Mary Helen
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- May 17, 13
By now you might have heard me mention once or twice that the Austin Food Blogger Alliance has been working on a community cookbook. Well, it is finally here, and I must say, it is gorgeous. The book was professionally published by the History Press and features beautiful color photos, a sturdy binding, and best of all, loads of really delicious recipes.
I tested two recipes from the book earlier this year during the recipe testing phase, Hilah Johnson's Zucchini Pancakes, and Josh Kimball's Goat Cheese-Stuffed Hatch Chiles. Both were very tasty, and easy to make. The AFBA threw a potluck during this phase of production. At the event, recipes were tested and tasted by everyone in attendance. A few dishes that I've been dying to taste again since then were Michelle Nezamabadi's Ginger Cookies and Monica Riese's Dreamsicle Tart.
I feel honored to have my work appear in the book several times. I share two recipes: one for Rainbow Soba Noodles, and one for my Creamy Chipotle Sweet Potato and Quinoa Casserole. The AFBA also asked me to do a little vignette on food photography. When asked, I looked over my shoulder a few times, like "Who? Me?!". I guess my work has come a long way. It seems like just yesterday when I hated every photo I took. Now I'm writing tips! Look for me on page 51. The vignette is titled, "Manipulating Light: Five Tips for Better Food Photography".
I bought an extra copy of the book so that I could host a giveaway after it came out. One of you lucky readers will be treated to a free copy, straight from me to you, once the giveaway has ended. I can't wait to cook from our beautiful book again and again.
WHERE TO PURCHASE A COPY
The Austin Food Blogger's Community Cookbook is available online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. You can also find it locally at the following Austin locations:HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
So, here's the skinny on the giveaway. I'll be picking a random winner from the comments list. To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post telling me about another Austin Food Blogger that you love (besides, ME, of course.) Here's a list of our members to check out, in case you don't have one in mind already. I also feature a rotating list of my own Austin favorites about 2/3 of the way down my sidebar.
Look that-a-way to find my Austin Blog Roll --------->HOW TO GAIN EXTRA ENTRIES IN THE GIVEAWAY
That's one way to enter the contest. Want more? Your wish is my command. Here are several other ways to enter. Be sure to leave a new comment on this blog post letting me know that you've completed an extra step.- Pin this post! I'll be extra grateful if you mention the cookbook and the giveaway in your pin.
- Tweet about the giveaway, or about the cookbook coming out. It would be great if you could also tag me at @MaryMakesDinner when you tweet. You could even get really fancy and use the hashtag #AFBACookBook.
- Share a link to this post on Facebook!
- Instagram a photo of your favorite food (extra kudos if it is inspired by Austin or food blogging). Tag your post with #AFBACookBook and @MaryMakesDinner.
- Share this post on Google+! Tagging and hashtagging is strongly encouraged there too.
GIVEAWAY ENDS MAY 31!
Comment, tweet, and share as much as you like between now and May 31, 2013. Comments will close at midnight CST. After that, I'll pick a random winner from the comments list and contact them by email. Please make sure to include your email or contact info with your comment so that I can let you know you've won. If I can't contact the winner within a week, I'll move on to another. Also, with international shipping costing what it does, this contest is limited to folks in the U.S.A.Just a small peek at some of the gorgeous recipes tucked inside our book!
P.S. There are lots of other AFBA bloggers hosting giveaways this month. Keep an eye out for the #AFBACookbook hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, and G+.
- May 15, 13
Isn't rice amazing? It astounds me how this one grain can take on so many forms. Hearty brown rice, short grain sushi, sticky coconut rice, porridge, mochi... It's the like chameleon of grains. Lately I've been falling hard for rice paper. This bouncy, transparent film has a mild, almost non-existent flavor that allows fresh ingredients to sing. You can wrap up almost anything inside a spring roll, but what I like best inside them are fresh, raw, or pickled ingredients. This recipe combines them all, fresh crunchy veggies, aromatic cilantro, pickled carrots and radishes, and a slab of tasty, marinated tofu.
Lunch, you just got served.
This roll came together when I found Lemongrass Tofu and Banh Mi style pickles in my fridge. I chopped up a raw bell pepper and jalapeno, and added them to the pile of deliciousness. Rolling a spring roll is a lot like rolling a burrito. Pile the ingredients as neatly as you can in the lower third of the round wrapper. Fold the sides in, followed by the bottom, then roll it up. The only big difference between rolling a burrito and a spring roll is that the spring roll is far more delicate. Go easy on it, or it could split.
