Austin Chow by LASA Ezine

The Magazine for Local Foods

“Mother of all Mex”

Learn about the history of Austin’s own Mexican Curra’s

“Farming with no Water”

See what farmers are doing to keep their business in this time of drought

“Cows and Ice Cream”

An interview with Amy’s Ice Cream owner, Amy Simmons

“Konichiwa”

See what it takes to be owner of a Japanese restaurant

“Cows and Ice Cream”

Visit page (6) for an exclusive interview with the owner of Austin’s own Amy’s Ice Cream by Daniel Z Biographies A BRIEF explanation of the background and stories of the wonderful brains behind the fabulous and magnificent magazine you have before you. Located at Pg 4

“The Mother of All Mex”

Feature Story Number 2 written by none other than Daryk E. Flip over to page 20 for an interview with Jorge Garcia, the owner and founder of the local restaurant “Curras”.

“Farming With No Water” Find out on page 8 about how local farmers are coping with the loss of

Austin Chow  water lately. Written by Tyler J.

“The New Invasion” You thought swine flu was bad? Turn to page 12 to learn about the growing epidemic affecting many Americans

“Lunchables, No Excuses” The ridiculousness is growing as Kraft Lunchables expand their products. Go to page 11 to read about this story.

What Tex Mex Food is best for YOU? Take this quiz to find the ideal Tex Mex food for YOU. Figure out what you have been missing.

“Comercials Becoming Too Weird?” We’ve all seen the recent rise in comercials not exactly advertising their products, see what Kevin W thinks about this on page 18

Learn how to use chopsticks Tired of those damned asian eating contraptions? This guide gives you step by step instructions on how to use chopsticks like a pro.

“[Un]Healthy Foods” Ever seen those food procucts proclaiming to be healthy? A lot of times those are too good to be true. Read page 5 to see Daryk’s opinion on those.

How To Make Ham Tired of having ham that doesn’t live up to your standards? Ever want to just make your own? Learn how to on page 9

10 “Konichiwa”

Interview with Andy Liang, owner of Tokyo Teppan by Kevin W.

BIOGRAPHIES W’s best subject in school is math and his Kevin W Kevin is currently taking Spanish II as his language at LASA. In the future Kevin will go to many different culinary schools and eventually master the art of Teppanyaki. He will then become the owner and head chef of Tokyo Steakhouse and own a chain of Tokyo Teppans across the nation. He will dazzle his costumers with his amazing food preparing moves such as catching an egg in his chef hat. The articles that Kevin contributed to were Konichiwa, How to make Sushi, Are Commercials Becoming Too Weird, How to use Chopsticks, and Ask an Asian. Tyler J’s best subject in school is math. In the future Tyler becomes a Chinese/soul food restaurant owner in San Diego, California. His delicious method of combining Chinese flavors with soul food will eventually become a new style of cooking know as Asian Fusion. This method will combine the flavors of Asia with all different kinds of foods. He will then eventually compete with Daryk in Iron Chef America to see whose cuisine reigns supreme. The articles that Tyler contributed to were, How to Make Ham, Farming With No Water, Lunchables no excuses, and untitled.

Tyler J

Z enjoys basketball and is also currently enDaniel Z Daniel rolled in the Basketball class at LBJ high school. Daniel’s strongest subjects are math, world geography, and English. Daniel is also taking Latin as his language. In the future he will be the owner of a major company that helps Major food companies develop their ad campaigns and logos. He cannot disclose any information regarding his clients because it is classified and it ruins the surprise of the new logos. The Articles that Daniel contributed to were Cows and Ice Cream, The New Invasion, Can you Taste the Petroleum, and How to make Ice Cream.

Daryk E

Daryk E enjoys skateboarding. His strongest subject in school is lunch. Daryk is currently taking Spanish III as his language for LASA. In the future Daryk will be a successful Restaurant owner. His restaurants will serve Guamexican style food and he will franchise his restaurants to all fifty states of America. He will write cookbooks and eventually have a TV show called cooking with the Guamexican. The articles that Daryk contributed to were the mother of all Tex Mex, (Un) Healthy foods, which Mexican food is right for you, and the best of Tex Mex.

[Un]Healthy Foods I by Daryk

t’s that time of year again when all the “good” foods start disappearing from the pantry and mom breaks out the diet books. On any given day, she has her eyes glued to Oprah or Dr. Oz online dispensing random insight about what is now healthy or unhealthy. But not everyone has my mom, and not everyone watches Oprah. People should know what is or isn’t healthy and they sure can’t trust the food labels.

Let’s take a look at some of the so-called healthy foods that are spreading on shelves like wildfires. Recently, a dietician/nutritionist named Tanya Zuckerbrot released a list of 10 of these items. She included things that are believable such as pizza, but some not so believable such as tuna fish. The common link in all of these so called healthy foods is that they cover up their problems with words like fat free or sugar free. But, if these products don’t have sugar or fat, where is the taste coming from? Everyone knows that soft drinks are sugary, unhealthy beverages. What about diet sodas? It even has the word Diet conveniently in the name, so it must be healthy right? Look on the labels and you find no sugar or calories. If this seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. Most diet drinks are saturated with artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame or Saccharine both of which have been proven

