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Cooking Over an Open Fire

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:20:00 GMT

S’mores around camp fires and hot dogs roasted on sticks were something we always did around big lakeside bonfires in the summer. Chips and salsa were pretty common, as were Pop Tarts in the morning, and crackers and cheese later in the day. However, camping doesn’t have to mean days filled with basic foods like hot dogs, sandwiches and chips.

For some people going camping means renting one of the new Kabins at their local KOA or throwing up a tent for the night and leaving before breakfast in the morning. But the type of camp food I’m talking about is a little more fun than chips and sandwiches. Our green chile egg torta with black bean and corn salsa and chopped cilantro turned out pretty well, and our late night skillet cornbread was dynamite with a touch of honey. Say goodbye to milk and cereal in tiny bowls!

My parents weren’t really into gourmet camp food when I was a kid, but I think they may have wanted to be. I recall that ill-fated state park trip when one fine young gent spilled a giant pot of pork n’ beans in the back of their van. From that point on, they must have simplified our dining options. If you are toting around a toddler, be sure to use properly sealed containers. Many people may be intimidated by the idea of gourmet campsite meals, but it’s not as difficult as you think. Gourmet camp food is gaining popularity and can indeed take place at a camp site with relative ease.

You can do most of the preparation and much of the cooking necessary at home before you even hit the road. Something that simply needs to be reheated over the camp fire is just fine. Some may say that’s cheating, but I chalk it up to smart planning. Our favorite dish during our last adventure was put together at home and baked in a sizzling skillet after a long day of boating, hiking and harmonicas. Our roasted garlic-rosemary skillet cornbread turned out perfectly over the open fire, and doesn’t take long to knock out at home before the trip. This recipe does have a few things you need to make sure you do correctly, though. Make sure your garlic is roasted to a golden brown, too fast and the garlic will be bitter and undercooked, too long and it may affect the whole batter. We made a quick thyme and honey vinaigrette and made sure it was tightly sealed before packing it. The sweetness of the dressing drizzled over the slightly smoky, savory notes of the cornbread made for a perfect late night small bite mini-feast. The key is to get your skillet to just the right temperature- nice and hot. One good trick is to simply flick a finger of water into the skillet and judge its reaction. If it sizzles and disappears quickly you’re probably good to go. If it slowly bubbles you should wait a few more minutes before starting. Here is another important step: make sure your skillet is seasoned and coated with a little oil so your batter doesn’t stick to the skillet. Extra virgin olive oil is probably not your best bet, as the smoke point is too low and your cornbread will taste burnt. Peanut or corn oils are both safe bets. If you think your skillet is ready to go, simply pull it off the fire (I use a pair of old leather gloves my old man gave me), spoon or pour your batter in, cover with foil and bake. If you have a Dutch oven you can avoid touching the hot skillet altogether, just pour your batter into the seasoned, heavy-bottomed pot and put the cover on. Bring along thin wooden skewers to insert to check for doneness, or use a hot dog roaster in just the same way. Check in on your bread every so often, and when your skewer comes out clean your cornbread is ready. Let it cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, drizzle with the honey vinaigrette. For a more gourmet touch, sprinkle it with a nice sharp, fruity cheddar.

Thankfully, I made too much cornbread to be safely consumed by two people in one sitting, so we had some for the treat awaiting us the next night. But first let’s talk about breakfast. Coffee drinkers beware: if your morning typically consists of multiple cups o’ joe, put a pot of water on the fire to boil first thing. I brought along a can of black beans, some sweet corn cut off the cob, and to those I added lime juice and zest (use a microplane, which are more useful than you might think, or a box grater if you don’t mind a little extra bulk and are car camping), diced red onion, salt, cumin, roughly chopped cilantro and healthy dash of extra virgin olive oil. The eggs were whisked and mixed with New Mexican chopped green chiles, roasted red bell peppers, minced garlic, salt and cracked black pepper. Again, we remembered to brush the hot skillet with enough oil to coat. Wait until the pan is hot to add the oil and you’ll be able to use less as it will coat the pan more easily. The eggs won’t take long, but do require a bit more tending to than the cornbread. You can choose to scramble your eggs or cook them any other way you want to with the green chile and red pepper, or cover them with foil and bake them like we did. After just a few minutes our eggs were ready to be pulled off the fire. I recommend pulling them off a little earlier than at home so the eggs can finish cooking for a few minutes without becoming dry. We topped the egg bake with the salsa and a chimichurri rojo, made ahead of time at home. By this time your water should be ready for the French press, and breakfast is pretty much set. Cue the Van Morrison. . .

After a deliciously relaxing breakfast, we cleaned up a bit and got to work on what we had planned for dinner. We wanted something we could cook slowly, an entree that could sit over a small fire all day and be ready later in the day. Chili was a no brainer, it’s easy to prep and something many people can enjoy. For ours we diced Spanish onions, red and green bell peppers, garlic and jalapeños. With a little oil, add all this to the pot and cover. Stir occasionally, until the onions and peppers are soft. Instead of ground beef we used sun dried tomato chicken sausage, so that was diced up and added to the mix. Two cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes with juices were then added, along with cumin, paprika, New Mexico chile powder, salt and black pepper. I don’t think they usually recommend leaving your fire unattended, but this was low and controlled, and the grate that held the chili pot was placed on the highest setting. After a few hours of exploring we were back and hungry for more. The chili had slowed to a lazy simmer, which was perfect. We made a quick salad of diced avocado, roasted cashews and grilled orange segments tossed with romaine lettuce and a light balsamic vinaigrette, an easy make ahead option whose versatility makes it a great choice for camping. Soon after the sun set, our chili was ready to go. It was perfectly smoky, and because it had all day to cook, the flavors had time to develop well. The consistency was great and the day old cornbread made for great ‘croutons’.

The morning of the day you have to check out never seems to be the best time to dirty dishes and make complicated meals, so try to keep it simple! We made quick sandwiches of grilled tomatoes and goat cheese on toasted baguette, topped with some of our thyme-honey vinaigrette. All of these are examples of how to eat some tasty, upscale, gourmet camp food. If you decide to do a little gourmet camp food of your own, here a few tips and things to consider.

Make sure you have everything you need prior to heading out. Make a grocery list, prep list, and packing check list, and make sure all are completed. Getting even basic grocery items can sometimes be tough when you’re camping.
Make sure you have a dishwashing station set up, i.e. a bucket, a sponge, soap and some towels. If no water is available at the site, bring jugs of your own.
I once had a family of raccoons tear through a few hundred dollars worth of food at a remote hike in camp site in South Carolina, so make sure everything is either strung up or strapped down to avoid late night visitors.
A good packing tip is to find a handful of air-tight containers that stack well. Pack 8-10 that fit well into your cooler, so as to not waste precious space.
You can NEVER have too many re-sealable bags!
Hand sanitizer and a long handled lighter are necessities.
Bring along a sturdy cutting board and something to sanitize it with, as well as a sharp knife that you don’t mind taking a few nicks.
Bowls for mixing, tongs for grabbing and tossing, and measuring cups all come in quite handy. You can find some at outdoor stores that fit inside each other well.
Put together a little pack, pouch, or container that has all of your spices in it. Getting to a site and realizing you have no salt or pepper is disappointing.
Bring everything you need to pack in for the entire trip, and pack out- don’t leave anything behind.

