Lettuce Wrapped Homemade Meatballs with Cucumber and Apple Salad

   I decided to cook something relatively quick, light and still tasty...I ended up making this in an hour; Lettuce wrapped homemade pork and beef meatballs on top a Sriracha and cayenne pepper mayo, with a side of cucumber, Fuji apple and lemon juice salad with a raspberry honey coulis.

Baguette Et Chocolat(sorry no pictures)

  This might be one of my last blogs for awhile, but I wanted to make sure to mention that my sister and I visited Baguette Et Chocolat (http://www.baguetteetchocolat.com/).  Though we didn't exactly eat here, we bought a couple loafs of bread and a chocolate croissant, I would recommend stopping by if you happen to be in the area.
   My sister and I bought a sourdough loaf and a loaf of brioche.  Both of these breads had excellent flavor and perfect texture.  My only regret is that I didn't buy more than one of each.  I also wish that this authentic French bakery wasn't so far away.  We live up in North Austin so driving to the Bee Caves area isn't exactly on our way to anything.  BUT, if I'm around the area, I will make sure to drop by and actually have a bite to each and enjoy the little restaurant/bistro/cafe/bakery whatever it is.
Until next time, Enjoy your food,
-Henry
   I've been informed that I forgot to describe the chocolate croissant. Oops, it was delicious. The actual croissant was very buttery and flakey without being oily and the chocolate wasn't overly sweet and complimented the savory aspect of the pastry very near perfectly.

Hemingway Restaurant and Bar

My sister and I love to find new places to eat.  With that being said, sometimes we're lazy and don't want to drive too far to try something new.  Since my sister and I live up in North Austin we didn't really want to drive back to the down town area or to south Austin to try out some local fair, so we searched for something up north and found ourselves at Hemingway Restaurant and Bar (http://www.hemingwayrb.com) in Cedar Park.
   Small Plates(Appetizers):  For an appetizer we had the Fried Portabella & Avocado Strips.  The breading was had a good crunch and was seasoned well and the portabella mushroom tasted very good.  It reminded me of the flavor of Plucker's Wing Bar's fried mushrooms (that's going to have to be a different blog).  The Avocado was breaded with the same breading, which was fine, but the avocado itself didn't have any real flavor, it needed some seasoning.  The avocado was creamy and buttery, but with the fried breading, it needed something that would contrast the flavor.  The orange marmalade sauce that came with the appetizer was awful.  To me it tasted like a Chinese plum sauce that had red peppers added to it, not a good pairing, at least not by my taste buds.  Overall the appetizers were decent.

  And that's pretty much the best part of this meal.  For the entrees my sister went with the  double chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and a salad.  As for me I selected the Gulf Coast Two Step.
   Let's start with my sister's dish.  "Country Fried Steak: Third pound of tender steak, topped with old-fashioned seasonings, lightly hand breaded and smothered with scratch cream gravy."  The breading was thicker than was on the appetizer, but essentially it had the same flavor.  However the breading fell off the steak as soon as a knife was applied to the steak.  The steak itself was chewy and wasn't seasoned or at least wasn't seasoned well.  The gravy wasn't spectacular and added nothing to the steak except a gelatinous mass.  Now the mashed potatoes; tasted like they were rehydrated from from a box.  The potatoes were dry and flaky instead of smooth and creamy and again wasn't very pleasing to the palate.

   Gulf Coast Two Step: "Three Gulf Coast shrimp and three farm raised catfish fingers served with a double order of french fries."  If you can believe it or not, my sister's entree was better than mine.  Everything on my plate tasted like it came freezer section of HEB.  I guess I was expecting too much when I read, "Fresh from Texas and the U.S. coast whenever possible."  I would've thought that a restaurant that has only recently opened would use fresh ingredients instead of ingredients that have been frozen.  To add insult to injury, I don't believe that the oil was hot enough when they dropped my food in the frier.  The reason I say this is because the shrimp, catfish and fries were greasy.  I know, I know, the food is fried, it should be greasy.  There is a difference between frying at the correct temperature and frying at a lower temperature, the food becomes more oil soaked than it should.

   Conclusion: I'll probably never come back to Hemingway Restaurant and Bar and I do not recommend this place to anyone who actually enjoys good tasting food. 