to cause cancer in laboratory rats. Dr. Woodrow C. Monte published an article in the Journal of Applied Nutrition about Aspartame. In that article, he mentioned very disturbing facts about Aspartame, including that it contains a chemical called methanol, which turns into formaldehyde and formic acid in the body. Formaldehyde is the chemical that people use to preserve corpses, and formic acid is the same chemical that is found in fire ant venom. Both of these are deadly toxins with out ethanol, and coincidently Aspartame does not contain any of ethanol. Many organizations such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have denied certain links between artificial sweeteners and diseases, but an organization like this has a lot to gain from this claim, no pun intended. Former FDA investigator Arthur M. Evangelista oversaw many experiments concluding that Aspartame was Neurotoxic and entered the brain rather easily. Regardless, the product was approved for soft drinks and children’s vitamins in 1982. The problem is that the food companies are smart. They know what to write to get people’s attention; their target audience is usually children because parents don’t want their kids eating too much sugar. But if you are eating solely foods with labels like this and your waist is still growing, you need to do some research. The thing is, people don’t want to do that. Normal adults usually run a tight schedule and have to do more and more things to cope with the economy, including sometimes getting a second job. They don’t have time to do research on food. And food companies know that. I’m not just talking about store bought products, either. McDonalds got a lot of heat in 2004 after the hit film Supersize Me and they have claimed they

have stepped up their nutrition. However, their salads range between 20 calories (Side Salad) and 430 calories (Premium Southwest Salad w/chicken), and 0 to 20 grams of fat. And that’s not even counting the salad dressing. One of the dressings alone can add 190 more calories and 18 grams of fat. You can have a salad with the dressing for a total of 620 calories and 38 grams of fat. Combined, that’s more calories and fat than a Big Mac, which has 540 calories and 29 grams of fat! Now that salad doesn’t sound as healthy as it did before, does it? People need to do research on their food. Food companies are always trying to take advantage of consumers and the people need to know their tricks. It’s especially hard when money is tight in this time of depression, but is the cheaper chemical saturated food worth your waistline and even your health?

Austin Chow: -------------------

A Real Success See what Amy’s Ice Cream does for the Austin community By Daniel Z

alking into the sort of small store a smell of vanilla greets you as you find your place in line. The workers behind the counter are busy crushing a snickers bar into ice cream. The worker beats the ice cream with spoons in a drum like rhythm. He then proceeds to toss the ice cream covered spoon over his right shoulder, catching the spoon behind his back with his right hand. He then tosses the spoon high into the air and catches the falling Ice cream with a cup. The light flashes for applaud and everyone in the store claps. It was quite a display but the best part has yet to come. Amy Simmons started Amy’s Ice cream in 1984. Before she started Amy’s, she was a pre med student studying at Tufts University. While she was studying he worked at Steve’s Ice Cream.“ I didn’t want to go to med school. With this job I can work with the community”. Imagine the anxiety of donating blood. Knowing that it is for a good cause but still the notion of someone sucking out your blood can be scary for some people. However imagine eating not cookies and grape juice but a pint of double chocolate ice cream. Amy’s Ice Cream has just finished a project with the Austin Blood Center where people receive a pint of ice cream for every

pint of blood they donate. Amy’s has also donated a room for the Hematology and Oncology center for children in Austin. The room is completely decorated with an Amy’s Ice Cream theme. There are the well-known Amy’s cows painted on the walls, different mobiles hanging from the ceiling, and even an ice cream bar complete with freezers that are always stocked with free ice cream for the children. Amy’s also occasionally sends out their employees to go clean streets. Amy’s also buys girls scout cookies for their ice cream but mainly to support the girl scouts. More than just donating rooms for Oncology centers and giving away free ice cream to blood donors Amy’s Ice Cream has also given every educational or non profit organization a chance to get two gift certificates for small size ice cream. All the organizations have to do is request a donation and their tax ID, and a self-addressed envelope. Amy’s says that they have to abide by these rules so no nonprofit organization gets left behind. Austin has many Amy’s Ice cream stores located all around. Amy’s has pledged to stay local so they can really help and be a part of the community. There are twelve in fact. The first one was on Guadalupe street building 34. “ The plan is to be

small and local, you lose something when you expand”. Amy plans to keep Amy’s Ice Cream mainly in Austin. Amy’s Ice Cream not only helps the community. It also provides its employees with events such as the Trick Olympics. “We hold the trick Olympics once every year to give our more skilled employees a chance to show their skills.” The trick Olympics are usually held outside one of the Amy’s stores and the employees compete in distance, style, best trick with three people, and more. The applications are also a very unique part of Amy’s Ice Cream. There are no sheets of papers that need to be filled out for the application to be considered. The application is a white paper bag and you are supposed to be as creative as possible with it. Some of the applications are just amazing. One employee made a diorama inside one of the paper bags. Some people have made extravagant puppets out of the bags, or even cows out of the bags. It is just another one of those things that makes Amy’s Ice Cream “weird” like Austin. A fact about Amy’s Ice Cream is that all of the ice cream that Amy’s sells come from the same production plant, even the Amy’s in San Antonio and Houston gets it from the same place. The production plant is a fair size. In the corner there lie pink egg cartons that are stacked to the ceiling. They are used as a packaging for the chocolate covered strawberries that Amy’s sells during the Valentines Day weekend. “We use only the freshest ingredients”. That is defiantly true. There are jars and jars of vanilla bean soaking in small amounts of liquid to extract the flavor. To make the ice cream first all the ingredients are mixed together. Some of the ingredients are milk, vanilla or one of the other flavors, and sugar. The mixture then goes through a soft serve machine for the first freezing. Then the semi frozen mixture is put into a flash freezing machine to extract some of the access water. Almost everything is homemade. Amy’s cones are even at this production plant. Even with the current economy Amy’s Ice Cream is still providing Ice cream for charity organizations and blood donors. Of course during the winter people won’t buy as much ice cream as they do during the summer. . However if you do feel like getting ice cream on winter night, Amy’s offers a variety of choices ranging from plain vanilla to coffee ice cream. There are also the tricks involved in the assembly of your Ice cram. Amy’s Ice cream provides many different flavors of ice cream as well as a creative way of serving it. When I asked Amy why she serves ice cream like this she responded.“ Its always about taking away peoples’ stress” 