Good Ol’ Texas Barbecue

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:20:00 GMT

Finding the best barbecue in Texas is like looking for the best cheese curds in Wisconsin, the best lobster roll in New England, or the best microbrewery in the Northeast. It’s a he-said, she-said type of debate and what it really boils down to is personal taste. The one thing nearly all Texas barbecue aficionados can agree on is this: beef is king, and more specifically, brisket. Recently I was fortunate enough to take a small tour of Texas barbecue joints. What I found is a wide array of juicy brisket, both lean and fatty, smoky hand-made sausage, tender smoked turkey and sticky-sweet stick-to-your-ribs ribs.

Texas barbecue has a storied past and much debate rolls on about whose brisket is best. As everyone’s opinion is different there is no clear winner, but what I do know is that after you’ve had Texas barbecue for the first time, the smoky slabs of meat begin to pull at your heartstrings. When you walk out of the grocery store, leave the gym, even when you wake up in the morning, you smell barbecue. Ok, maybe not, but you can convince yourself to the contrary. The pink smoke ring on a slice of brisket, the slabs of butcher paper they cut for you to put your feast on and the sliced white bread and pickle spears are just a few of the things that keep people coming back for unhealthy indulgences of meat day after day. With the myriad barbecue joints in Texas, along come just as many if not more barbecuing methods.

The intricacies from one pit to another can be very similar and very different. Brisket is giant wedge of cow that comes off the pit very dark, a color that the paint department at Home Depot might have some fancy name for but we just call black. It appears burnt, looking more like a giant hunk of coal, but inside is moist and juicy. However, brisket can be compared to a John Wayne character: it can be an arduous and unforgiving thing, make one wrong move and it’s over. Most pit masters swear by the low and slow method; where the meat is cooked over low heat for a long time. Most cooks like to keep the temperatures between 200-300° Fahrenheit, the latter being less common, as brisket can become very tough if it’s overcooked. When the meat reaches temperatures around 140° it starts to break down and the collagen in the connective tissue begins its conversion to soft gelatin. Some ‘cuers will cook their brisket for six, seven, eight, and even up to twenty hours. Others will pull the brisket off after just a few hours, pack it into a cambro or cooler with a tightly fitted lid and let it steep, or something like it, in its own juices and aromas until it’s ready to go back onto the pit for finishing or ready for slicing. What makes this succulent brisket so good is the fact that you don’t need to do wild and crazy things to make it taste good. Most cooks use what they call a Dalmatian rub; simply salt and pepper. Now this could be any type of flavored salt or cracked peppercorn, say rosemary smoked sea salt and cracked black peppercorn. Sometimes you will hear that you need to slather the meat with a layer of mustard to help the rub stick, but that’s certainly something that’s unique to each pit master or restaurant.

Just like the varying smoking methods for brisket, there are varying methods for sides and sauces as well. Some of these joints in Texas don’t serve sides at all, but because of the changing times they have opened up a place NEXT DOOR where you can buy sides, but not at THEIR joint. Another place doesn’t provide you with any sauces whatsoever, and may be a bit insulted if you ask. Sides range from warm potato salad made with celery seed, onions, diced potatoes and barbecue sauce to skillet baked beans and cornbread. Staples at most Texas barbecue locales are white bread and pickles.

Stops on this mini-tour included City Market in Luling, Texas, Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart Texas, and The Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas. All of these stops are within sixty miles of Austin and I know that doesn’t cover much of Texas, but when it comes to barbecue in Texas this area is a breeding ground for good solid barbecue.

The first stop was Black’s, whose claim to fame is “Texas’ Oldest and Best Major Barbecue Restaurant Continuously Owned by the Same Family-Since 1932”. That’s a bold claim, but it’s supported by some pretty solid ‘cue, a well-worn but tidy restaurant that oozes small town pride and a hefty selection of sides. Upon entering through the front door you’re immediately met by a small serving line where you pick your sides, hot or cold, types of bread if you choose, and then on to the meat where they cut it right in front of you to your specifications. The brisket was tender and smoky, no need for a fork, the ribs pulled right off and yet had the perfect amount of resistance and the creamed corn had just the right amount of sweetness. After leaving I was disappointed I had eaten so much considering I had two legendary barbecue stops left, but I chalked it up to research and pushed on. There was a stop at the Shiner brewery in Shiner, Texas, between meals for a tour and some tasting, so it was a well rounded day!

Next up was City Market in Luling, Texas. An unassuming store front in Luling’s active downtown, you wouldn’t guess that behind that door lies smoky barbecue paradise. Once inside, you see a room tucked into the back corner of the restaurant about the size of a studio apartment. Enter into the small room and you’re blasted by smoky puffs of barbecue goodness, instantly realizing why everything in the room is the color of molasses. Three or four gentleman, one tending the register, one asking you what kind of meat you like, cutting you a piece of butcher paper and slapping it on, one tending the pit, and another watching SportsCenter. You are directed to a kiosk in the middle of the restaurant for sides and drinks, and are sent on your way. The sides aren’t anything to write home about, but the rest sure was. The brisket was extra smoky and because we couldn’t find utensils, we ate with our hands, which seemed perfect for this. The brisket melts in your mouth and the handmade beef link sausage were more than enough to make up for the decidedly so-so sides.

How was I going to eat any more barbecue? Quit complaining, right? Luckily I had about an hour drive between my last two stops and we made it even longer by driving through Wimberley, a quiet little town with plenty of character. Arriving at The Salt Lick, it’s strikingly different from both of the first two stops. Set on a huge property right outside of Driftwood, it encompasses multiple buildings, a pavilion and mansion to rent for functions, a vineyard, tasting room and of course, restaurant. This is the type of place that makes you feel good about living in Texas, glad that places like this exist. A fairly large open room is flanked by picnic tables lining a screened in porch. The real highlight of the room is the large open pit just to your right as you walk in. Rings of sausage hang over hefty pit lined with ribs and brisket as smoke billows out the back. The sides are above average but not worth eating compared to the meatier selections. The turkey is smoked just right, the brisket has just enough fat to keep it moist and the sausage and casing alone are worth the drive.

Nearly two hundred miles were driven during this mini tour so you can see how easily a barbecue obsession could develop, and what better place could there be for it than Texas? People always say everything is bigger in Texas, and when it comes to selection of barbecue joints, that’s certainly true.

Pizza Expo 2011

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:48:00 GMT

Just a quick update here: I’m heading to Las Vegas next week for the annual Pizza Expo show March 1-3. If you’re heading out there too, be sure to stop by the Paradise booth #655! I’m looking forward to seeing all the new things the industry is doing with pizza and I’ll be sure to write about my experience there when I get back.

