From Austin to Our Kitchen...

We are lucky enough to live in Austin, Texas.  Austin is known for being the "Live Music Capital of the World", but has rapidly been developing it's own unique food scene.  A scene we love to continue in our very own 736 square foot apartment.

You can find Tex-Mex food, bbq, elaborate food trailers, burgers and even James Beard award winning chefs.  The weather year round is pretty nice, which means we also spend a lot of time around the bbq pit.  There are it's pitfalls, such as a limited supply of fresh seafood, but we also have resources, such as the flagship Whole Foods to keep us stocked. People around the nation often come refer to Whole Foods as a "corporate" place (Whole Pay Check).  For Austinites, Whole Foods is more than that chain store.  It used to be a tiny local health food store. We'll elaborate more on that later.  We are looking forward to letting you into our kitchen and showing you around our fabulous town.

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce (Lee & Perrins)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 onion, very finely chopped 
• 1 finely chopped jalapeno 
• 1 pound ground beef 
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• Sriracha Sauce

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, onion, and jalapeno.  Add the beef and bread crumbs and use your hands to quickly and thoroughly combine.  
• Coat a pyrex loaf pan with cooking spray, gently press mixture into pan.  Top with Sriracha sauce.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. 

Charro Beans

Ingredients

• 1 bag dry pinto beans
• 1 can rotel tomatoes
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 serranos, cut in 1/4 inch rings
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Sort the beans, discard any small or discolored beans, watch carefully for small pebbles.  Rinse the beans.
• Place beans in a large pot and cover with 2 - 3 inches of salted water.  Add Rotell tomatoes.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until beans are soft, about 1 hour.
• Add bacon, onion, and serrano peppers.  Cover pot and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Marinara Sauce

This recipe is so simple you will be tempted to add extra ingredients...don't.  The simplicity helps to create an incredibly delicious and fresh tasting dish.  We first discovered this recipe in The Sopranos Family Cookbook.


Ingredients

• 2 large garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes, diced
• Salt
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Directions

In a large skillet, cook the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon, until golden.  Add the tomatoes and salt to taste.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the sauce is thick.  Stir in the basil leaves.  Serve with warm pasta.

The Ultimate Breakfast Taco

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 russet potato
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• flour or corn tortillas

Directions

The secret to great breakfast tacos is, of course, flavor and texture.  The bacon and potatoes should provide a nice crispness and the cheese should be melted and creamy.  This is achieved by combining the components after the eggs are done cooking; combining too early will let the liquid from the eggs soak the bacon and potatoes creating a mushy taco.

Start by frying the bacon extra crispy and set aside on paper towels to allow the grease to drain.  Cut the potatoes into small cubes and fry in bacon grease until extremely crispy and bordering on burnt.  Season with a heavy dose of salt and pepper while cooking.  Set aside and keep warm while scrambling the eggs.  When eggs are done remove from heat and crumble bacon in.  Stir in potatoes and top with cheese.   Serve with warm tortillas.

Two Minute Calamari: Sicilian Lifeguard Style

I first tried this dish on a tasting menu at the B&B Ristorante in Vegas and was immediately converted to a Mario Batali fan.  Before tasting this I was convinced that he was a television personality with mediocre cooking skills; sometimes it's fun to be wrong.  The flavors are intense, unique, and work perfectly together.  The recipe below is verbatim from Mario, but I would recommend keeping the tomato sauce thin and scaling back on the Calamari. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Israeli couscous
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons currants
• 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup caperberries
• 2 cups basic tomato sauce*
• 1 1/2 pounds cleaned calamari: tubes cut into 1/4 inch rounds, tentacles halved
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, set up an ice bath
2. cook the couscous in the boiling water for 2 minutes
3. drain and immediately plunge in the ice bath.  Once cooled, remove to dry on a plate
4. in a 12 to 14 inch sauté pan heat oil until just smoking
5. add the pine nuts, currants, and red pepper flakes and sauté until the nuts are just golden brown (about 2 minutes)
6. add the caperberries, tomato sauce, and couscous; bring to a boil
7. add the calamari and simmer until just cooked and completely opaque
8. season with salt and pepper to taste
9. pour into large bowl, sprinkle with scallions, and serve immediately

*Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• 1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
• 2 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes
• salt 

Directions

1. in a 3 quart saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat
2. add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and and light golden brown (8 to 10 minutes)
3. add the thyme and carrot and cook for 5 minutes more
4. hand crush the tomatoes and add them with their juices
5. bring to a boil, stirring often
6. lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes

Old Fashioned Baked Beans

These beans are simple to prepare and gain flavor from a long cook time.  This combination creates the perfect companion for any smoked or grilled food since you don't have invest much into the preparation and they can take care of themselves while you focus on the pit.

Ingredients

• 2 1-pound cans (4 cups) pork and beans in tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Directions

1. combine sugar and mustard in a bowl
2. empty 1 can of beans into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish
3. sprinkle half of the spice mixture over beans
4. add the second can of beans and top with the remaining spice mixture, bacon, and ketchup
5. bake at 325° for 2 1/2 hours