Austin Chow: -------------------

Farming With No Water by Tyler J.

better than me. Just being closer to the coast, she gets more water,” said Gundermann.

he Austin Farmer’s market is full of parents and children enjoying a spacious field, live music, and one another’s company. Children and dogs run playfully while parents and friends sit on blankets chatting. The sun casts long shadows as the day runs out. One vendor, Sebastien Bonneu, said “Being here at the market is like a day off.” Many people are having a good time, but the farmers that sell at the market are enduring an intense drought.

The dryness has forced Gundermann to try other methods of getting water. “We’re having to do more irrigation and dig more wells to get water for the plants,” Gundermann said. Sometimes these remedies aren’t enough to keep the damages of the drought from affecting the farmers. Intense, long-term droughts like this one can cause serious problems. “Two ponds have dried up,” said Gundermann “Now we have to rely on community water which is more expensive.”

A severe drought has plagued the central Texas area for since September 2007. This extreme weather condition has made it very difficult for local farmers to grow healthy produce and raise healthy animals. Farmers have had to find new ways of raising their foodstuffs or find another job. “There have been less booths lately,” said Sustainable Food Center employee “and some vendors haven’t come back.”

The drought not only affects produce, but livestock as well. Poultry and other animals need healthy grass to grow and be healthy. As the drought goes on, the size and prevalence of grasses reduces. This has potentially harmful affects for chickens. “Without the grass the chickens get sick.” explained Bonneu “The grass acts as a cushion between the bird and the ground.” Without the grass the bird is exposed to the ground which is full of harmful parasites and bacteria. “I’m down to about 25% production,” said Bonneu “I’ve gone from about 1500 to 400 birds.”

There has been a profound affect on the produce growing in central Texas. Ms. Gundermann, a local farmer, has had a very difficult time growing in the area. “It’s been really hard to get anything to grow,” She said. Most of her crops have not been flourishing or yielding large amounts of produce. Ms. Gundermann’s sister and business partner owns a farm near Glen Flora, Texas near Houston. “She [my sister] has been doing a lot

Texas Drought

• There has been a drought in central Texas since September 2007. • Much of the area is in “exceptional drought”, most locations received less than half their normal rainfall in 2008.

Bonneu has more troubles raising his poultry because they are raised freerange. He does not contain them in a large warehouse. “The birds, they gotta be happy,” he said. Happier birds are said to taste a lot better and are more expensive than the “factory farmed” birds. Raising the poultry out in the open can be much more difficult in the conditions of severe drought. Bonneu also is trying to find methods to protect his birds and help them thrive. He has done research about a new breed of bird from France. “This bird is more robust, and survives easier. They grow much faster, and they grow

A map of the drought conditions in Texas.The darker the red of the area, the less rainfall that area has received. Central and South Texas are currently in an “exceptional” drought.

bigger. Instead of small bird like this” said Bonneu as he picked raw from the coolers behind him “You get a bird that is bigger like this,” he gestured. “I have ordered eggs from France that I fertilize and then hatch,” he said. These bigger, stronger birds should help Bonneu earn more money for each bird raised. Local weather conditions are very important to the welfare of the farmers at the market. “What’s right here, local [weather], is what’s going to affect them,” said the SFC employee. If weather conditions don’t better, then Austin consumers will continue to see an impact. What happens in the next few months is very important to the farms. “If we don’t get rain this month, then the fruits will really be hurt,” said Gundermann. Despite the hardships that the farmers are facing, they try to smile and enjoy the market. They have accepted what has happened and try to keep moving forward. “Yah, we know it gonna be dry. It’s been like this a long time,” said Bonneu. Yet, the vendors haven’t given up on farming because they know that this drought will end. Until then, they will continue finding new ways to beat the water shortage, and enjoy their evening. 

Ham: How All images that appear on this created by me.

PROCESSED HAM

ARRIVAL- Cuts of pork arrive from a slaughterhouse. The meat used to make ham is from the leg of the pig. These pieces are usually around 20 lbs.

Saline Water

Ham is a mysterious thing. Take a journey with me into the world of making ham. We will follow the meat by Tyler J. from cuts of raw pork to the slab of cured meat that you set out on a page were kitchen table. We will investigate the making of processed ham and how you can make ham in your own home (For more informaBRINING- The mustion on this process go cles are injected with a to http://schmidling. brine solution containcom/ham.htm) ing water, salt, sugar, and salt peter. The brine is forced into holes in the meat tisuue

MAKING HAM AT HOME COOKING- Rinse the ham in fresh water and boil at about 170F until the internal temperature reaches 155F. Then cool it for about 30 minutes in cold water

BRINING- Soak the meat in a brine solution that is chilled to 40F. Soaking should last for about 4 days. The longer the meat is soaked the saltier it will be.

MEAT- Any part of the pig will pretty much taste like ham. Get piece of a size that you think you can manage and eat.

