of leek, washed well
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound boiling potatoes
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 pound fresh sorrel, stems discarded and the leaves rinsed, spun  dry, and shredded coarse (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives, or to taste, plus, if desired, additional for  garnish

In a large saucepan cook the leek and the onion with salt and pepper to taste in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, add the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, the broth, and the water, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender. Stir in the sorrel and simmer the mixture for 1 minute.

Purée the mixture in a blender in batches, transferring it as it is puréed to a bowl, and let it cool. Stir in the cream, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste, chill the soup, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight, and serve it sprinkled with the additional chives.  Also good warm.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Source: Farmhouse Delivery.

… bean dip. Basically. Canned refried beans topped with grated cheese and tossed in the microwave for a bit, then sprinkled with diced tomato and avocado. Some spoonfuls of sour cream for me, a few pickled jalapenos for Justin. Scooped up with tortilla chips. Ah, the easy life.

When I was a nutritionist at WIC, I was a preceptor to nutrition interns from the nearby university. It was fun to meet these grad students who were about to embark on their nutrition careers. Some of them came and went, and some became friends. Notably, one became my best friend (Hi Linds!). 

One intern was from Korea, and she popped into my office and introduced herself as “Chi-Yun!” in such a happy voice. She was super sweet, and gave me this recipe for bulgoki. For that, I love her.

Justin made this while I was at work one day, so I can’t vouch for how easy it was to do. I think he mixed up a few steps, too, but it still turned out to be fantastic. If you’re craving bulgoki and don’t have a Korean restaurant nearby, try this out. Here’s the recipe, in her words.

Bulgoki

3/4 pound ribeye or sirloin beef, sliced thinly across the grain
1/2 to 1 onion, sliced thinly
1 bunch green onions, sliced into 2 inch pieces
Kiwi or Cola (optional)

sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame salt (optional)

(Optional) Mix sliced beef with grated kiwi or cola for 1 – 2 hours.  This will make beef tender.  If you use kiwi, you don’t have to remove it after.  If you use cola, drain cola from the beef.

Combine all sauce ingredients.

Combine the sauce with the meat, onion, and green onion and mix well.  Let stand 1 – 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Barbecue or pan fry (with a little oil or none).

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Chi-Yun!

(Did you ever see that Seinfeld episode, with the belly-button girl? “Hellloooooo!”)

Hi friends. I’ve been gone. I’ve been tumbling off and on (it’s so fun!), but mostly, I’ve been away from the computer. Yikes! I have hundreds of unread posts in my Google Reader, and I’m afraid I have no idea what you all have been up to. I haven’t tweeted in 9 days. I only just noticed that I had unread comments today… so sorry about that!

Here’s a rundown of my recent goings-on:

• I’ve been sick. I’ve had a lingering cold for-like-ever, and I’m tired of it! Cough cough, sniffle sniffle. It makes me exhausted every day, and plus it’s just annoying. So I finally decided to go see my doctor tomorrow to make sure there’s no funny business.
• I haven’t been cooking. Partially because I have been sick and icky, and partially because I’ve been lazy. We’ve eaten out entirely too much this month, and now it’s time to get back in the kitchen! I’m excited because my Farmhouse Delivery next week is supposed to include watermelon and basil and tomatoes and corn… hooray for summer produce!
• Speaking of summer, it’s been HOT. I don’t like hot. 
• So I think I told you that I got a promotion, but last week was my first real week in my new position. I’ve moved across the building, where everything is just a little bit different. Not bad-different, just different. I’m learning how to juggle more projects, and how to let go of others. It’s been challenging, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. It seems like before I know it, people are saying goodnight, and it’s already after 5:00, and I’m still plugging away. It’s good to be busy, but it’s also tiring.
• Justin has been working nonstop on “renovating” the garage into a studio. Now it has actual walls and ceiling tiles, and a couple of desks for his design work and my sewing. It even has a little air conditioner! We want to get a couple of table easels and some paint, because I recently discovered that I like painting! He even made a little partition in the front for parking our scooters. All this on top of his regular “chores”… as a work-from-home husband, he keeps the house clean, the kitties fed, the litterbox cleaned, the bed made… He’s just cool like that, and no, you can’t have him.
• Probably most exciting, my friend Andy came over to revamp my closet. She is just starting a styling business, and she’s brilliant. She waltzed into my bedroom, took everything out of my closet, put outfits together like I never had imagined I could, accessorized everything with items I already had, and made suggestions for items to look for. We took photos of the outfits, and now I just flip through my Evernote every day to pick out what I feel like wearing - no stress at all. I have gotten more compliments at work this week than I can count! Who knew that I had such great pieces in my closet, just waiting to be thrown together? Who knew that I have inadvertently bought SEVEN black dresses? (I hereby solemnly swear that I will not buy black dresses…) Who knew that getting dressed could be so fun? Once she gets her website up, I’ll definitely point you Austinites in her direction. Seriously, folks, she rocks.

So, that’s what’s been up in my world. Change, and illness, and fashion, and life. I hope you all have been well, too!