Pear Butterscotch Pie

I bought a new pie dish last week and was immediately inspired to put it to good use! With a smidge of fall-like weather in the air, I thought I would try to summon more cooler temps and less humidity by making something autumnal. I am not a fan of pumpkin, so that was immediately out, and I know I'll be making pecan pie for Thanksgiving, so I decided to pass on that too. Going though some of my saved recipes (three binders worth, and then some!), I came across Pear Butterscotch Pie that had appeared in Gourmet magazine in 2009.

Pear butterscotch pie, from an old Gourmet magazine. I might be able to find a few folks to share this with! #pie #crust #makemyowncrust #doublecrustpie #latticepie #fruitpies #pear #butterscotch #homemade #eatdessertfirst #instafood #foodporn #instayum #foodoftheday #austin360cooks #instadessert #instapie #gourmetmagazine

A photo posted by South Austin Foodie (@southaustinfoodie) on Oct 19, 2016 at 1:57pm PDT

The one note I left on my printout when I made it before was "yum!". Not very descriptive, but it was precisely that. Especially when served a bit warm with fresh whipped cream.
I think I can now add "Yum, YUM!" to my notes. It's a very easy pie to make, only made complicated by the crust. I made my own crust, because I am a pie-purist in that respect. I use Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe, though I use half butter and half vegetable shortening. And I used Bartlett pears and fresh grated nutmeg, which I think always makes a difference. But if you are not a crust maker, the refrigerated pie crusts will certainly do, and you could do a lattice or other fun, fall-like motif.  Do try to use the fresh nutmeg though!

And thanks to the Austin American-Statesman, who featured my Instagram photo in the newspaper, as part of their #austin360cooks hastags.

Enjoy! And meanwhile, I am still waiting for sweater weather........

Cheke's Takos

If you keep up with me, you may know that one of my favorite trailers around is The Flying Carpet, with their Moroccan kefta and amazing l'afrique sauce. Not only are they located close to my house, but it is run by some dedicated people, Abdu and Maria. They share space in their lot with two other trailers at 504 W. Oltorf, and Maria has been telling me for awhile "You gotta try Cheke's Takos."  Well I finally made a trip specifically for Cheke's and Maria was SO right!

The Popeye's on the corner at South First and Oltorf is no longer operational, and the Church's chicken is the building to the east. Then there's a bright blue house and a driveway between it and the hair salon next door. If you take this driveway, it goes to a back lot where the TFC, Cheke's, and  Pie Plante trailers are located. The blue house is generally open for customers to sit inside and eat, or you can enjoy your food al fresco. Here's a look at Cheke's and their menu.

I started with a tlacoyo, an oval-shaped piece of comal-toasted masa with toppings, not unlike a gordita or huarache. This is the plain cheese tlacoyo, with nice fresh cilantro and onion. I thought the dough could have used a touch more salt, but according to Wikipedia, they are traditionally made without salt or lard. Good texture, not too chewy, and everything was very fresh.

Per Maria's recommendation, I had the pambazo, which is Cheke's version of a torta. The bread is dipped in red chile sauce, griddled a bit and stuffed with a mixture of chorizo and potatoes, topped with sour cream, queso fresca, and lettuce. Maria said to get it with the beef if they had it available and they did. This was so savory and delicious! The red sauce had just a bit of a chile kick to it, enough to make my nose run a teeny bit. And beef and potatoes are pretty much always a great combo. While this is presented as a sandwich, it was a fork and knife experience for me. I would most definitely eat this again with the beef, but I do love some good chorizo, so I might have to try the original version next time. And there will be a next time. I've been thinking of the pambazo just about daily since I had it.

Cheke's is clearly making some strong Mexican street food, and while I am not an expert, I can tell you nothing was greasy and everything was made fresh. The owner does update their Facebook page regularly, but I would also encourage them to add MORE pictures of the food and especially the daily specials, as I think the visuals would really help to draw people in. They had lamb tacos on Saturday... I don't think I've ever had lamb in a taco! Yes, please!

