About admin

My name is Christy and I was born, raised, and still live in Austin, TX. I love to travel. I have been all over the US, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, etc. My second favorite place in the world is Negril, Jamaica where I have been 10 times and counting. I am a trained pastry chef but I am not currently working in "the industry" right now. I became a pastry chef in part to complement the fabulous dinners conjured up by my best friends Ethan and Michelle, who hopefully will be contributing to this blog as well. We went through a 2 year period of "Tuesday Night" dinner parties which were a smorgasbord of bloody meat and red, red wine. Friendships and laughter. The men did all the cooking while the women got tipsy, as all dinner parties should be. If I wanted to participate with food, I had to bring something and I became Dessert Girl. Eventually I attended the Le Cordon Bleu program at the Texas Culinary Academy and received a certificate in Pastry and Baking. I have had several baking jobs but found it hard to make ends meet, so I earn my living elsewhere for now. I have had the pleasure of working with several celebrity chefs including Rebecca Rather, Bronwen Weber, and David Lebovitz. I have also cultivated some amazing friends and resources in the Central Texas area and would like to share my knowledge with all who care to join me. My most recent honor was winning Best Sweet at the Bacon Takedown during SXSW 2011. As the culinary icon Ms. Childs' says, "Bon Appetit!" ***CONTACT ME at christy111luv@yahoo.com or twitter @christy111luv***
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Star Chef’s Rising Star Gala

Filed under Events, Restaurant by on February 7, 2012 at 10:13 am {no comments}

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Check out the menu for the upcoming gala at the Driskill on February 21. General admission is $85 and VIP is $125.  Buy tickets here.

Austin-San Antonio Gala Tasting Menu

 

CHEFS

David Bull, Congress Austin
Pan-roasted Sea Scallop, Jicama-Mint Salad, Coconut Cream, Cocoa Nib, and Chocolate Mint

Ned Elliott, Foreign & Domestic
Australian Wagyu Flank Steak, Red Pepper Sauce, Fried Orzo, Poached Egg, Bacon, Togarashi, and Ham Broth

Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue
Featured Barbecue

Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine
Grilled Rabbit Terrine, Bacon-Liver Mousse, French Breakfast Radishes, and Texas Onions

Rene Ortiz, La Condesa
Cervena Venison Tacos, Chipotle Harissa, Fennel Pollen Yogurt, and Bacon Fat Tortilla

Paul Qui, Uchiko
Sunchoke-Dashi Soup, Uni, Bottarga, Baby Carrots, and Zucchini Blossoms

Quealy Watson, The Monterey
Fried Chicken, Thyme, and Pickled Jalapeño

Andrew Wiseheart, Contigo
Cauliflower Gratin, Currants, Capers, Almonds, Garlic Cream, Parmesan, and Balsamic Reduction

PASTRY CHEFS

Plinio Sandalio, Carillon
Grapefruit Sorbet, Grapefruit Supremes, Campari Pop Rocks, and Angostura Bitters Ice Cream

Philip Speer, Uchiko
Peanut Butter Semifreddo, Miso-Apple Sorbet, Peanut Brittle, Micro Wasabi, and Raisins

SUSTAINABILITY CHEF

Michael Sohocki, Restaurant Gwendolyn
Pig’s Foot Terrine, Rooster Mousse and Deviled Eggs

HOTEL CHEF

Josh Watkins, Carillon
Cured Niragi, Beet Ceviche, Goat Cheese, and Citrus Vinaigrette

ARTISANS

John Bates and Brandon Martinez, The Noble Pig 
Italian Sausage Sandwich with Roasted Red Onions, Tomatoes, Provolone, and Basil Pesto-Aïoli

RESTAURATEURS

Tyson Cole, Uchi, Uchi Houston, and Uchiko
Hama Nabe: Baby Yellowtail, Koshihikari Rice, Farm Egg, and Soy Broth

Jason Dady, Bin 555, Tre Trattoria, and Two Bros. BBQ Market
Smoked Cabrito Ribs, Polenta, and Natural Jus

