antipasto and the crab cake snob

Our "journey around the world" in culinary school came to an end last week with our Mediterranean class. After researching the cuisine of these regions (mine was Egypt) we were assigned two traditional dishes to recreate along with a dish of our choice reflecting our region.

I was assigned chicken saltibocca from Italy and tabbouli from Greece for my traditional dishes to recreate. I've had tabbouli many times and it's a pretty simple process to make. First, I soaked the bulgur wheat in a bowl of boiling water and set it aside to cook and soften. After it softened, (about 45 minutes) I squeezed the residual liquid from the bulgur and added the dried grain to a bowl. To the wheat, I added chopped tomatoes, cucumber, mint, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper as desired....easy, healthy and delicious.

For the saltimbocca, I decided to make a chicken version instead of veal. I started by pounding out my boneless, skinless chicken breasts to about 1/8 of an inch. Next, I lined the breast with fresh sage leaves and a slice of prosciutto on top. I then floured the breast "package"...no pun intended....and pan fried the breast prosciutto side down. Because the chicken was pounded so thin, it took mere minutes to cook. After the breast was brown on both sides, I added sliced fontina on top and let it melt in the oven.

Next, I created a pan jus with the brown bits left in my saute pan. I added red wine and more sage and let the sauce reduce to thicken. To plate, I drizzled the jus on my plate followed by the chicken and topped it all with fried sage leaves.

For my individual dish, I did a dessert reflective of common spices used in Egypt. First, I toasted walnuts with turmeric, cardamon, paprika, cayenne, honey and salt. Then, I added the spiced nuts to the food processor with some Mediterranean apricots to make a thick "paste". I then cut puff pastry into 2 inch squares and baked them in the convection oven. After they were browned, I stuffed the puff pastry with the spiced walnut and apricot paste and finished the dish with a sweet mint and honey yogurt.

The next evening, my girlfriend and I spent a quaint evening at Nonna Tata for dinner. Although we arrived early, we were faced with the inevitable wait. Fortunately, we spent our hour wait blanketed outside and sipping wine.

Once inside, we were greeted with an "amuse bouche" of pureed white beans, olive oil and thyme with crispy pita-type chips. It was light, pleasantly salty and perfect with our bottle of sweet Riesling.

To begin, we ordered the antipasto #2 served on a wood carving board complete with:

bresaola (air-dried, salted beef)

pancetta
salami

grana (hard, mature Italian cheeses similar to a Parmigiano-Reggiano)

riccota salata (similar to a dried, Italian feta)

goat cheese crostini

fritatta with leeks

grissini (crispy bread sticks)

mini puff pastry tarts stuffed with sausage and tomato

foccacia

lemon soaked arugula

The board was delicious with our Italian cab...we were in heaven. Soon after, our salads arrived- lettuce, corn, cabbage and carrots with a raspberry chipotle or balsamic vinaigrette. We tried both dressings and I enjoyed them both.

For our entree, we split a pasta dish with penne, sauteed shrimp and a green olive pesto with cherry tomatoes and leeks. I was literally sopping up the delicious pesto with every instrument I could find. The shrimp was well cooked, the pasta was al dente and the green olive pesto was a perfect balance.

The worst part of the dinner was being too full to order dessert.

Last Saturday, my partner and I had to feed a crowd of 30 for an afternoon party. Our menu was a collaboration of requests from the clients and our own ideas.

The menu was:

Skirt steak atop crostini with mango tomato salsa

Chorizo stuffed sweet peppers

Spiced shrimp in a butter herb sauce
Asian style crab cakes with a roasted red pepper sauce
Skirt steak with pears, onions and herbs de Provence

The crab cakes were my "creation" and I was really happy how they turned out. First, I picked over my fresh lump crab for any shell remnants and gently combined it with thinly sliced scallions, cilantro, an egg to bind, homemade baguette crumbs, ginger, soy, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

On a side note- I'm a HUGE crab cake snob. I can't stand when restaurants serve a deep fried pile of breading instead of letting the crab shine through. As a result, my crab cakes had just enough breading and egg to keep them from falling apart when hitting the deep fryer.

After I formed the mini crab cakes, I gently fried them in the deep fryer for a couple minutes. To plate, I garnished them with cilantro, scallions and the red pepper sauce.

For the sauce, I roasted two red bell peppers and removed the blackened skin and seeds. Combine the roasted peppers in the food processor with olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, honey, red pepper flakes and soy. This is a great fiery combination for the sweet crab.

Two nights later, we had an impromptu "dinner party" courtesy of my significant other. The menu was:

Pork loin stuffed tart apples with rosemary and wine

Roasted red pepper mashed potatoes
Quick sauteed brussel sprouts with a balsamic glaze

Although it was all delicious, the brussel sprouts were my favorite. I drizzled them with this incredible balsamic I bought from a fantastic food boutique in Dallas (Snyder plaza) called Flavors from Afar. Very delicious- and quite healthy- dinner.