Want some more detailed tips on rolling up your spring rolls? Diane at White on Rice Couple has you covered. Check out her gorgeous photo tutorial here.
Lemongrass Tofu Spring Rolls with Vietnamese Pickles
Makes two spring rollsIngredients
- 2 dried spring roll wrappers
- 2 fat slices of Lemongrass Tofu (recipe here)
- one handful of banh mi style pickles (recipe here)
- a few sprigs of fresh cilantro
- 1/4 of a raw red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small jalapeno, sliced (optional)
- soy sauce or tamari sauce(gluten-free), for dipping
Directions
- Place the spring roll wrappers in a dish of cold water. Allow them to sit for about two minutes. Remove one wrapper, and spread it out over a dry dish. Blot with paper towel or a napkin to remove any excess water.
- Place half of the filling ingredients in the lower third of the spring roll. Try to place them all horizontally. This will make rolling (and eating) easier.
- Fold the sides of the wrapper in, then fold the bottom up. Tuck the filling in as snugly as you can, being careful to handle everything gently so that the wrapper doesn't break. Roll the bottom up, over and over until you've made a little tiny burrito shape.
- The rolls can be eaten whole, or cut in half for a pretty presentation. I recommend having sauce on hand for dipping. Tamari, soy, and/or hot sauce are all good choices.
- May 01, 13
Tofu gets such a bad rap. I guess its reputation is due largely to its appearance. No matter how you dress it up, no one looks at a spongy white rectangle and thinks, "Ohhhh yeah". And yes, the texture is kind of weird, and definitely nothing like meat, but lots of tasty things don't resemble meat and we forgive them without much question. Perhaps if we stopped asking tofu to do the impossible, replace spare ribs for example, people could cut it a little slack.After being marinated and grilled, tofu tastes pretty freaking amazing. I don't need it to be anything but what it is. I'm not asking it to fill some chicken-wing shaped void in my soul. I just want it to taste good, fill my belly, and digest without a fight. Though its spongy texture might seem a bit odd, it's not at all unpleasant. Provided its been pressed and drained adequately, tofu has a very nice bite, soft. It's chewy, and just a little bit springy. Oops. Am I making it sound like a sponge again?
Maybe being sponge-like isn't the worst thing anyway! Being spongy lets tofu suck up flavor like it's oxygen. I've been playing around with different marinades to see what kind of tofu will be tastiest. My most recent round of deliciousness is this lemongrass marinade. If you can find fresh lemongrass, it's worth the extra trouble. Just cut the stalk into 3-inch pieces and smash it a bit with the butt of your knife, or a mallet. Your whole kitchen will smell amazing.
This tofu tastes great in banh mi, rice bowls, or noodle stir fries. Also try stuffing it into spring rolls, sushi, or Vietnamese crepes.
Lemongrass Tofu
Ingredients
Makes one pound of tofu- 1 pound extra firm tofu
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (simple syrup, honey, or agave nectar would also do)
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 red chile peppers, chopped
- 1 3-inch stalk of lemongrass, smashed
- 1 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
Directions
- Remove the tofu from its package and sandwich it between two piles of paper towels or clean kitchen towels. Place something heavy and flat on top. (A small dish or pan is fine.)
- Let the tofu drain for at least ten minutes. In a pinch, you can use it right away, but if you have the time, about thirty minutes is ideal.
- Slice the tofu into its desired shape. I like to cut the brick in half, then make 1/2 inch slices from each side, producing the tidy little squares you see in my photo. After slicing, place the tofu in a container just big enough to hold it. A small tupperware or casserole dish is perfect.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, yeast powder salt, lime juice (and zest). Add the garlic, chiles, lemongrass, ginger, and peppercorns, then mix again.
- Pour the marinade mixture over the tofu. I like to make sure the marinade gets underneath and in between every slice, so I usually fidget with them a little during this step.
- Put a lid on the container, and let the tofu marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or for as long as twenty four hours. I don't recommend letting the tofu sit for much longer than that. The flavor of the marinade will become too intense, making the tofu taste too strong.
How to Use the Tofu
My favorite way to cook marinated tofu is to grill it in a cast iron skillet. Just add a spritz of oil to a hot pan, then fry the slices until they are golden brown. Flip them over and give the other side the same treatment. The grilled tofu can be enjoyed as-is, over rice, over noodles, or stuffed into spring rolls, banh mi, or sushi.You could also crumble the tofu and stuff it inside a dumpling, toss it with noodles or fried rice, or make some tofu and veggie kebabs. The possibilities are many.
