No. 55 Nov/Dec | Heirloom 2017
Cel eb ra ti n g Cen tra l Texa s fo o d cu lt u re, sea so n by sea so n
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CONTENTS heirloom issue 8 notable MENTIONS 10 notable EDIBLES Siply, True Blue Tonic, Green Hen Farm.
14 COOKS at home
24
Kevin Russell.
22 PEOPLE
De J. Lozada.
26 edible TRIBUTE
30 cooking FRESH
42
An amiga’s amor for Miguel Ravago.
HEIRLOOM features
A gift of the house.
19 Black’s Barbecue 35 edible VINEYARDS
Newsom legacy comes to the Hill Country.
Four generations of barbecue pitmasters.
24 Pure Luck Farm & Dairy Raising kids in Dripping Springs.
48 The Directory
38 Chile con Queso How a Tex-Mex classic was born.
50 WHAT I EAT AND WHY
19
42 Heirloom Ice Cream
God save the pudding.
COVER: Black's Barbecue (page 19). Photography by Melanie Grizzel.
Handing down family recipes.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH
L
PUBLISHERS Marla Camp Jenna Northcutt
EDITOR Kim Lane
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR eaving someone or something you love is very hard to
Dawn Weston
do. And so it is with mixed emotions that I write my final
publisher's note to the readers of Edible Austin. With sadness, because I will miss all of you and the community I have come to know and love so well. With happiness, because I am confident that the future of this magazine and its mission is in good hands with Jenna Northcutt at the helm. Edible Austin has been able to accomplish much in the past 10 years. Through storytelling and reporting, we have brought awareness to our local food providers—artisans, farmers and food-service heroes—
COPY EDITOR Anne Marie Hampshire
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Claire Cella, Dena Garcia, Cari Marshall, Michelle Moore
MARKETING SPECIALISTS Christine Andrews Rachel Davis
who are committed to local, sustainable food production. Through event production and social gatherings, we have brought our community together to help
DISTRIBUTION
raise awareness, support and money (approximately $400,000) for local food
Craig Fisher, Flying Fish
nonprofits such as the Sustainable Food Center, Urban Roots, Central Texas Food Bank and others. And we've been privileged to have a front row seat during a time of extraordinary growth in Austin's culinary scene. None of this would have been possible without the support and contributions from you—our loyal readers, advertisers and sponsors—and our dedicated and talented team of staff and contributors. It has been a joy to work with all of you.
DIGITAL CONTENT COORDINATOR Darby Kendall
ADVISORY GROUP Terry Thompson-Anderson, Paula Angerstein, Dorsey Barger, Jim Hightower, Toni Tipton-Martin, Mary Sanger, Carol Ann Sayle
As any farmer trusting in crop, livestock and soil diversity will tell you, changing things up is a natural and healthy aspect of life on a farm. The same is
CONTACT US
true, I've found, with my life. Since entering my sixth decade, I have been feeling
Edible Austin 1411A Newning Ave., Austin, TX 78704 512-441-3971 info@edibleaustin.com edibleaustin.com
that changes are both necessary and enticing for me to instigate. I am looking forward to being an "empty nester"—free to find new challenges and creative outlets to help me move toward life goals and desires yet to be met. In reflection, my time spent publishing Edible Austin has changed me in so many valuable ways, from shopping and eating habits to providing the satisfaction of fulfilling responsibilities to those I have cared for. And I am sure that this magazine will continue to be a change-maker for all of us. So what is ending for me is really all about new beginnings. While not as extreme as the dolphins leaving Earth for an alternate dimension as in Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series, I leave you not with a sad goodbye but a heartfelt 'so long and thanks for all the fish.' It's been a grand adventure for which I am deeply grateful.
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Edible Austin is published bimonthly by Edible Austin L.L.C. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. ©2017. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us.
notable MENTIONS CELEBRATING QUESO WITH THE HOMESICK TEXAN ON NOVEMBER 2 Join us at BookPeople on Thursday, November 2, to celebrate the release of Lisa Fain’s newest book, “Queso!” Fain is the beloved voice behind the food blog Homesick
Our 3rd & Lavaca store is bigger, better, and has even more of the great gourmet goods and necessities you want.
Texan, and we welcome her to BookPeople to talk about the regional spicy, cheesy, comforting staple we all can’t get enough of: queso. And of course, we’ll eat some, too, as we enjoy tastings of Kerbey Lane Cafe’s world-famous queso along with seasonal brews from Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Visit bookpeople.com for more information and to purchase a book in advance of the event.
GRAB & GO • STAPLES • WINE & BEER GOURMET DELI • CATERING • LUNCH SPECIALS 3RD & LAVACA • 4TH & NUECES • 6TH & CONGRESS • 3RD & BRAZOS • RAINEY STREET 6TH & COMAL • HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE DALLAS WWW.ROYALBLUEGROCERY.COM
NIGHT LIGHTS: A SEASONAL DELIGHT FOR THE SENSES Save the date for Friday, December 8, for Night Lights—the annual preview party that kicks off Austin’s favorite festive holiday event, the Trail of Lights. This year will again feature live music, makers and—like any event we help curate—delicious bites and beverages. Among the Maker’s Market vendors will be handmade chocolates from The Turtle Enoteca, scrumptious mini macarons from Les Petits Plaisirs, copper goods hammered by Sertodo Copper and locally made jewelry from Vinca USA. Proceeds benefit the Trail of Lights Foundation and STARS at the Trail, a program that brings children, teens, families, seniors, veterans and others with unique circumstances to the Trail of Lights for a VIP experience. Visit austintrailoflights.org for more information.
GEORGETOWN TO HOST 2018 TOFGA CONFERENCE
fresh
rustic
i n t i m at e
Be sure to save the dates for the 2018 Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association (TOFGA) Conference, which moves to
DINNER TUESDAY-SUNDAY 5-10
Georgetown next year. Held at the Sheraton Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center
LUNCH TUESDAY-SATURDAY 11-2
February 3, the three-day conference educates producers and
BRUNCH SUNDAY 10:30-2:30
which hosts the conference, is the state’s leading voice in edu-
from Thursday, February 1 through Saturday, consumers on the many benefits of organic agriculture. TOFGA, cation and advocacy for local food, sustainable production and family farms in Texas. Visit tofga.org for more details as they
512.847.5700 JOBELLCAFE.COM 16920 RANCH ROAD 12 WIMBERLEY, TX 8
HEIRLOOM 2017
EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
become available.
TAKE A “WRITER’S TRIP” WITH MICHAEL POLLAN On Friday, February 2, the Long Center will welcome Michael Pollan to the stage to tell the story of his work, from the first garden he planted to the books he’s written about food, gardens, farms and engagement with the natural world. The talk, “One Writer’s Trip—From the Garden to the Plate and Beyond,” will include selected readings from Pollan’s previous books—which include “In Defense of Food” and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”—as well as a glimpse into a work in progress. Tickets start at $32. Visit thelongcenter.org for more information and to purchase yours.
TEXAS TECH TO TEACH THE TECHNIQUES OF LOCAL FOOD & WINE Texas Tech University has announced plans to offer an undergraduate degree specialization in Local Food & Wine Production Systems in the fall of 2018. The specialization will teach students about urban agriculture methods and subjects relevant to local, sustainable and organic food production in addition to the science and business of wine production. Students will also have opportunities to gain hands-on experience at Tech’s regional teaching site in Fredericksburg at the Hill Country University Center. Classes in viticulture and sustainable fruit and nut production will begin in the spring of 2018. For more information about the program, contact Ed Hellman, professor of viticulture, at ed.hellman@ttu.edu.
LUMINATIONS IS BACK! Experience the warm glow of thousands of luminaries lighting up the grounds of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Luminations, an Austin holiday tradition, will be Wednesday, December 7 through Sunday, December 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. Enjoy the natural beauty of the grounds as they are cast into a veritable wonderland. There will also be free hot chocolate and taffy with admission. Food by Royal Fig Catering and drinks will be available for purchase. Visit wildflower.org, or call 512-232-0100, for more details and ticket information. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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notable EDIBLES GHEE FOR TWO
A
s a recruiter for the software industry, Raechel Kelley thrives
the picture for dairy-intolerant people like herself. The end result
in an orderly corporate world of projected growth charts and
is a soup-thick tea that’s healthier and more filling than the kind
market-testing reports. But as the owner of the tea company Siply, she’s flying by the seat of her pants. “I’ve taken the approach of running with it and figuring it out as I go,” she says.
that comes out of a tea kettle. Since changing the company name to Siply in May, Kelley has shifted the business from ready-made tea to selling packages that
In a move that would make most marketing directors cringe,
customers can prepare at home. Her organic, fair-trade flavors
Kelley showed up at the SFC Farmers’ Market in Sunset Valley
include African honey, cream Earl Grey, Scottish caramel pu’er,
last February with little more than a batch of butter tea and
Nepali green and jasmine matcha. They’re all blended to mix with
not much else—no business plan, no projected earnings, no fo-
the jars of tea butter she makes with ghee, coconut oil, honey and
cus-group-tested name (she originally called it Sip Tea House).
pink salt—so no need for a yak.
Yet, the end results would have pleased any CEO: She soon devel-
Though Kelley hasn’t quit her day job, she’s grown Siply with
oped a loyal following of newly converted butter-tea enthusiasts.
a recent move to the SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown and a new
Butter tea was around long before paleo buffs started chugging
online store. Meanwhile, she’s expanded her own horizons with
butter coffee. The Tibetans created the best-known version of but-
tea sommelier training through the International Tea Masters As-
ter tea by stirring yak butter into their cups, which helped the fla-
sociation and a trip to northern India to pick up a few extra point-
vor without blocking out all the antioxidants that milk strips away.
ers from Tibetan butter-tea experts in exile. “Siply really feeds
A lifelong lover of tea (“It’s my comfort food,” she says), Kelley
my creative side,” she says. “I love my career in recruiting, but tea
took that recipe a step further by using milk from grassfed cows to
is definitely my passion.” —Steve Wilson
make ghee—the clarified butter rich in the fatty acids omega-3 and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that takes lactose and casein out of
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For more information, visit sipsiply.com or call 512-766-6031.
Fig & Cardamom BY Max Hinojosa
martini
★ 3 oz. fig and cardamom infused
Tito’s Handmade Vodka ★ .5 oz. dry vermouth
Combine 2.5 oz. infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka with .25 oz. dry vermouth in a cocktail shaker. Shake hard, double strain (using a Hawthorne strainer and a 3” fine mesh bar strainer together), and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with half of a fresh fig or one of the “drunken” figs. fig and cardamom infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka: In a glass container with a tight lid, add a half cup of dried black Mission figs, 1 liter of Tito’s Handmade Vodka and 4 cardamom pods. Store in a cool, dry area for at least 3 days (longer is better). Strain off the figs and return the infused vodka to the Tito’s bottle. Enjoy the leftover drunken figs!
Check out more recipes at TitosVodka.com
WHERE WILL YOU TAKE IT?
STEP RIGHT UP!