Asian meets soul food

Wow...February has flown by so quickly! The past few weeks have been delicious ones.

Thursday evening started my bliss with Asian cuisine at culinary school. As with European cuisine from last week, we were assigned different Asian regions, asked to research the cuisine and then shared our newfound knowledge with the rest of the bunch. We were also given traditional Asian dishes and asked to recreate and serve them family style.

My dish was Phở, a legendary Vietnamese broth-based noodle and beef soup. I was ecstatic to recreate it. The great thing about Phở is it is more of an experience than a mere bowl of soup. The different elements work like a well oiled machine to create a well balanced meal based on many years of tradition.

For my version of Phở, I began by toasting peppercorns, a cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves to release their oils. I removed the spices, and added onion, ginger and garlic to the pan to char for a few minutes. I then added the spices back in, and filled my pot with homemade vegetable stock and let simmer for about an hour.

Traditionally, brisket, beef bones and thin, rare cuts of beef are added to the soup. Having to use what was available, I decided to make a meatball with ground pork instead. To the pork, I added salt, fennel seed, turmeric, ground clove, olive oil and cayenne and then formed my meatballs. Meanwhile, I soaked my rice noodles in hot water in 10 minutes to let them soften then set them aside.

After an hour plus of simmering (traditional Phở simmers for hours), I added my pork meatballs until cooked (about 10 minutes) then strained my broth through a chinoise to remove fat and the aromatic and spice remnants.

To serve the Phở, I arranged the rice noodles and pork meatballs at the bottom of my bowl. At the last minute, I poured the strained broth on top and served the Phở with sides of lime wedges, cilantro, basil and bean sprouts to add as desired.

After a long day of work Friday evening, I met a group of friends at Buttons- the new restaurant of Keith Hicks. I've always been a fan of Ovation's pot roast and fried-green tomatoes so I was looking forward to a taste of his gourmet soul food.

While I sipped my Button's Dirty Martini (Grey Goose with olive juice) I looked around and really started to people watch. Even in the early evening (6 p.m) the place was hopping- the waitresses were attractive and upbeat, the customers had smiling faces and the bar was jam-packed.

My boyfriend and I decided to split the pork chops with a prickly pear puree, caramelized apples, dijon apple butter and jalapeno cheese grits. The pork chops were perfection...crispy, charred crust with a moist, tender inside. The perfectly cooked chop went perfect with the smoky cheese grits and the apple butter.

I also snuck a bite of my girlfriend's pot roast with a beef jus, garlic mashed potatoes and veggies. It was quite tasty but had nothing on our pork chops. Also around the table were the infamous fried green tomatoes with andouille sausage, a fried egg and gravy along with homemade macaroni and cheese. The mac & cheese was gooey and comforting but had a slight overload of nutmeg.

Buttons satisfied on all levels...food and ambiance combined. On my next visit, I'm looking forward to trying the curried grilled lamb chops with chorizo, artichoke radicchio orzo and a fennel cream sauce- sounds amazing!

The next day was Valentine's day and I was looking forward to dinner ALL day at work. After arriving home to find beautiful roses, chilled champagne and a set table...it was time for an outstanding dinner made by my significant other who just happens to be a chef...lucky me:)

The menu was:

Carrot saffron soup with turmeric

Heirloom tomato and spring mix salad with avocado, orange, braised onions, fleur de sel and a citrus vinaigrette

Homemade ravioli with fresh, steamed lobster, sage and a roasted butternut squash buerre blanc
(may I please mention the ravioli was cut into hearts? :)

Prime grilled filet of beef with Moroccan-spiced fingerling potatoes, asparagus and spinach with a braised pearl onion buerre rouge (red wine butter sauce)

After the truly fantastic meal (and about two hours to let our food settle), I was in charge of dessert and totally cheated with help from Central Markets' bakery.

Along with Häagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream and fresh berries, we split chocolate mousse cake with a raspberry coulis and chocolate ganache. I guess the saying is true...food really is the way to my heart!

The next night, we decided to put our leftover pasta dough to good use. We rolled the dough out into 2-inch circles for ravioli and stuffed them with sauteed ground sirloin, red peppers, onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and thyme. With the additional stuffing, I deglazed my Dutch oven with red wine and let simmer to create a hearty sauce for the ravioli- nice "leftover" meal.

Tuesday evening I headed to the Covey for a late dinner with a friend. We started with the beer sampler and the sliders with a garlic mayo, smoked Gouda and fried onions. Although the fried onions were stone cold, the mini burger was delicious. The beef was nicely seasoned, the bread was soft and sweet and the smoked Gouda pulled it all together.

