Lucia

Lucia is well worth the wait! It isn't easy to get a table at this South Dallas spot, but if you can swing a reservation, I won't divulge all my secrets on just how, you will not be sorry! The simple flavors and attention to detail are spectacular, to say the least. Small plates offer a taste of everything, and believe me, you will want to taste it all. There were four of us, and we each ordered an appetizer, a pasta course and a main dish, each were shared and sampled by all at the table. Thank heaven we were eating with friends! It would be TOO difficult to choose just one.


We started off with a platter of the house made salamis, the Lardo which just melted in your mouth is something to dream about!
Salumi misti – a tasting of house-made cured meats 14/23
Rabbit and pistachio pâté, fennel/orange salame, porchetta, soppressata,
Duck salame cotto, lardo and chicken liver crostini, Fritto misto of baby squid



Crostini with chicken liver and black mission figs, pork belly with greens and soft egg

The Pasta Course
Rabbit tortelloni en brodo,Spaghetti with zucchini, rock shrimp, chili and mint
, bay scallops and Atlantic smelt with a green almond aioli


The Dinner Course
Pork Shank

Lamb


Quail

Deep Ellum Art Show 2011

Here are a few pictures of the Spring Art Show we catered at the Continental Gin in Deep Ellum.
Pita strips and veggies with peppercorn dip and spring pea humus, Gruyere profiteroles with shaved ham and mustard aioli, Caprese tartlets and lemon bars.

Home Slice

White Clam Pizza: OUR FAVORITE!


The logo says it all . . . Home Slice is the QUEEN of pies. There is nothing like it, you have to know it to enjoy it. I don't know what else to say, if you go one place in Austin to eat, GO HERE!


I am not sure what we enjoy more . . . the food or the T-Shirts, they are both fabulous and we can't get enough of either one. Clever, silly and cute, the shirts, not the food always spur conversation.


Start with the garlic knots, especially if you have to wait, most likely unless you visit on a very OFF hour. Chewy and served with a side of pure tomato sauce, they are a great preview of what is to come.


Pizza by the slice is amazing, Bo loves the calzone, but Beep and I can't resist the white clam pizza, WOW! If you had told an Indiana farm girl that she would be one day eating clam pizza, I would have said, "NO WAY," but I must admit it is a mouthful of happiness.

Smarties: The perfect way to end the meal.

Green Mesquite

A family and Austin favorite we have at least one meal per visit at Green Mesquite! Casual and quick, this joint offers great food and funky, only in Austin, atmosphere. Dine inside in the summer, but sit outside in the "picnic" dining area when the weather is mild. Enjoy live music while you dine on this perfect blend of BBQ and comfort food.

I left MY comfort zone and tried something different this trip! I tried the cheese steak taco basket, recommended by our waiter. Soft tortillas filled with tender well seasoned beef, gooey cheese, caramelized onion and pico de gallo, they were fantastic.
Paired with perfectly lightly dressed slaw and fresh cut fries, need I say more. Beep stuck with his staple, as did Camille, half a chicken with fried okra for him and the pulled pork sandwich for Camille.

Bo stuck with a comfort food favorite, the chicken fried steak. Big hit, an Austin home town favorite, he polished off every last bite.


Cam had the chopped beef sandwich, yummy!


Other don't miss items on the menu if you have a crowd to help you out are onion rings, po boys and chili cheese fries with chopped beef. Save room for dessert, a cobbler or pie with Amy's ice cream of course. It might be tough! A hospitable staff and old school atmosphere, Mesquite is a must visit in Austin.

Coconut Cookies

This is an amazingly versatile sugar cookie recipe that has evolved into a number of flavor variations. This flavor is one of my favorites. Nothing smells better than toasting coconut! Sweet and crunchy, it adds the perfect punch to this simple cookie.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. Butter, 2 sticks
1 3/4 C Sugar
1/4 C Brown Sugar
2 Large eggs
1 T Coconut syrup
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 C Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 C toasted coconut, chopped or crumbled

Get all your ingredients ready, mix, scoop and freeze. Pull out cookie flavors as you bake and you can always have a variety of flavors to bake and serve. I mix several flavors in one day and store in the freezer to bake fresh another day.
PREPARATION:

Toast slow and mix often to attain the dark caramel color. Heat oven to 350 degrees and place sweetened coconut on a parchment lined pan. Bake approximately 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent over cooking, until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool, as the coconut will continue to cook and brown outside of the oven. Cool coconut and crunch with your hands or chop with a knife prior to mixing into the cookies.
PREPARATION:
Beat together, sugars and butter until yellow and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and coconut syrup. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients with coconut. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, just until combined.
Scoop with a 40 scoop onto a parchment lined baking dish. Flatten cookies with two fingers and freeze. To bake right away, flatten and place two inches apart on a baking sheet. Coat with sugar and bake at 350 degrees, approximately 12-15 minutes, rotating pan once during baking. To bake later, place scooped cookies on the sheet, flatten and freeze. Once frozen, bag and date. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, dip the cookies in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake as directed above.

Nectarine Basil Lemonade

This was one of my favorite recipes when we created the Dallas Dish cookbook, I need to make it more often. I was shocked while Beep, Bo and I were at an Italian dinner, when Bo announced that he loved basil. I never knew! Then it dawned on me, I make Bo nearly every fruit flavored lemonade I can think of, but have never made him this. He was so little when I was working on the book, I would have never imagined that he would like it. And just like all the planets coming into alignment, I happen to have a basil plant the size of barn. Things could not be more perfect. So, here is an oldie, but a goodie from Dallas Dish. Below is the actual photo we shot for the book, I think Brook and Dave do a much better job with the styling and photography, but then I am just in a normal kitchen with natural lighting and my dinky fuji waterproof camera. My pictures are the other ones, it's pretty easy to tell them apart.


