Peche, Si Vous Plais

I am very fortunate to have a great group of single girlfriends in Austin. We decided to get together recently and treat ourselves to good food, drinks, dancing, and other delights. Our night began with dinner at Peche, one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. Peche is promoted as an absinthe bar, and has some of the best cocktails in town. Though we didn't meet the green fairy, we did our best to sample the cream of the crop from the bar. I began with one of my favorite cocktails in town, the Cucumber Martini (Hendrick's gin, cointreau, cucumber juice, rosemary, and cayenne pepper). You may have a furrowed look on your brow, but let me say it is heaven. I'm not even a fan of gin, and this one gets me every time. It is the perfect "let's start this weekend off with a bang" mixture. Really great especially if you're not into sweet drinks. My friend Jessica ordered the Jade (Pineapple, vanilla vodka, lime & lemon juice, Midori and bar syrup). It was tasty, but also reminded us of a jolly rancher. Good for those who like the sweet stuff. Deanna ordered the French 75 (St. Germain, lemon juice, champagne), which also happens to be another one of my favorites. Love champagne? This will kick your love into a full on affair. The perfect balance of bubbly and citrus. St. Germain is made with elderflower, which has a slight grapefruit taste. We made our menu selections, which happened to be a special Valentine's selection and were talked into the Lobster empanadas for starters. They were great, but we wanted the stars of the show. I got the Bay Boat Scallops with celery root, fingerling potato chips, and brown butter hollandaise. Holy (insert whatever word here) it was so incredibly good. Creamy, rich, perfectly cooked scallops, finished with the crunch of the chip. Jessica got the Prime Beef Tenderloin with roasted cippolinas (onions), pommes frites puree, and jus. Really tender and deep flavors. Deanna decided on the Homemade potato gnocchi, which was filling and rich. During dinner we each ordered a few more cocktails. I decided on the Fig Manhattan (Rye Whiskey, Vya sweet vermouth, house made cherry vanilla bitters, and fig foam), well because I love whiskey. It was intense with a balance of fruit and whiskey burn. I loved it and the fig foam was a great finish. Jessica got a Cucumber martini after sampling mine, and Deanna got a French 75 (Gin, champagne, bar syrup, and lemon juice). We finished our indulgence with the Mascapone Tart with late harvest vinegar strawberries and cool sweet gelatin. So nice after rich, delicious meals. As if we couldn't celebrate enough, both Jessica and I decided to try the Pink Lady (Gin, applejack, lemon juice,house grenadine, and egg white). Though sweet, I really enjoyed the egg white finish and the slight tartness of the drink. It was of course the first cocktail designed for a woman, we had to try. The night was exceptional, we talked, laughed, and went on to have a dance off at our first stop. Fantastic. Peche is definitely a place you can unwind, take your time, and enjoy the talent it hosts. Try their regular dinner menu with daily specials whenever you get the chance.