For our entree, we spilt the slow roasted chicken with green beans almandine, caramelized onion mashed potatoes and a Texas Wheat gravy. This dish was really delcious as well. The chicken was moist, the skin was crispy, the green beans were al dente and the gravy was icing on the cake- we just wished for a bit more.

Last evening, I played chef for a few friends to watch the Top Chef finale. The menu was:

Cayenne-cashew crusted chicken breasts with a raspberry jalapeno sauce

At first, I wanted to do a pecan crusted chicken but I found some spicy cashews at CM that looked really good. So, I made a crust in the food processor with homemade bread crumbs, the cayenne cashews and chopped Italian parsley.

Next, I started the whole "dredge station" process with seasoned flour (salt, pepper, cumin and paprika), whisked eggs and my cashew breading. I pan-fried the breaded chicken breasts for a few minutes each side then finished them in the oven for about 10 minutes.

For the sauce, I pureed raspberries, seeded and ribbed jalapenos, honey, olive oil, salt, lime juice and cilantro. Ordinarily, I would strain the raspberry seeds but I couldn't find the dang strainer! Next, I added the puree to my saucepan and let it simmer with a bit of red wine while the chicken cooked. Serve atop chicken.

Queso fresco mashed potatoes with cilantro and lime

Of course I can't make normal mashed potatoes:) These started with fork-tender boiled potatoes that I added warm cream and butter to. As I mashed, I added queso fresco, a bit of olive oil and salt. Right before serving, I added a quick splash of lime juice to balance with the rich potatoes and salty cheese. Serve potatoes under chicken with rasperry sauce.

There was a pretty great response with this meal. Next time, I'm definitely finding a strainer for the raspberry seeds!

upscale burgers and a date with trouble

My new favorite place to waste time (and money) is World Market. I ventured there this past week and for under $50- I found an array of culinary goodies. For myself, I bought a nice bottle of Australian Shiraz and a square, white serving platter with 12 little "compartments" within it for sauces, spreads, olives, etc.

For my girlfriend with a birthday coming up, I filled a basket with jarred honey, Nutella, champagne, water crackers, marmalade, balsamic vinegar, chocolates and cheeses for entertaining. I told her to hope I don't keep them for myself :)

Culinary class last week began our new found "journey" of cuisine from around the world- this week was Europe. Prior to class, we were assigned regions in which to study and everyone shared in class. Amongst my pick (Ireland), there was Germany, Hungary, England, Sweden and Belgium.

Within our groups, we were required to recreate a traditional dish from these regions as well as prepare an individual dish of our country made with potatoes. My group was assigned Russian pierogies, Shepherd's pie and Irish coddle. Of course I took the coddle- an Irish casserole traditionally served with layered sliced potatoes, bacon, sausage and onions.

For my play on the dish, I first fried some bacon and used the reserved bacon fat to saute sliced onions, apples, thyme sprigs and rosemary with a bottle of Guinness. After a dash of caraway seeds and some salt to taste, I let the saucepan of yumminess simmer away.

Meanwhile, I sliced and fried my own potato chips with salt and fried thyme. I then chopped my reserved bacon and grilled a link of pork sausage on the grill pan. When the sausage was finished, I sliced it on the bias and added it to the onion, apple and Guinness mixture.

My Irish "coddle" was plated with the the onions and apples beneath the sliced sausage topped with the homemade chips, crumbled bacon and was garnished with reserved fried thyme. Next week is Asian cuisine- I'm extremely looking forward to this one.

After work the next evening, I was off to Austin for a weekend of much needed merriment and partying for my bestie's Tyler 24th birthday blowout- it was a blowout indeed. After my 3 hour ride it was time to dress to impress and meet my girlfriends at Kenichi for a night on the town.

Fashionable late, I arrived to find chilled champagne and spicy edamame already on the table. Who could want more? We were then presented with an array of rolls and sashimi- my favored was sea bass sashimi served with paper-thin apple slices and crushed macadamias.

After an evening of antics on West 6th, I awoke early with a yearning for breakfast tacos. With my mind on my beloved Taco Shack on Lamar, my dad swayed me into trying the Tamale House on airport.The tacos were SO worth it. My dad ordered a simple choice of bacon, eggs and cheese while I went for chorizo, eggs and cheese with a homemade guacamole.

When we finally arrived home to inhale the tacos, I was more concerned with figuring out everything in the homemade salsa. The salsa was extremely fresh and had an almost sweet and salty flavor combination. After dousing my taco with salsa, I dove in and the flavors were extreme. The guacamole was a thinner and smoother puree than the guacamole I'm accustomed too- perfect accompaniment.