SMOKING- for a ham that is a little smokey smoke for about 5 hours. For a “country cured” style ham, smoke it for about 24 hrs at 130F. KEEPING- The ham can be put in the refrigerator for PACKAGING- The fina few weeks. ished hams are packaged in shrink wrap and shipped in refrigerated trucks to retail outles and restaurants

SOAKINGHams then soak in the remaining brine for 10-16 days.

RINSING- The ham is rinsed thoroughly with fresh water. DRYING- The hams are hung on large hooks or placed on racks. A crust may form on the ham while drying. This is scraped off before curing.

HANGING- The hams are hung on meat hooks in a large kiln or put on racks in a smaller smoker.

SMOKING- The smoker is kept at a temperature of 70-80°F (21-26°C). Wood chips are used rather than logs to create a slow burning fire. The amount of time that the ham remains in the smoker is determined by the desired intensity of flavor. That period can be as little as 48 hours or as much as six weeks.

Austin Chow: -------------------

This was no carnival-juggling act. It was performed by 32-year old chef and manager Andy Liang at the Tokyo Teppan Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar near the HEB at the “Y” in Oak Hill. “I started this restaurant because I wanted to make lots and lots of money!” he said. Andy sat in the back of the kitchen with his laptop watching his favorite basketball team, the Chicago Bulls. “I started this restaurant in October of 2001, when I was just 26,” he explains to me. “My little brother went to Houston to become a chef, and so became one too!” After graduating from ACC, Andy went to work for his parents at a restaurant called Superbowl. In about two

“Our customers tend to buy the Tempura Spicy Tuna rolls the most.” Andy said. “They just can not get enough of that crunchy goodness! My personal favorite would have to be the fillet mignon. My Dad cooks it the best” Andy is interesting in all sorts of things including basketball, cooking, video games, mahjong, and loves the restaurant Fogo De Chao. If you ever catch him with spare time, he is usually watching basketball. “I can’t get enough of basketball. I just hope that the Bulls win the championship this year!” I asked Andy if he has ever had a different career in mind. Jokingly, Andy states boldly, “I want to be President of the United States!” I then asked him if he thought that he made the right choices in starting a restaurant, and he replied dramatically “Of course, man.” 

Photo by Kevin W.

years, Andy decided that he wanted to make a restaurant of his own. “At first my Mom and Dad did not want me to make a sushi bar. They wanted me to become a doctor, or maybe even an engineer. But after weeks of talking with my parents, they finally gave in. So we sold Superbowl and we found a nice location in Oak Hill. We opened up our new restaurant, and customers came like crazy!”

Photo by Kevin W.

hile the egg spun on the table, he slipped a long spatula under the whirling oval, lifted it a foot and held it there momentarily, still spinning. He then flipped it once, twice, three times. He caught it deftly on the spatula each time before sending it upward, as easily as a child bounces a ping-pong ball on a paddle. The third time, he flipped the spatula, allowing the egg to spin for a moment on the overturned paddle before tossing it again, once, twice. Then over the right shoulder, he caught it behind his back and brought it out to the left. Two more bounces and he turned the spatula vertical. When the egg hit, it cracked and stuck to the spatula, orb imbedded on the metal blade. He finished by taking the egg in one hand, cracking it the rest of the way and depositing the yolk and white in a pan. End of show, beginning of fried rice.

Photo by Kevin W.

A Look Into Asian Cuisine by Kevin W.

Photo by Kevin W.

Konichiwa

Kraft® Lunchables: No Excuses by Tyler J.

or years Lunchables have been sold to unsuspecting consumers as a convenient, cheap lunch for parents that don’t want to take the time to make a lunch for their child, but when they become a consistent part of a child’s diet, they will cause harmful effects. Lunchables are unhealthy, low quality products, and they should not be relied upon to nourish our children.

eat Lunchables, but only every now and then. Saying something is part of healthy diet does not mean that it is good for you. Lunchables should be eaten in moderation.

Despite health claims, most A typical Lunchables meal. This package lets you make your Lunchables packages con- own pizzas with cheese, sauce, and meat. ily put crackers, deli meat, and cheese tain around 1000 mg of soThe Kraft Corporation has little condium. Most recommendations for adult in a box in under five minutes, and by cern for the quality of their product. sodium intake say to not exceed about Spencer Soper’s calculations, for under They would be satisfied as long as their 2200 mg. A single Lunchables meal 60 cents per lunch. Putting together sales are maintained, and they can keep would be about half of that guideline. three “Dad’chables” in 5 minutes, he their image. It is understandable that Also, keep in mind that children, hav- saved $6 on lunch that day. “That’s like parents would like to “take the daily ing smaller bodies, should have less salt paying yourself $72 an hour, in case you challenge out of giving kids food they’ll than full-sized adults. High sodium in- still think the convenience is worth it,” eat”. Lunchables are easy: just buy the take can have dangerous side effects. “A he says. You can see his “Dad’chables” package, bring it home, and give the high salt diet in childhood could lead to on the web at mcall.com/onthecheap. box to your kid and they’ll be on their a range of health problems in later life, By substituting fresh fruit for the treat, way. But there’s no substitute for a such as high blood pressure, osteopo- you can make a personal, better version homemade lunch, there are Lunchables rosis, kidney stones, respiratory illness of Lunchables. alternatives that are both cheap and and stomach cancer,” said Professor healthy. Graham Macgregor, the chairman of Lunchables make lots of claims about the superior taste and the healthiness In response to consumer health con- Consensus Action on Salt & Health. of their products. “That’s why Lunchcerns, Kraft Foods has made changes to High salt diets also make people more ables Sensible Solution Lunch Comtheir meals. In 2005, Kraft Foods cut thirsty meaning that they will have to binations continues to take the guessthe calorie and salt contents of Lunch- drink more. Children often reach for work out of the brown bag dilemma ables. Kraft now claims that Lunchables sugary drinks to satisfy them. The in- by making fun meal options that are are part of a healthy diet. Many would creased caloric and sugar intake caused also better-for-you,” Kraft says. But do accept this without a second thought, by this thirst can have further adverse not forget: no matter how much Kraft but the truth is that, yes it is okay to effects on health. tries, these meals will never be able to Lunchables also have a high fat surpass the taste and nutritional value content. Most Lunchables’ calories of a fresh, homemade meal. The few are from 30-60 percent from fat. minutes each day that it takes to make This is well above the guideline that a real lunch makes a big difference in 35 percent of calories should come your child’s life. from fat. Some meals have reduced fat, but in the food industry, where Lunchables are not a proper meal there is low fat, there is often a choice. I would hope that, at the most, they would become an occasional treat. helping of sugar to take its place. Or, they could never be bought at all. Lunchables can be quite conve- Just, serve Lunchables responsibly.  Lunchables’s “Chicken Dunks” meal. Another nient, but there are many healthier variety featured a fizzing rock candy to eat with your and cheaper alternatives that you chicken and ketchup. Another meal included tacos can make at home. Anyone can easwith fizzing rock candy.