Hope to see you there!

Tony

El Bulli – A Masterpiece Meal

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:19:00 GMT

I have always had a little crush on Ferran Adrià. Well, at least on his food! Ferran Adrià has been called many things, the “Salvador Dali of Food”, the World’s Best Chef, the World’s Most Creative Chef, a genius and many other monikers. When I first stumbled upon his cooking, it was because of my interest in “molecular gastronomy”. Now, Ferran Adrià seems to shudder at this term, so maybe I should say my interest in the combination of food and science. Somehow, it is more than just that, maybe his cooking defies a title? When Adrià began to appear on the food scene, everyone began to wonder, where did this guy come from? Ferran Adrià was born in 1962 in Spain and was schooled in Barcelona. In 1980 he left school, where he was studying business administration, and became… a dishwasher. My hero. I have a theory that all great chefs are born out of serving their time with hands in a sink of dirty dishes. He was a dishwasher in a French restaurant no less, and this is where he rose in the ranks and learned classic culinary techniques that would eventually evolve into an art form. He joined the Spanish Navy to serve his compulsory military duty and eventually was running a kitchen during his Navy service. After leaving the military, Adrià was offered a stage at El Bulli in Roses, Spain. The chef offered Adrià a spot as a line cook, and within 18 months Adrià was graced with the title of head chef. El Bulli was a traditional French restaurant and Adrià decided to travel and visit the top chefs in France to observe their techniques. In the late 1980’s, Ferran Adrià began experimenting with these new techniques and began creating exotic dishes. The restaurant rose to fame as it gathered a total of 3 Michelin stars and the title of “Best Restaurant in the World” along the way. El Bulli closes six month each year so Adrià cantravel the world for culinary inspiration and performs experiments to perfect his menu in his culinary lab, El Taller, which is located in Barcelona. Sadly, all beautiful things must come to an end. Adrià announced plans to close El Bulli on July 31, 2011 and as of now, he plans to turn it into a foundation, a magical place where people come to study food. I’d love to earn a PhD at this place! Even though this era is ending, I have no doubt that Adrià will surprise us all with his next chapter.

I was lucky enough to dine at El Bulli this August, and it was an amazing experience. We arrived at the restaurant at 7:30pm, having the first table of the evening. The ride to the restaurant alone was an experience, gorgeous views of the Catalan coast and the surrounding forested area. The front gate to El Bulli swings open and you walk down to the restaurant, wandering through the beautiful landscape and walkways. Upon entering the restaurant, we were escorted directly to the kitchen. The awe of this sight prevented me from jumping up and down and screaming to convey what I felt inside at finally being at El Bulli, it probably saved my reputation at the restaurant and prevented an escorted and premature exit! The kitchen stations and layout were explained, we wandered around observing and then we were shuttled to Ferran Adrià himself for an introduction. He was a humble man, quiet and focused. As was his entire kitchen and team. We took photos of the kitchen and Adrià, and a bit dazed, were guided to our table. It was at this point I cursed myself for not knowing enough Spanish to competently complement the chef in his native language. I quickly drown that thought out with a glass of Cava from Penedès that was amazing and the perfect palate cleanser. We sat and enjoyed exquisite table service throughout the meal. The courses progressed quickly, much faster than I would assume. The head waiter explained this was by design, each course was but a bite, and meant to be eaten and enjoyed, but there was too much to try, so onto the next! It was also explained that the table and restaurant grounds were ours for the evening, El Bulli only books one seating per table for the evening, so no one is hurried or delayed. I was in the master’s house, so I put my trust in his hands for not just the food, but also the wine. The first dish came out, a “Mojito and Apple Flute” and was set in front of each of us. If you have any knowledge of Adrià’s food, the description does usually not make you go “ah ha, that’s what it is”, but makes you ponder it even further. Here is a photo of the dish:

A very light, ethereal “baguette” flute filled with a sweet mint ice, picked up and eaten like a little sandwich. Very light, very unique and full of flavor. To go through each dish would take a novel, there were over 40 courses. As each course was just a small bite, and many were light and dissolved in your mouth, I left full, but not ready to explode if I ate one more After Eight mint. Here are a few highlights.

This dish arrived at the table and we were told to “crack” the dish open and eat immediately, here is the picture after the cracking open! After putting a piece in my mouth, I discovered it was frozen, and creamy, and melting away to nothing, and…Gorgonzola? Yes. Unexpected but wonderful!

This dish was one of my favorites, on the left hazelnut “caviar” beads in caviar cream and on the right, caviar on a bed of hazelnut cream. A define yin-yang of sweet and salty that was perfect.

This, like so many of Ferran Adrià’s dishes, is hard to put into words, but I really loved the artistic presentation. The dish is called “abalone with Iberian ham fat”. I just called it delicious. Any dish with pork usually gets the thumbs up from me.

These photos would not be complete without an arrangement of dessert box photos. The dessert “box” arrived and was opened and the table, then just left for us to devour. There were so many choices, and this was such a once in a lifetime experience, I wanted to try it all. Unfortunately, sanity and my full stomach overrode my desire to dive head first into the box! Then I found out this was just the start of the dessert courses. I managed to try all the dessert courses, but I longed to take all the leftovers in the dessert box home so I could share with friends. GOOD friends.

How to sum up my El Bulli experience in just a couple words? Culinary nirvana. If you want to see more pictures of El Bulli, and have your own nirvana moment, check out the Dish Bliss photo site: http://dishbliss.shutterfly.com

Road Food

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:16:00 GMT

What is road food? This term can mean so many different things to so many people. To some it may mean a large, specific fast food chain, often more than once daily. To others it may mean finding something quick to eat wherever and whenever they can while they’re on the go; between flights, on your way to the airport, to the rental car place, or to and from work. Road food can be driving around San Diego on a Monday night trying to decide which place will disappoint you the least. And yet others may take it upon themselves to find the out-of-the way barbecue joints or the homegrown burger stops. You can find good road food (and bad), in spots all over the country. Small towns, roadside food stands, highway rest stops and airports are all good candidates for road food gems.

I don’t subscribe to the theory that to find good road food you have to be in the middle of nowhere, in a place no one has ever heard of where the pitmaster has three generations of barbecue tutelage under his belt. All that is required for good road food is good, solid food made with love. To me, cooking with love is stirring your risotto with a wooden spoon the way your wrinkled Italian grandmother taught you to, or that creamy potato and ham soup that needs to be cooked just so, with the ham diced like this, not that. How could something like ham cut to a certain size be so important? How can grandma be so finicky about using a wooden spoon for this particular dish? Its special considerations like these that make locals want to keep their tortilleria or their local sausage shop a secret from outsiders, creating a legend quietly in their backyard.