After my breakfast taco and orange juice pick-me-up, I headed to the Central Market on Lamar to find things to make for my girlfriend's cocktail party later that evening. I decided to make spring rolls with wasabi aioli and spiced nuts...fun to make, fun to eat and able to sit out at a cocktail party without wilting or ruining.

For the spring rolls, I layered napa cabbage, blanched asparagus, cilantro, pickled ginger and salt atop soaked and dried rice paper. I sliced the spring rolls on a bias and served them sitting up. For the sauce, I made a wasabi aioli with tubed prepared wasabi, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and chopped cilantro.

After rolling spring rolls for a couple hours and chatting with Mom, I cleaned up and "glamorized myself" for the cocktail party. Running out the door with the spring rolls, wasabi aioli, rosemary spiced nuts, a bottle of pinot and Ty's birthday gift- I was good to go.

The night was one to remember- fun people, interesting conversations, bar hopping until 3am...blah, blah. Let's get to the food:)

The spread was great...especially at 3am after a night of partying. We had the infamously delicious Thundercloud party platter of sandwiches, mini-quiches (homemade of course), munchies from Moonshine (shrimp "corn dogs" and chile bacon mac and cheese...upscale comfort food at its finest) and a delicious vanilla butter cream birthday cake a la Central Market.

The next morning, a group of us struggled to recover from the previous nights events and headed to the Counter Cafe on Lamar for a delicious organic breakfast in a diner-style setting. I ordered the breakfast tacos (I'm addicted) but my favorite was the eggs benedict. Eager to take part of nonconformity to its predecessor, this benedict ousted the english muffin for a dense, yet fluffy homemade biscuit and the typical Canadian bacon for perfect slice of spiced salami. After two perfectly poached eggs and a drizzle of hollandaise, this was a bite worth waiting for.

A few hours later, I met the fam at Galaxy Cafe in the Triangle to celebrate my Uncle Jack's birthday. The food here is pretty straightforward and always delivers for me. I ordered the fresh mozzarella, roma tomato and basil sandwich served on ciabatta with a drizzle of olive oil. I wasn't shouting from the rooftops about it, but it was pretty good. I was more concerned with the delicious sweet potato fries and stealing my little cousins homemade mac and cheese from his child's plate (sad, i know).

After the meal, my Mom brought out the gorgeous coconut cake we ordered from Texas French Bread and my uncle Jack blew out his candles. Although I'm not a huge coconut fan, the cake was so pretty that I was happy staring at it.

After too much food and a long nap, I awoke to start prepping dinner for the evening. Eager to please a long-time friend from high school, the menu was:

Blood orange mimosas and rose Prosecco

Sirloin burgers with arugula, avocado, rosemary-sauteed onions , heirloom tomatoes and a horseradish aioli or grilled eggplant "burgers"

For the burgers, I added minced ginger, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes to the ground sirloin. The eggplant was sliced and seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. The eggplant, burgers and whole wheat buns were all grilled on the outdoor grill.

For the accompaniments, I used sliced heirloom tomatoes with salt and pepper, sliced avocado with lime juice, fresh, peppery arugula and onions sauteed with salt, olive oil and minced fresh rosemary.

For the aioli, I combined horseradish, mayonnaise and lemon juice for a quick sauce.

My "grown-up" fruit salad

This delicious fruit salad is compliments to my cousin Catherine. I used her idea, then put a twist of my own on it. First start with any fruit of your choice- I used blackberries, blueberries, red grapes, Asian pears and oranges. The trick is to dice everything uniformly small so every bite has a piece of everything. For smaller fruits and berries, I left my berries whole and sliced my grapes in half.

After combining the diced fruit, I added lemon juice, lemon zest, chiffonade mint, sugar and a healthy douse of champagne. Let the mixture macerate and cool in the fridge while preparing the rest of the meal.

Cabbage slaw

Baked sweet potato fries

Gingerbread cake with caramelized ginger and Meyer lemon curd

Ok...who is obsessed with Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) as much as I am?
No one...so don't even try it. Her boxed desserts are marvelous for all of you "non-bakers".

My mom picked up her gingerbread mix with crystallized ginger and served it with Meyer lemon curd from Williams-Sonoma...it was a knockout dessert.

After a great (and tiresome) weekend in Austin, I was glad to be back to Fort Worth. A couple nights later, my girlfriend Cat and I headed to Cafe Aspen. Although it was my first time to dine there, I had heard positive things about the food.

We started with Chopin and Belevedere dirty martinis and a couple appetizers- quesadillas with candied walnuts, brie, caramelized onions and bacon with a mango salsa along with fried calamari with a marinara sauce. Surprisingly, I had no complaints...I'll be back.

sultry reds and the Vegan-ista

I've eaten entirely too much this week.