MIXOLOGIST

Jeret Peña, The Esquire
Cabin Fever: Highland Park 12-year Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Pecan Syrup, Fernet Branca, and Habañero Pepper
The Sacrilege: Chamomile-infused Pisco, Green Chartreuse, Lime, Honey, Egg White, and Cracked Pepper

SOMMELIER

June Rodil, Congress Austin
Beverage pairings with chefs’ dishes

HOST CHEF

Jonathan Gelmann, Driskill Grill
Purple Potato, Truffled Crème Fraîche , Petrossian Caviar, and Lemon (VIP Reception)
Herb-crusted Australian Lamb Lollipop with Spicy Apple Kimchee (Gala)
Reuben Sandwich: Organic Australian Brisket Pastrami, Sauerkraut, Tomato-Caper Dressing, Swiss Fondue, and Pumpernickel Bun (Gala)

Lucy’s

Filed under Restaurant by on January 25, 2012 at 9:45 pm {no comments}

 

 
James Holmes has taken the wildly popular chicken offered at brunch at Olivia and also sold at the Austin City Limits Music Festival and turned it into a new casual concept Lucy’s  Fried Chicken.  They are located at 2218 College Avenue near the corner of Congress and Oltorf.  I grew up in Travis Heights very near here and can definitely see this place turning into a neighborhood favorite.  Yet another reason to miss my old hood.

The place offers a full bar with craft cocktails and all Texas beers, a covered porch area with heaters and fans for whatever Texas weather might hold, and a music selection that is fine blend of classic Country and Honky Tonk.

 

Of course, the most important question is, “How’s the chicken?”  Best. Damn. Chicken. In. Austin.  They use locally sourced farm raised birds that they obviously butcher themselves.  My three piece basket actually had four pieces in it because the breast was so large they split it in two.  I love breast meat but sometimes with larger pieces you have to sacrifice the perfect crust to meat ratio you get with smaller pieces.  Not at Lucy’s.  Oh, and that crust.  Crispy, crunchy, salty, and slightly spicy.  At $9 for 3 pieces of chicken with no sides, it is a little pricey compared to chain places but the quality is well worth it.

I got the black eyed peas and cornbread stuffing as sides.  They were good versions of country classics but not as outstanding as the chicken.  I will have to try some more of their offerings like collard greens or Mexican Coke sweet potatoes to find a better match.  I did really enjoy the starter I had of fried chicken livers with an extremely spicy dipping sauce.  Again that crunchy crust won me over especially against the creamy interior of the livers.  The menu offers many diverse options like oysters both raw and grilled, chicken boudin, deep fried deviled eggs, and even calf fries.  Reasons for many more visits.
I ended my first visit to Lucy’s with a piece of Sweet Tea Pie from Olivia pastry chef Taff Mayberry.  I was intrigued when I first heard about it and despite being stuffed to the gills, I had to give it a try.  It was a custardy filling and the tea gave it a caramel flavor.  Loved it!  Loved it even more when I got the recipe in an email from Tasting Table.  Try it at Lucy’s and if you like it give the recipe a whirl.

Sweet Tea Pie
Recipe adapted from Taff Mayberry, Lucy’s Fried Chicken, Austin, TX
Yield: One 10-inch pie
INGREDIENTS
Crust1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold and diced into ½-inch cubes

⅓ cup ice water

Filling

1 cup hot water

2 orange pekoe tea bags

2½ tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons medium-grind cornmeal

⅔ teaspoon kosher salt

2½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes

11 egg yolks

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Using the paddle attachment on low speed, add the butter into the flour mixture, beating until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on, gradually add the ice water. Beat until a dough just forms.2. Form the dough into a rough circle and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove the dough and set aside to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch-round-and-¼-inch thick circle. Carefully place the dough over a 10-inch pie pan with about 1½ to 2 inches of dough hanging over the edge. Press the dough over the edge and use a fork to crimp the rim of the crust. Refrigerate the dough while you prepare the filling.

4. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350° and move the rack to the center of the oven. In a coffee cup, pour the hot water over the tea bags. Set aside to brew for 5 minutes, then remove and discard the bags. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal and salt. Set aside. In a large, heatproof mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar. Whisk in the reserved tea and lemon juice. Whisk in the flour mixture.

5. Fill a medium saucepot with water and bring to a simmer. Place the mixing bowl with the sweet-tea filling over the simmering water and add the butter in four batches, whisking until each batch is melted before adding the next batch. Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell and place in the oven on the center rack. Bake until the center jiggles but does not ripple and the top is a deep brown, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil if it begins to brown too much). Remove the pie from the oven and set aside to rest at room temperature until cool. Refrigerate and serve cold or at room temperature.

I noticed on the chalkboard wall where the special were written that Lucy’s was offering their first steak night the following Tuesday.  At $19 for a 13 oz. strip steak with 2 sides of potato gratin and spicy green beans along with bone marrow and a roll, I had to check it out.  I was going to a book club meeting on later in the evening so I found myself back at Lucy’s right at 5pm and I was honored to be the first customer on the first steak night and it was indeed worth the trip.  My steak was charred  on the outside and a perfect rare in the middle.  The gratin was slightly underdone but I chalked that up to being so early in the evening.  The green beans had a nice crunch to them without being undercooked and a nice punch of tomatoey spice.  I used the marrow as meat butter on my roll. Mmmmm, meat butter.  So check out Lucy’s and let me know when you are going because I will probably meet you there.

 

 

There’s a New Fest in Town

Filed under Events by on January 18, 2012 at 8:54 pm {2 comments}

 

The beloved Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival has now become the Austin Wine and Food Festival.  April 27-29, 2012 marks the beginning of  a new era for the Austin food scene.  Food and Wine Magazine is teaming up with C3 Entertainment to showcase big name national chef stars like Masaharu Morimoto, Marcus Samuelsson, and Andrew Zimmern alongside Austin luminaries like Tyson Cole, Paul Qui, Bryce Gilmore, and Aaron Franklin.  The idea is to make a destination festival along the lines of the South Beach or Aspen festivals.  How will the Austin chefs stack up?  Will the Austin foodie community support a fest that comes with a $250 minimum price tag?  How will the festival organizers deal with unforeseen issues that are bound to come up with a new huge event?  I cannot wait to find out.

 

Slideshow of Pics Since Starting epicuriosities

Filed under Events, Restaurant by on January 5, 2012 at 8:34 am {2 comments}

OK, I know looking at other people’s pics can be as entertaining as watching paint dry.    I was looking through the mountain of pictures I have taken over the last 2 years and these are my favorite food shots, people, and events that I have been lucky enough to eat, meet, and be part of.  Hopefully you will see someone or something familiar enough to entertain you.  The slideshow crops some of the pics in a weird way but you can click on them to see the full image.  I purposely left captions off if you want to make a game of it and see how many you can identify.  If you want to confirm any guesses, just leave a comment below.

 

Big Burger Throwdown at Cedar Park Farmers Market

Filed under Events by on December 9, 2011 at 12:43 pm {no comments}

Market Happenings

Big Burger Throwdown

This Saturday, 9:30 – 11:00 Jack Gilmore of Jack Allen’s Kitchen vs Farmer David Pitre of Tecolote Farm vs Rancher George Greer of Winters Family Beef using only fresh and local market ingredients compete for the title of BEST CPF2M LOCAL BURGER!! See you there.

 

I’ll be judging a burger contest this Saturday December 10 at the Cedar Park Farmer’s Market.

Then it’s off to Black Star Coop for Edible Austin Brewer’s Fest.

Looks to be a yummy day!