- Apr 27, 13
When Scott and I were invited to come and visit my folks in Switzerland we immediately set a goal to travel as far and wide during our trip as possible. Switzerland borders Germany, France, Italy, and Austria, making it a great place to travel from. Neither of us had ever been to Italy, so the country was on top of our list. I'm here for a full three weeks (working remotely kicks ass) but Scott was only going to be in Europe with me for nine days. We lost a whole two days to travel, plus one more to jet-lag recovery, which gave us six days to see (and eat) as much as we could. After visiting Montreaux, Bern, Friburg, Luzern, and Nyon Switzerland, Scott and I jumped on a train to Milan.
Traveling through the Alps between Switzerland and Italy was incredible. After we bought our train tickets my Dad had broken the sad news to us that we could have flown for half the cost. Spending too much is always a bummer, but the views from our seats on the train more than made up for the loss. Sky high mountains peaked with snow rocketed by our windows, overlooking adorable little villages and unlikely seeming towns throughout the Swiss country-side. As we crossed between the two countries the train went through a series of deep, dark tunnels. Our ears popped as the train plunged into darkness, and our eyes bulged when it emerged, sometimes just for a fleeting moment, in some of the most captivating landscapes I have ever seen.
About an hour after crossing the border the train went through Stresa, an Italian town on Lake Maggiore. Photos don't really do this place justice, and being seated in a train as it flew by, I couldn't even try. Imagine the most beautiful mural you've ever seen painted on the wall of an Italian restaurant. It was like that, but real, and about one hundred times as pretty. I did find a few shots on Flickr that come close to capturing some of the magic Stresa worked on me.
A postcard of Stresa, via Roger Wallstadt on FlickrWhen we arrived in Milan I found it to be every bit as glitzy and overwhelming as I expected. The train station alone was something of a wonder. Towering over our heads, topped with giant roman horses, it was as if someone took Grand Central Station, and beefed it up on protein shakes. It was massive, but nothing compared to Milan's cathedral, the Duomo.
We worked up quite an appetite while sight-seeing. We did buy one of those silly bus tour tickets, but ended up making more use of the cartoonish tourist map than the bus itself. Score one more for Italian transit. They duped us again. With a scant day and a half of exploration time, we found it quicker to hoof it the old fashioned way. My feet were glad for the break when lunch and dinner rolled around. Pizza, of course, was on the menu more often then not.
Our first pizza experience was in a random joint across the piazza from the Arc de Milan. At 5 euro a piece, Milanese pizza was a welcome change from the expensive food in Switzerland. We ordered two pizzas, one topped with marinara and mozzarella, the other with pesto, mozzarella, and something fairly close in nature to pepperoni. In Milan, you see, pizzas are not to be shared. You get one pizza per plate, and dig in with a knife and fork. The slippery sauce and molten cheese are far too liquified for eating it by the slice. Our first pizza in Milan had a crispy, matzah-like crust.
You'll have to pardon my crumby photos. I was a little nervous about bringing my big camera to Italy. My Dad had warned us that theives there are extra spicy, so I left it at home. There were many moments when I wished I hadn't, but considering I couldn't afford to lose it, I guess it was a smart move.
On top of pizza, I really wanted to have a good dish of pasta while I was in Italy. We trekked from our hotel to a place called Pasta Madre, a hip little pasta joint with reasonable prices and really great reviews. Unfortunately, since we had no reservation, and Pasta Madre was itty bitty, we couldn't get in for dinner. This was a shame, because the smells inside had my stomach singing power ballads.
We headed back up toward the Duomo. By the time we got there we were tired, hungry, and low on patience. We picked a small ristorante that I had heard mentioned on Yelp, Belvdedere, and went inside. I ordered two standards, puttanesca, and bolognese. Neither was very good, but considering we were in a tourist infested area, we weren't too surprised. After dinner we consoled ourselves with pints of European beer in a nearby British style pub, The Football English Pub.
The next morning we had breakfast in our hotel. Italians make great coffee, by the way, although it seems that every cup there, whether coffee or cappucinno, was a little on the sweet side. Actually, that's a great way to describe all of the food we had in Milan. It seemed like everything was either a little extra sweet, or a little extra salty.
