Brooklyn Laundry - A Moveable Feast

I had the absolute pleasure of attending "A Moveable Feast" this past weekend, with Brooklyn Laundry. What is Brooklyn Laundry you ask? It is a fantastic dining club and catering group, based in New York, which focuses on farm-to-table convivial meals and literary-inspired menus. Previous to their venture to Austin, the group meets once a month in different locations all over New York, with Chef Fiore Tedesco leading the culinary trail. Their first dinner outside New York happened to be in my fair city of Austin, and I jumped at the chance to try a dining group other than my own. Two dinners were created over a weekend and focused on Ernest Hemingway's, A Moveable Feast. The memoir is based on Hemingway's life in Paris in the 1920's. The book is a true dive into French wine and cuisine, with no detail left unturned or forgotten. The dinners Brooklyn Laundry created were over two nights, each with a little over 20 people. The first was hosted at a private home, the second at East Side Stages, an Austin office and stage space. I was fortunate enough to attend the second dinner, as I was celebrating the wedding of two wonderful friends the night before. I arrived at the east side location greatly anticipating what I was about to experience. I was graced with candle-lit stairs, a table with chilled beverages, and a warm greeting from Chef Tedesco himself. We briefly talked about the group, my history, and what was to come for the edible evening. As Chef returned to his final prep, I sipped on Lillet and Champagne (a cocktail Hemingway fancied), with the cool spring air as my background and a copy of Edible Austin in my hand. I had the chance to speak with Tedesco's wife, mother, and sister. All whom were incredibly lovely and welcoming. Slowly but surely, more quests continued to arrive. Many knew each other previously, and I was excited to meet others intrigued by the meal ahead. We soon sat down at a perfectly set long table with wildflowers and candles galore. Chef Tedesco welcomed the group and explained that each of the five courses was based on a passage of the book, and meant to mimic a dish Hemingway adored in Paris. The first course began with a re-creation of oysters. We were served Golden Tilefish ceviche with butter lettuce cups and french sorrel salad. A glass of 2009 Bieler Estate Rose accompanied the dish. It was heavenly. The sorrel salad left the palate clean and refreshed, while the ceviche cooled the senses with a salty twist. A perfect way to start the evening. We were next presented with Fried "Goujon" with sweet potatoes and baby turnips in a mint, caper and lemon butter. This served with a 2005 Drouhin Saint Veran. As a Southern girl, I appreciate anyone who serves something fried. Chef Tedesco did not disappoint. The batter was light, and fish moist. The vegetables complimented the fish with hearty ability. Delicious. Next came the Truffled roast quail with venison live pate and pommes a l'huile. The quail was created to showcase Hemingway's love for roast chicken lunch in Lyon. I felt the same love towards the quail. The pate was perfect. I usually have to leave a little behind, but with this one I devoured every bite. Not the least bit heavy or strong. It was served with a 2006 Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence. My absolute favorite of the night. It was spicy and robust, but sipped so easily. The last course before dessert was Seared Siika venison with spring onion and strawberry puree. Yes, your mouth should be watering. The uncommon combination of venison and strawberry thrilled every eater. The berries created a backdrop of suddle sweetness with the venison sweeping its way over the taste buds. We were served a 2007 Terre d'Ardoise Vieilles Vignes Carignan with the dish. To finish the evening off, as we were all smiling and satisfied, came dessert. Chef Tedesco called it 'Opium and Milk', a recreation from a passage in the book where Hemingway is told to give his friend a bit of opium when he needed it, and milk when he'd had enough. The dish was just as addictive, a Chocolate rose tart with poppy seed lavender ice cream. The ice cream was custom made by Amy's Ice Cream in town, and it was phenomenal. Lavender is one of my most favorite ingredients used in cooking, and I was so glad to see it incorporated in the dessert. The chocolate was perfectly dark and sweet. The crust flaky and buttery. The whole thing was exceptional, and I will miss it most of all. The dessert was served with your choice of fruit liqueur. Texas Hills Orange Moscato, Mirabelle Eau-De-Vie, or Framboise Eau-De-Vie. I chose the Mirablle (plum) and many others the Framboise (rasberry). Each could knock your socks off. As the scent punched at your noise, the flavor was surprisingly smooth. A great end to what was an unforgettable meal. Brooklyn Laundry will be returning to Austin sometime in December, and headed to Los Angeles next. It is not to miss. Take part in what should be the way we cook, dine, and enjoy. All ingredients from the dinner came from places in and around the city. Amy's Ice Cream, Boggy Creak Farms, Broken Arrow Ranch, Sweetish Hill Bakery, and Texas Quail Farms. Be sure to stay tuned to what Tedesco continues to achieve. He is a delight to be around, and continues to drape his Italian based passion on the mouths he feeds.