Austin Chow: -------------------

The New Invasion See how junk food has invaded the minds of everybody By Daniel Z.

fter a long day of school I come home craving a snack. I open the refrigerator to find something good to eat. Nope, there are only vegetables and day-old salmon. The shelves are lined with rye bread and soymilk. They are healthy, but not very appetizing. I then go into the pantry and find a bag of my favorite chips; Flamin- HotCheetos. For dinner my dad brings home Burger King. The vegetables and Salmon are forgotten. This is an example of how junk food is near impossible to stay away from. It’s everywhere. Junk food has managed to wiggle its way into television, the Internet, and the radio. When you turn on the T.V you will mainly see ads for restaurants or beauty care products, or junk food. Vegetables can no longer compare to potato chips and people crave hamburgers not eggplant.

joint just on their way to work or school. Or at least see one. I know that on my way to school I pass two MC Donald’s, a Chick-Fil-A, a Burger King, two Wendy’s, two Jack-in-the boxes, and a Taco Bell. That’s a lot of fast food joints! The vending machines, at my high school, the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, even have junk food in them. Granted it’s baked Lays and Cheetos, but it’s still junk food. It’s just semi-healthier junk food. Fast food joints such as Mc Donald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell are all very familiar to us. Most of us have grown up with them around. Kids have to have the little happy meal toys; I know because I was one of them. Some kids watch hours of junk food commercials a day. First it’s Spongebob then it’s the new Coca Cola commercial. Then its Ben 10 Alien force, then try the new Lay’s flavor. It’s no surprise that they eat junk food. The only way Junk food has invaded the minds of to fix the problem now is to advertize everybody. Myself, like a lot of people, carrots like the way they advertize junk pass by a food. Get a free Pokéfast food mon toy with every pound of carrots you purchase.

Chef Ann Cooper says that America m a k e s more junk food that any other country in the world. For a start we were the country that introduced Mc Donald’s to the world; which is now a global icon. Mc Donald’s claims to feed over 47 million people

a day. That’s almost double the total population of Texas which is 24 million people according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. If that doesn’t get you shocked think about everybody in Texas eating Mc Donald’s for breakfast and lunch on the same day. Mc Donald’s advertises its food everywhere from billboards to city buses. Mc Donald’s also claims to spend about 2 billion dollars in advertisements year. Because the food tastes good and saves time, it’s no surprise that many people choose to eat fast food than to spend the time cooking food and then washing the dishes. Oh yeah, and we didn’t just invent Mc Donald’s, we also invented Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Frito-Lay. According to Carolyn Colwell, a reporter for the US News: many schools have vending machines where kids can purchase things like potato chips and Pop-tarts. I find it ironic that many schools teach children to stay away from junk food and then offer it on school grounds. But hey, if that lecture about the evils of junk food really got you in need of refreshment you can always stop by the vending machines for lemonade and a bag of chips. The opposition may say that junk food is easy to stay away from if you just stop thinking about it. How can you stop thinking about something that is everywhere? Your grocery store is filled with advertisements for Doritos two for one sales, and soda. The TV commercials are mainly about junk food and your computer advertises junk food just as much. To stop thinking about junk food you would have to isolate yourself form the outside world. Never watch TV and never turn on the radio or computer. It’s pretty impossible to do if you think about the will power of an average American. I recently watched

TV for an hour and a half. Here is the list of commercials that I saw, one for Air Heads, one for Mc Donald’s, one for Wendy’s, and one for a car commercial. So we had four commercials total and three were for junk food, so in one and a half hours of TV, 75% of all commercials are about junk food. The main part of junk food is all the sugar that is in it. high fructose corn syrup is the one of the big contributors. Even if you try to eat healthy you may still get high fructose corn syrup in your diet; there are just too many variables to say that you never have high fructose corn syrup. However some foods that were considered “diet” foods even had the stuff. According to Mark Sisson, these lying foods consisted of Yoplait yogurt, reduced calorie salad dressing, smart ice cream sandwiches, 100-calorie snack packs, and even Special K. These are supposed to be the healthy diet foods people eat to escape the clutches of sugar. It’s a shock that even Special K contains high fructose corn syrup because they are supposed to be the guaranteed healthy food. That’s just down right depressing. As it turns out even when you try to escape junk food and sugar it still finds a way to bring you back.