D
even Penn sells a cure-all tonic in old-style apothecary bottles to large outdoor crowds. In other words, he's an
old-timey tonic hawker and proud of it. “I just need a top hat and a soapbox to stand on,” he jokes. But instead of being run out of town like the con-men quacks of yore, Penn has built a growing and faithful clientele who keep coming back for his immune-boosting True Blue Tonic. “When you feel yourself coming down with something, take three shots a day and your body realizes this is the real deal,” the karate instructor says in a decidedly non-salesy voice. He notes that in his experience if you’re already getting sick, the tonic can make your infection less severe and also help prevent it from rolling into additional infections. Working with young children back when Penn taught school wrecked his immune system to the point that he developed a bacterial strep infection in his heart and wound up in the hospital for a week. He attributes his recovery, in part, to a recipe a friend found, which by some accounts dates as far back as the Middle Ages. After some tweaking, he shared the blend with friends, and the response was so positive that he started selling it in 2-ounce, 8-ounce and 16-ounce bottles at the Texas Farmers Markets at both Mueller and Lakeline. Eventually, stores such as Thom’s Market and Peoples Rx picked it up, too.
Instagram: #abgbcrowler | theabgb.com
In his industrial kitchen space, Penn ferments a blend of garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, habanero, turmeric, oregano and kombucha for two weeks, producing an elixir that’s part spicy, part bitter, part sour and all memorable. “Most people learn to love the flavor,” says Penn. The tonic has the consistency of vinegar and works the same taken straight or mixed with something to help it go down. In the past, versions of this concoction were called Fire Cider, Master Tonic and Super Tonic. Penn himself couldn’t land the trademark for “True Tonic,” which he’d used in the first two years of business, so he inserted the “Blue.” A newcomer to running his own business, he’s had to wing it like that, but he believes in his product so much that it’s worth it to him. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for this stuff,” he says. —Steve Wilson For more information, visit dchikitchens.com or call 512-431-8223.
Wine Tasting ~ Bistro Wine Club ~ Private Events Holiday Shipping Hours: Monday - Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday, Noon – 6 p.m. Last wine tasting, 30 min before closing.
www.beckervineyards.com 830-644-2681 Directions: 11 miles east of Fredericksburg, 3 miles west of Stonewall, off US Hwy 290 at Jenschke Lane.
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CODDLED EGGS
W
hich came first, the chicken or the industrialized egg supply chain that hauls around weeks-old, non-organic product?
To get better eggs, you’ve either got to get to the farmers market before they sell out or raise your own poultry. But now there’s one more option: fresh eggs brought straight to your door by Green Hen Farm. Owners Liz and Alvaro Mejia deliver their eggs (two dozen minimum) straight to customers who can’t make it to their stand at the Texas Farmers Market at Mueller. “You can have eggs in your house one or two days max after they’ve been laid,” says Alvaro. “You can see by the yolk that it’s a huge difference.” Home delivery isn’t the farm’s only innovation. When Liz and Alvaro drew on their childhood experiences on farms to launch Green Hen this past January, they took pains to go easy on their feathered partners. They bought hundreds of Rhode Island Reds almost as soon as they’d hatched to ensure they’d be raised humanely from the start. The couple fusses over how to get their free-ranging hens more shade and water on their 100 acres in Goldthwaite, Texas, and they make their own feed from scratch—blending organic, non-GMO corn, soy and alfalfa from nearby farms. They also use vitamins, minerals and herbs instead of antibiotics to keep the chickens healthy, protect them with a complement of guard dogs and give their eggs the star treatment by stamping the company logo on each one. “We want to give the hens a good life,” says Alvaro. Almost immediately after the hens started producing full time in the summer, delis and bakeries, such as Baguette et Chocolat
When you join the Y, you’re committing to more than simply becoming healthier. You are supporting cultivation of community and creating opportunities for all to grow and thrive.
an eye toward growing their own feed ingredients in the future.
The YMCA of Austin has brought gardens and nature into our branches to educate and involve the community in contributing to environmental sustainability and to promote healthy and active lifestyles by reconnecting individuals to the food they eat and grow.
Meanwhile, they aim to keep the operation sustainable by turning
For more than a workout. For a better us.
in Bee Cave, came knocking. The couple plans to offer their supply to more restaurants as they expand their ranging area with
chicken waste into compost and using recyclable egg containers. “We spend a lot of time on all the little details to make sure it’s a full circle,” says Liz. —Steve Wilson
LEARN MORE & JOIN TODAY AT AUSTINYMCA.ORG
Find out more at greenhenfarm.com or call 512-956-4671. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
HEIRLOOM 2017
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COOKS at home
KEVIN RUSSELL BY DA N H A R D I C K • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY M E L A N I E G R I Z Z E L
K
evin Russell might just be one of the best frontmen in
Eventually, Russell found a crawfish pie recipe and tried it. His
America today. We’re a little light on frontmen these days,
first attempt was just good enough that he continued to search
too (2016 took Prince and David Bowie; 2017 took Chuck
for other crawfish pie recipes until he landed on the one he uses
Berry and Tom Petty). I hear David Lee Roth gave up his para-
today, which is a combination of actual recipes and Russell’s own
medic job a few years back to beef with Eddie on the road, but
cooking experience.
I missed it. I do, however, cross paths with the inestimable Rus-
Pie mystery solved, Russell made the dish many years in a row
sell—known musically as Shinyribs—on occasion, and he always
for the annual New Year’s Eve party he used to throw for friends.
brings down the house. You get the feeling that bras are being
Eventually, however, the party became too large. “Complete
unhooked as minds are being unhinged. Musically and artistically,
strangers would come up to me and ask me to take a picture with
that’s a really nice place to be.
them,” he says, “and I would think: ‘Wait…no, that’s not what this
In person, Russell appears joyful and sated. Even his stage
is about.’” Then, about four years ago, one of Russell’s friends got
name derives from a plate of barbecue he once gave a homeless
married on New Year’s Day and Shinyribs played the wedding. It
woman. Russell says that food was important in his family, and
provided an easy excuse to put an end to the big New Year’s party
as a growing boy, he was always enthusiastically encouraged by
at the Russell house.
relatives to eat. “Oh, you eat so good!” they’d say. “Hey! I’m good at this!” Russell thought. “I’m a good eater!”
Nowadays, New Year’s is more of a low-key affair, but crawfish pie is still a fixture. Russell is completely at home in the kitchen
All that good eatin’ started in East Texas, where Russell spent
where he’s spent the last couple of decades as family chef for his
part of his childhood—first in Beaumont, then in Shreveport,
wife, Robin, and their kids Guthrie (19), Lilly (17) and Harlan (12).
where he finished out his school career and entered into the rich-
“I care more about food than my wife does,” he says. “And she
ly rewarding world of entertainment. Growing up near Cajun
works, and I have time to cook…and I like to cook.”
country, Russell always felt he had a good handle on Cajun cui-
Today, Russell is standing behind the long counter that sepa-
sine, but one dish managed to evade his palate and plate through-
rates his spacious kitchen from the living room—a pleasantly open
out his childhood and early adult years. The dish in question is
floor plan that is as accommodating as the host, who is, at this mo-
mentioned in the classic Hank Williams song “Jambalaya.”
ment, cooking in a green suit emblazoned with marijuana leaves that he bought at a store in New Orleans called Soul Train. It’s
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filé gumbo…
stage-wear, of course; Russell’s just returned from playing a gig in Cedar Park—a grand opening for a new Whole Foods Market,
Russell was well familiar with the rib-sticking Cajun staple
which is a fitting entrée to an afternoon spent whipping up some
jambalaya, and had even tried filé gumbo a few times, but found
delicious crawfish pie. “I love eating these as is,” Russell says, as he
filé (a seasoning or thickening agent made from sassafras) not to
plucks some precooked Louisiana crawfish meat from the simmer-
his liking. Crawfish pie, however, was still a mystery. He’d caught
ing mirepoix. “They’re fully cooked and yummy…like Cajun meat
plenty of crawfish growing up, and he’d eaten plenty more, but
candy.”
he’d never experienced a crawfish pie.
As the pie finishes baking, Russell gets a bit reflective. “I’m not
“I asked people…I asked my parents, grandparents…people…
saying I had anything to do with it,” he says, “but in the last few
nobody had ever had it! Nobody knew what it was!” Russell says.
years, crawfish pie has been showing up everywhere. Or maybe
“I began to wonder if it was real or if Hank Williams had made it
I’m just more aware of it.” Then he pauses for a moment to con-
up, you know? So when I got old enough and started cooking, I set
sider and says, “You know…I do get around. Maybe I had some-
about finding recipes in old cookbooks and various places.”
thing to do with it.”
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KEVIN RUSSELL’S “SON OF A GUN WE’LL HAVE BIG FUN” NEW YEAR’S CRAWFISH PIE
Thanks for reading! As a thank you this holiday we’re giving away this amazing package that includes a YETI cooler and a 44 Farms Prime Rib.
Enter the Giveaway Now! edibleaustin.com/giveaway Winners will be choosen on December 15
16
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Makes 1 double-crust pie
½ stick butter 1 onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced ½ c. chopped celery Salt and pepper, to taste Cayenne, to taste 2 T. paprika 1 lb. cooked crawfish tail meat 1–2 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning 2 T. flour 1 c. water ½ c. chopped tomatoes (optional) 2 piecrusts (homemade or store-bought) 1 beaten egg Method courtesy of Kevin Russell: “Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in your pan. Add your onions, peppers and celery. Cook those ’til they’re looking nice and smelling good. Hit ’em with a little salt and pepper and the cayenne and paprika. Put your crawfish tails in a bowl and hit ’em with some Chachere’s. Mix it up good. Season to your taste. Throw those tails in your pan and cook ’em a few minutes. Now, if you have a lot of liquid in there, just add the flour to it and stir it up. If it’s dry, then make a slurry with that water. Stir the flour into the water and then pour it in the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer/stir it up until it thickens. Add the tomatoes and stir. Spoon the mixture into your piecrust. Put the top crust on. You might need to trim it so it looks the way you want. Then brush the whole crust with the egg. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes until it’s golden and bubbly. Let it cool for 15 minutes. Enjoy. Send me a picture to facebook.com/shinyribs.”
REAL FARMERS WHO MAKE
REAL WINE
Vineyard manager Jake Terrell and his dog, Willie.
From our farm to your table. Authentic Sonoma wines, handcrafted from 100% Sonoma County grapes.
©2016 Kobrand Corporation, Purchase, NY www.kobrandwineandspirits.com
edible ENDEAVOR
BLACK’S BARBECUE BY C L AU D I A A L A RC Ó N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY M E L A N I E G R I Z Z E L
Barrett Black at the original Black's Barbecue location in Lockhart.
