Poco-Cocoa – Page 233 – Things & Stuff

A very merry Christmas

We’re back in Austin after a wonderful trip to see our familia in West Texas. This really was a great Christmas for me, a turning point of sorts. I had become increasingly bah-humbug-ish as the year passed, dreading all the hustle and bustle of the holidays. But my first night back in my parents’s house, I stayed up into the wee hours looking at old, old photos…sepia-toned memories of my family. There was my mom, beautiful as ever, always stylishly dressed and with such love in her eyes. There was my dad, strong with a sly smile and laughter in his eyes. There were my sister and my brother, tiny and helpless, and there was me, a little happy ball of love. This family, these people, have loved me and loved each other for years and years. And I was here spending time with them. I love Christmas!

We were all a little bummed that my brother couldn’t make it, but we had fun nonetheless. On Christmas Eve, we piled a couple of cars and headed to Saturday’s, a cute little diner just across the New Mexico border that serves up old-fashioned, thick and delicious milkshakes (can you believe that after an entire weekend with my family, the only photo that I have to show for it is this one of a milkshake? At least you can kind of see my mom in the background…). That night, we headed over to my sister’s home to drink hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows (my sister rocks) and sugar cookies that we had decorated together. We opened gifts and sat by the fireplace (even though it was pretty warm outside) and just had a great time.

On Christmas day, we traveled to Lubbock to spend time with Justin’s family…we opened gifts and went to church and then had a late afternoon meal outside in the cool December air. We watched movies (I fell asleep during one of them) and played games and talked. It was nice to have everyone together.

So despite the long drives (7 hours each way), it was a fun, relaxing holiday with lots of good food. Check out my sister’s site for some photos of the goodies we ate!

December 28, 2005

Edibles, Random Thoughts
A Martian dinner

Last night, we dined with Chad and Lindsay at Mars, a gorgeous restaurant with red walls and dim, funky lighting. I actually took my camera with me, so that you all could see the many wonders of Mars, but the lighting was so dim that I would have had to use the flash, and I hate using the flash. So no photos.

We started with two appetizers. The first was Scallops & Gyoza, seared plump scallops over a meyer lemon ponzu and served with a sweet carrot gyoza, or dumpling. Ohymyga…the scallops were so juicy and not a bit overcooked (my usual fear when eating scallops), and the carrot gyozas were creamy, sweet, and delicious. We also shared the Vegetarian Pot Stickers, which were fairly spicy, and served with a soy vinaigrette. They were extremely flavorful, full of ginger and soy.

Entrees came next (after a long wait, I’ll admit), and they were beautiful and scrumptious. I had the chef’s special…seared red snapper with a cucumber slaw, roasted Yukon gold potatoes, and haricots verts. This. Was. Amazing. The fish was buttery smooth, the potatoes had an amazing flavor, the green beans were cooked just like I like them, and the slaw! Tiny, tiny shreds of cucumber marinated in a delicious vinaigrette. Justin had the Wild Mushroom Terrine, layered with almonds and Reggiano cheese. It was so flavorful, not bland at all, and gorgeous to boot. Chad decided (after much thought) on the Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck a l’orange, his favorite duck dish. The warm orange ginger marmalade was delicious, I might add. Finally, Lindsay chose her own favorite, the Wasabi Salmon. The salmon was cooked through but not overdone, and Lindsay thoroughly enjoyed the wasabi (one of her favorite things, one of my least favorite things).

We split three desserts, and cleaned all three plates. The Chocolate Pate was pure decadence: smooth, dark chocolate with a hint of coffee, served with strawberries, blueberries, and creme anglaise. We also shared a napoleon, with layers of puff pastry, two different ice creams (one chocolate, one amaretto, I think), caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and bananas. The dessert special was also fabulous: Eggnog Cheesecake, with a gingersnap crust and macerated cranberries.

The food was amazing, and the portions were small enough for you to finish your plate and still want more. Because of the long wait between courses, I probably could have eaten my own appetizer, entree, and dessert, which I like…huge portions overwhelm me and my palate. The atmosphere and the service were great, and the food was presented beautifully. We’ll definitely return soon.

On another note, we will be traveling to West Texas to celebrate Christmas with our families, so it’s possible that I won’t post until next week. So until then, I wish you all Happy Holidays, safe travels, and happy eating!