FreeB!rds

Chuy’s

Curra’s

Maudies

Although Freeb!rds World Buttito is not originally from Austin, the original owner founded one in Austin where they sell world famous burritos

Chuy’s truly captures the “Keep Austin Weird” saying. They are local, fun, and affordable as a plus. The menu is chock full of tasty meals that will leave you satisfied and eager to return.

“The Mother of all Mex” was started 14 years ago and is still thriving. Here you can find very affordable TexMex with an uncompromised taste. For an interview with the owner visit page (?).

This traditional to Austin restaurant was started more than 50 years ago as a Cafe. Since then they have changed their style to tex mex and continue to please customers with their award winning Tex Mex food and Margaritas.

The Best Taco Xpress Taco Xpress is a down to earth authentic Tex Mex restaurant where you can enjoy some live music with your meal. Taco Xpress is located on south lamar and an excellent choice to staisfy your appetite.

Elsi’s Elsi’s is a Family owned and operated local buisiness. Since 2000 they have been serving authentic Tex Mex food and have become famous for their voted “Best in Austin Tacos Ahogados”.

Polvo’s Polvo’s is yet another authentic Mexican food diner and is know for their true South-of-theBorder taste. This family owned and operated restaurant serves delicious tamales along with other fantastic entrées.

Juan in a Million

Trudy’s Trudy’s has a down to earth atmosphere; eat some great Tex Mex cuisine while chillin on the patio or catch a game on one of the TVs. Visit one of their 3 locations and figure out what you’re missing

The name may be a joke, but the food definately isn’t. This authentic Tex Mex restuarant owned by Juan Meza serves great food at an affordable price.

of Tex-Mex by Daryk E.

Matt’s El Rancho

Matt’s El Rancho has been around for a whopping more than 50 years. Their family atmosphere and authenic Tex Mex has brought customers flocking for half a century.

Baby A’s

Texican Cafe

Serranos

Famous for their great enchiladas, Babay Acapulcos has been an Austin favorite for over 25 years. Visit one of their 5 restaurants in Austin and you’re bound to be going back for more!

Texican Cafe even has Texas and Mexican in the name. This pun filled restaurant dishes out both Texas and Mexican food incarnate. Highly rated and delicious, this restaurant is awesome.

Serranos serves authentic Tex Mex with an Austinized twist. Family owned and operated for more than 20 years, Executive Chef Adam Gonzales keeps the style fresh.

Julio’s Cafe

Nuevo León

Located in Hyde Park, Juilo’s has been serving fresh Tex Mex for over 23 years. Known for having the best soup in town, this restaurant is definately a good choice to eat.

This fine and tasty Tex Mex cuisine has a specialty of steak and seafood, but it still is a great place to eat. Visit one of the 2 family owned and operated locations to enjoy some fine Tex Mex.

What Tex Mex food is Best for YOU?

Question 1:

Which of the following is the most appetizing to you? A) Cheese B) Chicken C) Beef D) None of the Above

Question 2:

What kind of tortillas do you favor? A) White Flour B) Corn C) Wheat Flour

Question 3:

Which of the following would you rather eat? A) A soup B) Something fried C) Something baked D) None of the above

Question 6:

Question 4:

Whats your favorite kind of taco? A) Chicken B) Beef C) Fish D) I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like tacos/ none of the above

Question 5:

What is your ideal food with a tortilla? A) Taco/Burrito B) Chalupa C) Enchilada D) Taco Salad

What is your favorite form of beef? A) Steak Fajita B) Barbacoa C) Menudo D) None, cows are sacred

Question 7:

What is your favorite topping? A) Sour cream B) Salsa C) Queso (cheese) D) Guacamole

Can you taste the Petroleum?

Many of us have eaten a twinkie before but has anyone ever wondered what was in one? The cake istelf is made from various ingredinets including Lecitin, Diacetyl, Cornstarch, Yellow #5, Red # 40, and Sorbic Acid. These are what the ingredinets said before are. Lecithin is an emulsifier made from soy. It’s also used in paint to keep pigments evenly seperated. Diacetyl mimics the taste of butter, since the real butter would go bad on a store shelf. Cornstarch is a common thickener. But it’s more often used to make cardboard and packing peanuts. Yellow No. 5 & Red No. 40 make the cake look like theres eggs in it, but there really isn’t

. Sorbic acid, the only actual preservative in Twinkies, but it comes from petroleum. In the Cream filling there is shortening, polysorbate acid, Cellulose gum, and artificial vanillin. Shortening (in the form of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and/or beef fat) is the main ingredient. Polysorbate acid is a gooey substance that helps replace cream and eggs at a fraction of the cost. It’s derived from corn, palm oil and petroleum. Cellulose gum gives the crème filling a smooth, slippery feel. Articicial vanillin is synthesized in petrochemical plants. The real thing comes from tropical orchids that are pollinated by hand on the one day they bloom.

Austin Chow: -------------------

Commercials Becoming Too Weird?