Speaking of extra sweet, we did a little snooping online and found Marchesi, one of Milan's oldest pastry shops nearby. The cakes in the window were spectacular, each an edible work of art. The glass cases inside were packed with cookies, chocolates, and tiny pastries. We picked out a few little cream puffs and pastries to enjoy later on our train ride home. As you might expect, they were wonderful.
For lunch that day we consulted Yelp and found a pizzeria with good reviews that coincided with our sight-seeing route. Sibilla is located just a short walk from Milan's Sforza Castle. Scott tried their Margherita pizza, and I ordered what I expected to be a Milanese pasta dish, but turned out to be a fried and breaded pork chop. The pizza was excellent, and as for the pork chop... Well, it was a pork chop. Apparently I'm not so lucky when it comes to ordering food in Milan.
We spent the last bits of our euro on canolis and Italian anisette cookies in a couple of random shops in Milan. You could spend an entire day shopping for food in Milan if you had the money to burn. Of course, I suppose most people with money to burn would be in the fashion district shopping for things non-edible. To each their own! If I ever return to fabulous Milan, you will find me at the gelateria.
- Apr 25, 13
Bonjour! Bonjourno! Gutentag! I am writing to you from beautiful Switzerland. My parents moved to Suisse about a year and half ago, so I am here visiting them, and exploring the surrounding areas as much as I can. To sum up Switzerland in three words: beautiful, delicious, expensive. Luckily, the weather has been gorgeous, the food has been plentiful, and staying with my parents has put a serious dent in the cost of our stay. My folks love living here, and I'm glad to have the chance to find out why.
My folks live in the French speaking section of Switzerland, close to Geneve. Switzerland actually speaks four different languages depending on where you are: French, German, Italian, and Romanesque. Romanesque is an ancient language which is only spoken in a few very remote points in Switzerland. While we haven't run into any of that, we did find ourselves immersed in all of the other three languages during our stay.It's been a very busy trip so far. Since arriving ten days ago, we've visited Nyon, Montreaux, Friburg, Bern, and Luzern in Switzerland. Scott and I also hopped on a train over the weekend and visited Milan, Italy. Today, my Mom and I are headed into Geneve in search of crepes. Early next week we'll be flying to Napoli to visit Naples and Pompeii. My Mom has always dreamt of visiting the ruins there. While her dreams are filled with volcanos and artifacts, mine are of a more indulgent nature. Visions of pasta, seafood, and gelato dance in my head. I'm hoping that at some point we'll make it to the top of one of the mountains around here, then my Swiss experience would be complete.
I'm attempting to chronicle my trip in detail on Mary Makes Pretty, my non-foody blog. If you're curious about what I've been seeing and doing outside of dinnertime, please visit me there. Here on Mary Makes Dinner, I'll be keeping things yummy. To get things started, here is a slideshow of food photos from my trip so far.
I'll be back soon with more details on the inspirational things I've seen (and tasted). To keep tabs on my travels, follow me on Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, and Vine(@MaryMakesDinner)!
- Apr 25, 13
Chances are that you have heard about the tragedy in West, Texas, a town not far from Austin. These folks have been through a lot, and they need help. While the town has been receiving piles of physical donations, what they really need right now is cash. Once again, the friendly foodies of Austin have come together to raise money for a good cause.
The foodies of Austin have banded together once again under the flag of Austin Bakes. On Saturday, May 4th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., hundreds of bakers, bloggers, businesses, and consumers will unite for “Austin Bakes for West,” a bake sale fundraising event to help those affected by the recent explosion in West, Texas. Over 80 home cooks and dozens of local businesses will be contributing baked goods at locations throughout Austin, with proceeds going to AmeriCares relief efforts in West.
EAT: Visit any of the locations below on Saturday, May 4th from 10am to 2pm.
Austin Bakes for West locations:
- Bee Cave: Whole Foods Market Bee Cave, 12601 Hill Country Blvd, Bee Cave, TX 78738
- Central: Foreign & Domestic, 306 E. 53rd Street, 78751
- Central: Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew, 6610 N Lamar Blvd, 78757
- Downtown: Whole Foods Market Lamar, 525 N. Lamar Boulevard, 78703
- East: Springdale Farm, 755 Springdale Road, 78702
- North: Whole Foods Market Gateway, 9607 Research Boulevard #300, 78759
- Round Rock: Round Rock Market Days, 221 E. Main St., Round Rock, TX 78664
- South: Crema Bakery, 9001 Brodie Lane, Suite B, 78748
BAKE: If you'd like to bake for the event, please sign up here.
