Dried Chiles and Gluten-free

What do sliders, mini-desserts and noodle dishes all have in common? All were hugely impactful in restaurant trends of 2009. A few weeks ago, class at culinary school surrounded trends such as these then challenged us to recreate trends we selected. My five trend selections and dishes were:

Trend: Egg Preparations for Dinner
Dish: Eggs Benedict Putanesca with Fontina and Fresh Oregano Vanilla Yogurt

For this dish, I made a simple and quick putanesca sauce with crushed tomatoes, capers, fresh oregano and black olives. Melted fontina cheese coated the toasted english muffin followed by an over-easy poached egg and the putanesca spooned atop. The oregano yogurt sauce was creamy and sweet to pair with the salty, rich and briny flavors of the benedict.

Trend: Sliders
Dish: Shrimp Sliders with a Jalapeno Puree and Peanut Sauce

I wanted to make sliders but not your "run of the mill" ground beef mini burgers. Don't get me wrong- I love traditional sliders but opted for a seafood variation instead. I chopped raw shrimp and combined them with panko breadcrumbs, mint, cilantro, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, a touch of sugar and an egg to combine. I then formed the mixture into mini patties and seared them to brown and cook through quickly. I served the sliders with a toasted parker house roll, a spicy jalapeno puree and peanut sauce to act as ketchup or mustard.

Trend: Amuse Bouche Portions
Dish: Bleu Cheese Puff with Fennel, Orange and Chiffonade Basil

This was my "crap, I'm running out of time and still have two dishes to bust out" dish. Regardless, the chefs enjoyed it. I cut a round of puff pastry, browned it into a pillow-like puff and filled it with a fennel and orange slaw with a simple vinaigrette. The puff was topped with chiffonade sliced basil. Ehh...I can do better.

Trend: Noodle dishes
Dish: Garam Masala Beef Meatballs and Cold Noodle Salad with Maple, Black Sesame Seeds and Scallions

This dish combined the hot richness of meatballs with the cold sweetness of the maple noodles. I struggled with plating this dish because I ran out of time.

Trend: Mini Desserts/Dessert Flights
Dish: Dessert Trio
White Chocolate Bark with Pistachios and Cranberries
Coffee Shooter
Nutmeg Chantilly Cream

My dessert was to enjoy as a "flight" and components were meant to work together. The chef thought my concept didn't follow the trend but they enjoyed flavors and interactive aspects of the dessert. The nutmeg cream was shaped to spoon into the coffee shooter and sip with the white chocolate bark. The chefs instead dipped the bark straight into the coffee and were content. Ha...whatever works.

A few evenings later after a stressful work day, I met some girlfriends in the Hospital District and we "Magnolia hopped" for happy hour and dinner. For pre-dinner cocktails, we chatted amongst (very potent) frozen margaritas and frozen screwdrivers at Yucatan Taco Stand. For dinner, it was 1/2 off wine night at Lili's Bistro.

Perched around our bottle to share, we split a trio of traditional hummus, black bean hummus and baba ghanoush. Of the three, the black bean hummus was far superior smoothed over the warm pita points. For my entree, my girlfriend and I split the grilled veggie plate complete with grilled portabellos, asparagus, peppers, a perfectly grilled chicken breast and a side of smoked gouda creamed corn.

The next day, we spent the chilly Saturday late afternoon sitting by the fire pit and sipping wine on the outdoor patio at Winslow's Wine Cafe. Such an intoxicating combination- comfy chairs, blanketed with early fall scarves, glass of wine in hand and a gentle sizzle from the fire- perfect. We split a duo of hummus once again- truffle and roasted red pepper. The truffle was a bit salty but I partook regardless.

Class the next week concentrated on advanced nutrition and how to incorporate dietetic restrictions into fine dining preparations. After learning restrictions and beneficial food options for those with heart disease, cancer, gastric bypass surgeries, celiac disease, gluten-free diets and low-sodium diets, we were also given options for people who may be blind, smoke or with dentures....seriously.