Another example of a weird commercial would be this commercial about Pepsi Max. In one of these Pepsi ads, a guy walks into a job interview, sits down and then, for no apparent reason, starts pretending that his would-be boss is beating him up. He ends the charade by hurling himself into the waiting room, thus scaring off all the other applicants except his buddy, who eventually gets the job, not the man doing the charade. I thought that since everyone Many recent food commercials in the was scared off, that the man doing the past couple of years seem to have just charade would receive the job. One become weirder and weirder. I under- other ad would be the series Burger stand that this is slapstick humor, and King Whopper Virgin ads. The ads feadon’t get me wrong, I love cartoons with ture people who live in such rural areas slapstick humor such as Tom & Jerry, of the world that they have ostensibly but I just feel that when they do these never tried, or perhaps even heard of, a kinds of things on national television, burger. After apparently being told to it’s just going too far. This ad, not only dress in their fanciest traditional outpointless in my opinion, implies that it fits, they are trooped into a bland room is perfectly okay to beat up on someone and handed two burgers. Footage on else to deal with frustration and anger the company’s Web site shows the tesregardless of whether that person has ters unsure how to eat the burger and anything to do with why you’re angry. make them seem oblivious to the rest In this case it is even more nonsensi- of the world. In the television ads, the cal because the guy on the receiving subjects are seen taking huge bites of end of the wedgie works for the com- the sandwiches, but their responses appany that’s providing a good deal, not pear muted: They point at the one they the companies that are at fault. For Del like and briefly confirm their choice. If Taco to create this ad shows disrespect they had anything compelling to say for the company’s workers. about the experience of eating their first burger, you don’t see it in the spots. I searched the Internet and found some There’s certainly no evidence that they blog site where people can talk about were converted to a life of fast food and what they liked and what they disliked are seeking franchise opportunities. in commercials. Nicole, a commenter The online movie offers a little more from Las Vegas stated, “The first time insight, including one man admitting I saw this commercial I looked at my he prefers seal meat and a few people husband and asked him what I missed. choosing the Big Mac, saying they Neither of us found it funny in any way. have no preference or refusing to try a It was nearly the dumbest thing I had burger at all. But if there was an “a-ha” ever seen. We like Del Taco but this moment among the testers, I don’t see commercial did nothing to make me it. Also, while the company’s self-conwant to run out and buy their food.” gratulatory press materials paint the I know that not everybody feels this experiment as an example of honesty way about these types of commercials, and transparency, they don’t reveal the but this person gave a good example of most basic piece of information: definiwhat I felt like after I watched it. tive results of their taste tests, such as recent commercial for Del Taco shows your typical office drone standing in line staring at the woman behind the counter in a kind of creepy way. It turns out he’s angry because Del Taco’s prices are so cheap he realizes that all other fast food joints are ripping him off. What is Del Taco’s solution? Send another hapless worker over and let the office drone give him a wedgie.

By Kevin Wang

how many people tried the burgers and the number of people who preferred each one. The lack of concrete data raises the question of whether, overall, the Whopper was the favorite, or whether they just choose to feature the anecdotal stories of those that preferred the Whopper. On this particular blog, Jane K said, “BK’s idea makes me very upset. Something like this can destroy a culture and it bothers me a fast food restaurant of all corporations is willing to destroy a culture’s values and traditions just so it can sell more burgers. Burger king has had some of the worst advertisements on television for years.” I have to agree with this person because not only do these commercials seem stupid and to not make sense, but they also are looking down upon these cultures and maybe marking our culture as better than theirs. I do understand that presently, people love watching other people get hurt or embarrassed. I know that I definitely do, but that isn’t a reason why commercials have to be like this now. I think that they are going overboard on what they are trying to show. Commercials should be informative and perhaps a little funny, but they shouldn’t be pointless or gross, like the Del Taco commercial. I just hope that in the future commercials won’t be this bad, so that the children of that generation don’t have to experience violence as soon as they turn on their television.

How to use Chopsticks Step 1

Hold one chopstick in the crook of your thumb and let it rest on your middle finger. The chopstick should not touch the forefinger

Step 2 Place the other chopstick on top of the first chopstick and pinch with your thumb and forefinger

Step 3 Make sure that both chopsticks are parallel

Step 4 Practice moving your forefinger so that both tips of the chopsticks touch

Step 5 Enjoy the ability to use chopsticks!

19 19

How to make Ice Cream 1. First gather all the ingredients: 1 table spoon of sugar, 1/2 cup of mil or half and half, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, 6 tablespoons of rock salt, one pint size plastic bag, one gallon size plastic bag and ice cubes. 2. Fill the large bag half full of ice and add the rock salt. 3. Seal the bag and put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag and seal it. 4. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully. 5. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes. Then remove the ice cream from the bag.

The Mother of All Mex An Interview with the Owner of Curras- By Daryk E.

our to six times a week, Jorge Garcia goes to his work where he is the Director of Operations. He is in charge of everything from taxes and accounting to the two assistant managers; one manages the front of the house while the other manages the back.