Between being off work from the ice storm and having too much time on my hands I took it upon myself to do what I do best and...well, eat. Along with my excessive eating out spree, my beloved (and crazy) college friend came in from NYC- she was a part of my gluttony.

To start off the week, a group of us met for an early dinner at Winslow's. Eager to try the revised menu, the meal had its ups and downs. Always a fan of the cheese board, it didn't fail to please. We also started with the garlic-truffle oil hummus. It was full of flavor and perfect with the grilled bread.

After our appetizers, my girlfriend ordered the wedge salad (bacon, tomatoes, bleu cheese dressing) and it was a complete disappointment. The "wedge" was tiny, the flavors were lackluster and the presentation was amateur- definitely not worth $8.

For our entrees, we ordered the lobster ravioli, spinach and goat cheese pizza, spicy shrimp with angel hair and the buffalo short ribs with a rosemary goat cheese mashed potatoes. The lobster ravioli was fishy and chewy. I didn't even finish my bite. The shrimp with angel hair was missing the flavors of the two main ingredients- the only things I tasted were olive oil and red pepper flakes. The goat cheese and spinach pizza was ok. The crust was nice but the abundance of goat cheese masked the bechamel and vegetables.

Thankfully, I ordered the best dish of the night- the buffalo short ribs. They were perfectly tender, fell off the bone and had rich flavor. The mash was a nice accompaniment although the rosemary overwhelmed the goat cheese. Nice dish- my Dad would love it.

Dessert had its ups and downs as well. We shared the chocolate ganache "ravioli" with blueberry Creme Anglaise and chopped mint. I couldn't get past the appearance- the blueberry anglaise was unappetizing. After a bite, the chocolate ganache was overwhelming, the puff pastry was packaged and I couldn't taste any hint of the blueberries.

Although the meal had its disappointments, I'll be back to prove myself wrong.

For lunch the next day, I took my NYC lover to Spiral Diner- notorious for its innovative, homemade and simply delicious Vegan fare. We started with some iced black tea and hummus dusted with paprika and lime juice. After I added a bit of salt, it was very tasty

I then ordered the "Sweet Luv'us" hummus wrap with sweet potato, hummus, broccoli, cucumber, avocado, salad greens and spicy walnuts with a tahini dressing. The flavors were great, I just wanted a little more texture- perhaps more spicy walnuts to offset the creamy consistency of the hummus, sweet potato and avocado.

NYC ordered the hot hummus wrap with grilled broccoli, black olives, carrots, corn, green peas, black beans, pine nuts and avocado with ranch dressing. Although I liked the flavor of my wrap, I preferred the texture of this one- delicious!

A few days later, my roommate and I returned to Spiral Diner for Sunday brunch. Although my mouth was watering looking at the "all you can eat" cranberry walnut pancakes, I ordered the seitan wrap with seasoned seitan grilled with red bell pepper, black olives, tomato, corn, carrot, avocado and a chipotle mayo. The marinade for the seitan was great- the waitress told me their secret was liquid smoke. I also liked the heat coming from the chipotle mayo.

The roomie ordered the "big taquito" with a tofu "scramble", diced "sausage", onions, red bell peppers, potatoes, avocado and salsa. Although the consistency of the scramble irked me a bit, the flavors were nice as well.

Later in the week I stopped by WineStyles on Camp Bowie to scour through the bottles of wine for an extended happy hour with the girls. Out of our purchases, my favorite was a 2006 red blend called Hey Mambo Sultry Red. With flavors of blackberry, plum, espresso, dried herbs and chocolate; this wine was inexpensive, yet decadent and will appear on my table again.

After our afternoon of decadence, the dinner choice was the fun, laid-back locale on Bluebonnet Circle: Ocean Rock. Amongst the table, we ordered top shelf margaritas, Fat Tire-battered halibut tacos with chipotle and a cabbage slaw, seared ahi tuna with a pineapple mango salsa and fish tacos with a mango habanero sauce.

The halibut tacos had a good texture, smoky flavor and weren't greasy. The tuna was served rare, although ordered medium rare, but was still tasty. The other fish tacos fell flat while the mango habanero salsa overwhelmed.

My final stop on my gluttonous journey ended with a lax dinner and brews at Boomer Jacks in Montgomery Plaza. Although our guy friends prefer Hooters, we came up with a (somewhat) suitable replacement. Even though the skin-tight orange booty shorts were lacking, the food, cold beer and attentive service made up for it (for me at least).

The Cajun chicken wings were crispy, saucy and spicy- perfect with ranch dressing. The bacon on the bacon cheeseburger was crispy and delicious- perfect with the juicy, medium-well chuck patty. Finally, the chicken fingers were hand-battered, moist and crispy- perfect with the well-seasoned, hot and crispy french fries. Sorry guys, this place totally trumps Hooters.

pot au choux and mutton busting

After surviving the weekend with an unpleasant stomach virus, I was finally able to stomach real food. No more Gatorade and applesauce, thank goodness.