Once in the kitchen, we drew to see who would act as Executive chef, Sous chef, line cook or prep cook. We then received a ticket and had 15 minutes per ticket to complete a dish in our specified roles.

Let me abruptly end this twisted tale with an example of a ticket we received:

15 minutes for an appetizer for a blind, one armed smoker with dentures

Mmm hmm...enough said. This class was hard as hell.

The next class surrounded the rich history and abundant flavors of Southwestern-style cuisine and cooking. We were presented with a plethora of ingredients to play with: dried chiles, cactus, prickly pear, tuna fruit, chayote squash, avocado, habanero, poblanos, etc. In our remaining class time, we were required to present five plated dishes to the chef along with homemade flour or corn tortillas and a homemade salsa of our choice.

My approach to my dishes was to use familiar ingredients and preparations and pair them with Southwestern ingredients to create a fusion-type dish.

Southwestern ingredients: Chayote Squash
Dish 1: Pureed White Gazpacho with Chayote, Green Apples, Toasted Almonds, Garlic, Lemon and Marjoram

Southwestern ingredients: Dried guajillo peppers, jalapenos
Dish 2: Savory beef pies with a Guajillo paste and Blueberry Jalapeno Radish Salsa with Pumpkin Oil

Southwestern ingredients: Homemade flour tortilla, queso fresco
Dish 3: Roasted Grapefruit and Asparagus Taco with Queso Fresco and a Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Southwestern ingredients: Cayenne, cinnamon, chocolate
Dish 4: Cayenne and Cinnamon-Dusted Puff Pastry Straws with a Chocolate Chile "Loose" Ganache for dipping

Southwestern ingredients: Homemade flour tortilla, pumpkin, smoked paprika
Dish 4: Fried Tostada with a Pumpkin Smoked Paprika Spread, Toasted Coconut and Fried Rosemary

Although I wasn't extremely knowledgeable with using Southwestern ingredients, I enjoyed this class. Next week will be the most challenging class for me: the recipes of Auguste Escoffier. Wish me luck!

blueberry scones and the beer companion

The start of May has been a month of new beginnings for me- new apartment, new opportunities and my impending 24th birthday on Cinco de Mayo! It's also been a week of yummy food...

Tuesday evening, a group of us headed to the Ginger Man for happy hour. I sipped on my Sunshine Wheat (I'm not into the dark stuff) while we snacked away at the beer companion- an array of cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, smoked gouda), salami, green apples, stone ground mustard and baguette.

After our drinks, we headed across the street for an outdoor dinner at Winslows. Although it was a bit chilly outside, we cozied up with blankets and their outdoor fire. To begin, we started with the bruschetta trio- tomato, cranberry bean and mint and a baba ganoush (roasted eggplant dip). I liked the baba ganoush but wasn't a huge fan of the mint and bean. The beans were undercooked and underseasoned.

Next, our table ordered soups and salads. Amongst our picks were the wedge salad, spinach salad with grilled pineapple, house salad with a quail egg, roasted tomato soup and vichyssoise. Thankfully, my favorite was exactly what I ordered- the roasted tomato soup. The bacon added a nice smokiness and there was also a warming heat at the end.

Our entrees were the Spanish pie with chorizo, chicken pesto pizza and bacon-wrapped sea scallops with a honey-thyme tartar sauce. I really wasn't crazy about the pizzas but the scallops were well cooked and the sauce was really delicious.

The next evening, I broke in my new apartment and cooked my first meal in my tiny, yet quaint little kitchen. Although I'm usually veggie-crazed, the menu was a little more Rustic and heavier than I'm used to.

My menu was:

Salt and pepper crusted filet of beef

2 6-ounce filets of beef (take out of fridge to remove chill about 20 minutes before cooking)

Sea salt

Fresh-cracked pepper

Olive oil

3/4 cup red wine

2 Tbl butter

First, remove filets from packaging and dry both sides with paper towels. Next, liberally coat both sides with a mixture of the coarse sea salt and fresh-ground pepper. Sear the first side with olive oil in a smoking hot pan until a nice, brown crust has developed. Flip filets, deglaze pan with red wine and finish beef in a 350 degree oven with a pat of butter on top. I cooked mine medium rare (5-7 minutes in the oven). To serve, top filets with pan sauce.