“There was never an original Curra’s. My grandmother used to own a restaurant in my hometown, in Mexico, and that’s where a lot of the recipes came from.” The menu is chock full of good and healthy foods ranging from Blackened Fish Enchiladas (one of Jorge’s personal favor-

Jorge and his brother founded the restaurant in Austin fourteen years ago. Currently the only two Curra’s are in Austin and North Carolina, however Jorge is planning on opening one on High-

As we all know, the economy is in a bit of a crisis and lots of small businesses are going under. Fortunately, this is not the situation for Curra’s. In fact, the restaurant is doing better these past years than ever before. “Actually, last year

Photo by Sarider1 on Flikr.com

However, this is not the kind of house you might be living in. Jorge is one of the founders of the local restaurant Curra’s, the other founder being his brother. The tables and waitresses/waiters are in the front of the house, and the kitchen and offices are considered the back of the house. Curra’s has kept Austin weird for fourteen years and has been dubbed “The Mother of All Mex” by the Austin Chronicle. Right now, Jorge works at the Curra’s on Oltorf. The only other Curra’s is in North Carolina.

ites) to homemade tamales. Right now, the best selling items on the menu are the Tacos al Pastor and the Carnitas. Various cooks and employees, including Jorge himself, created a lot of the items on the menu. “Well, I really like the carnitas, that was part of a creation between myself and one of the cooks. I like everything, like the Enchiladas Cancun, I came up with that one myself, Blackened fish Enchiladas I do like a lot. So yeah, there’s different items and different things that I love and that I have done myself.”

way 290. The only problems they had starting up their business were financial he said. “It’s not expensive to open up a restaurant though. It’s expensive to keep it open when you’re not succeeding”. But even with those issues, the two brothers decided to pursue the business. “Well, we used to work in restaurants before when we were in school and my brother opened up a restaurant for people so we decided to, you know, give it a try. So we did and we thought we were doing a small restaurant, but it turned out to be a big restaurant.”

Austin Chow: ------------------- This is a picture o f Jorge Garcia, the current owner of Curra’s, with one of the award winning margaritas.

we had the best year ever in 14 years and this year, we’re already up from last year. So yeah, the market, the economy really hasn’t affected us because we have prices people can really afford, you know. You can go in there and eat a breakfast taco for $1.50 and you know, get a coke and a cup of coffee for $3.00. There’s not a whole lot of restaurants where you can do that.” Jorge is pretty content with his current job. He has no regrets and says that he likes his job, and what he wants is to just be a restaurant consultant. He said that he already sort of does that when people want to pull a permit or open a new restaurant. “I would like to be a consultant to other restaurants, you know. That would be something that would be neat to do. You know, help people get better, know what to do, how to do it better. Help them not make mistakes, not to make mistakes in accounting, not to make mistakes in contracts, stuff like that.”

La Comida Favorita Jorge and his brother are not planning on expanding their business that much, aside from making a new location on highway 290 in Austin. Curra’s is a local business with affordable prices, authentic Mexican food, and a down to earth atmosphere. Next time you find yourself on Oltorf, give your mother a visit ;) .

Ever wonder what people’s favorite Mexican/ Tex-Mex food is? The following is a surevey of what random people think about Tex Mex.

50%

chose breakfast tacos

25%

favor the steak fajitas

15%

love chimichangas

10%

like Gorditos the best

How to Make Sushi by Kevin W.

Two popular types of sushi are finger rolls (called nigiri-zushi) and nori rolls (called maki-zushi or maki-mono). Finger rolls are bars of sushi rice topped with wasabi and fish. Sushi nori rolls, the most popular type of sushi, consist of rice and various ingredients, such as fish, wrapped in a sheet of seaweed call nori. Below is a short guide to making a basic sushi roll (maki-zushi), such as a California Roll.

Spread Rice over Nori

Place the nori sheet, shiny side down, on the bamboo rolling mat. With water moistened hands (which helps in handling the sticky rice), spread half a cup of sushi rice evenly over the nori sheet, leaving 1â&#x20AC;? at the top.

Step 1

Arrange Fillings over Rice

Arrange the sushi roll fillings (see glossary for different types of sushi rolls and ingredients) in a narrow row across the top third of the sushi rice. Leave a space of rice above and below the strip of toppings.

Fold sushi mat over roll

Moisten the top edge of exposed nori with water. Grasp the rolling mat with both hands, thumbs underneath, and fold the close edge of the nori sheet so it overlaps the sushi rice and ingredients.

Roll Sushi Tightly with Mat

Roll tightly with firm pressure using the rolling mat. Lift the mat slightly and finish rolling until the edge closest to you meets the rice free edge at the far end of the nori. Overlap the moist edge of the nori sheet to create a seal.

Remove Sushi Roll from Mat

Use the rolling mat to shape and square up the sushi roll by pressing gently along the tops and sides of the roll. Remove the sushi roll from the bamboo mat, and place the roll seam side down on a cutting board.

Slice Sushi Roll into pieces

Sushi is best sliced using a carbon steel Japanese style knife. After the knife is moistened in water/vinegar, cut the nori rolls into six or eight equal pieces. (Cut the roll in half, then each half in thirds or forths.) Use a swift back and

By The Numbers: Food

All Dairy

601 lb

181 lb

A look at the consumption of food by the average American. (Consumption is measured based on availability, not on actual consumption)

by Tyler J.

Beef

64 lb

is drunken as beverages

Poultry

73.6 lb

Cheese

31.5 lb

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about 1 cows-worth of meat every 8 years.

Thats over 38 trillion singles (38,400,000,000,000)

Fruits and Vegetables

737 lb

198 fresh + 219 processed 417 lbs of veggies

Pork

51 lb

Grains

193 lb

In China, the worlds #1 pork consumer, the per capita consumption is 88 lbs. Other 9%

127 fresh + 146 processed 273 lbs of fruit

White/Whole Wheat 64%

Rice 11%

Lamb

0.8 lb

Corn 16% Products

Fish Fats and Oils

86 lb

Thats almost 10 gallons of margarine.

82 percent of that is chicken

16.2 lb

This value is for fish and shellfish.

In a lifetime, a person will eat about 1 lamb of meat.

**All values are lbs/person/ year unless otherwise stated