a birthday affair & tarte tatin to share

I love having my birthday on Cinco de Mayo.

Although my special day wasn't full with mariachis or margaritas, I had a lovely evening full of fine wine and local fare.

I was treated with a special 5-course menu and wine pairing dinner at Ellerbe's Fine Foods (known for their Louisiana-influenced dishes and locally-sourced ingredients).

We sat on the patio with rustic, paint-stripped wooden chairs, blue and white linen napkins, and milk bottles dotted with single pink flowers. Our first course was oh-so-simple and full of bright flavors:

Louisiana Blue Lump Crabmeat with

Texas Citrus, Tarragon and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The unique aspect of this dish was the orange powder dusted atop the crab.

The culprit? Dehydrated grapefruit rind that was turned into a sweet powder.

For our next course, I was full of bliss to sample this rustic salad with local roasted beets (I'm one of those crazies who adores obscure veggies like beets, brussels sprouts and celery root).

Roasted B&G Farm Beets with Local Honey, DMC Goat Ricotta,

Cox Farm Arugula, Bee Pollen and Pralined Millican Pecans

The fourth of the five courses was my favorite. It appeared rich and heavy, but was oh-so-light and full of flavor-- I almost licked the poor bowl.

Tomato Braised Lamb Shoulder with a Warm Israeli Couscous Salad,

Latte Da Feta, Curry Vinaigrette and Texas Citrus Powder

After a delicious birthday evening, I whisked off to Austin for the weekend to further celebrate my sweet 26 and also pay homage to my hip mother for Mother's Day.

I was graced with some lovely gifts from friends and family-- some of my favorites (this shouldn't surprise you), were meant to perch right in my pantry.

[Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, French Lavender,

Meyer Lemon Peel, Cardamom Pods, Wild Capers with Sea Salt]

After basking in the glow of an assortment of thoughtful gifts, my Austin girlfriends and I assembled to sip bubbling rosé and snack on a simple cheese platter before an evening out on the town.

Our assembly-only platter included Drunken-Goat Cheese with a Red Wine-Soaked Rind, Walnut Cheddar and Gruyere with Greek Green Olives and Rosemary Focaccia Crackers all from Whole Foods Austin.

For dinner, we took a quick taxi to the east side for funky, French bistro-inspired fare from Justine's Brasserie. We began with potent French 75's with champagne and gin for our pre-dinner cheers.

Dinner was simple and delicious: Escargot with Garlic Butter, Beef Tartare, Mussels and Frites, Snapper with Haricot Verts and Chilled Shrimp Salad with Tarragon & Cucumbers finished with a few bites of Apple Tarte Tatin with coffee.

After an eventful evening full with Moscow Mule's, a Russian big band and swing dancers, I was ready for a quiet Sunday with my parents to celebrate Mother's Day.

My mom had beautiful tomatoes, fresh herbs and Wild Alaskan Halibut on hand so I planned a menu around that. She also has a definite sweet tooth so a made-from scratch dessert was a must. Our menu included:

Grilled Halibut with a Tarragon Pea Puree, Grilled Asparagus,

Brown Rice Pilaf with Pine Nuts and Tomato Salad with Vinegar

While sipping a glass of chardonnay, I prepped components for dinner including a room temperature tomato salad with sea salt, fresh-cracked black pepper and champagne vinegar.

While my dad started the charcoal grill, I dressed fresh asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper then delicately seasoned the halibut filets with the same dressings.

To accompany the grilled fish, I made a healthy and vibrant sauce of green peas, vegetable stock, lemon rind and fresh tarragon. For a side dish: toasted rice pilaf with pine nuts.

While I finished my sauce and rice, my Dad set out for the grill (the man is an expert griller--although he denies it). The halibut was cooked to perfection boasting its buttery layers and the asparagus was al dente with gorgeous charred flavor from the grill.

All three of us finished this dish with pleasure-- the only naughty inclusions were from a swirl of heavy cream to finish the pea sauce. I was then on to dessert...

My mom loves fruity desserts-- strawberry shortcake was the natural choice especially since this is peak season for fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Shortcake with Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits

While I prepped dinner, I measured my biscuit ingredients, washed and sliced strawberries and had my cold cream chilling and ready in a bowl.

When I was ready to make the biscuits, I preheated my own to 400 degrees and started on these flaky delights:

Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits

yields approximately 12 biscuits

2 cups AP flour

2 T sugar, plus an additional 2 T to mix with cinnamon

1 T baking powder

1/2 t kosher salt

12 T cold unsalted butter, diced

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c cold heavy cream, plus an additional 2 cups to whip

1 t pure vanilla extract

1 egg beaten with 2 T water, for egg wash

1 T cinnamon

1 pint strawberries, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together flour, 2 T sugar, baking powder and kosher salt together in a large bowl. With hands, mix in dice cold butter and combine with dry mixture until pea-shaped butter chunks remain. Add beaten eggs and 1/2 c heavy cream. Combine quickly with hands until a dough forms.

