Bits and Bites

Random bits of food-related news!

Celebrity News
-- Colt McCoy, yes, the football player, has invested in Dunkin Donuts, which will be opening 24 area donut stores in the coming months. I prefer a good Dunkin cake donut or holes over Krispy Kreme anyday!
-- Justin Timberlake is going to bring his Southern Hospitality Memphis-style BBQ restaurants to Austin in 2013. Bring on the baby backs!

Restaurant News
-- The Carillon is continuing with their 3 course, $29 menu through December, which includes a salad, pork loin, and a dessert with beets and goat cheese!  
-- Foo Swasdee is back at her Satay restaurant after an extended trip to Thailand.

Open, finally
-- Sway, the new Thai spot from the La Condesa restaurant family at South 1st and Elizabeth Streets,
-- East Side King, at Hole in the Wall on the Drag, the first brick and mortar installment from Paul Qui, building on his ESK food trailer empire.
-- Unfortunately, Jax Neighborhood Cafe, where former Artz Ribhouse owner Art Blondin was tending the BBQ, has closed. I ran into Art this past week and he said he's got some options to explore.

Holiday Gift Ideas
-- Looking for that perfect gift for your favorite foodie? Edible Austin has put together an awesome holiday guide filled with local ideas and products.
-- Places like Central Market have pre-made gift baskets or you can shop for your own favorite items!
-- Lots of restaurants and purveyors offer gift cards!
-- Local online shopping can be done through merchants like Confituras  (amazing & award-winning jams, sauces, and now salts!) and Cocoa Puro (artisan enrobed cacao nibs), both farmers' market regulars who have branched out! 

Winners
-- The Austin Food and Wine Alliance announced the winners of their $20,000 culinary grants this past week: Argus Cidery, Tecolote Farms, and Connally High School Culinary Program. Congrats to all!

Searching...
-- I received a press release for a new reality tv show that's casting for the Late Night Cooking King or Queen. If you or someone you know operates a bar, food truck or other establishment into the wee hours of the  morning, and are interesting in applying, shoot me an email {southaustinfoodie@gmail.com}, and I can forward you the email that was sent.

And finally...
-- I've got one reader who is looking for locally made plum pudding. If you know anyplace, would you leave a comment here or drop me a line? Thanks!

Peace and good eating to you all this holiday season!

 

Meet Me at the Market: Sustainable Food Center + Cocoa Puro

As a member of the Austin Food Blogger's Alliance, we've been asked to help spread the word about the Sustainable Food Center's (SFC) capital campaign and one of their farmers' market vendors. So I present to you, the SFC and Cocoa Puro!

The Sustainable Food Center (SFC) was founded in Austin in the early 1990s, as an offshoot of the Austin Community Gardens program. Their mission is to cultivate a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. The SFC offers opportunities for the community to learn about farming and gardening, as well as to become educated on cooking and nutrition. They also work with area farmers and growers to present several area farmers' markets, where they connect the farmers to additional urban resources. The irony of the center is they've never been an actual "center," in that they've never had a facility that people could come and visit. That's about to change with their capital campaign in full swing.

Their new facilities will offer 2.3 acres of garden plots, where approximately 70 area families will be able to grow their own food; classroom and meeting space; a teaching kitchen; greenhouse, and much more to continue to let the community grow.

Another ongoing effort of the SFC is the coordination of four area farmers' market. SFC Markets Manager Suzanne Santos says that the new permanent facility will greatly help with the coordination of the farmers' markets. They will have storage space for the items they haul to the weekly markets (water jugs for drinking water, brochures at the information booth, etc.) and farmers will be able to use the commercial kitchen to prepare their bumper crops -- turn fresh tomatoes into freshly canned tomatoes that have a much longer shelf life, but are still "made" by a particular farmer. SFC can offer classes to farmers on utilizing social media to spread the word about their products (The Carlsons of Swede Farm are an excellent example of using Facebook and Twitter to market themselves!) The meeting space will be utilized for annual farmer and vendor meetings, as well as the quarterly SFC Farmers’ Market Committee meeting.