DONATE: If you'd prefer to make a monetary donation directly, you can do so through Austin Bakes' Americare page.
SPREAD THE WORD: Nothing helps a good cause like publicity. Austin Bakes is on Twitter, Facebook, and online at AustinBakes.com. Tweet them, Re-tweet them, like them, and blog about them. For more information, download Austin Bakes for West press release here: Download AustinBakesforWestPressRelease
- Apr 18, 13
Before I learned to cook, I looked at the people in my life that could make magic in the kitchen, and I thought it was just that, magic. My sister Sarah, my cousin Connie, the countless chefs that I worked with over the years in restaurants and catering. I just kind of assumed that they were all gifted. I guessed that they had been born with a special gene that allowed them to work miracles at the stovetop. It never occurred to me that I could catch up to them, or learn how to prepare things that made me stop and say "mmm".
I burnt things, you see. Though I did have a flare for rolling sushi, when it came to most cooking I was clueless. I developed an active interest in cooking after my husband, Scott had a kidney stone. The doctor said that he had to avoid salt, and that meant eliminating pretty much all processed food. At the time, I was an ovo-lacto vegetarian, and he was, let's just say, "vegetable averse". Luckily, we both loved beans, so beans we had, day in and day out, as I slowly investigated our options.
With my best friend's help I learned to make pasta sauce, adding spaghetti to my repertoire. It was a while before I ventured past those three things: beans, spaghetti, and sushi. Eventually things got better. My sister, Sarah, taught me how to make her vegetarian chili, and her famous veggie burritos, both of which greatly enhanced our quality of life. I picked up a simple minestrone recipe from my friend's mother, and remembered a few weeknight dishes from my own childhood.The wheels started turning, and I started to pay more attention to things I was eating outside of the house. "How did you make this?" became an everyday question. It turns out that people who like to cook also really love to share. I began looking at potluck parties in a whole new way, not just as opportunities to pig out snacks and get tanked on alcoholic jello, but to expand my culinary horizons. I became that person who spent half the party trying to figure out the genius behind the artichoke dip.
My creativity eventually took over, prompting me to try recreating things I encountered. I also started mixing and matching elements from the dozen or so things I knew how to cook. I would add my sauce to ziti, then bake it with cheese, or sandwich my burrito filling inside a quesadilla. It wasn't rocket science, but I was starting to think outside of recipes. Looking back, I can see that step as one of the first I took toward really knowing how to cook.
Just a few years later I had really gotten into cooking. I learned to make my own stock and bake my own bread. I even tried my hand at cheese making. Later, I went to culinary school, and took these skills to a higher level, but I believe that in time they would have progressed naturally, even without formal education. Like most skills, becoming a good cook is mostly just about practice.
Just keep cooking, trying new things, using new tools, and learning new techniques. You have to eat anyway. When you turn around to find the last few months, or even years, have quickly gone by, you'll be a much better cook than you were the day you started.
- Apr 15, 13
Every once in a while I find myself bewildered by an item in my CSA. Last week I was puzzled by parsnips. They are awfully funny looking, like weird white carrots with super long tails. They didn't seem too appealing, so it took me a little while to figure out exactly how to use them. I had heard about folks boiling and mashing them along with some potato. I figured once I'd gone that far I might as well put it all on the table and just make pierogies.
Like any good dumpling, pierogies are much improved by the use of handmade dough. Homemade pasta dough is actually not all that hard to make, once you get the hang of it. I find that my pasta is often done with construction just about the time my huge pasta pot comes to a boil. Of course, pierogies involve a few extra steps, like prepping the filling, and stuffing the dumplings, but hey, in for a penny, in for a pound.Speaking of the filling, I think it would be awfully good all on its own, so if pierogies seem like too big a to-do, consider whipping up a batch of the filling to serve as a hearty side, or breakfast burrito filling.
Oh, and it just so happens that a friend of mine, Heather Santos of the blog, Midnite Chef, is teaching a class on pierogi making here in Austin on Saturday, April 20! Visit the class page to find out more, and to grab a ticket.
Parsnip & Spring Onion Pierogies
Makes about 45 pierogies (nine servings)Ingredients
- 1 batch pasta dough (egg-based or vegan)
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled
- 1 bunch parsnips
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced
Directions
- Place the potatoes and parsnips in a pot of cold water, along with a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables become tender, about fifteen to thirty minutes.
- Drain the veggies, and set them aside. Rinse the pot, then return it to the stove along with the oil. Turn the heat onto medium. When the pot warms up, add the garlic, spring onions, and water. Cover, and sweat for 10 minutes.