Jack Allen's Kitchen

   One of January 2013's 38 essential Austin restaurants, Jack Allen's Kitchen is well deserving of being on this distinguished list of eateries...It also doesn't hurt that they source most of all their ingredients within 150 miles of the restaurant.   I'm going to make this blog short so here's the meat and potatoes of our experience (my Sister and I).
   House made Pimiento Cheese spread with flatbread crackers:  I didn't much like the cheese, because well I don't really like pimiento, but Julia seemed to enjoy the flavor.

   Appetizer: Smoked Beef Rib Quesadilla With pepper jack cheese, onions, peppers, and JAK’s slaw:  The slaw wasn't as good as I was expecting, kinda bland.  But the beef ribs were very tender and the spicy honey bbq sauce that it was glazed with gave it an even better flavor than just the smokiness of the rib meet.  The pepper jack cheese, onions and green peppers/chillies gave the quesadilla's a nice little spicy kick as well as some contrasting texture. So a very good appetizer.

  Main Course: Seared Scallops and Crispy Pork Belly: "Richardson" house cured pork belly, Texas butternut squash puree, "Oak Hill Farm" crispy fennel chip, Local greens:  The scallops had a great sear on them and were cooked perfectly.  The Pork Belly was fork tender and jam packed with flavor.  Add the butternut squash puree to either the scallops or the pork belly and your tongue will thank you.  The puree itself seems to be seasoned with curry powder, which gives it some spice.

   Dessert: Well apparently I don't remember what this dessert was called, but it was outstanding.  It was a peanut butter, chocolate, graham cracker crust pie with a raspberry and caramel sauce, topped with peanuts.  This dessert...one minute it was there...the next it was gone.

Alrighty, So this place has great food, an excellent waitstaff and was reasonably priced for the quality of food that your receive.  I'll definitely visit this place again. I hope you enjoy this eatery location like Julia and I did.
Enjoy,
-Henry

Gourmands Neighborhood Pub

    So today after class a few of my classmates and I decided to grab a few beers after a long hard week of studying, quizzes and exams.  One of my classmates suggested a little pub that was down the street that he'd seen on the way to class, but had never been, so that's where we went, Gourmands Neighborhood Pub (http://www.lovethysandwich.com/).
    At first glance and because of its location, the pub itself looks kinda shady, but traverse inside and you'll be rewarded.  This is a bar that is what is it, a bar.  It has a few 4 seat bar tables, a few actual sit down tables and a juke box.  The box plays good music, but that's not why you're reading this blog...you want to know about the food and or beer.
   I honestly can't voice my opinion of the entrees because...well...I didn't have any of the main courses.  I did however have the Double Decker Nachos..."Double layered tortilla chips smothered with queso. Topped with poblano peppers, diced onions, chopped black olives. Dressed with sour cream & pico de gallo."  The nachos were delicious, but of course I have to put my little twist to it.  After the first order was devoured in a mere 5 minutes, I opted to buy another plate...except instead of using tortilla chips, I substituted their homemade potato chips.  The potato chips gave a better crunch than the tortilla and gave the appetizer one more dimension of flavor.
   Now I have to admit that I am not a big beer drinker, so I'm not the best person to ask about the selection here.  I can tell you that if you go during happy hour 4pm-7pm they have pretty good specials.
   Anyway, sorry I didn't remember to snap any pictures.  I promise to have some for my next blog.  But to sum up everything, this place is a great hole in the wall pub that I would recommend to anyone that lives/works close by to south east Austin.
-Henry
  

Salt and Pepper Fried Pork Chops

   I haven't feeling well these past couple of days and I haven't really wanted to eat anything until a few hours ago.  Most people when they don't feel well, revert to their childhood foods that their parents made for them to make them feel better.  Well for me, its not chicken soup, its deep fried salt and pepper pork chops...yeah weird I know.  But the saltiness of the chop and the little spice of the jalapenos and the juiciness of the pork hits home with me.  So after about 48 hours of not really eating this is what I decided to make :)

   I portioned the pork chops to 1 oz (28 gram) portions (give or take 2 grams), lightly floured them with a mixture of all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and fresh ground black pepper and then deep fried them until golden.  I then seasoned them in a mixing bowl with a little more salt and tossed to coat evenly.