C
entral Texas is home to many barbecue dynasties, and
the offer, went to a friend who had a building in Lockhart, and
Lockhart’s Black family is among the most famous. Of
on a handshake agreement, opened a meat market and grocery
course, their story isn’t one without obstacles: their icon-
store, instead. This is how Black got into the barbecue business—
ic smokehouse and restaurant started almost by chance, and at one point, was threatened (although a bit indirectly) by the Houston oil industry.
through a somewhat side-door approach. “Refrigeration during the 1930s consisted of purchasing fifty-pound blocks of ice from the local ice plant,” explains
The Black’s history in the annals of meat-smoking dates back
great-grandson Barrett Black, a fourth-generation member of the
to the late 1920s just outside of Lockhart, where Edgar Black Sr.
family who now runs the business. “When the meat [in the market]
owned a few head of cattle. The Great Depression was hitting him
started to turn, they would either make sausage or smoke the meats
hard, so when the federal government came calling and offered
to get a little more shelf life out of them. Barbecue in those days
$1 for each cow, he considered taking it. But when he found out
was very inconsistent, because the cuts of meats varied from day to
the cattle were to be shot on-site and left to rot, he turned down
day, as did the recipe for the sausage.” Edgar Sr. got a lot of practice EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
HEIRLOOM 2017
19
(Left) 1988 family photo hanging at the Lockhart location: Edgar Jr., Norma Jean, Barrett and Kent. (Right) Sampling of Black's smoked meats. making barbecue, thanks to the short life of ice in Texas heat.
ing various recipes until she landed on what we still serve now.”
Edgar Jr. eventually felt the pull of the family business, too.
Currently, Barrett’s father Kent is the pitmaster. Like Edgar Jr.,
“After serving in the U.S. Navy, marrying my grandmother Nor-
Kent still uses locally sourced and aged post oak wood and pre-
ma Jean and graduating from Texas A&M, my grandfather, Edgar
mium cuts of meat, including certified Angus briskets. “We have
Jr., was offered a job at Exxon in Houston,” Barrett says. “[Edgar
the responsibility and privilege to carry on the family traditions,”
Sr.] talked him into coming back to Lockhart…for just a couple
says Barrett. “We’ve been given many amazing gifts from the gen-
weeks…to help run the businesses so he could have a little time
erations in the form of recipes and cooking techniques, and an
off. Those two weeks turned into sixty-five years.”
outlook on life. We’d see it as a waste and act of selfishness to not
Edgar Jr. made some important changes to the business—he
try to share what we’ve been given.”
was one of the first purveyors in the country to begin smoking
Barrett just celebrated his ninth year working in the family busi-
and selling specific cuts of meats—namely brisket—instead of
ness, with accomplishments that include a website that allows the
just whatever the meat market had available. “He also standard-
company to ship barbecue to all 50 states, and a recent trip to
ized our handmade sausage recipe that we still use today, which
Amsterdam where he was invited to teach Texas barbecue tech-
contains trimmings from our briskets with a touch of pork,” says
niques. He’s also overseen expansion to locations in Austin and San
Barrett. “I always remember him telling me, ‘If the meat’s not
Marcos, and is about to close a deal on a fourth location. But he’s
good enough to sell at the meat market, then it’s not good enough
quick to give credit where credit is due. “My grandparents built
to put in our sausage.’”
Black’s Barbecue into what it is today,” he says. “They worked side
Another important early decision was to desegregate the din-
by side for sixty-five years…and still liked each other! They had
ing room. Barrett says that many asked, “Where are the [black
a passion for barbecue and a dedication to the craft way before
people] going to sit?” To which his grandparents would respond,
barbecue was cool. Their hard work, dedication and struggle are
“Wherever the hell they want.”
the only reasons the original Black’s Barbecue is where it is today.”
“Through [involvement in] the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce
“Some folks call and ask if they should come to our Austin
and Kiwanis Club, my grandfather leveraged his influence there
location or go to Lockhart,” Barrett continues. “We always en-
to help desegregate the local Little League, schools and swim-
courage people to go to Lockhart. The barbecue is the same, but
ming pools” as well, says Barrett.
how often do you have the chance to walk on the floors of four
Norma Jean also made important changes. She’s credited with
generations of pitmasters and eighty-five years of satisfied guests?
developing the sides, which were slowly introduced to the menu,
We have so much history in Lockhart that you can only fully
as well as the barbecue sauce that now bears her name. Black’s
experience by making the trip.”
didn’t offer sauce with their meats for the first 40 years, but Barrett says his grandmother came up with the recipe after “many folks
Find out more at blacksbbq.com or call 512-524-0801 (Austin) or
from up north started asking for sauce. She spent over a year test-
512-398-2712 (Lockhart).
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Meticulously crafted of the highest quality. Every time.
EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
HEIRLOOM 2017
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PEOPLE
DE J. LOZADA BY ST EV E W I LSO N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY A N DY SA M S
W
hen artistic inspiration strikes, some write, some paint,
that followed, Lozada left small-town North Carolina for college
some perform. De J. Lozada makes popcorn. Nothing
and graduate school; served as a public affairs officer for the U.S.
less than the muse of kernels struck Lozada when she
Department of Defense in Germany; started her own communi-
dreamed up and perfected nearly all 14 of the unique varieties for
cations company in Colorado; and worked in education advocacy
her company, Soul Popped, in the course of a single week. They
with a state agency in Austin. Then she got divorced, and after
came to her in a series of flashes—flavors unlike anything else
that, her switch to a new job with a different state agency didn’t
on the popcorn aisle: chicken ’n waffles, nana (banana) pudding,
work out. She found herself without a job and wondering how she
sweet potato soufflé, Auntie’s best pecan pie, red velvet cake, but-
could pay her mortgage, let alone college tuition for her two sons.
tered corn off the cob and others.
In the midst of a long cry about it all, a voice in her head told her,
As she pulls out samples in a conference room at Soul Popped’s
“Get up and go make your popcorn.”
marketing firm, she lists their flavor profiles like a wine sommelier.
Rather than rationalize the voice away, she took its advice.
Big Momma’s fried chicken: “This one is important to smell before
She’d always made her own popcorn (“None of that microwave-
tasting,” she says. Austin smoke BBQ: “You get a tangy smoky in
able stuff!”), but using the soul-food ingredients she’d been raised
the front end, and on the back end you get a sweet and spicy.”
on took things to a whole new level. “Soul food is about putting
Chicken ’n waffles: “The maple syrup sneaks up on you.” Choco-
part of you into the food, and that's what makes this popcorn
late-covered strawberries: “It tastes like Cap’n Crunch.”
what it is,” she says. “I don’t go into my kitchen if I’m not in a
Lozada is proprietary about how she gets the flavors just right
good space spiritually. It comes out in the food. You can taste it.”
(“All I’ll say is a European-grade dehydrator’s involved”), but she
Within a few months of rolling out Soul Popped at the Texas
makes no secret that the ingredients come from real, preserva-
Farmers Markets at Lakeline and Mueller last September, Lozada
tive-free, organic-when-possible food—not chemicals. Everything
got calls of interest from Walmart, Williams Sonoma and—even
tastes about as close as you can get to an actual soul-food dish,
more unexpectedly—musicians Snoop Dogg, Grandmaster Flash
minus many of the health risks. That’s a real boon for health-con-
and 2 Chainz. Not long after that, Soul Popped became the young-
scious, soul-food aficionados like Lozada, who only cooks the
est company invited to join the SKU consumer product training
decadent stuff on Thanksgiving and Christmas. “I never wanted
program. And soon, Soul Popped will be selling on Amazon,
my kids eating the bad things usually associated with soul food…
with a logo update from a classic soul sister to a gender-neutral
‘the more lard, the better’ mentality.” She waves a napkin that’s
soul person (but just as bad-ass).
just held a pile of heavenly macaroni & cheese popcorn. Not a
Next up, Lozada plans to bring Soul Popped to grocery stores,
trace of grease. “Soul Popped proves that there’s a healthier way
and hire staff so that she doesn’t have to rely on friends and family
to experience soul food,” she says.
volunteering their time. Still an advocate for education, she also
Lozada learned the ways of soul food from her grandmother,
wants to use some of her company’s proceeds to set up a schol-
who took her in after she wound up homeless for a few months
arship program for students. She’s the first to admit that this is
in middle school when her parents were no longer in the pic-
all uncharted territory for someone who’s never even worked in
ture. It’s a stretch to say her grandmother taught her how to cook
a restaurant, but she’s up for the challenge. “It cracks me up to
(“When Big Momma’s in the kitchen, you don’t go in the kitchen,”
think I had this in me and I didn’t know it.”
says Lozada), but she picked up a lot by watching. In the years
Find out more at soulpopped.com or call 512-765-4784.
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FARMERS diary
PURE LUCK FARM & DAIRY BY M AY K . C O B B • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY PAU L I N E ST EV E N S
P
ulling into the drive of Pure Luck Farm & Dairy on the
family already had goats, and they would go to Mexico and bring
western edge of Dripping Springs, you’re greeted by the
their goats over for us to take care of. And she just knew she need-
sights and sounds of bucolic farm life: gentle breezes
ed goats.” Amelia’s mom began making cheese and yogurt from
combing through the ancient oaks that shade the farm’s 50 acres,
the fresh goat milk and eventually decided to open a commercial
pumpkin-colored chickens clucking in the fenced-in yard around
dairy. Pure Luck claims to be one of the first farms in Texas to be
the family’s home—and in the distance, the tinkling of a bell,
certified organic.
which adorns one of the many goats, chiming through the air. The
After traveling in Mexico and working in Austin, Amelia re-
farm, which produces artisanal goat cheese and organic culinary
turned to Pure Luck to help her mom with cheese making. “In
herbs, is presently closed to the public, but Amelia Sweethardt,
some ways, I never left,” she says. “[Mom] taught me to make
who owns the farm with her family, has offered a private tour. She
cheese and we had so much fun. At that time, the business was on
greets me on the porch of the cheery yellow bungalow she shares
a steady growth path and it was very natural for me to do produc-
with her husband, Ben, and their two children.
tion. I like to think I was an asset for her.”
Amelia grew up across the road on the farm’s original 11 acres
Stepping into the pasture on our tour, Amelia calls out to the
where the herbs are currently grown. Her mother, Sara, who
goats by name as if they’re family. “They still think of me as the
passed away in 2005, bought the original land that borders Bar-
mother,” she says. “They trust us, and that’s one of the reasons
ton Creek in 1979 as a place to raise her daughters. “When Mom
why we bottle-feed them. They imprint early, and I tried to hold
bought the place,” Amelia explains, “it already had a big orchard
them as much as possible.” Amelia notes that the kids have their
and a garden. She got goats a year or two later. Some friends of the
own separate area, because “they are just growing up, and it’s just
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fair that they have their own space. And when they do join the
“Best place to cure what ails you.”
herd, they already have solid relationships so they will take care
SATURDAY NATURAL TALKS
of each other…as much as a goat takes care of anybody else,” she
10:30 AM—ALWAYS FREE! ALWAYS EMPOWERING!
adds with a laugh. “They are so selfish.” As we continue, Amelia shares that there’s really no “typical” workday on the farm, but that Mondays often look like this: “I get up at four twenty-five,” she says. “I get dressed, make coffee and wake up. I get my headlamp on and head to the barn at five. Morning milking begins at five. I’m done milking by six thirty and I clean up and feed the other animals. I come back to the house and see my kids before school. My sister Claire comes to work and we clean the barn and flip the compost; we compost all of the goat’s waste for the herb farm. I get cleaned up and go to my office
VISIT US 200 WEST MARY ST. AUSTIN
512-444-6251 THEHERBBAR.COM •
[another house on the property] and work on the spreadsheet for deliveries, which are on Tuesdays. I might milk again at four.” I spy a cute blue house off in the distance with a huge screenedin porch and ask about it. “We plan to open up a cheese shop and sell fresh vegetables and flowers. This will allow for the public to come out and visit the farm,” she explains. “It gives us a way to host people simply but comfortably. It’s been a couple of years in the works and we are about to take the leap and get it ready to open, I hope, by next spring.” Husband Ben later adds that he also sees the blue house as a hub for connecting with customers who
Pasta & Co
buy their product. “It’ll be a landing pad for tours so we can start and end there,” he says. “And we’ll also have a dedicated workshop space for cheese making.” Amelia, sister Claire, Ben and two additional employees run
3502 Kerbey Lane
512-453-0633
www.austinpasta.com
authentic | creative | contemporary
the farm. “I handle the deliveries,” Ben explains. “I also do the farmers markets every Saturday and Sunday and fix anything onP&C edible austin ad REV_F 092315.indd
1
9/23/15 5:28 PM
the farm that breaks—basically, all the plumbing, the electrical and moving things around. For instance, today I’m unloading about 20 tons of alfalfa as it comes in. I don’t have a title…it’s just ‘Anything That Comes Up.’” “I love the land and being out here,” Amelia says. “It’s a kind of study…how to know more about what we are actually doing with the goats. We make good milk, [but] what’s actually in the milk? It’s a luxury getting to geek out on this stuff, because it ups my chances of getting to do it forever.” Find out more at purelucktexas.com or call 512-917-2803.