With the weather finally starting to cool down at night, it's getting to be perfect opportunity to eat trailer food! Do yourself a favor, bypass your traditional Mexican food brick and mortar establishment, grab your favorite adult beverage, and go enjoy the simple and simply delicious food that is Cheke's. I don't think you'll be disappointed. But leave room for Pie Plante for dessert (three flavors available daily, check their social media to find out which ones; coconut cream is my favorite!) or try some of the Flying Carpet's Moroccan kisses: dates stuffed with almond butter, tahini and sprinkled with a touch of sea salt. There's A LOT of good stuff happening at 504 W. Oltorf, I am telling you.

Pie Plante

I've been familiar with the Pie Plante trailer for a little while now, as it is parked in the same lot as my Moroccan friends, the Flying Carpet (504 W. Oltorf, next to Church's Fried Chicken).  Owner Mark Plante is a self-taught baker who saw the need for pies in Austin (yes!), and has been in business for almost a year. He invited a few bloggers out last week for an informal gathering, a mini pie social if you will! I was not asked for nor financially compensated for a blog post, and all opinions are my own.

The trailer usually has three to four selections daily, and a slice of pie is $5. Whole pies are available by pre-order, and range from $32-42 (contact Mark for additional varieties). And remember, whole pies aren't just for the holidays! Today's selections were: bourbon sour cherry, chocolate mousse, and my obsession, his coconut cream pie!

The cherry pie was loaded with fruit, and had a distinctive, but not overpowering bourbon taste. I am not as much of a cherry or berry pie fan, but this was outstanding, and had a crumb topping. Vanilla ice cream would be an excellent addition! The chocolate mousse was nice and light, and there was no cloying sweetness to it, while maintaining a good chocolate flavor. And finally, the coconut cream. To me, it's perfect. A smooth custard filling, whipped topping, and toasted coconut flakes on top. The coconut definitely has a presence, you don't have to second guess what kind of pie you're tasting!  Here's a picture of it that I took last November when I took a slice home.

This is owner Mark in the trailer. He'll be taking a vacation (and staying out of the August heat!) here shortly, so keep your eye on his Facebook page for hours. He also updates his daily pie selections there too.

And in case you need more evidence that the pies are fantastic. We licked these clean!

So stop by Pie Plante and either eat your pie there, or take them home, but you won't regret it! The bourbon sour cherry will also be available by the slice at Farm to Market Grocery starting this month!

Pie Plante
504 W. Oltorf Street, just east of South First (blue house in the front of the lot, next to the driveway)
In the lot with The Flying Carpet and Cheke's Tacos
Instagram and Twitter: @pieplante
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pieplante
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 6 - 10 pm, or sold out

Bison Pot Roast

I am a little behind in doing some writing. My parents have been here for a visit since Saturday afternoon. I had told them I would cook dinner on Saturday night, and what would they like? Dad wanted pot roast. Now I like a good pot roast, but I have never actually made one. So I spent the past week consulting a few recipes, and found one from Gourmet, via www.epicurious.com that called for a 4 lb beef chuck roast to feed 8 - 10 people; I'll be cutting that recipe in half! When I was at my friendly Central Market Westgate, I saw a bison chuck, with good marbling, but not the hunks of fat that the beef had.

I made it on Friday night, as it needed almost 3 hours to braise. At some point, I'll remember to take pictures of these things as they are being made and/or finished, and not a few days later. Whatever. It was a very tasty dinner, complete with roast garlic mashed 'tators and green beans. The bison had a nice flavor to it -- this one was a lot like beef actually; a pretty dense piece of meat, but it wasn't dried out. Though the bison had a LOT less fat than the beef, it still had enough to render, though the bacon that gets sauted at the beginning also helps with the fat (and flavor!). Oh, and a kick-ass key lime pie, if I don't say so myself! Picture taken a couple of days after the fact....still cold from the fridge, but looking tasty!