Monday night, friends and I met for an early dinner at Fortuna for some Italian fare. Normally, I would have started with some red wine, but I stuck with an iced tea. To begin, we were brought warm, soft garlicky rolls with an infused olive oil for dipping. Between the table of three, we polished off two baskets.

For dinner, we chose lasagna, chicken parmigiana and tortellini alla rosa with a pink sauce...ok, and a small pepperoni pizza. Can you tell we were starving?

I ordered the traditional lasagna with ground beef. It had good flavor, but was a bit runny. The chicken parm was pretty simple and extremely cheesy. My favorite was the tortellini. The sauce was light, the cheese filling was flavorful and the pasta was so yummy. The pizza was good too, perhaps the best of the bunch. Next time I return I'm going to make it a pizza and vino night.

The next evening was a quick dinner and margs at Uncle Julio's then Bulls Night Out at the stock show. Amongst the too-full table of queso, guacamole and chicken quesadillas we sipped sangria-swirled margaritas and a couple shots of Tres Generaciones. After a few hours of bull riding and some XL Coors lights, we finished the night a Poag Mahones (old Shamrock) on 7th.

This week was hors d'oeuvre and canapé week in my culinary classes. We started the class with a few dozen fresh herbs, dried herbs, seeds and spices that we tasted, smelled and were asked to identify. The only thing that tripped me up were some of the seeds...damn you, caraway.

Next, we went to the kitchen and were asked to prepare an array of hors d'oeuvres- tea sandwiches, salsas, fritters, pot au choux puffs and an individual creation using either phyllo or puff pastry.

Our group put a little twist on the tea sandwiches and they were so fun to make! My favorite two were:

Cucumber ribbons atop rounded white bread with a sour cream, marscapone, dill, lemon juice and salt spread

Cream cheese with orange marmalade atop rounded white bread with crushed cocoa beans

For my individual recipe, I knew I would be on a time crunch so I chose to work with the puff pastry- no time to layer and brush 10 sheets of phyllo with melted butter! My dish was:

Puff pastry rounds stuffed with lemongrass and ginger pulled chicken with avocado, lime and fried scallion

First, I began to simmer coconut milk, whole milk, one stalk of lemongrass and grated ginger over a medium-low heat to infuse the milk. Next, I poached a boneless, skinless chicken in the milk mixture by adding the chicken to the shallow mixture and covering it with buttered parchment paper. After the chicken was cooked, I removed it to cool and raised the temperature of my infused milk to thicken.

Next, I shredded the chicken and added it back into the infused milk to marry the flavors back together. Next, I cut my puff pastry into 2 inch rounds, brushed the tops with an egg wash and baked them in the convection for about 5 minutes. While the pastry baked, I chopped some scallion and flash fried them in hot olive oil for a few seconds and sliced my avocado.

To assemble, I split my puff pastry and filled them with a spoonful of the shredded chicken with lemongrass and ginger. Then, I added a slice of avocado, some fried scallion, sea salt and finished it with lime juice.

The end of my weekend was spent with icy cold Dos Equis scooners and fish tacos at the Fuzzy's opening in Arlington (right by UTA). The place looks awesome- same great food but this locale has more of a hip, sports-bar feel- check it out!

curse of the club sandwich

My woe to Central Market...the reason my paycheck disintegrates so readily. But truthfully, CM is my savior specifically for its produce and protein freshness. My beloved sandwich bar has been revamped and no longer supplies my favorite bread- the sunflower bread. But, on my most recent adventuresome visit, I went for the Greek hoagie on rosemary bread.

The bread was great- rosemary baked in with a salty crust- then came the good stuff...oven roasted turkey, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, pepperocinis, red onion, arugula and a Greek yogurt with dill...the salty, crisp, creamy, savory, juicy deliciousness was overwhelming. Great sandwich.

Although the holy sandwich was the main event, it needed a sidekick. Enter, soup bar. My favorites are the rustic chicken noodle and the asparagus basil. Both were m.i.a. so I went with the vegetarian vegetable and it definitely packed a punch. After reading the extensive ingredient list, I found the robust culprit...Serrano chiles. Who knew?

On a more recent visit, I wandered to find something comforting for a Sunday dinner. What could be better than burgers? My menu was:

Sirloin burgers with shallot, rosemary, lavender and pecorino toscano

Rosemary roasted potatoes

With the ground sirloin, I added olive oil, grated shallot, grated ginger, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper and my new fleur de sel with dried rosemary and lavender. I sauteed them on the grill pan, 2-3 minutes per side, then finished in the oven until medium-well. Right before serving, I melted the grated pecorino toscano on top and piled it high on a whole wheat roll with carmelized onions, pan-fried avocado, a horseradish crema and a gorgeous heirloom tomato slice- delish.