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edible TRIBUTE SAN MIGUELITO On gilded wings you fly hovering gently in the sky just long enough to sprinkle our sorrow with comfort y amor ¡QUE EN PAZ DESCANSE! R.I.P.
AN AMIGA’S AMOR FOR MIGUEL RAVAGO BY LU C I N DA H U TSO N
hen loved ones pass away, they
W
Miguel and Fonda San Miguel
leave us with so many ques-
co-founder Tom Gilliland met while work-
tions we forgot to ask and
ing at the Texas House of Representatives
stories we wish we could hear again and
in the 1960s. This perhaps unlikely pair
again. Having known Miguel Ravago—be-
of visionaries—a dashing, dark-skinned
loved chef at Austin’s Fonda San Miguel
Latino from Arizona and an inquisitive
restaurant for nearly 45 years—I might
Scot-Irish Nebraskan—became partners
mix up recollections of the countless
and soon began traveling throughout
times, travels and meals we shared, the
Mexico. Miguel’s abuelita, Guadalupe
laughter and the tears. I might acciden-
Velasquez, native to Mexico’s northern
tally omit details of memories, or even
state of Sonora, had helped raise Miguel
spice them up a bit. But Miguel’s smil-
in Phoenix—teaching him to speak
ing face, generosity, genteel manners
Spanish fluently and sharing her culinary
and exquisite grace will always remain
magic. This made Miguel a perfect guide
crystal clear in my mind. At age 72,
on the many Mexican sojourns with
Miguel lost his battle with lung cancer.
Tom—enabling them to experience the
He took his last breath on June 24, 2017, leaving behind a wake of
culture, restaurants, markets, home kitchens and art galleries on
the brokenhearted.
a deeper level than that of the average tourists.
Miguel brought beauty and delight to all, illuminating every room
Tom’s entrepreneurial élan, coupled with Miguel’s culinary
he entered. He was everyone’s best friend. A consummate host, he
skills and their mutual love of art, made a fortuitous match. And
took interest in the lives of all—friends and strangers, patrons and
in 1975—at a time when most Austinites were eating Tex-Mex-
staff. He was always a true gentleman, even when he whispered
restaurant enchiladas and processed-cheese queso under swaying
ribald and irreverent thoughts (with a mischievous giggle!), so as
piñatas—Miguel and Tom opened Fonda San Miguel, introducing
not to offend others. A trickster at heart, his playful sense of humor
complex, traditional recipes using hard-to-find ingredients from
found him pulling pranks whenever he could. In his presence, a
south of the border. To international acclaim, Fonda San Miguel
warm abrazo was always close at hand.
has since regaled hungry diners and distinguished guests—from
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politicos and presidents, screen stars and musicians, celebrity
On the dessert table, Miguel paid homage to his family by serving
chefs and academics—with authentic food from the interior of
his grandmother’s Sonoran-style capirotada bread pudding or aromat-
Mexico in a lovely hacienda ambiance among an unrivaled collec-
ic orange flan de naranja and his sister Betty’s favorite Mexican-choc-
tion of contemporary Mexican art and furnishings.
olate ice cream, and platters of cookies, such as his mother Amelia’s
Miguel was always a presence in the dining room, but perhaps
bizcochitos, little balls of cinnamon-dusted pecan shortbread.
Fonda’s Sunday brunch best personifies his unique touch. He would
Miguel made the brunch even more memorable by standing
arrange lavish centerpieces on colorful-clothed tables in the center
behind the tables in his immaculate, starched white chef ’s jacket,
of the restaurant and serve guests from huge hand-painted talavera
joyfully greeting each guest and tirelessly tantalizing them with
cazuelas (terra-cotta bowls) and copper pots. Palm fronds, flowers,
descriptions of each dish. It’s no wonder magazines and food, trav-
folk art and handwoven baskets, spilling forth with fruit and chiles,
el and lifestyle networks vied to feature him preparing dishes and
made his centerpieces as stunning as the art hanging on the walls.
sharing his smile for the world to see. Meanwhile, large fundraisers,
Each Sunday, there was always something new to discover as
special events, celebrity chef dinners, weddings and conferences
the ever-curious Chef Miguel celebrated cuisines from many
kept the restaurant constantly booked. Miguel also co-authored
Mexican states: Oaxaca’s mole verde with tender chicken bathed
two cookbooks ("Cocina de la Familia" and "Fonda San Miguel:
in a thick, green sauce flavored with sassafras-scented hoja santa;
Thirty Years of Food and Art"), leaving a legacy of award-winning
Yucatan’s cochinita pibil with spicy steamed pork and pickled red
volumes filled with beautiful photos of his recipes.
onions wrapped in banana leaves; pescado a la Veracruzano, a classic
How did this charming chef and I cross paths? In the late ’70s,
fish dish stewed in a savory tomato sauce speckled with capers and
Miguel attended a Mexican cooking class I taught at Bon Appétit,
olives; or enchiladas de mole poblano smothered in thick choco-
Austin’s first cooking school. The rest is our shared history, love
late and chile-flavored sauce made famous in Puebla.
of Mexico and many exciting adventures together. When Miguel
Sometimes he’d offer mouth-watering tamales filled with huitlaco-
was invited to cook for the James Beard House in New York City in
che, a truffle-like delicacy derived from a corn fungus. Or he’d serve
1993, he invited me along to serve one of my tequila punches. At the
interpretative recipes of other prominent Mexican chefs—Patricia
International Association of Culinary Professionals conferences in
Quintana’s velvety corn pudding, or Diana Kennedy’s poblanos stuffed
Oaxaca and San Antonio, Miguel and I each set up elaborate dis-
with picadillo. In fact, Kennedy served as a consultant for Fonda for
plays, but he always found time to help me with any last-minute
many years, utilizing her penchant for preserving Mexican traditions
details. And in the late ’80s, we joined Chef Patricia Quintana and
and recipes. But it was Miguel who brought the recipes to life.
a posse of prestigious Southwestern chefs to spend a week at her
JUD WAGGOMAN | jud@2seasloscabos.com Mexico: (011-521) 624-158-7764 USA/CAN: 530-751-6797
VISIT MexicoLIVE THERE! IT’s easier than you think
VOTED BEST REALTOR IN LOS CABOS, MEXICO 2015
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rancho in Veracruz. Miguel and I were the only ones brave enough
querido so that you too may understand the enthusiasm and kind-
to watch the butchering of the puerco to roast for our evening feast,
heartedness with which he approached life. My home is rich with
and while others slept, we’d walk down dusty roads at 6 a.m. to
the gifts he gave me: handblown Mexican glasses in swirls of ame-
peruse village markets, bakeries and tortillerias.
thyst and silver he found especially for my signature sangria; Span-
But in the ’90s, a new adventure beckoned. In Paris, Miguel met
ish rose perfume; a silk purse from the newest Mexican designer;
Philippe Mercier, the man who would change his life. And for the
and talavera platters, like the ones he used in Fonda’s Sunday buffets
next few decades, Miguel sometimes left Fonda for other endeav-
to showcase his dishes so spectacularly. Memories of his love sur-
ors: as chef at Zócalo in New York, at Bertram’s in Austin and on a
round me…like him sneaking up behind me at Fonda with a birthday
stint in Santa Fe (where we considered a restaurant project). After
candle lighting up his crepas de cajeta—scrumptious crepes cloaked
their marriage, Philippe and Miguel moved to Madrid to be close
in a rich goat’s milk caramel and ice cream sprinkled with toasted
to Philippe’s family, and then to Brighton, England, in 2012. Their
almonds. I will always remember and miss the glimmer in his eyes,
shared love of home décor, comforting meals, gardening and so-
and dancing with him Sunday afternoons at Güero’s…he danced like
phisticated style kept them contented spouses for the past 25 years.
a dream, just as he did on American Bandstand as a teen in Arizona.
These were perhaps Miguel’s most sanguine years—a reprieve
For decades, I have created Day of the Dead altars in my home
from decades of long hours and limelight, and a well-deserved sab-
to celebrate and honor deceased loved ones. In 2007, I invited
batical. Even so, he kept in daily contact with Fonda via Skype—still
Miguel as a special guest when Central Texas Gardener filmed my
ruling the kitchen, and returning every few months to an exhaus-
altar for PBS. He brought a photo of his mother, a candle and a
tive schedule of cooking and PR, always with a cheerful attitude.
bowl of her favorite pozole stew, and talked about the importance
Miguel and Philippe loved the elegance of Europe. Fashionistas at heart, they donned haute couture to walk Dita, their beloved
of remembering family and friends by bringing their photos and favorite foods to a memorial altar.
Chow Chow, through the streets of London, stopping for tea (and
On my altar this year, Miguel will hold a sacred spot. I’ll place
a croissant for Dita) or for spice-laden gin and tonics in Madrid.
his photos and a miniature Mexican kitchen cabinet filled with
They frequented museums and the theater, neighborhood pubs,
little dishes and cooking utensils so he can cook in the great be-
five-star locales and took long walks on Brighton Beach.
yond. The glass heart necklace he gave me will join a mélange of
In April 2017, after transatlantic trips grew tiring, the couple returned
tin heart milagros, in remembrance of a man whose own heart
to Austin and began to make a new home. But fate had other ideas.
beat so passionately. And I’ll light a candle in his name, reminding
I’ve painted a picture of what it was to know Miguel as my amigo
me of his gracious manner of living.