Gnocchi with a roasted garlic and sage cream sauce

1 package potato gnocchi (I'm too lazy to make my own)

3 heads roasted garlic

(Cut garlic bulbs in half, drizzle liberally with olive oil and roast about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven until browned. Squeeze cloves out, let cool and mince.)

1/3 cup fresh chopped sage

1 quart heavy cream

4 Tbl butter

1/3 cup milk (Whole would be ideal but I used skim because that's what I drink)

salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and cook gnocchi according to package directions. After draining, return gnocchi to pot. Add cream, butter, minced roasted garlic and sage. Add salt, pepper and milk if mixture is too thick. Simmer on low for a few minutes until sauce reduces a bit then serve immediately.

Sweet and spicy pan-fried okra

2 cups fresh okra sliced vertically

1 Tbl olive oil

2 Tbl honey

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute okra in olive oil for a few minutes. Add honey, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

The following rainy weekend evening, my girlfriend Cat and I snacked on an antipasto tray and a bottle of Riesling at my apartment then headed to Ferre for dinner. We split:

My antipasto platter:

Green grapes, blackberries with fleur de sel and honey, brie, parmigiano reggiano with a honey glaze, dry salami, marinated feta with olives and fresh baguette

Once at Ferre:

Martinis (I went for Grey Goose Poire straight-up and Cat ordered the Pink Heart with vanilla vodka and pomegranate liquor)

Crab cakes with a scallion puree and Fuji apple slaw

Housemade pasta with beef tenderloin, mixed mushrooms and a cognac sour cream sauce

Creme brulee with berries and Sambuca

Dinner was delicious and the service matched the food. My favorite dish was the crab cakes with the apple slaw. The crab cakes were light, almost all lump crab and the apple slaw was a delicious match.

My week ended with a visit to the Artisan Baking Company- specializing in fresh, seasonal and local bread-making. After a delightful interview with owner and chef, Gwin Grimes, I found some yummy goodies for breakfast and snacking- multigrain bread, spiced nuts with sugar, cumin and cayenne, mango spread and blueberry scones fresh out of the oven...what could be better?

My mom, aunt and cousin are coming in this weekend and it should be one full of shopping, delicious food and good company. More foodie details to come...

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.

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!

wedding cake shots and vichyssoise

My first trimester in culinary school is winding down quite quickly- my second trimester begins in January!

This past week was all about soups. Within my group of three, we were asked to make a split pea soup, beef and vegetable, New England clam chowder, vichyssoise (a cold, pureed soup of potato and leeks) and a peach yogurt soup (a cold, dessert soup).

I was determined to perfect the vichyssoise- a difficult task, at that. The difficulties of the soup are maintaining a white color, straining it thoroughly, seasoning properly, serving it cold and having a perfect marriage of the potato and leek flavors (the potatoes tend to overwhelm the delicate leeks).

So, of course I volunteered to make the vichyssoise with julienned, fried sweet potatoes and snipped chive. I was completely satisfied because it turned out really well. I also made the peach and yogurt soup with white wine and a roasted pistachio garnish with fanned peaches- great soup for a warm, Summer evening.

For the split pea soup, I made a garnish of croutons (leftover cornbread, cayenne, olive oil and salt) and crumbled bacon. For the beef and vegetable soup, I made a two-minute corn garnish with cream, butter, salt and pepper.

Two nights later I was having a Winslows craving. To start, we ordered the Lucas and Lewellen Pinot Noir (fragrant and light) and the vanilla-scented scallops with a mango cous cous and chipotle pineapple vinaigrette. The dish was fine, but the vanilla added an almost chemical aftertaste to the scallops.