Peche Austin
Twitter: @Peche_Austin

Cupcakes of Love

Over Valentine's Day weekend I decided to do a love run of cupcakes. I've had the pleasure of eating several in town from companies like Walton's, L's Cupcakes, Hey Cupcake, Polkadot, Cupcake Bar, Cupprimo, and more. I wanted to branch out and try some new little morsels of goodness, all over town. My first cupcake was at Russel's Bakery off Balcones Drive in Austin. I've had cakes from the bakery several times, but never the little version. I walked in to the smells of coffee and a case full of pastries. I spotted the cupcake I wanted immediately. Vanilla, with cream cheese frosting and a big red heart. It said, "I love you, go ahead take a bite". The treat cost $2.75 and it was large. I drove home only thinking about sinking my teeth into sweetness. The cake was typical Russel's goodness. Thick, flavorful, vanilla, tasty. The icing was good, but too thick for my liking. I had to scrape a bit off, but it was still delicious. It was a great start to my cupcake crusade. The next place I ventured was Lux Bakery off William Cannon Dr. As I approached the strip mall, I couldn't believe I'd missed this place before. I walked in and was greeted by Ann, the current owner and baker. Her sweet demeanor translated through the treats she had in the shop. She told me they had been there for two years, I was shocked. I basically pressed my nose to the pastry case and chose the Strawberry cupcake (Vanilla cake with Strawberry buttercream frosting with real strawberries), and the Mocha Latte cupcake (Chocolate cupcake with Expresso buttercream frosting). Each were $1.75, a steal. As I sat down, I admired the rose like shape frosting and dove in. The frosting and cake on both were absolutely perfect. You could taste the real strawberries in the Strawberry buttercream. The Chocolate cake was perfectly moist and the Espresso buttercream incredible. Neither were overwhelming, had amazing flavor and were surprisingly light. I couldn't get enough. I bounced back up to the counter and ordered two more mini cupcakes, both $0.75 each. They were too cute to pass up. I got orange and lemon. Both very good. Ann uses real juice and zest from her citrus. You can definitely tell. My last stop for cupcake love was Sugar Mama's on S. 1st. I've heard all good things about this little shop of sugar, and had to try it out. I walked in and was greeted by friendly staff. I looked at the ginormous cupcakes and my mouth began watering. I decided on the Odd Couple (Chocolate cupcake topped with salted caramel cream cheese frosting and chocolate covered pretzel) and The Hemingway (Vanilla cupcake filled with fresh key lime curd and topped with key lime cream cheese frosting and crushed graham crackers), each $2.50. Are you dying of delicious dreams right now? I promised myself I'd wait til I got home to eat, but I started the Hemingway in my car. Let me tell you, if my taste buds could talk they would scream with excitement and satisfaction. This was a treat where every ingredient and flavor could be tasted. The frosting was perfect, and the cake moist and fulfilling. Within few hours I attempted the Odd Couple. It was rich chocolate cake and the frosting even richer. Not #1 out of my samples, but definitely glad I got it. The pretzel was the icing upon the icing on the cake. So if you're ready to go cupcake crazy, be sure to check out these fantastic shops as well as ones mentioned before. Treat yourself to a tiny party in your mouth. You won't regret it!

Russells Bakery
@RussellsBakery






Lux Bakery and Cafe
@LuxBakeryCafe










Sugar Mama's Bakeshop
@SugarMamas

I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!

While I was grocery shopping a few weeks ago, a little tomato called tomatillo caught my eye. I've wanted to try a tomatillo sauce for a long time, and never worked up the courage. That was all about to change. I googled a quick recipe while shopping and gathered ingredients. Unfortunately, the store was out of cilantro, but I made due. It was just last night, I finally got my chance to tackle this tomato. I decided to make sour cream chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce. To begin, I peeled the husks off the green little wonders, and rinsed them with warm water. They tend to be sticky, so a good rinse helps. I chopped them up finely as I don't own a food processor. You could pop them in a blender if you want really smooth sauce, but I was excited about a bit of texture in mine. I chopped three cloves of garlic, and a fourth of a jalepeno pepper. If heat is your passion, throw in half or the whole pepper for more kick. I poured a half cup of chicken stock in a big pot, added a fourth cup of white vinegar, and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. This was all eyeballed, and I had to improvise on a few ingredients, but stayed close to the google recipe. I poured the tomatillo/garlic mixture in the pot and added a dash of salt, pepper, sugar, and lemon juice. The recipe called for lime, but I was out so lemon was in. It worked wonderfully. I let the pot simmer for about 20 minutes, and let the smell thrill me. While the sauce was working its majic, I put 4 chicken tenders in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper and let them cook. Once they were ready and rested, I shredded the chicken with a knife and fork. Next came tortillas which I wrapped in foil and heated at 350 in the oven for about 15 min. I got a small baking dish and filled each tortilla with chicken and about a tablespoon of sauce. I rolled them up and added more sauce on top. I put the enchiladas in the oven for another 15-20 min and waited with great anticipation. Once they game out, I became green with envy. I wanted to eat them right away. I topped the enchiladas with more sauce and sour cream. I placed them on a plate with a side of black beans, and let my taste adventure into verde land began. They were FANTASTIC, I was in love. The flavors were blended so well, and the sour cream balanced everything. Depending on your preference of tart and sweet, you can adjust the sugar and vinegar levels. Mine were more tart than sweet, which I liked. This fool-proof meal will impress any guest you put it in front of. Try it when you have a gloomy day, feel the need for a fiesta, or a holiday that involves love. Enjoy!