A legend in its own right, Frank Pepe is a pizzeria born in New Haven, Connecticut. Their pizza is nothing short of regional and sometimes national lore, some claim it to be the birthplace of pizza in The States. Now boasting five locations in the New Haven area, Pepe’s original location, The Spot, shares a block with their archrival Sally’s Apizza. Lines to get into one of these celebrated pizzerias often extend out the door and down the block. Like a true rivalry, this is a Red Sox-Yanks or Giants-Eagles saga; a true follower of one would never be caught supporting the other. I would imagine it’s the type of competition that could easily ruin relationships. What makes these places so great is their love for what they do. Actually, a nephew of Frank Pepe’s who worked for him loved the product and the business so much, he started slinging his own pies down the street at a little place now called Sally’s Apizza.

Although I’ve had opportunities to try Sally’s, I find myself pining for Pepe’s every time I’m in town. On a recent business trip, we stopped into one of Pepe’s newer locations. Although the original location in New Haven was in the opposite direction, we were able to make our way to the Fairfield pizzeria. You are immediately transported to another place and time when you walk in the door. The coal fired oven is dutifully attended to, and the pizzas are thrust into it with a pizza peel the size of an oar that could easily propel a Viking ship. The crust is light, slightly charred, crispy and chewy at the same time, while the sauce tempts the diner with a hint of sweetness and coincides wonderfully with the smokiness of the crust provided by the über- hot oven. The silky mozzarella cheese is just enough to blanket the pizza, and is melted to bubbly perfection. Ours was topped with chunky sausage and sweet peppers, which gave each bite nice texture. The pizza is sliced into no certain pattern; my guess is this is to provide the “middle-only” eaters with some choices, as well as options for smaller pieces, triangle and square-eating diners. The pizza here is not heavy or overly greasy, it doesn’t make you want a nap immediately afterwards. The rustic crust, the slightly sweet sauce, and the simplicity of the process and ingredients are what prove this pizza has been made with care for decades. And now, Frank Pepe’s is finding a way to bring these decades of perseverance and deliciousness to the masses. Cashing in on the fact that we as Americans are often on the go, Pepe’s has expanded and opened locations that cater to that fact. Spots like this can be found all over the world, in every state in America, and provide us with food experiences we talk about years after the fact. Good road food has heart, is made with love and in my case, usually includes cheese.

World of Flavors Conference 2010!

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:15:00 GMT

The smell of grape must surrounds me as I drive through sunny Napa Valley, I love that smell! It reminds me of the grape harvest, good wine and the great food that is found in this area. Every November, the Culinary Institute of America hosts a food conference at their Greystone location in St. Helena, CA. Greystone is centered in the heart of California’s northern wine country and offers the perfect location to immerse in all things culinary. All while drinking wine. Not a bad days work! The Worlds of Flavor conference brings together the top chefs and experts in the industry to immerse the attendee in a sea of culinary knowledge. This year’s topic was Japan, a cuisine I profess to know little about, so I was anxious to dive in and learn.

The conference started with an opening welcome and reception, with the chefs and sponsors preparing their specialties in the Barrel Room, a huge open space decorated to the theme of the conference and full of incredible smells.

The next day started with a discussion on the art of Ryotei and Kaiseki, the formal fine dining traditions of Japanese cuisine. With chefs speaking of family restaurants that have been in the family for over 400 years, it became apparent how traditional and ancient theses styles were. Then the gears switched to more modern concepts: street food and noodle bars. While these styles have been around for years, it seems their widespread global popularity is new within the last decades as opposed to centuries ago! This part of the conference really excited me; this is how chefs can bring Japanese food to the masses, in an approachable way. Bring on the airstream trailers serving up piping hot bowls of Ramen! We are ready!

Cutting Fresh Soba Noodles

Lunch was a great affair, with a sampling of Japanese flavors scattered throughout the historic Culinary Institute main building, allowing the attendee to sample incredible fresh noodle bowls (which bear NO resemblance to pre-packaging Ramen noodles found 10 for $1!), Yakitori (beef and vegetable skewers), tempura, artistically prepared sushi, various pickles, and a delicious Kurabuta squash gyoza. Breakout sessions followed lunch, allowing the attendees to gather in smaller groups and hear chefs speak on a specific specialty or topic. Finally, ANOTHER meal awaited us in the Barrel Room, a huge sampling of the conference chefs and sponsors interpretations of various Japanese foods. No one left hungry!

The final day of the conference started with more breakout sessions, then a general session about Japan and the World Table, how all cuisines have been enriched by the influence of Japanese cuisine. It was impressive to see how Japanese cuisine and techniques have been embraced by chefs all over the world to influence their styles and menus. All the lectures during the conference included vibrant pictures, chef demos and food preparation. Photos of the Tsukiji market in Tokyo, the largest fish and seafood market in the world made me want to jump on a plane to see it in person. They even had a Live Fire kitchen that was set up outside for grilling, where the camera could broadcast live to the entire group in the lecture room, if only they had smell-o-vision! Next up was a lecture on Japanese food styles. The food styling was also amazing; the attention to detail of plate presentation is unparalleled in Japanese cuisine. Every element is considered, the color, shape, aroma, flavor and meaning or story of the ingredients and the final dish all intertwine to create the final masterpiece. In every presentation, the evidence of the attention to season and surroundings were evident. Fall leaves as garnish, seasonal ingredients, even a sushi plate designed after the geography of San Francisco! Simplicity, beauty, and meaning were reflected in every dish. The conference then wrapped up with a session on how chefs are interpreting Japanese cuisines in new ways and fusing ingredients and techniques to their own styles and menus. Chef Morimoto cured and thinly sliced tuna then topped it with chives, white truffle and cured tuna heart to create “torsciutto”.

Torsciutto

Chef Tim Cushman created sushi with nori, pickled sancho berries (a type of pepper), seared foie gras, and a sauce with chocolate and balsamic vinegar. Certainly not traditional, but definitely unique!

Foie Gras Sushi

The event ended with a mini “Iron Chef” competition, with matsutake mushrooms as the “secret” ingredient. Then a final champagne toast and wishes for more to come and high expectations for next year.

Japanese cuisine seems to exemplify the opposite of what Americans demand from food. It is not fast food or portable. The flavors are mindful, delicate, and beautiful. As Americans learn more about Japanese cuisine the simplicity and fresh, subtle flavors will invite them in and capture our imagination. Sushi is only the start of great things to come from Japanese cuisine.

Stay tuned, next year’s Worlds of Flavor conference is scheduled for next November and the topic is WORLD CASUAL: The Future of American Menus, exploring how the casualization of fine dining and the consumer ‘s need for global foods are influencing American menus.

Pork Belly

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:12:00 GMT

Chefs love pork belly. It lends itself to so many different preparations, cooking techniques and flavor combinations. It is one of few food items that have the unique ability to absorb the flavors of what it is cooked or served with, while maintaining its own flavor and texture. It can be sweet, it can be salty, it can be smoky. It can be all of the above at the same time.