For the potatoes, I tossed halved new potatoes with fresh chopped rosemary, olive oil, sea salt and pepper then roasted it- so simple.

The next night, I made a quick (but yummy) spaghetti and meatballs with the remaining marinated ground sirloin. First, I seared the meatballs to get all the juicy brown bits of deliciousness at the bottom of my Dutch oven. Then, I removed the meatballs, and deglazed the pot with red wine, chopped onion, garlic, fresh rosemary and parsley. I added bottled plain tomato sauce (don't tell), sliced mushrooms and my meatballs back in to simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, I got my water boiling for my whole wheat angel hair and my girlfriend made a great side- broiled brussel sprouts with Parmesan. It was so easy- even I was amazed. No blanching, no boiling, no ice bath! First, she removed the stalk and sliced the brussel sprouts horizontally. We tossed them on a sheet pan with salt, pepper, olive oil and Parmesan to broil- they were ready in minutes.

The next evening was my first night back at culinary school! The night concentrated on "garde manger" also referred to as the cold side of the kitchen. Although this has infinite possibilities, our evening concentrated on salads, salad dressing, sandwiches and sides. Seemingly simple, those sandwiches got to me a bit.

In groups, we were required to make a Caesar salad, salad niçoise, a traditional club, a Reuben, a monte cristo served madame style with a fried egg and an individual sandwich or salad of our choice.

To be completely honest, I wasn't too excited about this one. I've never made any of these (except the Caesar) nor would I ever order them in a restaurant....just not appealing to me. But, I sucked it up and went for the Caesar, monte cristo and the club. Excuse my bluntness, but the club was complete crap....we will skip that one.

The monte cristo turned out well. I layered white bread with Dijon, muenster, Swiss, ham and a fried egg. Then, I dredged the sandwich with egg (french toast style) and pan fried it. When I've had a monte cristo, It always comes with some sort of raspberry preserve. So, I decided to make a spin on the sweet, tart sauce.

I made a pan sauce with raspberry preserves, red currant jam, horseradish, cayenne and red wine. I wanted the spice from the sauce to complement the richness of the fried sandwich- turned out well.

When it was finally time for me to create my own sandwich, I had run out of time. So, I decided to make a crostini-type appetizer instead. First, I toasted baguette slices in the oven then topped them with a mixture of cream cheese and balsamic. After a spoonful of apricot marmalade, I finished them with toasted sliced almonds and a salted orange segment. The instructors really liked it so I was happy.

Screw the club.

a partridge in a pear tree

This Christmas was a special one with my family in Austin. It has been a stressful past month but cooking and food are constants in my life that keep me motivated, engaged and creative.

Christmas Eve I raced from work in Fort Worth to my parents house in Austin for our annual family Christmas Eve party. Unable to help with dinner, my mom took a simple approach and served rustic food; buffet style.

In her cherry red boullibase pot, she served velvety corn chowder with white cheddar and cilantro. Homemade tamales were served with salsa verde and a moist, succulent and smoky roast turkey was served with fresh rolls and fig chutney. The dessert table and decor was gorgeous- homemade sugar cookies, rich coconut cake and a vanilla spice cake were all nestled together resembling a whimsical, winter wonderland.

Not to brag (ok, a little), but I was spoiled silly Christmas day. For my culinary-related goodies, I was given:

Blue Le Crueset Dutch oven, teal square baking dishes and a white skillet
Basil-infused extra virgin olive oil
The most delicious balsamic I've ever tasted
Fleur de sel with rosemary and lavender
Funky multi-colored salad utensils
Stainless appetizer flatware
White, square serving dishes
Keurig one-cup coffee maker (ingenious! makes teas and cocoa as well)
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Cookbook
A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis
The Food of Thailand cookbook (gorgeous photographs)
Wine glasses (stemless for red, with stems for white)

Christmas Day, after opening gifts with Mom and Dad, we headed out to my grandmothers house for a huge breakfast of scrambled eggs, pigs in a blanket, egg casserole, sausage, bacon, grits, cinnamon rolls, orange banana punch and coffee...I look forward to this breakfast every year.

The next day, I was cooking for my Dad's side of the family Christmas dinner. My morning started with breakfast tacos from the infamous Taco Shack and scouring the aisles at Central Market. Happy with my purchases, I headed back to start cooking.

The menu for 18 was:

Spiced glazed cashews, walnuts and pumpkin seeds
I started off by melting 1/2 stick butter in a large skillet. Toss nuts to combine (any assortment would be great, we already had this combo). I then added 1/2 cup honey, several shakes of cayenne, 4 tsp of minced rosemary and salt to taste. Saute until nuts are toasted and all ingredients are combined.