Brooklyn Laundry

Edible Austin

Amy's Ice Cream, Boggy Creek Farms, Broken Arrow Ranch, Sweetish Hill Bakery, Texas Quail Farm

Hecho en Mexico

There has been a burst of Interior Mexican food in Austin lately. Several restaurants have taken on the tasks of straying from the beloved Tex-Mex of the city, and focusing on the old and new flavors of interior Mexico. One such place that has mastered the technique and skills of the cuisine is Hecho en Mexico. My favorite thing about new restaurants, is those I find in strip malls that you'd never guess were fantastic. Hecho happens to fall under this category. My Mom and I are big fans of Restaurant.com where at some times you can get $25 gift certificates for $2 a piece. Check it out for your city, you'll be able to try places you normally wouldn't go to. We luckily had one for Hecho, and that's what we ventured to the suburbs and alas the strip mall. As soon as we walked in we were greeted with the smells of authentic cooking. You can tell that the kitchen and cooks had been working all day. The bar with a plethora of tequila was also a good sign that they knew what they were doing. We opened the menu and our waiter (from interior Mexico) let us know the specials and favorites. I decided on one of their Mole specials, Mancha Manteles (Mole is an art only perfected by few). I chose the pork which is sautéed with plantain, sweet potato, & pineapple in a peanut and chile Ancho; garnished with sesame seeds. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated the time and effort put into this mole. It was spicy, with the hint of sweetness and was incredible when paired with the plantains and pineapple. The pork was tender and well cooked. My Mom decided on Chiles Rellenos, one of her all time favorite dishes. The dish was a Poblano pepper stuffed with either picadillo (beef) or Queso Monterrey Jack cheese. It is topped with an entomatada sauce and garnished with sour cream. She decided on picadillo (she happens to make her own and wanted to compare). Hecho did not let her down! The pepper was flavorful and the beef excellent. A large dish that did not disappoint. We finished our travels into Mexico with the waiter's favorite dessert, Nieve de Mole (Ice cream with Mole). It was unreal! The sweet creamy ice cream was delicious, while a kick in the back of your throat was provided by the Mole. A strange mix of flavors that worked like two peas in a pod. Fantastic! If you're up for flavors that make you say Ah, check out Hecho in Mexico. It will let you escape into homemade excellence.

Hecho en Mexico
Twitter: @HECHOENMEXICOU

*All photos taken with a phone! Left my camera at home. Enjoy!

Full-on Family Feast (Say it Five times Fast)

Christmas Day 2009 was not a disappointment for my family either. I wanted to cook, I wanted to challenge myself, and I wanted to do it for them. Luckily I had watched one of my favorite soft-spoken chefs, Ina Garten, earlier in the week and jotted down a recipe sure to delight. I made Roasted Chicken over homemade croutons, Roasted Veggies, Green Beans, Caramelized Shallots, and Homemade Profiteroles with ice cream and melted dark chocolate. Mmm, mmm, mmm. It was my first Roast Chicken, and luckily Ina's recipe was easy as pie. I stuffed the little birdie with 2 quartered lemons, salt & peppered inside and out, and rubbed with Olive Oil. I popped it in the oven at 425 for 1 hr. and 15 min. Looking back I would have thrown a little rosemary in there, and buttered the top. Who can go wrong with butter, seriously. Once it was done, I covered with foil for 15 more min. to let the juices set. Next I cubed some french bread, put some olive oil in a pan, tossed and toasted the cubes. Once the chicken was done, I placed it on the crumbs to absorb all the juices. Blanched green beans were next, which I put on the baking sheet with sliced red and yellow bell peppers. A little salt & pepper, olive oil, and into the oven at 425 for about 15-20 min. I was quite excited about the Caramelized Shallots. I've only dabbled with shallots in the past, but this was a full-on adventure. After peeling, I dribbled the garlic/onion cuties with a tablespoon of sugar, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of butter that I melted all together on the stove. Those little things went on a baking sheet, and into the oven at 400 for 30 min. My next endeavor was Profiteroles. This was a last minute decision, influenced by left-over dark chocolate from Christmas Eve's feast. The dough could not be easier. I combined 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of milk, and a dash of salt on medium heat. Once melted, I added 2 cups of flour in the pot! I stirred and stirred until the mixture made a softer dough. Next the bundle of dough was thrown in a blender and I added four eggs. Pulsing that together, I placed in a large plastic baggie, cut the tip off and attempted 1 inch swirls. I dotted the tips with water and popped in the oven at 425 for 20 min. I left them for an additional 10 min. with the oven off. Once out, I slit the tops slightly to allow steam to escape. As soon as they were cooled I chopped off the tops, scooped Blue Bell White Chocolate Almond ice cream in them, put on the tops, and drizzled with dark chocolate. D-I-V-I-N-E. It was fantastic, we had a great time devouring everything. If you're hesitant about cooking, this is a great meal to conquer. Change the spices and flavors to make it your own. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.