At the 2010 Worlds of Flavor conference recently held at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in St. Helena, pork belly was everywhere. In the Barrel Room, where participants are invited to convene nightly for an informal gathering of chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, and any other industry titles you can think of, pork belly was everywhere. This year’s conference featured the cuisine of Japan and boy, oh boy, do they love their pork belly.

Pork belly is relatively new to America’s dining scene, but has been used in Asian cooking for centuries. Heavily used in Korean, Chinese and Japanese cooking, pork belly is primarily found in fining dining establishments stateside. Americans tend to be guarded when it comes to consuming pork belly, likely because of its name, but for those that don’t know, pork belly is what is cured and smoked for bacon, that unctuous breakfast food that most people will tell you can make anything and everything better. A friend of mine, chef Wilson Wieggel of The Old House restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, makes a wonderful crispy seared pork belly that is served with caramelized cauliflower and plump golden raisins. Customers sometimes ask if the dish can be served without the belly, chef Wieggel respectfully declines.

I’ll be the first to admit that pork belly probably isn’t for everyone. But if you eat bacon, you should be just fine eating it when it’s prepared another way. Not to say that pork belly should be placed on a paper towel-lined plate and micro-waved (thanks, Mom) like bacon, however. The belly can be seared, braised, grilled, smoked, or any combination of the aforementioned, and in the hands of the right individual, can provide the diner with a delectable, mouth-watering hunk of meat. It’s the kind of experience that makes a first-timer wonder: A.) Why haven’t I had this before and, B.) When can I eat this again? What is unique about pork belly, are the levels of flavor and texture that it possesses. You’ve got a nice layer of meat, a layer of fat, another layer of meat, and another layer of fat. Often times it is seared in a hot pan to give the skin a crispy, crunchy mouth feel and providing consumers with an otherworldly textural experience. Other chefs will braise it low and slow, then serve it with a reduction of the braising liquid. In other words, pork belly is the sultry slow jam of the swine world. Any way you slice it or dice it, most chefs will drool at the thought of a piece of properly cooked pork belly.

Welcome Tony!

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:12:00 GMT

Just a quick note here: I’ve added a contributor to the Dish-Bliss blog! Welcome Tony Finnestad, a new addition to the Paradise team and a great chef!

Tony comes to Paradise from Jackson Hole, Wyoming after serving as Sous Chef for Vail Resorts. Tony has had the pleasure of traveling and cooking all over the country, including New York, New Mexico, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, Minnesota and Wyoming and has over 10 years of experience in the kitchen. After obtaining an Associate’s degree from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Chef Tony went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University. Chef Tony is currently taking Culinology classes and pursuing his Certified Research Chef certification.

Tony will be working full time as a new chef with me. He is fairly new to the manufacturing side of Research & Development but has a great deal of experience with fine dining. Tony is excited to be working with Paradise customers and bringing new ideas to the table, and recording his experiences on the Dish-Bliss blog!

Sial Food Innovation Show

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:10:00 GMT

My job as Research Chef has taken me many places with fabulous food, but Paris is always a highlight for new culinary experiences. The fresh open air markets make me want to run and find a kitchen so I can cook and play with the delicious ingredients found there. Scallops still in the shell with roe attached, unpasteurized fresh cheeses, melt in your mouth foie gras, whole and freshly caught rabbits, flaky, buttery croissants that are like no other, macaroons that deliver incredible flavors in one bite. Don’t get me started on the incredible wines to go with all these ingredients! The fresh, local ingredients that are found here are the building blocks of a great cuisine that has produced some incredible classic dishes. It makes sense that Paris was a perfect backdrop for the Sial conference, a food exhibition that showcases new trends, ingredients, products and technology served up at the convention center a short distance from the city’s center.

Fresh Scallops in the Shell

This year, I saw many new ingredients and ideas, not all practical or easily implemented for our customers, but they all served as food for thought, a way to take something new and translate it into something that is accessible to the USA market. Here are a few product highlights that I found interesting:

Last year at the Anuga show in Cologne, Germany I was introduced to black garlic. Black garlic is raw garlic that is fermented under controlled humidity and temperature conditions for 30-45 days to remove the pungent taste and aroma associated with raw garlic. It turns soft and slightly sticky, with a mild garlic flavor and sweetness. Six months later I could find it in the USA and it was a hot new ingredient for chefs. This year, black garlic was still around, although this time the product line had expanded to black garlic soda, black garlic juice extract, pastes and pills. Although the companies claims of curing diabetes, preventing hypertension and senility, recovering from fatigue, and “strengthening virility” would not fly with US labeling regulations, it is a health promoting, natural antioxidant ingredient to watch. As strange as black garlic soda sounds, it was actually very light and refreshing!

LeWhif was another product that made me stop and take notice. LeWhif is a new way to taste chocolate and coffee, by breathing small chocolate or coffee particles in through the mouth. The single serve container looks like a tube of chapstick, filled with a flavored powder that is inhaled. The fine powder enters your mouth bringing flavors such as chocolate, chocolate raspberry, chocolate mint, or coffee. At only 40mg per puff, LeWhif is also basically non-caloric. I was a little too enthusiastic on my inhale and after coughing for a few minutes, I finally understood that a gentle inhale was all that was needed to enjoy the flavor!

Molecular gastronomy is not dead! As fun and playful as chefs have made food designed using flavor and science together, it has not been seen as a trend that could easily trickle down from fine dining into casual dining and beyond. That may change as a few new products are entering the marketplace that are both flavorful and fun. “Perles de Saveurs” or savory pearls, are a new product that creates small spheres of flavor using an alginate gum. The jellified spheres come in sweet and savory flavors such as fig, truffle, lemon pepper, vinegar and shallots, or raspberry and can be used anywhere on the menu. They are colorful and bursting with flavor, and would make a beautiful and fun cocktail. A similar product plays off the bubble tea idea, but the “bubbles” are called Popping Boba. The gel bubbles fizz and explode in the mouth. What a great new and innovative way to add texture and a little surprise to a drink or dish.

Bits o’ juice offered up the next ah-ha moment. Natural citrus segments, are plucked from fresh lemons and cryogenically frozen, then individually separated and packaged. Lemon juice in its own natural container! The small, individual pods burst in the mouth and produced an intense, pure lemon taste. They’re perfect for sprinkling in a salad, as a topical application for fish instead of a lemon wedge, in a chicken sandwich for a surprise burst of flavor, or even in a glass of ice tea. The pods were easy to use, quick and convenient, all natural, versatile, interesting, and best of all…tasted great.