   In a wok, I poured a little olive oil and let it heat it for just a couple of minutes over medium heat, sauteed some freshly minced garlic and added one thinly sliced jalapeno and let it saute for about a minute to bring out the heat into the oil.  I toss in the pork chop portions with the garlic and jalapenos and tossed to coat.

   They're great with rice; or roughly chopped added with some sauteed or grilled vegetables and rolled up in a tortilla (or rice paper); or thinly sliced wrapped in rice paper with some thin rice noodles, some fresh vegetables and some Sriaracha mayo dipping sauce...you get the idea very versatile.

Enjoy
-Henry

Pan Seared Scallops on a Broccoli Puree with Cilantro Lime Rice

Alright, so for a long time I use to not be a fan of seafood but the past few years I have slowly developed a taste for it.  I bought some frozen scallops about a week ago, so today when I was deciding on what to make I decided to give these a go (plus they defrost faster than chicken or beef).  The result was pretty healthy and pretty delicious :)

I made Pan Seared Scallops on a Broccoli Puree with Cilantro Lime Rice and it was all pretty simple.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of frozen scallops, defrosted and dried off with a paper towel 
• Olive oil or cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper for taste
• 2 cups of broccoli 
• 1/4 cup of skim milk
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth 
• 2 tbsp of Parmesan (optional...I left this out because I forgot but this would give the puree some more flavor)
• 2 cups of jasmine rice (or whatever rice you want to use) 
• 1/4 cup of cilantro - chopped 
• 1-2 limes - juiced

Directions:

Broccoli Puree:

1. Steam two cups of broccoli until tender
2. Add to food processor and pulse until smooth
3. Slowly add the milk and chicken broth until everything is combined
4. Taste, add salt, pepper, and parmasan until desired taste

Cilantro Lime Rice:

1. Cook rice as directed - I used a rice cooker because let's face it I'm Asian and I own one =)
2. When rice is done transfer to a big mixing bowl and add juice from 1 lime and the cilantro
3. Taste, if it is not lime-y enough for you then add more lime, I used juice from one and a half limes
4. Add salt, ground pepper, and red pepper flakes and combine

Pan Seared Scallops

1. Make sure the scallops are dry.  I kept mine on a paper towel 
2. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper on one side
3. In a pan (I used a 6") over medium high heat, add about 1 to 2 tsp of oil, only enough to coat the bottom of the pan, you do not want to add too much or you will end up boiling the scallops in oil 
4. When a drop of water sizzles in the pan, you are ready to add the scallops
5. Add scallops in a clockwise direction (starting with 12), since I had a 6" pan I only cooked 4 at a time
6. Allow the scallops to sit in the pan for about a minute or until golden brown then flip and and allow that side to cook about a minute as well
7. Transfer scallops to a paper towel to drain off the excess oil

3 scallops, 2 tsps of puree, and 1/2 cup of cooked rice equals about 5 WW pts. =)

Enjoy! I know I'll be having some for lunch tomorrow too

-Julia

Chez Zee

   I'll try to make this blog shorter than my last two.  Chez Zee, my sister and I came here for brunch today and the food was absolutely unbelievably delicious.   Though this place was more expensive than I originally expected, I'd gladly come back.  I don't mind paying a bit more for good food.  My sister and I both had a peach Bellini (I know, I know, not the most manly drink, but hey whatever) and we both ordered and individual triangle of Creme Brulee French Toast with Meyer's Rum Sauce.  And for our entrees, my sister ordered the Beef Tenderloin Benedict and I ordered the Surf and Turf Benedict.