Cheese platter with Brie, Gouda, Stilton, honeycomb with rosemary lavender fleur de sel, berries, apples, pears and assorted crackers

Grapefruit and blood orange salad with a star anise syrup (December Gourmet)
I supremed an equal number of grapefruits and blood oranges and squeezed the juice from the leftover pulp. Meanwhile, I made a simple syrup with equal parts water, granulated sugar and 6 star anise cloves. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer to thicken. Set aside to cool then drizzle over citrus segments.

Fennel and avocado salad with a citrus lime vinaigrette
First I made the vinaigrette with the juice of two limes, one lemon and one orange. Add the zest of 1 lime, one lemon and 1/2 orange. Pulse in the blender with two garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, honey, salt and pepper. When combined, slowly add olive oil to emulsify and finish vinaigrette. Serve with shaved fennel, sliced avocado and endive spears.

Fresh corn succotash with a jalapeno butter
Saute fresh corn, chopped onions, minced garlic, chopped bell peppers (I used orange, yellow and red), and minced jalapeno with butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. Finish with chopped parsley and/or cilantro.

Next, make the compound butter. Take two sticks of room temperature, unsalted butter and combine with a touch of olive oil, minced jalapeno, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into plastic wrap and form into a cylinder shape. Freeze to harden then slice into individual pats. Serve over succotash.

Grilled surf and turf with a chimichurri
We chose New York strips and 21-25 shrimp. I marinated the steak with a dry rub of paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper. The shrimp was marinated with olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Grill steak, shrimp, lime halves brushed with olive oil and red onions brushed with olive oil until desired doneness is achieved.

I also made a recent trip to Dallas for a friends birthday. The occasion called for rooming at Zaza and sushi and cocktails at Nobu. Amongst the table of girls (already full of sake) we split the spicy rock shrimp, yellowtail and jalapeno sashimi, spicy pequillo peppers, spicy tuna rolls, miso marinated cod and enoki mushroom, Japanese pumpkin and avocado tempura.

Our (hungover) breakfast the next morning was popovers with strawberry butter and the Austin tacos with a chipotle cream sauce at Dream Cafe.

Once back in Fort Worth, I had dinner at Winslow's Wine Cafe. To begin, my mom and I shared the dungeness crab cakes with a garlic aioli and a blueberry and blackberry salsa similar to a pico de gallo. I liked the crab cakes and the salsa was great...you could tell the crab cakes weren't pre-frozen and the crab wasn't fishy tasting.

Next, we split the spinach salad with apples, pecans, goat cheese and an apple cider vinaigrette- it was perfect. The dressing wasn't overwhelming nor was the salad overdressed. Finally, we split the Jim Bowie pizza with chicken, barbecue sauce and fresh jalapenos. The crust was nice and the flavors were good but there was entirely too much barbecue sauce.

The next day we headed to Northpark and lunched at the Mermaid Bar in Neimans. I ordered the soup of the day (chicken and white bean) which was nice and surprisingly light. Next, I ordered the Love salad with chicken, avocado, artichoke and tomatoes with a lemon oregano vinaigrette. The boiled chicken completely lacked flavor- not worth $11 . My mom ordered a slice of the coconut cake and I had to sneak a bite (even though I'm not a huge coconut fan). Good idea on my part...it was heavenly.

That evening, we dined at Brix Wine Bar for a late dinner. Accustomed to the Brix menu, I hadn't returned because the food was simply mediocre. My visit back changed my mind. The wine list was more extensive and the menu was revised.

My mom and roommate Megan ordered a "make your own" pizza and chose eggplant, onions, jalapenos and roasted red peppers. A seemingly bizarre combination, it was perfect. The vegetables were cooked perfectly and you could taste all elements of the pizza in a delicious cohesion while the jalapenos added a mellow heat.

I ordered the vegetable plate and added grilled chicken. The plate came with grilled eggplant, romaine hearts, zucchini, tomato and chicken all beneath a drizzle of sweet balsamic and crumbles of salty feta. Despite the eggplant being a bit overcooked, the dish was so incredibly simple and flavorful...I'm back to being a Brix believer.

Last night, friends and I cooked dinner. After discovering we were stripped dry of salt (how does that happen?!), dinner was still delicious.

Spinach salad with orange, toasted hazelnuts, Camembert and a simple lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette with red pepper flakes

(The salad turned out fine, but the Camembert was a bit rich with the buttery hazelnuts)

Pan seared halibut with lemon, pepper and white wine
Rosemary tomato polenta

Sauteed artichoke hearts and onions

Great, light dinner for all those trying to lose the LBS for the new year!