The Dessert Project

Filed under Events, Restaurant by on December 5, 2011 at 12:39 pm {no comments}
 
Left to right, Our multi-talented chef host: Steven Cak (parkside), Philip Speer (uchi/uchiko), and Plinio Sandalio (The Carillon)

Little known fact about most restaurants, very few employ a full time pastry chef.  Most either subcontract the work out to a local bakery or order straight off the Sysco truck.  Many times pastry chefs have to prove their worth by working both the savory and sweet sides of the line to make their positions economically viable.  Sometimes there is the rare hybrid of ADD culinary chef and OCD pastry chef that excel at both.  I had the pleasure of attending the winter gathering of three of Austin’s best pastry chefs at parkside on November 20 who wanted to showcase their abilities with a savory and sweet course each plus an amuse bouche, intermezzo, and petit fours along with wine pairings.  So much delicious food!!!  And a portion of the proceeds go to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. The next gathering of the Dessert Project will be in the Spring at Plinio Sandalio’s new home at the Carillon.  I will definitely be there, hope to see you as well.

Amuse Bouche from Philip Speer- grilled grape and boquerones (marinated white Spanish anchovies)

 
 

 

From Plinio Sandalio- Scallop, cauliflower puree, grapefruit, bacon jus

 
 
 
 

From Philip Speer- Roasted guinea hen, butternut squash, black trumpet mushroom, puffed barley

 
 
 
 
 

From Steven Cak-Pork Belly, Texas apple, celery, brussel sprouts

 
 
 

Intermezzo- gin, mint, campari, grapefruit granita

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

From Plinio Sandalio- coconut pound cake, grapefruit sorbet, avacado puree, ginger honey

 
 

From Philip Speer- curried squash semifreddo, acorn croquant, orange coriander sorbet, squash beignet, marigold

 

 
 

From Steven Cak- peanut butter mousse, Texas apple, celery, sultana sorbet, honey

 

Talented crews from all 3 restaurants that help make one of my favorite meals of the year.

Big Reds and Bubbles 2011

Filed under Events by on December 1, 2011 at 10:39 am {no comments}

Favorite bite of the night from the Carillon

 The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas celebrates the beginning of the holiday season by breaking out the best red wines and champagne along with bites from the best restaurants in town at the Driskill for its annual Big Reds and Bubbles fundraiser.  Here are my pics from this year’s soiree.
 
 

Lady in the champagne dress.

 
 
 

Jack Gilmore from Jack Allen's

 
 

Prepping bites for DC Tavern- Mark Paul and Stewart Scruggs new concept driven restaurant in Bee Caves

 
 

More delicious bites.

Foreign and Domestic was serving Iberico ham directly across from where I was pouring.
 

My favorite wine of the night was the 2006 Brunello I was pouring for Banfi.

 

 

Beautiful pastry assortment from the Driskill.

 
 

FREE PIE from Cutie Pies

Filed under Events, Restaurant, Sweet by on November 28, 2011 at 9:05 am {no comments}

Heath Bar Pecan Pie from Cutie Pies

Did you get enough pie for Thanksgiving? Me neither, no such thing!  Today the first 2000 to sign up for ClickedIn deals through this link will receive a voucher for a free 4″ pie.

ClickedIn is a new daily deal website from Time Warner Cable.  They hope to add another avenue to advertisers including local businesses like Cutie Pies.  The goal is a more sustainable marketing campaign versus the guerrilla tactics that leave many small businesses even worse off.

Jaynie is especially fond of pink, tiaras, and feather boas.

The heart behind Cutie Pies is Jaynie Buckingham.  Being especially fond of pie, I have followed news of her since she first won a holiday pie contest at the Driskill.  This inspired her to take her massive collection of family pie recipes and turn it into first a successful South Congress trailer and now a brick and mortar at 7329 Burnet Rd.

 

Now this is a cutie pie!

 
Cutie Pies come in a variety of flavors.  Buttermilk is her signature pie but also look for key lime, chocolate ice box, pumpkin spice, coconut cream, cherry, the list goes on and on.  My current favorite is the Heath Bar Pecan.  I especially love the flaky, thin crust that Buckingham manages to produce on every single tiny pie.  She also sells full sized pies, cookies, and other baked goods.  It is best to call ahead if you are looking for a specific flavor or want a whole pie. 

Bravetart’s Fauxreos- Regular and Gluten Free!