December 22, 2005

Austin, Edibles
My new obsession

Move over, Harry Potter…my newest literary find is the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. Chad lent me his copy of the first book in the series, The Golden Compass, and I devoured it within a few days. I quickly went to Book People and bought all three books (aren’t they pretty? I love how the spines form a picture), and lost myself in those just as quickly.

I really can’t say much about the series without giving a lot away, but it is such an amazing concept. The story follows Lyra, a young girl full of strength, curiosity, and bravery, through multiple worlds and adventures. Pullman’s descriptions are so vivid, I found myself feeling as if I myself was in Lyra’s world. I laughed, I cried, I felt nauseous with anxiety and fear, and I can’t wait to read them again. They’re that good.

I do have to say, as a bit of a warning, that if you felt that Harry Potter was not appropriate for you or your children, you may not want to read these. They’re dark, thought-provoking, and thick with social commentary. But man, are they good.

December 20, 2005

Random Thoughts
Some enchanted evening

Last night we joined our friends Rob and Shara for dinner and ballet. In all my twenty-seven years on this earth, I had not seen the Nutcracker. Isn’t that sad?

We started with dinner at East Side Cafe, one of my favorite nice-but-not-too-pretentious-with-entrees-under-$20 restaurants. The restaurant has a garden in the back that supplies many of the vegetables and herbs that are used in the kitchen. It’s an old house with wooden floors, divided into several cozy dining rooms. I was excited to order my favorite appetizer, the Baked Brie with Apple Chutney. Warm toasted bread with a smear of melted brie and a dollop of cool, sweet chutney…in the words of my friend Joy, it’s so good it feels like your mouth might turn inside out. We also shared the ginger and mushroom potstickers, perfectly seasoned and served with a delicious soy vinaigrette.

Salads came next, topped with East Side Cafe’s signature creamy feta dressing, and then came the entrees. I had the Penne Pasta Pomodoro, which was served on top of baby greens. This is probably my favorite way to eat pasta…with the crunch of salad greens in every bite. It was topped with feta and loaded with mushrooms. Justin and Shara had the Wild Mushroom Crepes, which they loved, and Rob had the Pesto Ravioli, which he decided was good, but not fabulous. We postponed dessert until after the ballet.

Ballet Austin’s performance of the Nutcracker was just beautiful. My knowledge of ballet is extremely limited, but I can say that there were lots of pretty jumps and graceful twirls. I think I liked the snowflakes the best, though all the dances were wonderful. Our own Mayor Will Wynn even played a small part in the ballet, as Mother Ginger.

After the show, we headed to Dolce Vita for dessert. This tiny cafe seems so upscale, sophisticated, and cultured compared to our regular coffee-shop hangouts. We don’t go often, but it was perfect for a post-ballet treat. I usually order the chocolate gelato, which is phenomenal, but last night I just had to try the Chocolate Peanut Butter Disaster. It was dreamy…a fudgy dark chocolate torte filled with creamy, almost runny peanut butter. It was so good that I ate too much of it. Rob settled on the coconut sorbet (also delicious), while Shara and Justin had the carrot cake.

It was a night of beautiful music and graceful dance sandwiched between excellent food. I couldn’t ask for more.

December 18, 2005

Austin, Random Thoughts
Crushin’

It’s 1:00 a.m. I have to be at work in about 6 hours. And yet I’m sitting here, blogging, listening to my brand new CD, and swimming in the smooth voice of my new crush, Slaid Cleaves.

Oh, the poignancy of his lyrics! The unbelievable crispness of his voice! The easy, approachable attitude he carries! Why wouldn’t I have a crush on him? It was inevitable. I was seduced by the dark, cozy room, the tiny tables, the closeness of friends at the Cactus Cafe. The iced water was perfect, the bartender was friendly, and I had front row seats. The opening act, Sam Baker, with his raspy voice and face exquisitely sculpted with age and experience, captured my attention immediately. I was in love with the place, the sound, the vibration in my feet from the strumming guitars. And then Slaid Cleaves went on stage.

This everyday man opened his mouth and drew me in, to float on his velvet voice, to be a character in his believable, down-to-earth, stinging stories. Song after song, I loved him more and more. And then, he yodeled. Be still, my heart!

You can find him on itunes. My current favorites include Broke Down, Wishbones, Lydia, Horses, Breakfast in Hell, and Drinkin’ Days. His folk music is Austin.

December 16, 2005

Random Thoughts

A very merry Christmas

A Martian dinner

My new obsession

Some enchanted evening

Crushin’