INGREDIENTS:
2 C Water
1 C Fresh Basil leaves
1 Nectarine, chopped do not peel
3/4 C Sugar
1 1/2 C Cold Water
1 C Fresh Lemon juice
Additional Nectarine and basil for garnish
I doubled the recipe, simply because I had SO much basil and nectarines are wonderful and plentiful this time of year. Bo, also, will finish it off in no time.

PREPARATION:
Combine 2 Cups water, 1 Cup basil, the chopped nectarine and the sugar in a saucepan and mix well. Place the pan over medium high heat and bring the mixture to a boil, until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand until cool.
You can juice lemons while the mixture is cooking or you can cheat like I did and buy freshly squeezed. I got a 16 oz. bottle at our local Central Market for about $3, it doesn't pay to buy the lemons and squeeze them at that price and it was perfect for my double batch.
Once cool, strain the mixture through a fine sieve over a pitcher, pressing all the liquid out of the fruit. Discard the remaining solid fruit. Stir in the cold water and lemon juice, serve over ice or chill for later. YIELDS: 6 Cups, I ended up with just over 2 Quarts after pouring Camille a glass.



Camille and Cameron both turned up their noses, looking at the nectarine and basil stew that was brewing on the stove top, but Camille was converted, Cam, well he will take a bit more arm twisting. Don't doubt these flavors, your tongue will thank you!


My, not quite finished product, this is before adding the additional water, so it is a bit darker than the true lemonade. The color is amazing, although my picture, as promised is slightly less professional than the one in the book! HA HA, if I took the time to garnish and worry any more about presentation recipes would never get posted.

Mai Kai

No matter if you go for dinner and a show or happy hour and appetizers in the Tiki Bar Lounge, you visit to this Fort Lauderdale landmark will be a memorable one.
Happy hour at the bar is the best deal, enjoy half price drinks and appetizers, live music on Wednesdays and Fridays and you can still take a stroll and tour the grounds before you leave. Arrive early or call by 4:00 pm that day and reserve at table. Serving up a bounty of food, fun and libations since 1956, they must be doing something right. Labeled mild, medium and strong there is a tropical cocktail for every palate! Some of the best people watching in town, you'll see tourists and locals who never cease to entertain, sometimes more than the paid entertainment.


Beep's roast duck and fried rice. Dinner and the show are a must see, but honestly, the appetizer menu beats the dinners hands down for quality and taste. Don't miss our on the pressed duck!

Aunt, Mike and the kids enjoy our beverages in the bar.

The Pu Pu Platter, best on the planet. Crab rangoons, egg rolls, ribs, cheese tangs and more. You get the perfect taste of everything.

http://maikai.com/

La Bonne Crepe

One of our favorite Fort Lauderdale restaurants! Pictured here, is Bo's favorite . . . the escargot crepe.


Mike and Cam giving the Vana White treatment to Cam's crepe, Bacon and Scrambled Egg.

Beirgarten Restaurant, Epcot

A great find during our visit to Epcot a few years ago was the Beirgarten Buffet. We had always stopped by for a quick brat, beer and pretzel in Germany, but had never even thought to enter the dining hall. Since our first visit, The Beirgarten has become a must on our Disney itinerary. All your home cooked German favorites at an all you can eat buffet, accompanied by a lively band and delightful waitstaff from various areas of Deutschland.

Beep's plate of Sauerbraten and spaetzel, two of his very favorites!


Beep's other plate of schnitzel, red cabbage and saurkraut.

My plate of Saurbraten, dumplings, green beans, brats, cabbages and our very dainty beers. You'll be ready to walk the entire park after this German feast!
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/biergarten-restaurant/

Grilled Artichokes

One of our favorite dishes from Houston's, the chain based out of Colorado, is their grilled artichoke appetizer. Camille requested them at home, so I decided to give it a shot. What a HIT!
The kids like them paired with the traditional melted butter, but I improvised and made my version of Houston's remoulade.

INGREDIENTS:
Artichokes
Water
1 Lemon
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

PREPARATION:
Begin with a large deep skillet with about a half inch of water in the pan. Depending on the number of artichokes you may need more than one pan. The artichokes should fit in a single layer and just sit in the water, you want to steam them, not boil them in the water. Juice half of the lemon into the water. Next, cut the artichokes in half and remove the choke (the furry part by the stem), using the tip of a sharp knife cut just under the furry part and use a spoon to scoop out all the furry pieces, removing any of the small inner prickly leaves too.



Bring the water to a simmer. Place the artichokes in a single layer and top with a lid to steam. Allow to steam until tender, about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size. I just test them with an knife at the thickest part of the vegetable. Remove from the water and drain any water trapped in the leaves. Place the artichokes on a platter and drizzle with olive oil. I like to use a brush to spread it more evenly. Season generously with salt and pepper.


Finally, grill artichokes, cut and seasoned side down on a hot grill. You don't need to grill them long, they are already cooked so just get a little color on them and serve with melted butter or remoulade. (see recipe below).
REMOULADE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C Mayonaise
1 tsp. Mustard, preferably a grainy dijon style
1 tsp. tomato paste or ketchup
cayanne pepper, to taste
Salt & Pepper
A pinch of sugar
I don't measure this very accurately, this is one I just eyeball and taste to get it right. If you aren't comfortable with the "eyeballing" technique, there are very good recipes if you google remoulade.



PREPARATION:
Mix all ingredients together and chill. Taste for seasoning, I like mine with a little kick, but be careful the cayenne will strengthen as the remoulade rests, so it is best to check just prior to serving and make any adjustments. Serve with the yummiest vegetables you will ever put in your mouth!