Next course was soups- the spiced pumpkin with sage and the roasted yellow tomato with apple wood-smoked bacon, cream fraiche and a basil oil. Both were hot, smoky and delicious with the grilled ciabatta.

Finally, we split the roasted beef tenderloin pizza with caramelized onions, bleu cheese and tomato. The beef was cooked nicely and the homemade pizza dough was light. We skipped dessert and ordered a sweet Riesling to end.

Last weekend, we headed to Houston for my roommate's dad's wedding. On our road trip, we felt the need to do "road trip" type things like head to Dairy Queen for steak fingers and Oreo blizzard's in the middle of Buffalo, Texas. The picture to the right is the embarrassing memoir of our fast food feast between the two of us.

After the four hour drive, we arrived to the gorgeous house in Pearland and helped with all of the pre-reception details: lighting candles...ok, that was it. We beautified ourselves, opened a bottle of wine, lit the candles and bossed the caterers around. It was fun.

An hour later, the reception was in full swing and waiters in white passed around bacon-wrapped shrimp, meatballs, asparagus in phyllo and tenderloin croissant sandwiches with spicy mustard amongst others. We spent the rest of the evening taking wedding cake shots, blasting old school rap in the tent, taking over the bar and pretending like we were still in college.

The night ended with the new bride driving to Jack in the Box at midnight and spending $85 on chicken fingers and curly fries for all the high schoolers who drank too much- oh, how I love weddings.

cupcakes and a lazy Sunday

This past Tuesday was Cat's 24th birthday and immediately a lunch date was planned. After venturing out to Northeast mall (in the pouring rain) we settled on a tiny French bakery called Vie a Paris! that Cat and her mom frequent.

Between the two of us and a tiny little table we munched on turkey and Swiss and chicken salad croissants with french onion soup, a fruit tart and a vanilla eclair- ooh la la!

Although we had dinner plans later that night at Taverna, we went to P.F. Changs for some pre-dinner drinks. While we sipped our Purple Haze hot sake with Chambord, we put our chopsticks to work on crunchy, chicken lettuce wraps and the lemongrass prawns with garlic noodles- my favorite entree!

For dinner #2, we finally arrived to Taverna and chatted amongst a bottle of Prosecco. The table choices were all tasty: risotto with Parmesan and truffle oil, seafood risotto with mussels, calamari and shrimp and a Gorgonzola and pear filled pasta with pears, arugula and walnuts. The seafood risotto was my favorite...great broth and the calamari was cooked perfectly.

Last night, my roommate and I headed to Winslow's for dinner. I've been a little under the weather all week, so I nursed a glass of Cava while Megan tried the Cava and a Merlot. We split the gambas al ajillo (shrimp in a spicy garlic butter sauce served atop grilled bread and fresh parsley) and cups of the roasted tomato soup with applewood-smoked bacon, creme fraiche and basil oil.

Finally, we split the gnocchi (due to my rave reviews), but it just wasn't as tasty last night. The gnocchi was a little heavier than usual and the pancetta made it too smoky...we still finished it. We skipped dessert because Megan had been on her weekly Cupcake Cottage trip earlier that morning. She had an assortment of mini cupcakes in a pretty, pink box- strawberry, chocolate, cookies and cream and my favorite... traditional white.

Today we grabbed a burger at Dutch's for a lazy, Sunday lunch. I ordered the Texana with avocado (of course) and Swiss...Megan always goes for the queso on her burger. The burgers are always good (a little over0cooked for my taste, but never greasy) and the rolls are always delicious (always fresh and slightly sweet). I'm now spending the rest of my lazy Sunday trying to decide what to cook for dinner tonight!

Wine galore and the "mystery" basket

I'm so excited the weather is starting to change and fall is on the way...most importantly, fall produce has some of my favorite flavors. Hearty mushrooms, squash, pears, eggplant, juicy figs...all so delicious to me.