One former SFC Advisory Council member is Cocoa Puro founder, Tom Pederson. He started experimenting with cacao beans in 1999, and in October 2004, he and his family founded the company. Their creation: Kakawa beans, an item so unique, it was named one of Saveur magazine's Top 100 food items of 2006. 

Tom takes a whole cacao bean, lightly toasts it, and enrobes it in white, milk, and dark chocolate, followed by a roll in cocoa powder. What it creates is a slightly bitter and sweet flavor combination, and as he best describes it "pure bliss."

Photo by Kent Lacin for Cocoa Puro, used with permission.

It's a labor intensive process to create the Kakawa beans, of which Toms says "It takes me four to five hours of continuous labor just to lay the chocolate layers on a batch of Kakawa Cocoa Beans. There's also considerable prep work and roasting of the beans prior to them being enrobed in chocolates. In all, it takes the better part of a day to make a batch, sometimes more. Then we bag and label them all by hand."

Tom Pederson at SFC Farmers' Market Downtown, November 2012

They've also created some other products, exclusively available at the farmers' markets, such as chocolate bars, pictured above. My absolute favorite is the dark chocolate with cayenne, cinnamon, and nibs. Cocoa Puro also has hot chocolate mix, a lip balm, and delicious caramelized cacao nibs. The original Kakawa beans are also available through their website. 

Tom was invited by Suzanne Santos to be a part of the SFC's Advisory Council, something he was part of for several years. He appreciates SFC for their support of farmers, small businesses, and artisan food makers as they are doing good work to support food security in the Austin community. Which is exactly what SFC's mission is all about. So visit the SFC's website, and consider donating to their capital campaign. We can't all give large amounts of money, but the SFC is truly a grassroots effort, so every little bit counts. 

And when you visit the farmers' markets, remember they don't just have locally grown produce. Look for Cocoa Puro and their little bites of pure bliss, and appreciate the time and effort that went into making these extraordinary products! Support local.

Swift's Attic

Swift's Attic has been on the "hot" list since it opened earlier this year, and the people who I know who have been have raved about it. So it was finally time to go check it out, and I went with a group of eight foodies. However the food overall did not blow me away, though I think one contributing factor was being with a large group and there was so much chatter going on, it was harder to concentrate on the food.

I loved the decor and the feel of the place; for those of you who have been in Austin a while, Swift's occupies the former Kyoto, above the Elephant Room at 315 Congress Avenue. It's a long, narrow space; both these pictures were taken from the lounge/bar. We were seated for dinner at the opposite end. Not sure what the light fixtures below were made from (some type of basket?) but I liked the look and effect. 

It's a bit dark in the restaurant so in many ways, I am "seeing" my food for the first time in looking at these pictures (thank goodness for flash photography!). It also got very loud, not because we were a group (we were seated at a booth at the back), but because they really jacked the overhead music up. There was no way to hear the conversations at the other end of the table. So here's the food that we had, with a little bit of commentary on it. I WOULD like to go back to Swift's with maybe just a couple people to see if being able to focus more on the food would elevate their standing in my book.

Cocktails in the lounge started with The Reunited -- fresh peach, herbed simple syrup, Remy Martin V (cognac-esque), Cointreau, and lemon juice. This went down very easy!

Tempura "frickles" (fried pickles)

Blistered shishito peppers with Garroxta cheese and Banyuls vinegar... From the online menu, I knew this was with Garroxta (aged Spanish goat's milk cheese) and Banyuls (French vinegar from grenache grapes). From the printed menu at the restaurant, all it reads is "Shishito peppers, GBE."  Garroxta Banyuls Emulsion? No idea what GBE stands for, and if I hadn't previously looked online, I really wouldn't have had a clue as to what this was. And this is one of my criticisms of their (and other establishments) menus  -- why is it so lacking in information and details about the dish? Are you supposed to ask your server about every little thing? Why can't a menu be printed with more info???? Grrrrrr.