The next two innovations came in packaging. The first was Oloves, the healthy olive snack, pre-packaged olives in a liquid free, shelf stable, individual snacking sized package. The Oloves had only 40 calories per package, were all natural and with an impressive 18 month shelf life to boot. Simple and still fun, why hadn’t anyone thought of this one yet? Perfect for snacking, but even better for picnic martinis! The second packaging innovation was prepackaged wine. NOT box wine, but ready to drink wine pre-filled in a PET wine glass, with the top sealed with an easy to remove layer of film. Glasses with a stem or stemless glasses were available, and in red, white or rose wine varieties. This seems like a great option to prevent wine spoilage/oxidation, increase security, increase speed of service, with no cleaning or glass breakage worries, all packaged in a low weight container that is easy to carry. I think this idea could be huge for outdoor venues or stadiums, offering the ability to quickly serve a glass of wine, ease of transportation, and no worries about breakage. When they are filled with a fabulous Chateauneuf du Pape red wine, I will be the first to order a case and let the fun begin.

I was also impressed by the evidence of social food awareness present at the show. The term “social food” was used to describe an initiative by Envirance that has the purpose to put people and jobs back in the middle of innovation core values. They promote creating a link between the act of buying a product and the community’s well being. They believe the purchase of a “social food” product should support local job creation and fosters business education. Who can argue with an initiative like that? The Envirance booth promoted several products, such as Kika’s Treats. A range of handmade cookies baked in San Francisco using a communal kitchen developed to foster budding entrepreneurs, a way to have a start-up company with a low upfront investment. Sorghum biscuits were another product promoted, championing the use of sorghum. Sorghum is a local African sustainable crop that can be easily and inexpensively grown in Africa, and sorghum products are one way for people to grow crops locally and support their families and communities through the sale of sorghum containing products.

Overall, the Sial show was quite impressive and full of innovation. I hope I have brought a few ideas to you that can spark a new interest or product in your future. Next up, stay tuned for food highlights of my trip to Italy!

Happy Eating,

Chef Allison

Haute Dogs

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:09:00 GMT

Hot Dogs and burgers have gone upscale, and gourmet burgers and dogs are popping up in fine dining, casual dining, street food and even in vending machines. Hot Doug’s, in Chicago, is one of the most famous, upscale hot dog joints, serving dogs and sausages with every delicious combination you can imagine. The specials are incredible, combinations such as Calvados Smoked Duck Sausage with Morello Cherry Mustard and Goat Cheese, shows how far a traditional hot dog has come. All the dogs are served up with fries cooked in duck fat, which is something worth the two hours of standing in line! You can visit Hot Doug’s here, and if visiting Chicago be sure to check it out in person!

In my town, Austin, a new hot dog place has opened with some innovative flavor combinations. “Frank” has a great feel inside – it’s relaxing, laid back and welcoming.

No stuffiness can be found here, but great food is plentiful. They have many wild game offerings – I tried the Jackalope: local antelope, rabbit, and pork sausage, huckleberry compote, Sriracha aioli, and applewood smoked Cheddar. The flavor balance was perfect, and the sausage was lean and full of flavor. It was my favorite of the day. We also sampled the Notorious P.I.G.,

with house made pork, bacon, jalapeno, and sage sausage topped with macaroni & cheese and a Texas style BBQ sauce. It had a little too much going on for me, but the men in the group gave it the thumbs up. Next up was the Carolina Pork It, a Vienna beef sausage stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep fried (really), then topped with coleslaw and green chile pimento cheese. This was a heart attack waiting to happen, and one bite was delicious, but I’m not sure I could eat a whole dog and not feel guilty as my arteries hardened. Each sausage was completely unique and had great flavor before being topped, and the complementary additions only made them that much better. The side items were unique also, a rich corn dish

with grilled corn off the cob mixed with chili mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro and Cotijacheese and house-made boudin fritters with hatch chili remoulade. We finished off the meal with a couple signature desserts, chocolate covered bacon and a chocolate chip, pecan, walnut, cranberry and baconcookie. Neither were memorable, but they were unique and a good attempt to continue the bacon theme into desserts – not an easy task! Frank’s also has great local brews on tap and a nice bottled beer selection, as well as a list of specialty cocktails (even one with house made bacon infused vodka!) and craft sodas. They emphasize local ingredients and top quality, and deliver on flavor. Frank’s is another great addition to the eclectic food that can be found in Austin, if you are ever in town, I hope you stop by and enjoy a dog and a cold brew!

Exploring the NRA Show

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:39:00 GMT

The National Restaurant Show was held a few weeks ago in Chicago, IL. While it seemed to be smaller than in past years, I still found a few interesting items and ideas. Let’s start with the “Best of Show”, for me it was the Cholive.

Cholives are olive shaped dark chocolate truffles filled with creamy ganache. They are marketed as the perfect pairing for cocktails, and fit the bill. They are fun, delicious and fill a unique niche. The booth had a couple fun promotions also; the first was handing out fuchsia elastic bracelets for show goers to wear around the show promoting Cholives. If a “secret shopper” spotted you wearing the bracelet, you might win a year of free chocolate. The second is a contest to takethe most original and fun photo of you and your Cholive getting noticed at your favorite bar or restaurant -the winner receives a 7-day cruise! Great marketing to get the word out about a new product in the markets they are trying to reach. They also offered “Chruffles”- chocolate truffles to pair with wine. Nice job to Joshua Gentine, the President of Cholive, who has inspired a truly unique, yet easily approachable new product with great flavors. You can check out the Cholive at www.thecholive.com.

There were plenty of savory dishes at the show worth the calories too! Carla’s Pasta had some interesting items, including a Cheeseburger Ravioli, filled with all the flavors of a cheeseburger (including the pickles!), then breaded. The flavor combination and balance was perfect, and would be a great bar snack paired with a cold craft beer. Carla’s Pasta was also showcasing their Steam & Serve pastas: pre-cooked pastas paired with sauce in a prepackaged steam bag that heats quickly in the microwave. These items can be customized and are a great idea for simple preparation with minimal labor skill or equipment requirements. Best of all, they tasted great. I also found a few ideas that could potentially be great, even if the execution at the show wasn’t perfect. Funnel cake “fries” were shaped and served like French fries and offer a fun, hand held snack or side dish, especially with a great dipping sauce, how about paired with White Chocolate Raspberry icing??

I also ran into caramel filled churros. I loved the idea of a stuffed churro stick, and even think savory stuffed churros would be an easy, unique snack to eat on the go. Similar to an item I saw at the Anuga show last fall in Germany, Chipstix was one a couple booths showcasing a fried, twisted potato on a stick.

This item is popping up all over the USA, but not sure how long it will really stick around! I also saw a few very unique items that were completely new to me, including coquitos, which are baby coconuts the size of a nickel in diameter. I’m still mulling how I would use them, but they intrigued me. Maybe hollowed out and filled with mini flavor shots? I also found small edible cones for hors d’oeuvres that were made of charcoal and were pitch black in color. The charcoal cones made for a striking display, but aren’t available in the USA yet (they are used mostly in Japan). Food truck booths seemed to have popped up; selling any type of portable vehicle you could possibly deliver food in, from bicycle delivery to monster sized trucks. Street food is certainly here to stay, and being a huge fan of street food, this trend is one I want to stick around!