 

   The Creme Brulee French Toast: a little dense, but it was extraordinary.  It's safe to say that I could've just eaten slices of that French Toast for the rest of the meal and I would've been completely content.  I would've never thought to make french toast by soaking it in creme brulee custard.  Genius

Because I had the Surf and Turf I was able to get to enjoy both the Beef Tenderloin Benedict and the "Southern" Crab Cake Benedict.  Let's start with the Tenderloin Benedict; the beef was cooked perfectly, the poached egg had a text book poached texture; the creamed spinach wasn't drenched in heavy cream like most creamed spinach dishes that I've had; and the Bearnaise sauce was way above par.  Now for the "Southern" Crab Cakes Benedict: Again, the egg was poached perfectly, runny in the middle and firm jacket of egg white; the actual crab cake was delicious.  I love me some crab cakes and this was probably one of the best I've ever had.  To put it in perspective, Julia (my sister) doesn't like very much seafood and crab cake isn't an exception, but she loved the crab cake.  The cake is indeed that good, seasoned perfectly, the lumps of crab stood out, but not so much to where it masked the other ingredients.
As for the home style potatoes that came as a side dish with the Benedicts, great crispy exterior with a soft interior that were seasoned so well that no dipping sauce (IE. ketchup) was needed to enjoy.

   This is a must try restaurant. 

Blue Baker Bakery, Pizzeria, Deli, Cafe

   As some of you know or may not know, I'm a second semester Paramedic student.  Why do I mention this?  Because I do not have many chances to just drive around with my sister to find a new place to grub down.  And as I have mentioned in a previous post I love pizza, so when we were driving past the Arboretum, the Blue Baker pizzeria obviously caught my eye, so I made my sister turn around and turn into the bakery/pizzeria/deli/cafe.

I of course order my favorite meal...pizza.  I ordered the 9" Three Meat Pizza, but not after much deliberation.  I wasn't expecting the plethora of options that I was awaiting me when I opened the menu.  Not only are do they have pizza, they have sandwiches, pastries, lots and lots of artisan breads and soups.  I even ended up buying a loaf of sourdough bread to go.  But before you say "a 9" pizza isn't going to fill you up," I also ordered a cup of broccoli cheese soup.

   The pizza was okay.  It wasn't the best I've ever had, but it wasn't the worst either.  I would have liked the sauce to have more of a kick, something a bit spicier.  The mini pepperonis didn't really have too much flavor, but they did add a great crunch.  The Italian sausage actually tasted pretty good, again not spicy but still good.  And my favorite ingredient for pizza...bacon was very crispy and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of bacon that ended up on my pizza. The crust was a little under-done and probably could've used about 5 more minutes in the over to crisp up.  So between the lack luster 3-meats, the just barely par pizza sauce and the wobbly crust (not even a New York style type of crust), I'd only have to rate the pizza a grade of "C"
   But I did say that I ordered a soup, the broccoli cheese soup.  The soup had a great flavor, but I would have liked to have some broccoli pieces so to have something to bite into.  The soup actually was the best part of my dinner; it was creamy, rich and had me actually wanting more.

   My sister ordered the Grilled Indigo sandwich...except instead of focaccia bread (because they were sold out of it) she had it on sourdough.  I didn't try her sandwich, but from what I saw, I'm sure she would've appreciated the sandwich more if the sourdough was toasted(I only know that because I know that my sister loves toasted bread for sandwiches).  However she seemed to like the sandwich nonetheless.  She too had the broccoli cheese soup as her side, but she did have bite sized pieces of broccoli in hers opposed to mine which had none.  Though she had pieces of broccoli in her soup, she couldn't enjoy it because the pieces were fibrous and inedible.

   Even though the pizza wasn't exactly mind blowing or anything, I wouldn't mind coming back to try some of the other menu items, including some amazing looking tarts that were resting on full sheet pans for their public debut (the next day).  I don't know how long this place is going to last, its has quite a few restaurants surrounding it; Macaroni Grill across the street, the Cheesecake Factory behind it, another Italian restaurant right next door, Amy's Ice cream right next to Five Guys Burgers, which is next to the Cheesecake factory.  I won't even start mentioning the places right down the street.  So I guess I'm saying that if you really want to try this place, do it soon, 'cause you don't know how long it'll be there.

 

Hyde Park Bar and Grill

   After work on Thursday, I was craving the salty and savoriness of a good plate of french fries.  I like to believe that french fries are one of the best comfort foods that you can get your hands on, that is, if you don't consume too many of sweets (like me). 
   So after doing a bit of research, my sister and I decided to go to Hyde Park Bar and Grill (http://www.hpbng.com) for dinner.  I'd heard good things about this Austin Originally eatery, but the most exciting thing to me was "the best french fries in Austin."  
    I ordered the blackened Fish Tacos with a side of fries...mainly because my sister probably wouldn't let me just order 3 orders of french fries for dinner.