Moving You in the Right Direction.
od
lin
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Ro
o gw
W
e
a stl
ke
Barbara Van Dyke
Realtor® Associate, GRI
512-431-2552 barbara.vandyke@sothebysrealty.com
t es w h n rt sti No Au
barbaravandyke.kuperrealty.com
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cooking FRESH
A GIFT OF THE HOUSE BY V I V É G R I F F I T H
S
obremesa is a term common to
hushed and leaned forward to place
Spain and parts of Latin America.
their hands on the ornate sides. It re-
Translating as “around the table,”
minded us that these processions are
the word reflects the act of gathering and
more than just spectacle. They are a sa-
lingering beyond the meal. It’s when
cred tradition.
the dishes are pushed aside, the coffee
If tapas aren’t quite a sacred tradi-
or liqueur poured and the real conver-
tion, in Granada they come close. The
sation begins.
city is one of the few places where tapas
When my husband and I visited the
are still free—considered a gift of the
enchanting city of Granada in southern
house. With each drink you order, you
Spain, we witnessed sobremesa every-
are handed a small plate of food. And
where. Tapas bars overflowed with inter-
each round brings a different, and some
generational crowds—children chased
say better, tapa. To encourage you to
balls on the sidewalks while their par-
stay in one bar versus moving to anoth-
ents talked over glasses of wine. Older
er, the proprietors save the fancier tapas
couples sat together past midnight at
for your later drinks.
Café Futbol, espresso cups before them.
Tapas can be as simple as olives
At El Pozo, we joined a group of food
with a few slices of cheese, but of-
explorers and dug into revueltos—garlic
ten they are far grander. We ate pork
shoots and tiny shrimp scrambled with
stewed in Moroccan spices, heaping
eggs—and sandwiches of roast pork.
plates of fried anchovies, chorizo with
Then, we sat back and chatted.
a side of salmorejo (a chilled tomato and bread soup that’s like gazpacho’s
We were in Granada for Semana Santa, the weeklong festivities that culminate in Easter Sunday.
sturdier cousin), roasted peppers capped with tuna, bread with
The week unfurls with fervor. Thirty-four church organizations
marbled red ham and a slice of tomato, and plump mussels from
prepare for months for the massive processions that travel through
the nearby coast. No one rushes you at the table, and people stay
the streets. When we arrived, we naively wondered where to go to
out late. Sobremesa is a natural result of a culture that places food
see a procession. We soon learned we didn’t need to go anywhere.
and congregation at its core.
We’d hear a drum’s deep bass tone and soon after, the crowds
Of course, it’s possible to recreate some of that spirit here. After returning from Spain, we invited friends over for a Spanish-style
would part to make room. Men in vivid, long gowns led the groups, with other men in bro-
dinner. We tried out versions of some of the food we loved—both
cade carrying scepters just behind. Sometimes children, tucked in
tapas and larger platters for sharing. The conversation was lively
alongside the adults, wore miniature versions of the same dress.
and guests delighted in seeing what dish we’d carry out next from
Marching bands played mournful songs. Women in black lace man-
the kitchen.
tillas, their wrists wrapped in rosaries, carried candles. By week’s end, the streets were covered in a layer of wax.
To throw your own Spanish party, keep the food simple and the courses coming. Lay out cheeses, bread, olives and cured meats,
The highlight was the pasos, or floats, borne on the shoulders
then try out some of the recipes featured here. Make sure there’s
of the young and strong. Flickering with gold and candles, heavy
a comfortable place to sit after eating. The point is to linger, and
with flowers and religious relics, the floats passed and the crowds
after a good meal, what’s better than that?
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SALMOREJO (CHILLED TOMATO SOUP) Adapted from spanishsabores.com Makes 6 bowls or 12 tapas portions This chilled tomato soup is quintessential Andalucía—the region of southern Spain that is home to Granada. You’ll be amazed by how creamy it is without any dairy. It can be served in bowls, in small glasses as tapas or even as a kind of spread or dip alongside a good piece of cured meat. The ingredients are simple, so quality is important; use the best tomatoes and olive oil you can find. 8 medium tomatoes 1 loaf of bread or baguette 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 T. sherry vinegar 1 c. olive oil
2 hard-boiled eggs, divided ½ c. diced ham or bacon (optional) Handful chopped parsley Salt, to taste
Score the bottoms of the tomatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the tomatoes in for 1 minute. Remove and place in a bowl filled with ice water to quickly stop the cooking. The skins should slip off the tomatoes easily. Remove the cores. Remove the soft insides of the bread and chop in large pieces to measure 3 cups. Place the tomatoes in a blender and blend on high speed until broken down. Add the bread to the blender. Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the tomato liquid. Add the garlic and sherry vinegar and blend until smooth. Continue to blend while slowly drizzling in the olive oil. Add salt, to taste. Finally, add 1 hard-boiled egg and blend. Chop the remaining egg and serve the soup garnished with the egg, a bit of the meat (if using) and a flurry of parsley.
PATATAS BRAVAS (SPICY POTATOES)
Tastings. Platters. Gifts. (We ship too!) 4220 Duval Street | (512) 531-9610
www.AntonellisCheese.com
Makes 6 sides or 12 tapas portions Few dishes are as ubiquitous on Spanish tapas menus as patatas bravas. These fried potatoes are made special by the slight heat of the brava sauce and sometimes a dollop of creamy mayonnaise. Though the recipe varies from bar to bar, the most traditional brava sauce is made simply from sweet and spicy paprika in chicken broth thickened with flour. This adaptation draws on those flavors but uses tomato as a base. 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 4 T. olive oil, plus more for frying the potatoes 1 small onion, diced 2 c. crushed tomatoes
1 T. sweet paprika ½ T. hot smoked paprika 2 T. sherry vinegar Salt, to taste ¼ c. mayonnaise or aioli (optional)
Parboil the potatoes by placing them in a large pot of salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and chill in the refrigerator until cool, or overnight. Make the brava sauce by sautéing the onion in the olive oil until softened and translucent. Add the crushed tomatoes, sweet and hot paprika, sherry vinegar and salt. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth, then keep it warm on the stove. Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chilled potatoes and fry, tossing often, until they’re golden brown. Remove the potatoes to a plate covered with several layers of paper towels to drain. Salt generously. Serve the potatoes hot and drizzled with brava sauce and, if you like, a spoonful of mayonnaise or aioli on top.
1500 South Lamar Blvd 512.473.2211 barlataaustin.com
finishing and ramen salts available for holiday gifts
1807 South First Street 512-215-9778 lenoirrestaurant.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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ROASTED PEPPER SALAD WITH ANCHOVIES Serves 6 as salads or 12 as tapas portions Another classic Spanish ingredient is roasted peppers. You’ll find peppers heaped on bread, topped with tuna, spread artfully along a plate’s edge and served as a salad alone, or with seafood. In a small Spanish village, I saw a man set up in the square tossing peppers in a round drum over an open fire. People lined up to roast their peppers with him. If you don’t happen to know a local pepper-roaster like him, an oven will work just fine. Whole anchovies in olive oil work best here, or you could substitute pickled white anchovies, called boquerones, or even a quality tuna. 6 bell peppers (I used a combination of red and yellow) ¼ c. olive oil 1 garlic clove, peeled, flattened 1 T. sherry vinegar ¼ c. toasted pine nuts ¼ c. chopped parsley ½ cucumber, peeled and sliced 3.3 oz. jar anchovies in olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Place whole peppers on a baking tray in a 450° oven for 25 to 30 minutes—turning halfway through. The skins should begin to brown and wrinkle and the peppers soften. Using tongs, remove the peppers to a large bowl and cover with a plate to steam. Leave the peppers until they’re soft and cool enough to handle. Place the peppers on a cutting board and remove the skins, core and seeds. Slice the peppers lengthwise into ½-inch strips and place in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic and salt, to taste. Set aside or refrigerate overnight. To serve, bring the peppers to room temperature and remove the garlic. Mix the peppers with the sherry vinegar, pine nuts and parsley. Place a pile of peppers in the center of a plate. Garnish with 2 slices of cucumber to the side and anchovies crisscrossed on top.
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CHORIZO BRAISED IN WHITE WINE Makes 4 sides or 8 tapas portions When I told my Spanish friend Carlos I was writing about tapas, he told me I needed to include chorizo braised in wine, as it can be found all over Spain and is incomparably delicious. So this recipe is for Carlos. While they share a name, Spanish and Mexican chorizos are quite different. The Spanish version is cured in a casing and flavored with paprika. For this dish, look for a softer version of chorizo instead of the harder version often found cubed in soups. Any white wine that isn’t sweet will work for this dish.
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2 links Spanish chorizo (I used Fermín Ibérico spicy chorizo sausage from Central Market) Dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc) 2 bay leaves Sliced baguette Slice the chorizo in half and prick a few holes in the casing. Place in a medium skillet and cover halfway with white wine. Drop the bay leaves in the pan. Bring the wine to a low boil and cover the pan. Cook the chorizo in wine for 15 to 20 minutes until it plumps—flipping occasionally. (There’s no harm in lowering the heat and cooking the chorizo longer, if needed.) Before serving, uncover the pan and turn up the heat, reducing the sauce until it thickens slightly. Remove the chorizo from the pan and cut it into ½- to ¾-inch thick slices. Serve slices on bread with a drizzle of sauce or in a shallow dish with toothpicks.
EGGPLANT WITH HONEY
Try a taste of Comfort 142 Lindner Branch Trail, Comfort, Texas
830-995-2948 | bendingbranchwinery.com
Makes 6 sides or 12 tapas portions Granada was a Moorish kingdom for more than three centuries, and the flavors of North Africa are still prevalent in its food. The mix of sweet and savory in this popular eggplant dish is a prime example. 1 large or 2 small eggplants Olive oil for frying 1 c. flour
Salt and pepper, to taste ½ c. molasses or honey
Peel the eggplant and slice into sticks—about 3 inches by ½ inch. Place the eggplant in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt—tossing the eggplant to cover on all sides. Set aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. To fry the eggplant, heat about 1 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant sticks from the colander and set them on paper towels to remove the excess liquid. Working in batches, dredge the sticks in flour and then drop them into hot oil—frying until they’re golden brown on all sides. Remove the sticks with a slotted spoon to paper towels and continue with new batches. Salt the fried eggplant, drizzle with molasses, honey or a combo and serve hot.
The World Atlas of Street Food By Carol Wilson and Sue Quinn
A culinary travel guide and cookbook, this lavishly illustrated volume identifies the best street food on every continent, with information about local culinary cultures, recommended foods to try, selected recipes, and maps. 400 pages | 9.3 x 8.7 | 750 color photos | $39.95 hardcover
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edible VINEYARDS
NEWSOM LEGACY COMES TO THE HILL COUNTRY BY RUSS E L L D. K A N E • P H OTO G R A P H Y BY JA M ES W. S KO G S B E RG
W
hile at Texas
After weighing them, we
Tech
the
got a check for nearly a
late 1970s, Neal
thousand dollars, which
Newsom (Texas High
made me even more excit-
Plains cotton farmer Doyle
ed about growing grapes.”
in
C. “Hoss” Newsom’s son)
The
Newsoms
now
had the fortune to encoun-
grow 19 grape varieties on
ter
professor
more than 150 acres in the
Dr. Roy Mitchell. At that
High Plains, and they sup-
time, Dr. Mitchell’s com-
ply fruit to the top win-
bined personal and aca-
eries in the state. Work-
demic interest in wine was
ing in combination with
advancing the Texas wine
many of the best Texas
and grape-growing indus-
winemakers for three de-
try, then in its infancy. Dr.
cades, Newsom Vineyards
Mitchell had a profound
has become the symbol
influence on young Neal
of quality Texas grapes
and, ultimately, on the
from
Newsom
ty, award-winning Texas
chemistry
family
legacy.
