April 6, 2011

These week’s topics include my belief that vodka does not belong in a martini, my last meal request (one should always plan ahead), my favorite new kitchen toy, a review of Austin, Texas and some of its food offerings, a proud moment for the Wannabe Foodie, a foodie Mecca, and burger sacrilege. 

Old School Martinis.  I love a good gin martini and my favorite gin is Bombay Sapphire.  Just a hint of vermouth (waive the bottle near the gin) and served ice cold with either a lemon twist or olives.  I prefer olives stuffed with blue cheese.  I can hear some of you now: “I like vodka martinis.”  Fine, but don’t call them martinis.  If it doesn’t have gin, it’s a cocktail.  Check out what reddwarf.com has to say on this subject:  Red Dwarf.  It’s worth reading the entire martini section, but I like this quote:  “What is a Martini? ….. A highly vocal minority of Martini drinkers, the Prescriptivists, insists that the short answer [gin and vermouth] is in fact the only answer. Any deviation from this definition may produce an enjoyable cocktail, but it will not be a Martini.”  Preach it, brother.

If I Had to Choose a Last Meal, It Would Be…  Alaskan King Crab Legs.  Yes, legs and not claws.  I love claws, but legs have a sweetness that claws do not.  I like to make them on the grill.  I cut them open with some kitchen shears along the length of the leg and force some roasted garlic butter into the opening.  Place on a medium grill cut side up and cook until you’ve reached steamy goodness.  They’re already cooked, so you’re really just heating them up.  The grill adds some flavor and the garlic butter infuses the meat as it cooks.  I also like them steamed with clarified butter for dipping.  Since this is a ‘last meal’, the only side dishes I want are more crab and more butter.  And a bottle or two of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  More on that wine in a future blog.

My Favorite New Kitchen Toy?  The Red recently brought home a 9 Qt. Le Creuset French Oven which she got a ridiculous deal on.  Whatever you think she spent on it, cut it in half and she spent a lot less than that!  Isn’t she beautiful?  Yes, the Red is beautiful, but I’m talking about this:

This is our first LC piece and it is truly impressive.  Weighs at least 10 pounds empty.  When you turn the heat off, it retains so much heat that the liquid keeps boiling for a couple of minutes.  What we’ve made with it:  chicken and dumplings; pork adovado, roasted garlic soup, 3 cheese macaroni and cheese with truffle oil, chicken adobe, and spaghetti sauce.  Great for searing on the cook top and then slow braising in the oven.

City and Restaurant Reviews – Austin, Texas

I recently visited Austin to attend a conference and I brought the family (the Red, Thing 1, and Thing 2) with me since the Red’s sister (K) lives there.  Austin is a fabulous city with great music, bars, and food.  K points out that I wouldn’t like it as much in August when it’s hot, muggy and miserable.  True, but I don’t plan to ever visit in August, so the Austin I always think of will be a spring-time Austin.  Some mini reviews for your consumption (and, yes, that was an intentional pun):

Ironworks BBQ.  I know what some Austin residents will say.  “You didn’t go the Salt Lick?!”  Well, I’ve been there.  It’s a long drive from downtown and, frankly, the food was underwhelming.  I think they make great food for food show hosts and adequate food for the rest of us.  K suggested Ironworks near downtown, so that’s where we went.  When we first walked in, I immediately thought that there would be some great BBQ there.  Nothing fancy about the decor and the aroma of hardwood smoke has initiated my pavlovian response (see my inaugural blog).  I step up to the window and order a burnt ends brisket sandwich, which is not on the menu, but which they gladly make for me.  What are burnt ends?  The edges of a brisket which has been smoked a long time.  The burnt ends have the smoke and rub flavors concentrated in them.  The sandwich was awesome. 

However, Thing 2 ordered what turned out to be the best thing on the menu – smoked beef ribs.  He ordered an adult-sized meal and the guy behind the counter said it might be a bit much for him.  I scoffed at the suggestion and said something to the effect of “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that.  This boy will dent that plate all by himself.”  Photographic evidence of my little Fred Flintstone in the making:

Note the slices of white bread on the plate and cheap table cloths.  Both are usually strong indicators of great BBQ.  If a BBQ joint has cloth napkins or fancy tables, just walk out.

BBQ beef ribs aren’t served much out west.  We eat far more pork ribs.  However, these were spectacular.  Great smoke ring, nice light rub, and a number of great sauces to choose from.  Beef ribs haven’t part of BBQ repertoire, but they will be soon!

Osmo’s Kitchen.  The best dish I had in Austin came out of a trailer.  For those of you who’ve never been to Austin, there are food trailers parked all over the City, usually in clusters.  These aren’t your average roach coaches.  They serve some true gourmet food.  Example – Osmo’s Kitchen (http://osmoskitchen.com/).  I ordered an oyster PoBoy.  They take fresh oysters, dredge them in some flour and seasonings (until I find out what it is, I’m calling it crack), and fry them.  They put them in a fresh French roll with some of their homemade spicy slaw.  Unspeakably good.  The oysters are cooked perfectly and have this wonderful briny flavor which is offset very well by the spicy slaw.  Even Things 1 & 2 liked the sandwich.  They said the oysters tasted like the sea.  When was the last time 9 and 11 year old boys tasted and like fresh oysters?  A proud moment for the Wannabe Foodie.  The Red had a shrimp PoBoy, which was also fabulous (large, succulent prawns with the same crack dredge and served with the spicy slaw). 

Side note – I spent a fair amount of my childhood in the South and have been to New Orleans a number of times.  I know my hillbilly and Cajun food, including PoBoys.  Osmo’s PoBoys were spectacular.  Go to Austin, find the trailer, and thank me later.         

Whole Foods.  Prior to this trip, I didn’t know that Whole Foods started in Austin.  They have their 80,000 square foot flagship store there and it is no less than a foodie Mecca.  I was speechless when I entered the store.  For those of you who don’t know me, speechless is not often used to describe me.  They have food and spice items which I’d never seen in a store before and which I wish I could find at home.  Truly amazing.  They also have a walk-in beer cooler which had hundreds of microbrews and, yes, light beers for the godless heathens among us:

The Whole Foods in Reno just seems so puny by comparison.    

Burger Sacrilege?  P-Terry’s Burger Stand.  I know.  Comparing burgers to In-N-Out is borderline sacrilege, but it’s true.  These are as good as In-N-Out.  There.  I said it.  The Red, who's from Southern California, believes that P-Terry's burgers are better than In-N-Out burgers.  That's a bold statement. 

WF