Filed under Sweet by on November 10, 2011 at 1:27 pm {no comments}

CLICK ON COOKIE FOR BRAVETART ORIGINAL POST AND RECIPE

Yet another successful ATXswappers party a couple of days ago.  In case you have not had the pleasure yet, Megan from stetted.com and Kate from Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking host a monthly food swap that is one of the hottest tickets in town.  Go to their Facebook page and get on the mailing list if you want to give it a try.  But you have to be quick as the event fills up almost immediately and latecomers get put on a wait list hoping for someone to drop out.  It operates similar to a cookie swap but participants can bring whatever homemade goods they wish to exchange.  I promise to do a separate post dedicated to the fun but I got such a great response from my offering this month that I wanted to post a link to the recipe.

One of my favorite food blogs is Serious Eats for many reasons.  The writing, the recipes, the pictures, and the reviews are all well researched and fun.  I especially love the science geek plus foodie nerd that is Kenji Alt.  There is a new food blogger on the team that specializes in recreating childhood favorites like Oreos and Dairy Queen Blizzards.  Her name is Stella and she goes by BraveTart.

Stella has a blog at Bravetart.com, runs the pastry program at a restaurant in Kentucky, and contributes to Serious Eats which is where I discovered her. She is passionate about faithful recreations and not prettied up or “improved” versions of recipes.  Her writing is also outstanding.  Check out her first article for Serious Eats that introduces the Fauxreo recipe.  She likens her quest to Culinary Time Travel and paints a vivid picture of the history of the Oreo.

I have tried Oreo recipes from other sites that were delicious but not quite right.  Not only are the cookies a faithful recreation of the not sweet, almost bitter, impossibly dark Oreo, BraveTart also gives tips on getting the filling to the right consistency, and bestill my OCD pastry heart, goes to the lengths of piping a cornelli design on the cookies to give it a similar texture.  After making these a few times, I have a few tips and observations of my own.

Almost all of BraveTart’s recipes come with directions for a gluten free version.  With the Fauxreos, it was a straight substitution of rice flour for wheat in the cookie.  Although I do not usually bake gluten free, I knew some of the swappers were gluten intolerant, so I thought I would give it a whirl.  I made both the versions for the Austin Bakes for Bastrop benefit a few weeks ago and found them to be very similar.  The gluten free dough was slightly more crumbly but the flavors were almost identical. The only textural difference is in how I eat my Oreos.  I prefer to dunk mine in milk until they reach full saturation and then melt in your mouth like those last few bites in a cereal bowl.  The gluten free do not get soggy but I find a bite of a cookie followed by a slurp of milk is acceptable.  Told you I was OCD.

Make sure you roll the dough thin enough, especially if you try to pipe a design on top.  I actually found it easier to use a tiny scoop and then press them out with my hand or the bottom of a glass dipped in cocoa.

Although I really liked the concept of the cornelli design giving the look of the Oreo, I found my piping skills totally lacking and skipped this step after the second batch.  If you are really committed to the whole Oreo aesthetic, need to practice your piping, or are just simply a masochist, give it a try.  I found the piped cookies to be a little too thick and with the regular version, it overworked the dough and led to a tough cookie.  Again, my fault, not the recipe’s but so you know it is not totally necessary.

My last hints involve the ingredients.  The recipe calls for a LOT of cocoa.  I used Valrhona which is Dutch processed, very dark, and very expensive.  It gave the right color and taste, worked perfectly.  I know you can get the “black” cocoa at specialty shops which is supposed to be similar to the cocoa they use in Oreos  but I have no experience using it, so not sure of results for that.  I do know that using cheap cocoa will unfortunately not work.  Cheap chocolate in any form gives a subpar product.  We are making Oreos here, people, not Hydrox or some other knock off brand. 

For the filling I use a blend of about 2/3 lard to 1/3 butter for a texture similar to the original Oreos instead of the filmy mouthfeel you get from the current version which uses all vegetable shortening.  The lard is for texture and the butter is for flavor.  Very important to follow the directions to let it whip for five minutes for ideal color and fluffiness.  I like a lot of filling in mine, so I usually double it for a single batch or triple it if I am making a double batch of cookies.  A little leftover filling is a good thing.  Believe me, you will find uses for it. 