“I’ve always been interested in alternative crops to cotton,” says Neal. “I’ve
which
high-quali-
wines are made.
Nolan Newsom and his wife, Mei, in their tasting room in Comfort.
examined soybeans and
“I’d always been my father’s right-hand man,” says Nolan, “but in 2011,
several varieties of grasses, but Dr. Mitchell really gave me the bug
when I was to assume vineyard manager responsibility from him,
to grow wine grapes.”
I had a major car accident. It left me damaged and needing several
In 1984, Neal and his father ordered enough cabernet sauvignon
surgeries and long rehabilitation. Our family always had a plan to
cuttings to start a 3-acre vineyard. “We really didn’t know what to
open a tasting room. After my accident, I had to look past full-
expect,” says Neal. “Would the vines live? Would they produce fruit?
time vineyard operations. I took ownership of the tasting room
Would the wine be drinkable? There were a lot of unknowns, but
as my new career path. I’m a ‘people person’ with a talent and
I knew we had a combination of our good soil, hot days and cool
experience in food service—useful in running our tasting room
nights. I knew that cabernet were sought-after grapes with low yield
business.”
and high price-per-ton.” Around the time their vineyard was plant-
The plans for opening the Newsom tasting room started in ear-
ed, Neal and his wife, Janice, welcomed the birth of their son, Nolan.
nest in 2013. It was a bad year with multiple spring freezes that re-
In two years, the Newsoms got their first crop. “All the
sulted in a harvest of despair for the family. Neal delivered his en-
grapes from that harvest fit in five-gallon pails tucked into the back
tire harvest to the Llano Estacado Winery loading dock. “It didn’t
of our Suburban,” says Neal. “We took them to a winery near Odessa.
even fill a one-harvest bin designed to hold a thousand pounds of EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
HEIRLOOM 2017
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Stimulate your senses.
Artisanal Cuisine. Craft Beer. Community Feel. Live Muisc. San Marcos Roots.
grapes,” he says. “I had the harvested grapes weighed primarily for insurance purposes.” Even though the grapes made barely a barrel of wine, the Llano Estacado staff came up with a plan to make Neal’s grapes into a private blend. “They called me up and said, ‘You gotta come down here and taste this stuff. It’s great!’” says Neal. “It was a cabernet-centered blend supported by sangiovese and other red varieties.” “This single barrel of wine was the start of our Newsom Vineyards brand,” says Nolan. “We named it ‘Inception.’ It was the event
150 S. LBJ Dr., San Marcos 11am-11pm Mon.-Wed. 11am-12am (bar til 2am) Thurs.-Sat. 10am-11pm Sun.
that launched our tasting room project. For decades, our family has grown grapes and sold them to wineries to make wine selling under their labels. We’ve reversed things up. In our tasting room, we’re selling small-batch wines made by some of our favorite Texas winemakers and selling them under our Newsom and Inception labels.” Today, Nolan works with his wife, Mei, in Comfort, furthering
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the Newsom legacy with their new tasting room set in a converted centennial house. While Nolan comes from the sandy red dirt of West Texas, Mei comes from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, China. “I came from China to Lubbock as one of Texas Tech’s
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graduate winemaking students,” she says. “Nolan and I met on one of my vineyard assignments. We are completely committed to this tasting room business and feel we have great potential to extend the Newsom Vineyards legacy.” The Newsom tasting room has quickly become a Hill Country wine and food destination. Working with other Comfort businesses, Nolan created “The Comfort Backyard.” “It’s a common area,” he says, “that links our tasting room with our neighboring food and beverage establishments where people can gather, relax and enjoy themselves. We also host gourmet food trucks and have live bands in our new outdoor music venue.” While in Comfort visiting Newsom Vineyards, check out the neighboring local establishments: Hill Country Distillers, Huckleberry’s beer and wine bar, High’s Cafe for breakfast and lunch, 814 A Texas Bistro for dinner, Branch on High wine bar and a new brewery (opening this fall) in the historic Comfort Community Theatre building. For more information, visit newsomvineyards.com or call 806-549-6732.
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NEWSOM VINEYARDS WINES READY TO SIP AND SAVOR White Wines: 2015 orange muscat—aromatic, floral and dry 2015 pinot grigio—lemony, light and dry 2016 albariño—fragrant and peachy Red Wines: 2014 Bending Branch Newsom Vineyard tempranillo—full-bodied 2014 Inception cabernet/tempranillo blend—medium-plus body and finesse Special Newsom Wine Club Wines: merlot, syrah, albariño (oak-aged) and 2013 Inception
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edible BOOKS
CHILE CON QUESO BY L I SA FA I N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY AU B R I E P I C K Reprinted with permission from “Queso!” by Lisa Fain, copyright © 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
(The Mangy Parrot) by José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi. The next citation occurred in 1865 in the Mexican poem “Glosa del Chile Verde con Queso,” in which an anonymous poet laments that women of his era know much about artifice and fashion but little about practical matters such as stewing chiles with cheese. Despite the presence of chile con queso in the literature of the day, Mexican cookbooks from the 1800s did not feature recipes with that name, though dishes composed of chiles with cheese did exist. One such recipe, Chiles Poblanos, found in the 1887 cookbook “La Cocinera Poblana,” was made up of poblano chiles, cheese and tomatoes. Although chile con queso most likely originated in Mexico, the first published recipe to use the phrase appeared in the United States. An 1896 article about Mexican cuisine in the magazine, “The Land of Sunshine,” included a dish called Chiles Verdes con Queso, which was a mixture of long green chiles, tomatoes and cheese. Like all early Mexican versions, it was intended to be a side dish, with the cheese enhancing the chiles, much like cheese melted onto cauliflower. Its evolution to a dip was yet to come. Now, looking toward Europe, Swiss fondue and its British counterpart, Welsh rarebit (or rabbit), became popular in the United States in the late 1800s. Fondue is a pot of melted cheese for dipping bread and vegetables; Welsh rarebit is a melted cheese dish that is poured over toast. Neither was considered a side dish but
I
instead was an appetizer or the main event of a meal. n the late 1500s, Spanish explorers arrived in the area around
Then, in 1908, a Kentucky newspaper ran a recipe for Mexican
what is known today as El Paso, Texas, along the Mexican-
rarebit, a take on Welsh rarebit that added chile pulp to a base of
American border. With them, they brought livestock, such as
melted cheese, milk and egg and was served over toast. In 1909,
cows and goats, which that part of the world had never seen. Dairy
the San Francisco newspaper Call published a similar recipe, but
was not known to the Native Americans, as their diet was made up
replaced the chile pulp with chili powder, a blend of ground ancho
of indigenous ingredients such as corn, squash and chiles. From
chiles with herbs and spices, such as oregano and cumin.
that point, however, as the old world connected with the new, it was perhaps inevitable that one day cheese would be paired with chiles and a culinary alliance would be born.
•••
About the same time, recipes for and references to Mexican chile con queso began appearing more frequently in the press. Eventually,
Although the exact moment when chile con queso came into ex-
an astute cook realized that combining rarebit (and getting rid of the
istence has not been determined, the earliest reference to it in print
egg often used in its preparation) and chile con queso would make
can be found in the 1816 Mexican novel, “El Periquillo Sarniento”
for a fine dish, which leads us to a recipe for Mexican rarebit that
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appeared in the 1914 edition of Boston Cooking School Magazine and that called for green chiles, tomatoes, cheese, beer and corn. This version, though intended for pouring over toast, was very close to what most would consider American chile con queso today. In Texas, chile con queso appeared in restaurants as early as 1910, when San Antonio’s Gunter Hotel offered it, according to the book “The Menu Maker.” It is not known what form this dish took—whether it was a side dish or a sauce to be poured over tostadas or toast. Then, in the early 1920s, a recipe with the name Chile con Queso appeared in the “Woman’s Club Cook Book of Tested and Tried Recipes,” published by the Woman’s Club of San Antonio. Like some Mexican rarebit recipes, this chile con queso used cayenne and paprika instead of the fresh chiles found in Mexican chile con queso. But it did not contain egg and it was the first chile con queso recipe to call specifically for American cheese. A truly American queso in both name and style had arrived. After that, chile con queso appeared frequently in Texas publications and community cookbooks. These early recipes were served over toast or tostadas or were enjoyed as dips with potato chips, crackers, tostadas or Fritos, after their invention in 1932. American cheese was a popular choice in these early recipes; Velveeta, which was invented in 1918 but not widely marketed until later, didn’t make its first appearance in a queso recipe until 1939, in “What’ll I Cook?,” published by the First Christian Church of Lubbock. In 1943, Carl Roetelle opened his canning plant in Elsa, Texas, and began to market Ro-Tel tomatoes, which were tomatoes blended with green chiles. Then in 1949, a Ro-Tel ad appeared with a recipe for making a chile con queso by simply heating a can of the spicy tomatoes with American or processed cheese until melted, and serving the dip with toasted tortillas or Fritos: a Tex-Mex classic was born. While most of Texas was enjoying chile con queso made with American cheese, green chiles and tomatoes, in the area around El Paso and southern New Mexico, the dish with that name had more in common with what was found across the border in the Mexican
MARTINE
HONEYSUCKLE LIQUEUR
A DISTILLED DALLIANCE TO SIP OR TO STIR.
state of Chihuahua. It wasn’t meant to be just a side dish any longer, however, as it was also served as an appetizer with tortilla chips and tortillas, much like it was across the rest of Texas. Chile con queso, in all its forms and permutations, was still very much a regional specialty when First Lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson shared her version in the Washington Post in 1964. Despite the attention, the dish wasn’t popularized, though people in the Southwest, Texas, and Midwest continued to make queso. In these regions, it became a staple at social gatherings. There wasn’t much variation in the recipes, however, until recent years, when creative cooks took the basic formula and crafted it into something new.