Charred edamame with chili oil and pop rocks; there was something else in the small bowl closest to you other than pop rocks, but I couldn't tell you what for sure, though now looking at it, I think it's salt and pepper. The middle bowl was for the empty edamame pods.

Raw red kale Caesar salad with crispy sardine; the whole sardine (underneath the kale) was a bit of a surprise!

Fried oysters on horseback with root vegetable puree, crispy serrano ham. The ham was good, but I have no distinct memory of what the other components tasted like.

Squid fries with garlic aioli.... a little on the limp side, bit disappointing.

Goaty Cheesy Poufs with braised goat, crimini mushrooms and basil puree. You know the Brazilian pao de quejo cheese balls? This is what this was, with stuff on top. The cheese balls were very chewy and a bit tough. I think they're sort of lost under the meat and mushrooms.

Tater Tot "Swiftine" with smoked ham hock, queso fresco, and gravy. The meat had good flavor, but there's supposed to be queso fresco in here? Where? Maybe the tater tots are made with it? The tots themselves weren't as crisp as the picture suggests the should be.

Idaho Rainbow trout in a leek and radish broth with sun-dried tomato tapende. Quite tasty, very nice broth.

Fried chicken meatballs with pickled ginger and nori sauce. I've never had a battered and fried meatball, but these were good! Actually fairly light.

Evening special: wild caught striped sea bass with sunchokes, sauteed butternut squash ribbons, ramp butter and pistou sauce -- I think I have the description right! I had the waitress repeat it once the plate came so I could write it down. Best dish of the evening, by far! The sea bass was seared, and the skin was amazingly crisp, and the fish tender and moist. A wonderful flavor combination when you got a bite with all components -- velvety butter sauce, the al dente squash with it's sweetness, the crispness of the skin with the light sea taste from the fish. Divine.

Desserts: Popcorn and a Movie.... tasty but a bit too minimalist to be truly satisfying. Kind of like caramel popcorn with Kit Kats.

Fried brie, apple compote, pomegranate gel, pine nut crunch ice cream. This was probably my second favorite dish of the evening. The brie and apple combo was yummy and the pomegranate a nice, bright flavor contrast.

Our lead waitress was quite knowledgeable about the dishes and patient with a group. The staff was a little too efficient in trying to clear plates and drink glasses that maybe hadn't quite been finished yet (like my cocktail).

So, if you've been to Swift's, what dishes did you enjoy (or not) and why? What should I try when I go back?

Bits and Bites

Openings
-- Austin Java is opening a new branch in Tarrytown at 3110 Windsor Road on November 26th (today!).

-- Lucky Robot (formerly Zen, at 1303 South Congress) will have their official grand opening on November 28th, and will have food and drink specials throughout the day, including $2 Asian tacos, sashimi specials, along with drink specials.

-- East Side King will open their first brick and mortar at the former Hole in the Wall, on the Drag, 2538 Guadalupe, on December 4th. 

-- New Indian grocery store, Gandhi Bazar, at William Cannon and Brodie Lane, by Cafe Malta.


Events
 -- The newly formed Texas Farm to Table Food Caucus holds their kick-off celebration with number of notable local chefs all preparing locally sourced foods, November 29th at Boggy Creek Farms. From the press release:  "The Texas House Farm-to-Table Food Caucus was formed in the spring of 2012 to educate members of the Texas House of Representatives on issues relating to the growing, harvesting and consumption of Texas foods. The bipartisan Caucus is the first of its kind in the nation and was founded and is chaired by Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) and vice chaired by Rep. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham). "
 
-- Edible Austin's Eat Drink Local Week kicks off on December 1st; the week-long activities support the Sustainable Food Center and Urban Roots. Events include: Urban Bicycle Tour on the 1st; a screening of the movie Sideways on the 3rd; and from December 1 - 8, dine at one of over 50 participating restaurants that will feature locally sourced entree specials. (And the restaurants in South Austin: Homeslice Pizza, Jack Allen's Kitchen, Kerbey Lane, Lenoir, Olivia, People's Pharmacy, Snack Bar, Thai Fresh, and Wholly Cow Burger.) The SFC is also in the midst of a capital campaign to build their new facility. Stay tuned for more info on that in an upcoming blog post!