- Add the potato and parsnip back to the pot and mash together with the garlic and onions. Add the seasoning, salt, and pepper, followed by the lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl.
- Put a large pot of water (with a large pinch of salt) over high heat, covered, and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until it's time to cook the peirogis.
- Roll the pasta dough until it is quite thin, around a 6 on a pasta machine, then cut out round pieces, using a biscuit cutter. Stuff each round with one or two tablespoons of the potato mixture, then fold over and pinch shut. Place the dumplings on a sheet of wax paper while you assemble the rest.
- Bring the pot of water back up to a rolling boil, then drop in your pierogies. Stir them gently so that they don't stick to the bottom. Boil them for about five minutes, then drain and shock with cold water.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add another two tablespoons of oil once the pan gets hot. Place the pierogies on the skillet, flat side down, and let them fry until they become brown and crispy on the bottom.
- Serve right away with sour cream or plain greek yogurt, caramelized onions, and a tasty green veggie, like peas or sauteed spinach.
Note: If you plan to freeze these pierogies, leave the dough a little on the thick side, around a 4 on the pasta machine. The recipe will yield less pierogies, but they will be sturdier. Freeze the pierogies individually on the wax paper after being assembled, then transfer them to a freezer bag after they've frozen solid. You can toss them into boiling water right out of the freezer when it's time to cook them up.
- Apr 11, 13
And the winnner is... AMY KRITZER OF WHAT JEW WANNA EAT!
Congrats, Amy, on your second win! Thank you Pola, for participating, and Will, for hosting! Also, I'd like to thank Google Local Austin for sponsoring this event. We'll see you all next time!
It's going down tonight, live over G+ hangout! This event is the third in our series of online cook-offs. The theme this time around is MYSTERY. Will Burdette, our fantastic host, has selected a handful of surprise ingredients for each cook to work with. Google Local Austin, our awesome sponsor, sent sealed boxes out to the cooks who have promised not to open them until we are live on air.When the cook-off begins, we'll each have forty minutes to make one tasty dish using all three of Will's mystery ingredients. We can also use any ingredients in our kitchen. I'm expecting the pantry items to vary quite a bit, since each cook will be at the mercy of their own shopping habits and cooking style.
Amy Kritzer of What Jew Wanna Eat - Amy is a returning champion, having won our first cook-off, the Thanksgiving Leftovers Challenge. Amy is a blogger, food writer, and instructor living in Austin, Texas. Her blog, What Jew Wanna Eat focuses on modern Jewish cooking. In addition to being a MMD Online Cook-Off veteran, Amy hosts her own series of cooking hangouts. Visit her YouTube channel to check out past broadcasts.
Pola M of An Italian Cooking in the Midwest - Pola was born and raised in Italy, but now resides smack-dab in the middle of the United States. While studying for her PHD, Pola still takes the time to eat well, sharing her recipes and culinary adventures through her blog. We're excited to welcome Pola to the MMD Online Cook-Off family!
Mary Helen Leonard of Mary Makes Dinner - That's right, I'm cooking too. I love a good challenge. For those of you who are meeting me for the first time, Hi! I live in Austin, Texas, and write recipes for delicious things like veggie tacos and gourmet ice cream. I also teach classes over G+ through ChefHangout.com. I started this series because I love competitive cooking and G+ hangouts seemed like a great opportunity to do that more often. Now that you're here, I hope that you'll check out the rest of my site.
Who is Hosting
Will Burdette of No Satiation - Will produces a weekly podcast that pretty much geeks out over food. Will's podcast is seriously great, so be sure to check it out. You can even get it on Itunes. (Fancy!) When Will isn't hosting wacky web events or recording his thoughts on food, you can find him at the University of Texas, knee deep in the world of academia.
About Our Sponsor
We are thrilled to be sponsored by Google Local Austin! the winner of our Surprise Ingredient Cook-Off will win a copy of The Flavor Thesaurus by Niki Segnit, and a $30 gift card to Amazon.com, courtesy of Google Local Austin. If you're watching and interested in learning more about Hangouts, Austin events, and information about Google+ Local in general, add them to your circles or follow @GoogleLocalATX on Twitter.
The secret ingredients turned out to be: Fennel Seeds, Canned Pineapple, and Dried Chipotle Peppers.