LISA FAIN AT BOOKPEOPLE Join Edible Austin at BookPeople on Thursday, November 2 at 7 p.m. with Lisa Fain to talk about her new book, “Queso!” and share tastings of Kerbey Lane Cafe's world-famous queso with seasonal craft brews from Saint Arnold Brewing Co. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
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AUSTIN DINER-STYLE QUESO Serves 6–8 In Richard Linklater’s film “Boyhood,” the protagonist finds himself in an Austin diner with his girlfriend late one night. They are being philosophical, and when she asks what they are doing there at three o’clock in the morning, he replies, “You know what we’re doing here? Queso!” In Austin, inviting places such as Kerbey Lane Cafe and Magnolia Cafe have long been popular spots for people to get their queso fix in the darker hours. This recipe is not specific to any particular place, but will remind you of late nights and good friends. 2 T. unsalted butter ¼ c. diced yellow onion 4 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and finely diced 2 T. cornstarch 1 c. whole milk 1 cup water 1 lb. white or yellow American cheese, shredded 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro 1 t. ground cumin ¼ t. cayenne ½ t. kosher salt Guacamole, for topping Pico de gallo, for topping Tortilla chips, for serving
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Anaheims and cook for 30 seconds longer. Whisk together the cornstarch, milk and water until well combined, then pour into the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cheese, turn down the heat to low, and cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted. Stir in the cilantro, cumin, cayenne and salt, then taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer the queso to a serving bowl or a chafing dish over a flame. Spoon guacamole and pico de gallo into the center of the queso. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
CHILES POBLANO Serves 4 1 T. unsalted butter 1 ½ c. diced grape tomatoes 4 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin slices ¼ c. whole milk 4 oz. Gruyère or asadero cheese, shredded ¼ t. kosher salt Warm corn or flour tortillas, for serving In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and some of the juices have been released, about 5 minutes. Stir in the poblanos and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until fragrant and warm. Stir in the milk, cheese and salt. Cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if you like. Serve with warm tortillas.
now available at
kerbeylanecafe.com Pictured: Acorn Squash Gratin
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Green Mango Real Estate
We m a k e buying and selling houses a delicious experience
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Holiday meals make some of our best memories. Help make this a memorable year for all Central Texans.
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WHAT I EAT AND WHY
HEIRLOOM ICE CREAM BY K N OXY K N OX
This is the taste of my childhood: sitting on the bed of a truck in South Texas eating this ice cream with Hill Country peaches on top. As you can tell, my Grammy passed along her love of turquoise to us as well. This summer we got together with the last of the year’s peaches so Grammy could hand down this family recipe to my Mum and me. 42
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Completely Custom & From Scratch!
SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER
ARMENIA MEETS THE HILL COUNTRY
Cakes | Sculpted Designs Small Bites | Cake Bars Cupcakes | Popper Shots
BY A D R I E N N E H ASC H K E
J
ust 102 miles west of Austin in Fredonia, Texas, Texas Food Ranch farmers Rick and Alik are successfully growing heritage
4201 S. Congress #101 512.797.7367
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Armenian crops on Hill Country ranch land that’s been in Rick’s family since 1858. The area is steeped in the tradition and culture of raising cattle, and Rick says if his grandpa were alive today, he would skeptically ask, “Why are you growing food out there?” Turns out the high alkaline soil composition is similar to the soil in Armenia, where Rick lived for 23 years before recently returning to his Texas roots with his partner, Alik. Having been raised on a small farm in Armenia, Alik immediately began harvesting wild mushrooms, herbs and spices, and saw the potential for food production on a small section of the sweeping 200-acre property. They decided to cultivate the land using sustainable growing methods characteristic of Armenian agriculture: non-mechanized, high-density production on smaller plots with a reliance on companion planting. In determining which crops to grow, they continually ask what grows well with the ecosystem and climate. Texas Food Ranch boasts an abundance of common Texas varieties interspersed with heritage Armenian diversity, and their green tunnels yield bountiful year-round harvests of exquisite lettuce mixes, greens and herbs. Old-world varieties include Armenian basil, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, savory and aveluk (wild sorrel). They recently planted a field of pomegranate trees with more than 100 seeds from Armenia, where the pomegranate is a cultural icon and revered as a life force. Also coming soon will be the ranch’s first Texas-Armenian areni—a red-wine grape varietal. Dried fruit is a cornerstone of Armenian cuisine and has historically provided nourishing sustenance through the cold winter months. Many of the prepared foods Rick and Alik bring to market each holiday season feature dried fruits, which delight the palate with earthy, sweet richness. One of Rick’s favorite seasonal recipes is creamy Armenian pumpkin stuffed with dried fruit and baked in a tonir (clay oven) submerged in the ground. Unwilling to relinquish this special holiday delicacy, he and Alik created a Western-oven version that you can find online at edibleaustin.com. Visit Rick and Alik at the SFC Farmers’ Market– Downtown Saturday mornings, and find out more at honeysucklenaturals.com
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edible austin MARKETPLACE
BOARDS | GIFT BOXES | CUSTOM INSTALLATIONS jams, pickles, mustards + crackers made by hand
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German Bistro Open daily 4-11pm 316 E. Austin St. Fredericksburg 830-307-3336 ottosfbg.com
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YOUR LOCAL WINERY
featuring artisan, hand-crafted wines from the best of Texas and California vinyards.
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THE DIRECTORY ARTISANAL FOODS
Balcones Distilling
Antonelli’s Cheese Shop We love cut-to-order artisanal cheese and all that goes with it. Order a picnic platter, take a class or host a private guided event. Free tastings daily. 512-531-9610 4220 Duval St. antonellischeese.com
Started from scratch in 2008, Balcones is driven by a passion to create original and authentic spirits in the Heart of Texas with an emphasis on ingredients from grain to grass. 254-755-6003 225 S. 11th St., Waco balconesdistilling.com
Becker Vineyards
Delysia Chocolatier Handcrafted in Austin. Our products are handmade using fine quality, sustainable chocolate and only the freshest ingredients. 512-413-4701 2000 Windy Terrace, Ste. 2C delysia.com
Winery, vineyards, and tasting room with wines for tasting and for sale. Lavender fields, lavender products and annual Lavender Fest. 830-644-2681 464 Becker Farms Rd., Stonewall beckervineyards.com
Bending Branch Winery
Lick Honest Ice Creams Artisan ice creams celebrating the finest ingredients Texas has to offer! Handmade in small batches in our Austin kitchen. Natural, local and seasonal. 512-363-5622 1100 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 1135 512-609-8029 6555 Burnet Rd., Ste. 200 512-502-5949 1905 Aldrich Street, Ste. 150 ilikelick.com
Bending Branch Winery is a premier Hill Country winery with award-winning wines, including our signature Texas Tannat. Visit us Thursday through Sunday. 830-995-2948 142 Lindner Branch Trl., Comfort 830-995-3394 704 High St., Comfort bendingbranchwinery.com
Lone Star Meats
Bent Oak Winery is a local winery and tasting room bringing you fine wine with grapes sourced from Texas and California. 512-551-1189 2000 Windy Terrace, Ste. 2B bentoakwinery.com
Delivering high-quality products chefs desire with a meticulous eye on consistency. 512-646-6220 1403 E. 6th St. lonestarmeats.com
Pasta & Co. Austin’s only fresh pasta manufacturer serving the greater Austin area’s retail and wholesale pasta needs since 1983. 512-453-0633 3502 Kerbey Lane austinpasta.com
BAKERIES
Bent Oak Winery
Bloody Revolution From Bloody Revolution Gourmet Mixes in Austin, TX comes a nothing-else-needed Bloody Mary Mix that’s as great for cocktails as it is for cooking. Start a REVOLUTION! bloodyrevolution.com
Messina Hof
Blue Note Bakery Blue Note Bakery is Austin’s premier custom cake shop, meticulously creating one-of-a-kind desserts for your special occasions. 512-797-7367 4201 S. Congress Ave., Ste. 101 bluenotebakery.com
BEVERAGES
Est in 1977. Messina Hof is a family owned winery based on the three cornerstones of family, tradition & romance. 979-778-9463 4545 Old Reliance Rd., Bryan 830-990-4653 9996 U.S. 290, Fredericksburg 817-442-8463 201 S Main St., Grapevine messinahof.com
AquaBrew Brewery & Beer Garden Craft beer, culinary delights, local music and community all meet here. Come get a taste of what we’re all about. 512-353-2739 150 S. LBJ Dr., San Marcos aqua-brew.com 48
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Spec’s Wine Spirits and Finer Foods Family-owned since 1962, Spec’s offers expert service and Texas’ largest selection of wines, spirits and beers along with gourmet foods and more! 512-366-8260; 4970 W. US Hwy. 290 512-342-6893; 10515 N. MoPac Hwy 512-280-7400; 9900 S. I-35 512-263-9981; 13015 Shops Pkwy. 512-366-8300; 5775 Airport Blvd. specsonline.com
St. Francis Winery & Vineyards For more than four decades, the wines of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards have reflected the finest mountain and valley vineyards in Sonoma County. 888-675-9463 100 Pythian Road, Santa Rosa, CA stfranciswinery.com
Texas Coffee Traders East Austin’s artisinal coffee roaster and one-stop shop offering a wide selection of certified organic and fair trade options for wholesale and retail. 512-476-2279 1400 E. 4th St. texascoffeetraders.com
Texas Keeper Ciders Small-batch cider made in south Austin from 100% apples. Available in stores, bars, and restaurants throughout Austin, Houston, and DFW areas. 512-910-3409 12521 Twin Creeks Rd. texaskeeper.com
Tito’s Handmade Vodka Tito’s Handmade Vodka is handcrafted from 100% corn and distilled six times by Tito Beveridge in Austin, TX at America’s original microdistillery. Gluten-free! 512-389-9011 titosvodka.com
BOOKSELLERS BookPeople Texas’ leading independent bookstore since 1970. Located in the heart of downtown, BookPeople has been voted best bookstore in Austin for over 15 years! 512-472-5050 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com
University of Texas Press Our mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge through the publication of books and journals and through electronic media. 800-252-3206 utexaspress.com
CATERING AND MEAL DELIVERY Spoon & Co. Catering
Paula’s Texas Spirits Paula’s Texas Orange Liqueur & Paula’s Texas Lemon Liqueur—all natural and handmade in Austin since 2006. Available throughout Texas. paulastexasspirits.com
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It’s our business to delight you with the details, memorable events with mindfully chosen, prepared and presented food and a caring crew! 512-912-6784 spoonandco.com
EVENTS Palm Door Our facilities boast a total square footage of 7255 versatile indoor and outdoor space available for private events for groups up to 1000. Each section can be customized to suit the needs of creative and functional events. 512-386-1295 508 E. 6th St. 512-391-1994 401 Sabine St. palmdoor.com
FARMERS MARKETS Sustainable Food Center SFC cultivates a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. 512-236-0074 400 W. Guadalupe St. 3200 Jones Rd., Sunset Valley 4600 Lamar Blvd. 2921 E. 17 St., Bldg C (Office) sustainablefoodcenter.org
FARMS 44 Farms Founded and Family-owned since 1909 in Cameron, 44 Farms is the U.S. premier producer of ethically raised Angus beef. Our ranchers produce beef with no added hormones, antibiotics or artificial ingredients. 254-697-4401 963 PR 44, Cameron 44farms.com