My final baking secret is my favorite Mexican vanilla, Danncy.  This is really my baking secret for most things.  I know the flavor of pure Madagascar vanilla beans is ideal for a sophisticated taste but a healthy dose of Danncy’s is what I reach for when I am looking for a more homemade flavor.  Best source I have found for Danncy is to buy several bottles off Ebay and split them with a friend.  And not all Mexican vanillas are the same.  Most are pretty gross, actually.  Stick with Danncy. It has an almost floral aroma of vanilla with just a hint of cinnamon.  A good shot of it in a White Russian does not suck either.

As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go make myself a Caucasian right now to dip my cookies in.

 

 

Sweet on Austin- Philip Speer Uchi/Uchiko

Filed under Events, Restaurant by on October 25, 2011 at 8:52 am {no comments}

What makes a great dessert?  Although this question can be as subjective as what your favorite band is and dependent on your mood at the time, truly great desserts need to be beautifully presented and have a fine balance of flavors and textural contrasts that excite the palate.  Dessert is usually the climax to a meal and the last impression you will take away from a restaurant. 

Left to right: Philip Speer, Monica Glen, and Andrew Lewis

My first stop for a magical dessert has got to be either Uchi or Uchiko both led by Philip Speer.  Technically, Speer is now the Culinary Director of the Uchi group and has recently named his long time assistant, Monica Glen, as the pastry chef of the soon to be opened Uchi Houston and Andrew Lewis as the pastry chef at Uchiko.  Speer is still very involved in the development of the pastry menus but not as much in the day to day productions as his new job duties take him  between all three restaurants with staffing, training, aligning food costs, and the million other things it takes to launch and run three high end restaurants.

Speer’s desserts are as sophisticated as they are playful, a blend of familiar tastes with innovative techniques.  He seeks to balance textures in a final course that is not too sweet with definite notes of contrast like acid and salt in the clean Asian aesthetic that the rest of your meal followed.

Head chef Tyson Cole has been known to challenge Speer to come up with a dessert with components from a single color.  One of my favorites is his “Yellow” dessert of polenta custard, corn sorbet, cornbread tuile, and lemon fluid gel.  Your first bite transports you to a field of corn swaying in a summer breeze.  It is not over the top sweet, just bright and balanced like fresh picked corn.  The cold sorbet complements the soft custard and the crispy tuile, with just a hint of acid from the lemon gel.

Speer likes to take traditionally savory ingredients and transport them to the  dessert world. One of my all time favorites is the roasted tomato sorbet with cherub tomato confit and chevre fondant.  It sounds like a salad course but not at Uchi.  Speer roasts the tomatoes to bring out their natural sweetness and turns them into a sorbet with a hint of sherry vinegar, basically candies a few luscious tomato babies for the confit, turns the goat cheese with cream and gelatin into a creamy custard, places the whole thing on a bed of pistachio crumble for crunch and contrast, then accents it with tomato salt and tomato paper.

One of the most visually stunning desserts has to be the coffee panna cotta with mango yolk.  The coffee flavored panna cotta is presented on a bed of crunchy coffee soil with a white chocolate sorbet and transparently crispy mango paper.  Once you pierce the panna cotta, a river of mango puree runs forth like the yolk from an egg.  The earthiness of the coffee and chocolate are highlighted by the bright mango burst.  Crunchy, creamy, cold, sweet, crisp all come together in a symphony on the tongue.

So head over to Uchi or Uchiko and get a taste of the best.  Or for a real treat, check out the Dessert Project.  Speer and his team join fellow pastry chefs  Plinio Sandalio from Congress and Steven Cak from parkside in a tour de force of one sweet and one savory course each with wine pairings on November 13 at parkside.  Friendly rivalry between the trio is sure to bring out the best in each and I want a table up front for this one.

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