Amy made Fennel Crusted Ribeye Over Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Grilled Pineapple, Baby Portobellos, Pickled Cabbage and a Smoked Chipotle Red Wine Sauce. "I whipped the sweet potatoes with pineapple juice for sweetness, and a little Greek yogurt, butter, and salt and pepper and used this as the base for my dish. Then I sautéed mushrooms in olive oil with pineapple juice, salt and smoked chipotle pepper. In the same pan, I sautéed the pineapple rounds dusted in crushed chipotle pepper and then sautéed the ribeye steak that I crusted with salt, pepper, crushed smoked chipotle pepper and crushed fennel seeds and put this on top of the potatoes. I added red wine to the pan and reduced this down, mounted it with butter, and seasoned it with smoked chipotle pepper and lemon. I plated the mushrooms on top of the steak, and garnished with the pineapple rounds, pickled cabbage, cilantro, green onions and the red wine sauce."
Mary Helen made her own version of Texas Caviar, a sweet and spicy bean salad. She started out by simmering the pineapple juice with fennel seed and dried chipotle. The sauce was used to dress a bowl of black eyed peas, diced pineapple, red onion, diced apple, cilantro, and basil. The salad was topped with a pinch of salt, a squirt of lime juice, sliced avocado, and toasted fennel seed.
Pola made Braised Red Cabbage with Blood Orange Chipotle and (invisible) Pineapple and Turnips. The dish is red cabbage braised with bacon, turnip and pineapples, flavored with fennel seed and dressed with a reduction made by cooking the juice of a blood orange with 2 chipotle peppers cut in half.Leave a comment on this blog post naming your favorite cook/dish. The participant with the most votes by midnight CST on April 18 will be the winner. I'll announce the winner soon after.
Future Cook-Offs
If you'd like to participate in a future cook-off, please let me know! Check out my Cook-Off info page to learn more.
In Memory of Allen SternWe'd like to take a moment to recognize the passing of our friend, Allen Stern. You might remember Allen from our last cook-off, Raw Food Rock Stars. Allen took first place with his beautiful zuchinni pasta dish. Allen was a great guy who will be sorely missed in our community.
- Apr 08, 13
We lost a great person this week. I was very sad to hear that Allen Stern, author of Let's Talk Fitness, has passed away. I didn't know Allen half as well as I would have liked to. We were internet friends, blog buddies who got to know each other through tweets, pins, and G+ threads. Though we lived in the same city, we actually never met in person. We did, however, spend one memorable evening cooking together over G+ hangouts. He was a trip, cracking jokes, whipping out amazing kitchen gadgets, and slaying his fellow cook-off competitors with a giant plate of raw zuchinni pasta. I'm sad that we won't have the chance to become better friends, even sadder to think that the world has lost such a powerful positive force.
Though Allen's history on the internet is much bigger than just one blog, Let's Talk Fitness was the basis of our relationship, and represented the Allen that I knew. The blog followed his journey toward better health, chronicling his discovery of vegetables, fruits, and exercise as he lost more than one hundred pounds. Along the way, he shared recipes for smoothies, juices, snacks, and meals. Let's Talk Fitness cultivated a great following, which was clearly the result of an impressive effort on Allen's part. The photos were always beautiful. The recipes always sounded appealing and approachable.
Allen struck me as an incredibly friendly and outgoing person, always willing to help, answer questions, and cheer his readers on. He made a real effort to connect with people. Although the internet is supposed to be all about connections, I found Allen's level of friendliness to be a rare and charming thing. I wasn't alone. Every story or blog post I read on Allen's passing is flooded with comments from people whose lives Allen touched.
Allen had a masterful handle on social media, through which he spread his message. To me, Allen's message sounded like "I changed my life with fruits and vegetables, and so can you." It was a powerful message, and an important one. Just look at the feedback on Allen's famous Apple Snack recipe. That gives you a hint as to how many people Allen reached through Let's Talk Fitness. He shared his passion, his challenges, and his discoveries, and in doing so, encouraged so many people to eat better. I looked up to Allen for that, and will continue to find inspiration in his accomplishments when I remember him.
In Allen's honor, I'd like to ask a favor of each and every person who reads this blog post. Please visit Allen's blog, pick out a green smoothie recipe, and give it a try. Raise a frosty glass of green smoothie to his memory. You'll be glad you did.
This was one of the last things that Allen shared on his Let's Talk Fitness Facebook page. It's just the sort of thing that he would share every day, and it is so relevant to his story. Allen made a huge change in his life, and insisted that if he could do it, so could we. These kind of reminders from Allen will be sorely missed.