   The tacos tasted great; the ploblano coleslaw was surprisingly cooling instead of spicy, which complemented the slight kick of the jalapenos marinated tomatoes, red onions and tomatillo salsa.
The fries: seasoned, battered and lightly fried with a Hyde Park Sauce.  The flavor of the fresh cut fries was quite tasty, but I would have liked them to be crispier.  Though the fries were seasoned well, the real star was the dipping sauce that came with them.  It was a mayo based dipping sauce that had, pepper, salt, I think some cayenne pepper, with maybe some jalapeno blended in with the mayo.  I couldn't deconstruct it completely, but just know it was good.

   My sister got the Turkey burger and I have to confess, it did taste pretty good.  I didn't recognize that it wasn't beef at first.  The turkey was moist and very well seasoned and had a great flavor.  But since I only had a bite, you'll have to ask her more about it.
   I usually don't like talking about the decor or atmosphere or a restaurant, but it makes me think of an slightly upscale version of Kerbey Lane Cafe (the original Kerbey Lane, the one actually on Kerbey Lane)

Crepes

Hey there,

So dinner tonight was an experiment for me.  I've never made crepes but I always see them on the Food Network and I decided tonight...sure why not? Let's give it a go.  I was pretty impressed with the end result.

Recipe adapted from the Weight Watchers cookbook I have...soo if you do make these at least they're healthy =) 

Ingredients:

Crepes:

• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 cup of milk 
• Dash of Nutmeg
• Dash of Salt
• 2 Eggs

Filling:

• Whipped cream cheese (about half cup)
• 1 tbsp of milk
• Peanut butter (if you're feeling adventurous)
• Arugula or Herb mix (about 1 cup)
• Black Forest Ham, deli cut
• Garlic Salt for Taste

Directions:

1. Whisk all the crepe ingredients together in a bowl until batter is smooth (little to no lumps)
2. Pour mixture into a measuring cup for easy pouring and let sit for about 10ish minutes
3. Over medium heat, spray a 6" nonstick skillet/omelet pan with Pam and allow pan to heat until a drop of water sizzles (you can use whatever size pan I just used the smallest one we had)
4. Pour about a 1/4th of a cup into the pan and move pan around until batter coats the bottom.  Allow this to cook about a minute or until the crepe is easy to move around then flip.
5. Cook the other side about 30 seconds

For the cream cheese filling:

1. Mix the cream cheese, garlic salt and milk together until smooth

So since I had a smaller pan I made about 10-11 crepes. For each crepe I spooned a little bit of the cream cheese mixture, then a slice of black forest ham and some herb mix (from HEB, has arugula, spinach and some other greens) and folded it into thirds into a delicious crepe.

Henry had the brilliant idea to add peanut butter then the cream cheese and all the other ingredients...it was pretty awesome but if you are not a fan of peanut butter or you aren't a fan of peanut butter and cheese then don't try this.

Over all a nice dinner. Yum

-Julia

Healthy Pizza Appetizer

So anyone who knows me (Henry), knows that my all time favorite food is pizza.  I could eat pizza breakfast, lunch, dinner and for the two snacks throughout the day.  But of course I did that, I would weigh even more than I do now (insert your own imaginary really heavy weight here because I'm not tell you how much I weight), so I decided to make a pizza appetizer that was a bit healthier.

Ingredients
  12 inch flour tortilla
   1 frozen triangle of mozzarella sun-dried roasted tomato basil laughing cow cheese
   6 basil leaves
   6 cherry tomatoes halved

Sauce:
   1 small tomato, diced
   2 teaspoons of freshly diced garlic
   1/2 Tbsp butter
   1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
   1/2 tea dried basil
   1/2 tea dried oregeno
   1/2 tea dried rosemary
   1/2 tea dried thyme
   1/2 tea cayenne pepper
   1/2 tea paprika
   1/2 tea fresh ground black pepper
   1 pinch of kosher salt
   1 tea local honey

Procedure
- Preheat oven 405 degrees F
- In a small sauce pan, over medium heat add melt butter and add olive oil
- add garlic and saute until just slightly brown
- add diced tomato, mix and bring to slight broil
- add all rest of the dry ingredients, mix
- turn down heat to low to med-low and reduce to sauce to by 2/3
- add honey and stir to incorporate
- On the tortilla, ladle just enough sauce to cover
- quickly shred frozen laughing cow cheese to just cover the sauce
- add basil leaves and top each leaf with two halves of tomatoes
- bake in over for 5 minutes.
- Enjoy.