From the City of Austin's Small Business Development Program
-- There's a new website promoting small, locally owned businesses -- Locally Austin!!! Tell all your favorite local businesses to register with them -- it's FREE to register! Great tool, especially with the holiday shopping season now upon us!

The Flying Carpet: An Update

Four years ago at Election Day, I was in Morocco; Marrakesh to be precise. The Moroccan people were very excited at the prospect of electing someone of African descent to the presidency, and they shouted their exuberance even more upon seeing a group of Americans on Wednesday after Obama's victory. (You can read my post from 2008 right here.) Fast forward to 2012, I figured some Moroccan food was in order on Election Day to bring some good luck to this tight race.

A friend of mine is a cousin to Maria, as in Maria and Abdu Souktouri, who own and operate The Flying Carpet trailer. Through this connection, I have gotten to know them a bit, and have discovered they are some of the most genuinely nice people out there. They have always poured their heart and soul into everything they serve out of their little blue trailer. 

TFC is located at 504 West Oltorf Street, just a little bit east of South First Street, next to the Church's Chicken. There is a small blue house in front, and a large lot though the driveway in the back, where they are creating a little food trailer community! Along with them are Regal Ravioli and La Fantabulous Tacos; I haven't tried them yet, but Maria & Abdu both say they are great! **Soon!**

As Abdu was preparing our food in the trailer, Maria took us inside the house. Presently, it is not open to the public for dining. Maria said their goal is to create a little cafe with tea, coffee and pastries/cookies (she bakes!) and have a Moroccan lounge. They know the soul of their business is preparing food from their trailer, so they're not looking to move the whole operation into the house, which would require a huge amount of renovation to install a commercial kitchen. It's a nice open space, with some cozy couches in one corner, a couple tables, and another couch/lounge area in another corner.

With the various pieces of Moroccan decor -- tajines,  lanterns, this wooden tray, which I knew to be from the coastal area of Essouria, as we visited there -- they are creating a nice ambiance. The tea set is also something you see everywhere in the country -- you have sweetened mint tea at every meal, and if you are a special guest, the host will make an even bigger show of pouring you a glass!

Oh yeah, and the food! I ordered a Big Abdu, which is seasoned ground beef kefta (shaped like a sausage, rather than a patty), eggplant, a fried egg (and fortunately for me, their fried eggs are more scrambled than fried), and French fries all inside a pita bread with their delicious l'Afrique sauce. I was starving, so I almost forgot to take a picture of the wrap. So yeah, not the best picture, but the food was tasty and a great mix of textures. Get extra sauce! And napkins! It's kind of a mess, but who cares?

TFC doesn't have tajine dishes on their day to day menu, but special orders can be made in advance and they also offer private catering. I was recently involved in a Facebook conversation regarding food trailers in South Austin, and someone commented that they had tried to go to TFC a couple times, but they had been closed. As I commented on that post, Maria and Abdu are a small, locally-owned business. Generally, it is just the two of them; only occasionally can they hire someone else to help out in the trailer. If one of them is sick or if they're doing a catering event, they can't open the trailer. But they are really good about posting on their Facebook page with status updates, so check there before going. TFC was also recently recognized by the Austin Chronicle's Best of Austin Picks as Best Slow Food/Fast Food Hybrid! 

So after eating Moroccan food, I went home to watch the election results. Needless to say, Maria and Abdu's food, warmth, hard work, and genuine spirit brought the luck I was looking for.