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Tweets
- Neat idea! Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Basil Buttercream from @TheFoodette http://t.co/wgi7Yi76b1
- Online Cooking Class: Easy Japanese Lunchbox Recipes #CookingClass via @ChefHangout 05.22 7pm CST http://t.co/L7HTq4fBST
- Chinese Stir Fried Rice Cakes from @Yenlinge have me utterly intrigued (and hungry) http://t.co/jcFRTPcep0
- @PrettyKristyn rounds up her fav food blogs for new moms. Head's up, @Scissorina! http://t.co/ODr8R0SRJ7
- A juice to brighten your day from @rawsomevegan http://t.co/lIpCLZC8E5
- Dappled. https://t.co/XntWWsMPeR
- I Heart Cuttlefish. Plus, the #ABeautifulMess app is way fun. http://t.co/lEbFT0N067
- Losing track of the dishwasher situation? @EmoreKidder has you covered with this handy #DIY on #OhWhimsicalMe http://t.co/RW0L4rKY4G
- I'm teaching a class online via @ChefHangout on June 26! Faux Pho: #Vegan Noodle Soup http://t.co/4aZMHJ9P5B
- My #afbacookbook #giveaway begins today! Stop by http://t.co/38mNg2ha0p to find out more about the book,… http://t.co/gTF3WVl4De
- @iheartveggies eats cookies for breakfast! I'm telling... http://t.co/2ZwqakdDGz
- The internet is making me feel nostalgic today. Soba Salad with Marinated Tofu, Mint & Scallions via @alexandracooks http://t.co/VqsDJyqlrE
- Online Cooking Class: Black Bean Falafel Tacos #vegancookingclass via @ChefHangout 06.19 7pm CST http://t.co/Cs8t4yo7oZ
- You say Tomato, I say Stuffed heirloom Tomato w/ Farro & Olive via @GourmetVegMama http://t.co/CGdzuZG0Ow
- Pineapple + Portobello Tacos with Roasted Chickpeas (vegan, gf) from @86lemons and @veganchickpea http://t.co/wTmHiXjsol
- RT @GoogleLocalATX: Paul Qui @pqui is coming to Google ATX on Fri. for a big surprise! Discover how to watch live: http://t.co/7qmqiUePDQ #…
- @broylesa That's cuckoo. Aren't re-usable bags $1 anyway?
- RT @ChristensenEmma: @MaryMakesDinner Woot! Brewing adventures ahoy, matey!
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Photos
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- Cool Cafe - Riverwalk 123 Auditorium Cir
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- Pearl Farmers Market200 E Grayson St
- ACL LIVE310 Willie Nelson Blvd.
- Auditorium Shores at Lady Bird Lake800 W. Riverside Dr.
- Baker St. Pub And Grill3003 S Lamar Blvd
- Metz Recreation Center2407 Canterbury St
- The North Door501 I-35
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- Beale Street Tavern214-B East 6th St
- Rita's On The River245 E Commerce St
- The Alamo300 Alamo Plz
- Hula Hut3825 Lake Austin Blvd
- Austin Java1206 Parkway
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Info
- Experienced Content Writer and Social Media Coordinator, Focused on Culinary, Crafts & Natural LifestyleWriting and Editing | Austin, Texas Area, USSummary
Experienced creative and non-fiction writer extremely familiar with the food & beverage industry, crafts industry, and natural health industry. Excellent copy writing skills, with experience in product photography, social networking, and product design. Efficient at self management, freelance, and special projects.
Specialties: Cooking, Handmade Skin Care & Beauty, Natural Skin Care & Beauty, Crafts, Sewing, DIY, Social Networking, Blogging, Photography, Tutorial Creation, Recipe Writing, Food Writing, Product DesignExperience- Jul 2007 - PresentMedia Coordinator / Natural Sourcing, LLC
Online marketing via blogging, social networking, and email campaigns
Product Photography
Product Design of DIY Craft Kits, Recipes, and Product Samplers
Research & Development
Copy Writing
Technical Help and Customer Service via Live Chat, Email, and Telephone - Jan 2007 - PresentRecipe and Product Developer / Natural Sourcing, LLC
· Responsible for creating ingredient lists and detailed procedures used to manufacture handmade
cosmetics
· Accurately measure and weigh ingredients, adhering to exact ratios ensuring product quality
· Provided new product development concepts
Coordination of all media, including photography, copy writing, and online / social web marketing
Additional Information-
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