Omelet and Clam Chowder

My Sundays are always my lazy days.  I didn't really go anywhere I sat at home and just watched the playoff games.  Though I knew Atlanta was probably win, I wanted the Seahawks to pull it off...they were so close but at least it was a great game.  It looks like this weekend all of my picks for the playoffs were at 50%.  I totally thought Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning would push their teams through but alas they didn't.  I do feel good that Justin Tucker kicked the game winning field goal in double OT.  Hook 'Em!   I didn't think the Texans would win against the Patriots but I definitely didn't think they would let Brady win by that much...oh well what can you do?

Anyway, since Friday night, Saturday lunch and dinner are my "cheat" times...I had to eat a little healthy today.  Nothing too crazy here's what I made. 

Brunch was just a regular Mushroom Gouda Omelet

Ingredients:

• 1 Extra large egg
• Dash of milk
• 2-4 oz of white mushrooms (about 4 mushrooms)
• 1 Green Onion
• Salt and pepper for taste
• Mini babybel Gouda cheese, grated

Directions: 

1. Spray a 6 inch omelet pan with Pam and saute the mushrooms and green onions.  
2. Meanwhile, in a small prep bowl mix the egg, dash of milk, salt and pepper and whisk lightly with a fork. 
3. When mushrooms look tender pour the egg mixture over the omelet and let set until most of the egg white/yolk has stopped running. 
4. Grate part of the gouda into the middle of the omelet and flip over
5. Cook on both sides
6. Move omelet to a plate and grate a little bit more Gouda on top

And there you have it, brunch is served!  I didn't grate all of the Gouda but you guys can if you want.

For dinner I decided to try out Weight Watcher's Manhattan Clam Chowder 

• 2 Bottles of Clam Juice (8 oz)
• 1 can of chopped clams (6.5oz)
• 1 Can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 1 Celery Stalk, diced
• 1 Carrot, diced
• 1 Zucchini, diced 
• 1/2lb of potatoes diced
• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper for Taste
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Oregano 
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil 

1.  Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat
2. Add the onions and garlic until onions are translucent
3. Add the rest of the veggies and cook until tender
4. Next add the clam juice, tomatoes, and water, along with all seasonings and bring to a boil.
5. After bowling for 5 minutes, lower temperature and simmer until potatoes are done.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed
6. Finally add the clams and allow the soup to heat but not boil.
7. Remove from heat and serve hot

This serves about four, each serving is about a cup and a half.  Enjoy!

-Julia

Man Bites Dog...

   Hi my name is Henry and I recently had the opportunity to visit a little place cleverly named "Man Bites Dog."  This eatery is basically a  fancy hotdog joint that offers a unique twist on your regular everyday dog on a bun.
    Its my first time to eat here, not bad.  I had the "hair of the dog" which was really juicy and tasty.  However the pulled pork Mac n' Cheese lacked anything to be desired.  Though the Macaroni was actually cooked well, it sat in an oily, bland "soup" of coagulated cheese.  And the minute amount of pulled pork that was added did nothing to improve the flavor profile.  But the fires were good, crisp and not too oily and I also liked the selection of Maine fountain drinks (Root beer, Doppelganger, Mexicane Cola and Diet Mexicane Cola and a few others that I don't remember).
    So overall I'd visit again, but I'll make sure to get the tater tots next time, that is if I'm in the neighborhood.  Till next time Happy Eating.

-Henry

New Blog

Hi there!

Julia here...we (as in me and the brother) have decided to start a food blog.  We figured we cook, bake, and eat out a lot...why not share?  This will be filled with random musings, recipes, and food reviews of restaurants mainly in the Austin, Texas area. 

Enjoy!
Julia