GROCERS Royal Blue Grocery Downtown Austin’s neighborhood grocer—with dairy, prepared foods, beer and wine, Royal Blue has it all, in a convenient and compact format. Catering too! 512-499-3993; 247 W. 3rd St. 512-476-5700; 360 Nueces St. 512-469-5888; 609 Congress Ave. 512-386-1617; 301 Brazos St., Ste. 110 512-480-0061; 51 Rainey St. 512-524-0740; 1645 E. 6th St. royalbluegrocery.com
Whole Foods Market Selling the highest quality natural and organic products. 512-542-2200 525 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-345-5003 9607 Research Blvd. 512-206-2730 12601 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave 512-358-2460 4301 W. William Cannon wholefoodsmarket.com
HEALTH AND WELLNESS Peoples Rx Pharmacy and Deli Since 1980, Austin’s favorite pharmacy keeps locals healthy through Rx compounding, supplements and prescriptions, holistic practitioners and natural foods. 512-459-9090; 4018 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-444-8866; 3801 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-327-8877; 4201 Westbank Dr. 512-219-9499; 13860 Hwy 183 N. peoplesrx.com
Wiseman Family Practice Wiseman Family Practice is an integrative medical practice in Austin that focuses on health education and natural approaches to wellness. 512-345-8970 2500 S. Lakeline Blvd. Ste. 100 300 Medical Arts St. 3010 Bee Cave Rd, Ste. 200 wisemanfamilypractice.com
YMCA of Austin Building programs for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility that promote strong families, character values, youth leadership and community development. 8 Austin area locations. 512-322-9622 austinymca.org
HOUSEWARES AND GIFTS Der Küchen Laden Retail gourmet kitchen shop, featuring cookware, cutlery, bakeware, small electrics, textiles and kitchen gadgets. 830-997-4937 258 E. Main St., Fredericksburg littlechef.com
The Herb Bar Best place to cure what ails you and a resource center since 1986. Our Optimal Health Advisers are highly trained, knowledgeable and compassionate. 512-444-6251 200 W. Mary St. theherbbar.com
Weston Table Weston Table seeks to provide beautiful online entertainment driven by a passion to share extraordinary experiences, personal memories and cherished traditions. 617-899-4907 14 Irving Rd., Weston, MA westontable.com
LANDSCAPE AND GARDENING Barton Springs Nursery Locally grown Texas native plants. Organic pest management. Environmentally friendly soil amendments. Beautiful gifts. 512-328-6655 3601 Bee Caves Rd. bartonspringsnursery.net
It’s About Thyme Garden Center
Green Mango Real Estate
G’Raj Mahal
Top quality herbs for chefs, and native plants for gardeners. A nursery with expert staff and pocket-friendly prices. Free lectures most Sundays. 512-280-1192; 11726 Manchaca Rd. itsaboutthyme.com
Boutique firm specializing in Central Austin since 1987, especially the 78704 where we have sold more homes than any other single realtor. 512-923-6648 905 Avondale Rd. greenmangorealestate.com
G’Raj Mahal offers the best of Austin’s atmosphere with a combination of traditional and innovative Indian comfort food coupled with local music. 512-480-2255 73 Rainey St. grajmahalaustin.com
Judd Waggoman — Christie’s International Real Estate
Honey’s Pizza
Natural Gardener We are a garden center and teaching facility dedicated to promoting organic time-tested gardening practices. 512-288-6113 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd. naturalgardeneraustin.com
LODGING AND TOURISM Onion Creek Kitchens at Juniper Hills Farm Cooking classes, beautiful dining room venue for private events, hill country cabin rental. 830-833-0910 5818 RR 165, Dripping Springs juniperhillsfarm.com
NONPROFIT
Your ultimate source for luxury real estate in Los Cabos. Ranked #1 Realtor in Los Cabos, Mexico by InMexico Magazine. 530-751-6797 judcaborealestate.com
RESTAURANTS Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. Locally-sourced lunch and dinner. Craft brewery, live music, good people, dog friendly, creative community. #beermakesitbetter #ouratx 512-298-2242 1305 W. Oltorf St. theabgb.com
Central Texas Food Bank The Central Texas Food Bank is on the front line of hunger relief in a 21-county area, helping nearly 46,000 Central Texans each week access nutritious food when they need it the most. 512-282-2111; 6500 Metropolis Dr. centraltexasfoodbank.org
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Austin Label Company Custom labels up to 10 x 20 on paper, foil, synthetics, multiple adhesives, embossing, hot foil and UV coatings. Proud members of Go Texan, FTA and TWGGA. 512-302-0204; 1610 Dungan Ln. austinlabel.com
Merchant Cafe Inc.
Barlata Tapas Bar Located in the heart of South Lamar. Barlata offers a variety of tapas, paellas, regional Spanish wines and cavas. Come and enjoy a bit of Spain with us. 512-473-2211 1500 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 150 barlataaustin.com
Cannon + Belle Cannon + Belle is a dynamic, multi-station open kitchen restaurant featuring a delicious Texas-fresh menu plus specialty tap wine and cocktail program. 512-482-8000 500 E. 4th St, cannonandbelle.com
Harbortouch is a leading national supplier of point of sale (POS) systems, credit card processing equipment and a full range of merchant services. 866-973-9988 9901 Brodie Ln., Ste. 160, #712 harbortouchgeorgetown.com
East Side Pies
SHELF Studio
Flyrite Chicken
We’re a small, Austin, Texas-based team of packaging and brand experts who partner with entrepreneurs. We specialize in the food & beverage, and fitness & nutrition industries. 512-382-5884; 2131 Theo Dr., Unit D shelfstudio.com
REAL ESTATE
Fresh, local thin crust pizza - we know what you want. 512-524-0933; 1401B Rosewood Ave. 512-454-7437; 5312 G Airport Blvd. 512-467-8900; 1809-1 W. Anderson Ln. eastsidepies.com At Flyrite, we believe fast food should be real food. Our delicious sandwiches, wraps and shakes are fresh and made to order. Drive Thru. Eat Well! 512-284-8014 2129 E. 7th St. 512-243-6258 6539 Burnet Rd. flyritechicken.com
Barbara Van Dyke — Kuper Sotheby’s Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty Realtor. Helping buyers and sellers move to the next chapter of their lives. 512-431-2552 4301 Westbank Dr., B-100 barbaravandyke.kuperrealty.com
Fonda San Miguel Distinctive interior Mexican cuisine and fine art. 512-459-4121 2330 W. North Loop fondasanmiguel.com
Neapolitan pizza, baked goods, ice cream and burgers. 512-237-5627 109 NE. 2nd St., Smithville honeyspizza.com
Jobell Cafe & Bistro We offer a carefully selected and prepared take on French bistro fare with wonderful wines all served amidst the intimacy and charm of Texas Hill Country. 512-847-5700 16920 RR 12, Wimberley jobellcafe.com
Kerbey Lane Cafe Kerbey Lane Cafe is a local Austin haunt serving up tasty, healthy food (mostly) 24/7. Stop by any of our 6 locations for a delicious stack of pancakes! 512-451-1436 kerbeylanecafe.com
The Leaning Pear Café & Eatery Serving the Texas Hill Country fresh and seasonal favorites using local ingredients. 512-847-7327 111 River Rd., Wimberley leaningpear.com
Lenoir Lenoir is an intimate, family-run restaurant offering a weekly, local prix-fixe menu, great wine and friendly service. 512-215-9778 1807 S. 1st St. lenoirrestaurant.com
Vinaigrette A farm-to-table restaurant serving entrée salads and botany-inspired drinks/ cocktails. Patio dining and parking available. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 512-852-8791 2201 College Ave. 505-820-9205 709 Don Cubero Alley, Santa Fe, NM 505-842-5507 1828 Central Ave. SW, Albuquerque, NM vinaigretteonline.com
SPECIALTY MARKETS Make It Sweet At Make It Sweet, you can find tools, supplies and ingredients to make cakes, cookies and candies and learn fun, new techniques in the classes offered. 512-371-3401 9070 Research Blvd. makeitsweet.com
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HEIRLOOM 2017
49
WHAT I EAT AND WHY
GOD SAVE THE PUDDING BY J U D I T H EG E RTO N
grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins to join us now, but we had invited our son Gareth’s newlywed teacher and husband, who had recently hosted us at this new and wonderful feast of Thanksgiving, with turkey and sweet potatoes and pecan and pumpkin pies! We plowed our way through the Christmas roast beef with its accompaniment of crisp potatoes, Yorkshire puddings (a.k.a. popovers), Brussels sprouts, buttery carrots and rich gravy. We were replete, and we all looked very silly wearing paper hats and reading really stupid jokes to each other after we had pulled our Christmas crackers. Sentimental carols from dear little choirboys in ancient British cathedrals chorused us from the record player, and we all became a little watery-eyed over our post-prandial beverages. Then! THE BIG EVENT! The lights were dimmed, save for those decorating the Christmas tree, and a reverent silence fell over the dining room. John plated the long-steamed Christmas pudding with hallowed respect, sloshing it most liberally with brandy, while I bore in with a bowl full of brandied whipped cream. There was a gasp of awe from all present
W
as John lit the pudding into flames. Cheers of joy rang out and tears hen we brought our four small children from “England’s
of sentimentality flowed as we remembered harder times when any-
Green and Pleasant Land” to Texas in 1975, we felt it
thing available—even potato peelings—were thrown into that pre-
imperative that they learned our long-standing British
cious pudding just to keep the beloved custom alive.
traditions and customs. It was sweltering mid-August when we
John and I had decided that we should connect this wonderful mo-
arrived, but that is almost too late to begin the preparations for
ment with another intensely British tradition, and what more appro-
the traditional Christmas pudding, and indeed, the Christmas
priate than the national anthem? Our dear guests were Americans,
cake! But the pudding was tantamount. We hauled out a huge,
as we are now, and this is the same tune as “America” (“My country
deep bowl, and in it we combined currants, raisins, candied fruit
’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty…”). Our four small novice Amer-
peels, almonds, chopped apples, diced carrots, orange and lem-
icans were so confused. We suffered through a rendition of “God
on peels, beef suet, flour, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, brown sugar
Save the Queen,” followed by a heartfelt bellowing of “My Country
and sloshes of brandy, then we all kneaded and beat the mixture
Is a Flea.” Then we all nibbled tiny portions of our rich Christmas
with wooden spoons until it was blended. We draped a dampened
pudding as its flames died down. The sweet choirboys merged into
kitchen towel over the bowl to refrigerate.
Elvis, who then was actually still alive, and we slithered into a stupor
Meanwhile, my husband, John, and I, exhausted, sat at the table
of sated joy, uniting ancient traditions and New World excitement.
to drain the remainder of the brandy, while the children—aged 9
More than 40 years have lapsed since that memorable Christmas
years to Baby Annwen—sipped the leftover orange juice that we
Day—the day we christened with fire what our son Owen has hurt-
had also added to our concoction.
fully described as “dinosaur poop set ablaze.” Nowadays, I am gifted
The following morning, we spooned the fragrant mess out of
a pudding from an upscale London grocery by my sister-in-law, and
the bowl and into English pudding basins that we had hauled over
this classy pudding has an entire Seville orange buried in its center!
The Pond, then we steamed, cooled, refrigerated and forgot about
The puddings keep for years, and I am too sentimental not to store
it for four months as the thrill and anxiety of settling into a new
one. But still, each Christmas, with our large family and many be-
house, new schools, new jobs and new friends (who supposedly
loved friends gathered, we bellow out “God Save the Queen!” as we
spoke English, but a different one to ours) absorbed our lives.
watch our pudding flames die down. Bless the Queen’s heart; she
Then Christmas Day arrived! Such excitement! We had no beloved 50
HEIRLOOM 2017
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would be so flattered, and I know she would love a nip of the brandy!
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