Transfer dough ball to a floured board. Top with more flour then press down to a 1/2 inch thick square, working quickly to keep butter chilled. Slice into 12 biscuit squares (as shown), then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet with a spatula. Brush lightly with the egg wash then finish with a sprinkling of cinnamon and remaining sugar.

Bake approximately 15 minutes until biscuits are lightly browned, yet moist and tender. While biscuits are baking, whip 2 cups whipping cream with vanilla until soft peaks are formed. Serve in between hot biscuits with sliced strawberries.

Enjoy this not-t00-sweet confection with some fine decaf coffee or a chilled glass of crisp, white wine.

crab fest and PB&J's

The first of July has been exciting, stressful, busy, crazy, and of course, HOT! This was the first Fourth of July away from my family, the beach or the lake. Fortunately, I was surrounded with good friends from culinary school, a new experience at Rahr Brewery and of course, good food!

Before I start reliving my culinary "adventures", I wanted to give short disclaimer for those who recreate my recipes:

The recipes I provide are approximate guides but are by no means exact. I come up with my menu ideas, prepare them, then sit down to approximate the recipes.

A good rule of thumb when tasting food: If something seems too acidic or bitter, add a sweetener (I swear by honey). If something is too sweet, add fresh herbs, oil or an acid- whatever seems appropriate with what you are preparing. If you taste something that is under seasoned, add salt! Salt is a flavor enhancer and will make flavors more inherent. Finally, be wary with black pepper. When added too liberally, it actually changes the flavor of dishes and can make them bitter.

Now back to the food...

On a beautiful Friday evening, I dined with fellow "Fort Worth Foodies" at Ellerbe's Fine Foods promoting fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. The restaurant was very simple, almost plain, with starkly pressed servers and an anxious dining crowd. We sat outside, started with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc then shared:

Brazos Valley Feta and Moxia Peach Salad with Arugula, Citrus Vinaigrette and Toasted Pecans

Shrimp with Preserved Lemons and Celery Root Slaw

Bacon-wrapped Copper River Salmon with Scott Farms New Potatoes and Tarragon Creme Fraiche

Baseball Steak with Herbed Fries

Bread Pudding

Fruit plate with Amaretti cookies

The next week, I headed with work friends to Yucatan Taco Stand for happy hour followed by Nonna Tata for dinner. I'm going to skip straight to Nonna Tata because my experiences at Yucatan are just not worth mentioning anymore- It's one of those "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all" situations. Thanks, Dad.

Forgive me, I digress. Nonna Tata was delicious as always. Our table of 5 decided on an antipasto to share then split:

Tortolli with Goat Cheese
Veal Osso Bucco with Arborio Rice
Chicken Lasagna with Pesto

All three were delicious, but I couldn't stop eating the chicken lasagna. It was surprisingly light, yet rich at the same time. Our evening ended with a little too much wine and shots of Limoncello- much fun until I awoke the next morning...

Later that weekend, my partner and I had a Private Chef Event: A Summertime party for 45!

On our menu:

Lime and Mint Punch with Club Soda

(mint simple syrup with fresh lime juice, lime rounds and club soda for sparkle)

Roasted Red Salsa with Peppers, Tomatoes, Onions and Jalapenos

Roasted Green Salsa with Tomatillos, Orange and Lime

Traditional Guacamole (with chips galore!)

(Avocado, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, a bit of honey and orange zest)

Pulled Chicken Quesadillas with Queso Fresco, Red Onions and Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted Shrimp Skewers in a Harissa Marinade with a Fennel Orange Slaw

Veggie Spring Rolls with a Wasabi Aioli

(rice paper, asparagus, cabbage, cilantro, red pepper flakes)

Crostini with Walnut Pesto, Roasted Sliced Beets, Summer Squash and Fresh Mozzarella

Meringue Cups with Lime Curd, Blackberries and Lime Zest (shown at right)

This party was fun- complete with a margarita machine, beautiful bright decorations and lovely people. We take pride in making everything homemade (ok, I cheated with the mayo for the aioli) and I think it really shows in our finished product. The salsas were deep roasted and simmered away all day. The veggie spring rolls were wrapped, the lime curd stirred and the meringues piped then baked by yours truly.

My partner really shines at sauce work and flavor building. The seared, then pulled chicken for the quesadillas was extremely moist with an apparent depth of flavor. Same idea with the shrimp- start with a flavorful marinade and finish with a flavorful sauce and/or textural accompaniment (fennel orange slaw) for full flavor to stand up to the spicy salsas.

After a busy weekend and work week, I was finally able to try Fort Worth's Eddie V's on a warm, Thursday evening. I've always dined at my hometown Eddie V's in Austin and Fort Worth didn't fail to impress. Our dinner was lovely but we ordered way too much food- all of it being extremely rich due to my boyfriend's "I hate veggies" syndrome. On the menu:

Calamari with Roasted Cashews, Julienned Veggies and Spicy Ginger Soy Sauce

(Well cooked and spicy but overkill on portion size for two)

Soft Shell Crab with Watermelon Citrus Vinaigrette
(I liked the crab but the vinaigrette tasted like oil to me. I tasted no citrus or watermelon. Maybe we got the wrong vinaigrette?)