Friday night, some girlfriends and I headed to Winslow's Wine Bar for some dinner and drinks. We sat outside on comfy, over sized chairs and enjoyed people watching. We split a Spanish Cava (similar to champagne) and the cheese board complete with an assortment of cheeses: a blue, a mild cheddar and my favorite- a smoked, Spanish cows milk cheese called San Simon. The cheese board came with sliced, Gala apples, pecans, red grapes, an assortment of olives, salted almonds and toasted baguette slices. My friend Jessica ordered the roasted tomato soup- it was rich and hearty.

After hors d'oeuvres, we opted for some red wine- an Australian Shiraz called Woop Woop...and sadly, repeating the name was our entertainment for the rest of the night. For dinner, we split the gnocchi with a butternut squash buerre blanc, chunks of pancetta, sage and trumpet mushrooms. I wanted to lick the sauce from the bowl...I declined.

Tonight we had Week 6 of culinary classes: veggie cookery! I was really excited because there is not a single vegetable I don't like...seriously. We were paired up (my partner was a fellow TCU grad, Jen) and given a "mystery basket" of veggies and we were required to use all of them. Ours contained jicama, rutabaga, fennel, eggplant and collard greens.

In a couple hours, we whipped up:

Tempura-fried rutabaga
(sounds weird but the rutabaga fried beautifully)

Stir-fried purple cabbage, jicama, and broccoli with a ginger, garlic and plum sauce (the exec chefs told us that jicama is a great, fresh substitute for canned water chestnuts...same texture and crunch

Collard greens wilted in bacon fat topped with an over-medium egg and chopped bacon all atop garlic toast

An pan-fried eggplant "Napoleon" with tomatoes, melted Brie and basil oil

Roasted fennel and pears with a brown sugar, butter, ground clove and lemon zest glaze topped with candied orange peel and toasted almonds

After all of the food was critiqued, the instructors made some tempura-fried fritters with pears and apples- delicious! Next week is meat fabrication for all you carnivores!

Caipirinha's and a new set of Wüsthof's

A few weeks ago, the ladies from work and I had a "Girls Night Out" at the newest wine bar in town. Filled with Fort Worth's most desperate housewives, the decor was simple and wine bottles laced the walls. Bottles of pear Cava were emptied within minutes as we scoured the menu. The menu was impressive.... as was the food. I ordered the gnocchi with fresh basil, Parmesan and matchstick summer vegetables in a vegetable jus- light and delicious.

Last Saturday, some friends and I discovered the Yucatan Taco Stand and Tequila Bar. Don't let the title fool you- although you wait in line and order at the front à laPei Wei, the food is upscale, the decor modern, the plating and dishware artful along with a full bar and drink menu complete with traditional Caipirinha- a Brazilian favorite. I immediately went straight for the banana leaf wrapped Chilean sea bass with chimichurri, fried plantains and rice. Megan opted for the vegetable plate with black beans, fried rice, crispy yuca fritters, a matchstick medley, fried plantains and a cilantro aioli.

As with most brand-new restaurants, there were a few kinks. Instead of my expected accompaniments to the sea bass, it came with chipotle mashed potatoes and a simple cabbage slaw flavored with lime juice and a bit a sugar- unexpected, but delicious. The fish was cooked perfectly, the potatoes had the perfect amount of heat and the slaw was light. Megan's was equally good and the aioli was addicting. We returned again last night to try something new. I ordered a tempura fish taco and a cabrito (lamb) taco both on a soft corn tortilla with cabbage, cilantro and a garlic sauce. Megan ordered a bowl with tequila lime chicken, rice, black beans and matchstick vegetables...the spicy food was perfect with the slushy (and strong!)margaritas. Next time I'm going for the braised short ribs.

Tomorrow is week two of culinary school. Last week was pretty nerve-racking-first day jitters all over again. Last week concentrated on knive skills. You know- chiffonade, brunoise, julienne, small dice....I never realized what a science something as elementary as dicing could be. It really does highlight the food and make it that much more beautiful. Our brand new Wüsthof's were put to good use as we went to town with carrots, parsley, onions, garlic, oranges and tomatoes. Tomorrow is equally stimulating- stocks!!!