Online Recipe

FINO FINO FINO

It has been well publicized that the Cactus Cafe in Austin is shutting its doors. This small venue on UT campus has housed such acts as Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Alison Krauss, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock and Townes Van Zandt. I decided we must get one last show in, and noticed country singer/songwriter Chris Knight was playing. My incredible friends Ashley and Laura were keen on joining me. The show started at 8:30, so we automatically assumed we'd go for happy hour somewhere. Since it was just "around the corner" from campus, we chose FINO. This Mediterranean mecca has a sister restaurant, Asti where we dined for New Year's Eve. We arrived and Laura immediately ordered a round of Bee Stings. She said it was a must, we did not argue. She knows her stuff. The waitress brought the golden martinis out, and we sipped away. They delivered quite a kick with Below manuka honey vodka, black pepper & meyer lemon. Great if you like tart with some ammunition behind it. Tasty little treat that definitely gets you "buzzed". Next came the ordering where we went all out. We got Mussels, Fried Goat Cheese, Pork Panchitos, Flatbread with hummus, and Pork Belly. The Pork Panchitos were first, and came highly seasoned on skewers. Pork with a wake your taste buds up spicy greeting. Next were the mussels, which were a favorite with all three of us. A smooth Sherry broth and perfectly cooked. Definitely recommended. Then it was the flatbread and walnut red pepper hummus. The bread was so soft and scooped up the crunchy hummus with ease. Very tasty. Next we tackled the fried goat cheese. This was my favorite. It was topped with Red Onion Jam and drizzled with honey. The cheese was impeccable, not overwhelming and matched incredibly with the honey & onions. After cheese was the pork belly, which I've had a lot of lately. It was served with Mandarin slices, fennel, chile, and green onions. The combo of all ingredients in one bite was excellent. The pork belly alone had great flavor, but not as others I've tried. We ordered another round of "stingers", and decided on two more tapas. Crispy Gulf Oysters with Harissa Aioli & Lime, and Chorizo Stuffed Medjool Dates with House Smoked Bacon, Valdeon Blue Cheese & PX Sherry Glaze. YUM! The oysters were winners, and the dates were a closely behind. Definitely makes your palate think, how did these flavors find each other? FINO's setting is fantastic for a sunset hour, or any other you can fit in. Go when your taste buds need pampering.

FINO
Twitter: fino_austin

Cactus Cafe
















Cactus Cafe for Chris Knight

Tempting Tapas

This week I met two of my favorite brides-to-be at Malaga for happy hour on 2nd Street in Austin. I am in my friend Lauren's wedding and wanted to hear all updates, and hadn't seen my friend Jessica since she got engaged. They shared engagement stories, family craziness, hotel info, and more. It was so good to be with them, and see how different their weddings will be. Malaga is one of my favorite places for happy hour b/c of two things. 1)They have the Barton Springs martini. A refreshing powerful concoction that will make any hump day better. 2)They have a drink and tapa combo for $8. Ah-mazing deal. We ordered our drinks, and decided on tapas. I got the meatballs, Lauren got the Artichoke and Spinach dip, and Jessica chose the olives. The plates came on their tapa tower and we dove in. The olives were marinated which definitely gave them a different, smokey flavor. The dip was creamy, and the meatballs good but not as flavorful as the last time I had them. None the less, it was tasty and after our cocktails we order some vino. Their Tempranillo was delish! A great way to hear all things bridal and visit with two fantastic ladies. Apparently on Wednesday nights they have Flamenco dancers, which were fabulous but pretty loud. Go if you're up for some flavor and soul from Espana.

Malaga Tapas & Bar