Pan-Fried Cod with Dijon and Morels

(earthy complex flavors, perfectly cooked fish, gorgeous plating with deep red micro greens)

Bone-in Filet of Beef

(like butter)

Truffled Macaroni and Cheese

(sinful...complete with truffle oil and shaved truffles)

Lump Crab Fried Rice

(always been a favorite of mine, delicious as always)

Often overlooked, the bread really stood out to me! It tasted sweet but I couldn't put my finger on the sweet flavor. Brown sugar? Honey? Nope... it was cardamom and it gave the bread a subtle sweetness that I loved.

On the eve of fourth of July, I had a girlfriend over for a movie, wine and some (semi) healthy chicken burgers. Although I seldomly grill burgers without some type of cheese, these were perfect without. The avocado added a simple buttery texture, heirloom tomatoes added tang and the tarragon mayo added an anise flavor surprise.

Herbed Chicken Burgers with Heirloom Tomatoes, Avocado, Tarragon Mayo and Micro Greens

For Chicken Burgers:

1/2 lb ground chicken

1 T olive oil
1 T kosher salt
1/2 t pepper
1 T chopped sage
1 T chopped tarragon

1/2 T lemon zest

1 garlic clove, minced

For Tarragon Mayo:

1 c mayo
1/3 c tarragon, minced
1/2 T lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

For burger building:

2 heirloom tomatoes- yellow and red, sliced thinly with kosher salt

1 avocado, sliced with lime juice and salt

1 package micro greens

2 whole wheat buns, toasted on grill pan with olive oil

Serves 2.

A few evening later, I decided to make a Surf and Turf-style dinner with a fresh-baked sweet for dessert. Although I love shrimp, I chose to work with lump crab for my surf element. For the turf, I chose a gorgeous prime ribeye from Central Market.

Lump Crab Napoleons with Fried Wontons, Braised Granny Smith Apples, Spicy Corn Salad, Pepitas and Cilantro Oil (shown at right)

Braised Apples:

1 granny smith apple, cored then thinly sliced in rounds

2 cups water

1 cup white wine

2 cups sugar

sprinkle of salt
1 large squeeze of lemon juice

Bring water, white wine, salt and sugar to a simmer in a sauce pan. Add apple slices in liquid and cook until tender. Set aside.

Spicy Corn Salad:

2 ears of fresh corn, cut off cob

1/2 jalapeno, minced with ribs and seeds removed

2 T red onion, minced

1 T butter

Olive oil to saute

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Saute corn, jalapeno and red onion in butter and olive oil for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, keep warm until ready to serve.

Lump Crab:

1/2 lb fresh jumbo lump crab meat, picked over for shell remnants

2 T minced fresh basil

2 T minced fresh cilantro

1 thinly sliced scallion (dark green ends removed)

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

1 T honey

1/2 T lemon zest

1 squeeze of lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

For Cilantro Oil:

3/4 cup cilantro

3/4 cup olive oil

1 T honey

1 squeeze of lemon juice

salt to taste

Combine honey, lemon and cilantro in food processor. Slowly stream in olive oil until desired consistency is achieved. Salt to season. Set aside.

For building napoleon:

handful of pepitas to sprinkle on each plate (toasted and salted)

6 wonton squares, fried in vegetable oil until golden brown and crispy

Drizzle a bit of cilantro oil on plate followed by one of the wonton squares. Begin layering the spicy corn salad, lump crab mixture and braised apples with remaining two wonton squares. Top with pepitas, another drizzle of cilantro oil and remaining fresh herbs if desired.

Serves 2.

Seared Prime Ribeye with Sweet and Spicy Glaze

1 ribeye steak (approximately 1 pound)

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to "crust" the steak

30 minutes before cooking, remove steak from refrigerator to bring to room temperature and remove chill. Crust the ribeye liberally with salt and pepper. In a hot grill pan, add olive oil and sear ribeye on both sides until a brown crust develops.

Drizzle glaze on steak and finish it a 350 degrees oven until desired temperature is reached (I cooked mine to medium rare). Drizzle with additional glaze if desired and a sprinkle of kosher salt before serving.

For the glaze:
Combine brown sugar, honey, sriracha, lemon juice, lime juice, lime zest and salt and whisk to get the flavor of your liking.

Serves 2.

Chocolate Chile Brownies with Cinnamon Vanilla Ice Cream

I used an Epicurious recipe for these brownies and although I was happy with the texture of the brownies, there was a bit too much Chile powder that actually overwhelmed the rich chocolate. Despite cutting down the Chile powder from 1/4 of a cup to an 1/8 of a cup, it was still a bit much- I'm thinking a tablespoon or two will be plenty next time.

I served the warm brownies with vanilla ice cream mixed with a drizzle of vanilla bean paste and cinnamon. The ice cream was fantastic with the rich brownies.