There were plenty of equipment options also, including the PacoJet, which mixes and purees frozen foods to produce a frozen and intensely flavored puree of extremely fine consistency. It has been around for awhile, and I am curious when it will be in more chain restaurants as the resulting products are so unique and interesting. It can create perfect sorbets and ice creams, but also makes the smoothes sauces, flavored pastes, soups, etc with bright, fresh flavors. I have also run into theSous Vide Supreme booth a few times now. They are offering a sous vide machine for home use. Sous vide cooking has gained popularity in the last few years in fine dining and involves vacuum sealing food in airtight pouches, then submerging the bags into a temperature controlled water bath, typically cooking at much lower temperatures than those used in traditional cooking methods, but for a much longer time. Sous vide cooking can produce extremely tender products, foods that are evenly cooked throughout, unique textures, higher yields and offers the opportunity to control cooking. For example, a steak could be cooked and held in the pouch in the water bath for hours without overcooking, as the internal temperature remains consistent to the temperature setting. There has been much controversy over sous vide cooking in fine dining, igniting a slew of legislation, so it will be interesting to see if consumers and home cooks pick up on this technology for home use. Green technology was prominent also, moving from green and recycled disposables to more interesting items such as non toxic ethanol gel, GreenPan™ Cookware, eco-friendly non-stick pots and pans with PTFE/PFOA-free coating and Thermolon™, which emit 60% less CO2 in production and claims no toxic fumes are emitted.The surface will not peel when heated to high temperatures, unlike traditional non stick coatings. GreenPan™ also uses a term called “constainability” (convenience and sustainability) for their products; maybe this one will make it into the dictionary or at least common usage.

The NRA proved to supply some unique items of interest this year, something it has not always done for me in the past, so along with the networking and incredible restaurants of Chicago, it was a good trip full of inspiration!

Portable in Portland

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:05:00 GMT

What makes a meal memorable? The atmosphere, the flavors, the presentation? For me all of these things, but what is most important is the people you share the meal with. The stories behind the chefs or purveyors dishing up the food are fascinating to me, as they are often as unusual and varied as the meals themselves.

Recently, I was at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference in the beautiful city of Portland, a city that reminds me of my current home city of Austin, Texas in many ways. The city was laid back, environmentally friendly, full of great restaurants and supports the local community strongly. This was my first time attending the IACP conference, and the educational sessions, the local flavor, and the city all left me impressed.

One day we did a tour of the local street food vendors. Portland has a large community of street food carts, arranged in “pods” in various parts of the city. The variety of foods offered was staggering. In just a few hours, we sampled Thai spring rolls, Bosnian pitas, Korean tacos, Poutine (French fries topped with cheese curds and smothered in gravy), and a delicious Italian porchetta (slow roasted pork) sandwich. The owner at Ziba’s Pita (Bosnian style pitas) had a story that would be repeated several times during the day trip.

After moving to this country, the owner found her lack of English skills prohibited her from working in her past financial profession, so she pursued what she knew and loved, cooking. Her cart serves up stuffed Bosnian style pitas piping hot and delicious, while being wholesome, portable, and affordable.

Another memorable sandwich was at the Brunchbox, which served up a hamburger served between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Really. They should be served up with paddles to shock your heart back into rhythm after consuming that much fat in one sitting, but we were on our own. All of us managed to survive and enjoyed a great burger!

My favorite food of the day had to go to The People’s Pig cart – the menu was small, but it was tough to choose! They are well known for the porchetta sandwich, so I dug in and hoped for a great meal. I was not disappointed; the pork is locally sourced and slow roasted, sliced and served with pickled spicy giardiniera – a heavenly combination. The only thing that could’ve made it better would’ve been an ice cold beer! They were also offering an egg salad sandwich with pork fat aioli (mayonnaise), cracklins and bacon. How could that combination be bad? I wish I had saved room to sample it.

After I recovered from all the food I consumed on my first outing in street food paradise, the next day I was ready to hit more food carts. We ventured off to Pyro Pizza, a food trailer with a wood fired oven inside that gave off the most intoxicating aroma of a real wood fire blended with the smell of freshly baked bread.

The pizzas were gourmet and tasty, with a chewy, blistered crust. I tried the caramelized onion with Gorgonzola, Parmigiana Reggiano and pistachios. They were fantastic.

While waiting for the pizzas to cook, we sauntered over to Whiffies, to taste test the homemade pocket pies. They were as good as the gossip I’d heard about them, flaky outside and filled with your choice of fruit filling. Just like Hostess used to make, only served warm, full of flavor, freshly cooked and homemade! As I left the airport, vowing not to eat for at least a week, I realized it was all worth it and began plotting my next trip Whiffies, and Pyro Pizza, and Ziba’s Pitas, and…

The Publican & the Pig

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:03:00 GMT

I was recently in the Windy City for a quick trip and decided to visit the Publican, a “gastro-pub” style venue by Chef Paul Kahn. Chef Kahn is already well established as an innovative chef in the Chicago restaurant scene, and having dined at another Kahn restaurant, Avec, I knew I wouldn’t leave hungry.

First, let’s discuss what defines a gastro-pub. The term came out of traditional pubs in England that with the culinary revolution in Britain began serving food worthy of the incredible beers offered at these local establishments. The food was approachable, used quality ingredients, and was affordable. As the economy fell, the popularity of this high quality pub food rose as an alternative way to get a great meal at a good price, with a great beer thrown into the mix. The gastro-pubs were local spots, in every neighborhood that also helped foster a sense of community and gathering. It is not simply “pub food”, or British food, but an elevated concept that combines community and a sense of sharing with great food and beverages. Doesn’t sound too bad to me! Maybe world peace is next.

Walking into the Publican I had a sense of a local bar feel. It was very laid back and comfortable inside, with long communal tables, an open kitchen, and an open stand up bar area for those who just wanted to pop in for a quick drink and a delicious snack. Pig Art was hanging on the walls, very simple but fun pictures. None of them made me feel guilty for the pork I knew I was about to indulge in!

The beer menu is unbelievable, with Belgian styles dominating the extensive offerings. The beer list included: beers on tap, trappist, abbey style, lambics, Flemish red/bruin, method champenoise, microbrews, saisons, and biere de garde categories from many countries. There is even an option to buy a six-pack of cans for the kitchen, now that is a tip! I opted for a Great Lakes Brewing Company beer, called “Rye of the Tiger” (ok, I love the 80’s and the name was just as intriguing as the flavor description!). We started off with a dish of grilled ramps (wild spring onions) served with a smoky Spanish Romesco sauce topped with perfectly toasted Marcona almonds.

The smoky Romesco was the perfect foil for the charred, grilled mild ramps. Marcona almonds are from Spain and have a rich, nutty flavor that is like almonds on steroids – if you haven’t tried them, track some down and check them out, they are addictive. We also sampled fresh fried spicy pork rinds (from my home state of Iowa, no less), which were a culinary revelation (compared to the Styrofoam commercial bagged versions I’d sampled in the past and never loved).

The server delivered the rinds hot and sprinkled with a spicy seasoning and the comment “the best Cheetos® you’ll ever eat”. They beat Cheetos® hands down and made me wish for a big screen TV, a comfy sofa, and a football game to watch while munching! A dish that takes you to a memory like that cannot be bad! Both dishes were an amazing pairing with the crisp, slightly hoppy beer.

We also sampled the charcuterie plate, arranged with various house cured meats, sausages, pork pies (ah, very Brit inspired!) served with whole grain mustard, pickles, and a delicious cherry-fig preserve.

The plate was good, especially for a pig-lover like me, but the duck galantine was over-the-top amazing! It was composed of duck breast, country forcemeat, and foie gras, rolled and cooked, then sliced thinly. It was the dish of the evening that was granted “a moment of silence” in my book for an homage to the hard-to-find, perfectly balanced, delicious dishes that impress me. All the foie gras haters in the world (of which I have never been a member!) should try this dish before giving it up forever. Please!

Gastro pubs are popping up all over the United States. It will be an adventure to see how they evolve next – and when the term “gastro-pub” is understood and the concept loved by all, my job will be done. Looks like I have some work ahead of me!

Happy Eating!

Austin Food Tour

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:59:00 GMT

Hey Everyone!

Recently, I gave a food tour in Austin. Not your typical foodie tour, but a special tour that showcased trailer food. Really? Trailer food you ask? I can guarantee this food is some of the most innovative, exciting and flavorful stuff out there, and all at a great value too. Airstream trailers are a popular choice for trailer food vendors, a throwback to retro design, while the food inside is anything but.

We started off at Mighty Cone, a trailer serving a variety of burgers, venison hot dogs, wonderful seasonal ice cream shakes, and their namesake, the Mighty Cone. Picture avocado slices crusted with sesame seeds, arbol chile flakes, and cornflakes deep fried (really) on a bed of slaw with a flavorful dressing, all in a soft flour tortilla folded into a cone for easy eating. The crisp and soft texture contrast is unbelievable and so are the flavor combinations.

Here’s a photo of The Mighty Cone!

We moved on to Holy Cacao –Ihave my priorities and dessert is pretty close to top of list! Holy Cacao serves cake balls, small bite size, gooey balls of cake dipped in chocolate and served on a stick. Think of a lollipop made of cake and you’ve got it. They also serve a yummy concoction called frozen hot chocolate, a decadent chocolaty icy shake with cinnamon and a hint of Ancho chile pepper. Spicy and cold all at the same time, a great flavor experience.

The odd duck Farm to Trailer was next up, serving a new menu daily, based on local available ingredients. I chose a delicious grilled Romaine salad topped with quail egg. All the dishes from odd duck are cooked on a wood fired grill inside the trailer –you can smell the aroma of a smoky wood fire when you pull up. It made my mouth water and I was not disappointed. The romaine leaves were lightly grilled, still crisp but the grilling added a gently smoky flavor that was outstanding. It was topped with a light vinaigrette and a quivering quail egg that was perfectly cooked. Served with a slice of toasted bread, it was a great combination of flavors that left me completely satisfied.

Photo of The Odd Duck Farm to Trailer

Then we moved on to the last stop, Gourdough’s. Picture a fresh fried sweet dough topped with unique combinations of ingredients and served piping hot and you’ll understand the magic of Gourdough’s. They have both sweet and savory combinations, such as the “Flying Pig” doughnut with maple syrup icing and topped with bacon, or a sweet doughnut filled with grape jelly and topped with peanut butter chips and peanut butter icing. This is one stop that must be tried to believe, there was not one piece left after we devoured the doughnuts we ordered. Completely stuffed, we waddled back home, thinking of all the trailers we missed, but savoring the next chance for a food trailer tour.

Here's the Gourdough's Trailer

Here's what "The Flying Pig" looks like!

Austin is a beautiful city, a place I am happy to call home. We have hundreds of food carts, trailers, vans, wagons, bicycle vendors, airstreams, etc in Austin, all serving delicious food, with more popping up every day. At these unique, mobile locations you can sample noodle bowls, cupcakes, tacos, empanadas, popsicles, pizza, crepes, doughnuts, gourmet meals, kebabs… the list is endless! If you are ever if my neck of the woods, please look me up and I will take you on an eating adventure in Austin! We didn’t even discuss BBQ, that is a whole different topic, one which I am sure to touch on in the future.

Thanks for reading! Check back again soon!

~Allison

Pizza Expo 2010

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:57:00 GMT

Viva Las Vegas! I headed off to the sparkling city of Las Vegas for the Pizza Expo, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center March 1-4, 2010. The show is the perfect size, small enough to walk the whole floor, absorbing all the new products and sampling new ingredients, but large enough to bring the industry’s best. This is also always a great opportunity to try new restaurants, and this year -with the explosion of “mixologists” hitting the scene -maybe an interesting cocktail or two.

The restaurants are continually changing in Vegas, and in the last 10 years Las Vegas has turned into a hot spot for rising chefs and established favorites to shine. The all-you-can-eat buffets that used to represent the Las Vegas food scene have morphed into cutting-edge, high-end restaurants that must stay on their toes to satisfy the tourists and natives alike. I returned from the Pizza Expo a few pounds heavier, exhausted, but also full of new ideas to bring to the product development table. My favorite dish at the Expo, which was laden with food samples, was…pizza. Of course! The Italians are the ones who did it first and in my opinion, it is a classic that needs no improvement. One booth showcased the unadorned classic Neapolitan style that won me over- simple, light, chewy and bubbly dough topped simply with crushed tomatoes, fresh buffalo Mozzarella, cooked in a wood fired oven, topped with fresh basil and served piping hot. Magic, in the form of pizza! And with all the food at the Expo, who would’ve thought we’d want to dine out after the show? But the great choices of restaurants were too much to pass up, so I “put on my eating pants” as one of my (professional eating) friends is fond of saying, and headed out for the nightlife and more food.

We dined on incredibly fresh sushi at BarMasa, piloted by Michelin three-star chef, Masa Takayama. The menu was varied, and we dined on an assortment of sizzling baby octopus, delicate grilled black cod, spicy tuna roll, and sashimi. Served with real, freshly grated wasabi that was a treat compared to the powdered version! Washed down with a shiso leaf Mojito cocktail and finished with black truffle or soba ice cream to complete the meal. While the black truffle ice cream was not my favorite (bring on mint chocolate chip!), the presentation of the black colored ice cream with gold leaf flake was certainly unique.Check it out!

The next night we headed to Julian Serrano’s for a completely different flavor, Spanish tapas. The cuisine has a twist added, small “molecular gastronomy” pieces were evident throughout the dishes. One example was a square of Ahi tuna topped with “molecular” raspberry- a small gelled square with a bursting raspberry flavor. Paired with an incredible Tempranillo wine and we had the perfect storm! With all the great restaurants infiltrating Las Vegas, there was just not enough time to hit everything, but I did my best…

Allison