1 Ocak 2013 Salı

Sale - Sucre

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For some crepe craving in the Heights, we decided to try Sale' - Sucre' on White Oak.The place is tiny and quaint, but if you want to make a reservation, they will accommodate.  To the best seats in the house no less, so for special occasion, it's worth it.I ordered the Beef Bourguignon Crepe.  That's not something you see everyday and oh so French!See, tons of meat and sauce to go with the crepe.  It was filling for sure!For dessert, I had to split banana, strawberry, chocolate sauce crepe.  Tons of whip cream.  I just wanted the chocolate sauce.
We also ordered a side of frites, and it was shoe string style.  They also have a full bar and a big wine list, and if you buy a bottle of wine, you can take it with you if you don't finish.  Of course, you have to answer to the open container law.  They call themselves a pastry shop but didn't see anything in display.  I do know that they do have a nice list of dessert that's not necessary crepes.  I may go back for non-crepe food, the crepes aren't bad but let's say I've had better.  
I will say that pick a time to go where there's not a game or people out partying because parking is limited at their lot and street parking you can forget about since the other party-ers already beat you to it.

Sale' - Sucre'
2916 White Oak
Houston, TX 77007
713-623-1406

Ruggle's Green

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Whenever I have a hinkering for pasta and have to go gluten free, I'd go to Ruggles Green to get my fix.Of course, what's more classic than a big giant bowl of meatball and pasta.  The pasta is quinoa linguini, each of the turkey meatball is huge and filling.  The sauce, I wish it's thicker, but it'll do.  Douse my pasta with tons of cheese will do it for me too!One thing I like about Ruggles Green is that to ensure you are getting a truly Gluten Free dish, they make sure you get one of these cards, so you can rest assured that there's no mixing with the 'bad stuff' in your food.
You can call in and order to go, they are pretty quick about turning it around, and special parking for to go too.
Ruggles Green2311 W. Alabama St.Houston, TX 77098713-533-0777http://www.rugglesgreen.com/

Triniti

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Recently, a bunch of friends and I went to Triniti for a dinner party.  The best part of it is that we get to order everything on the menu and share the dishes... Amuse BoucheCranberry vinegar with sliced croutonRisotto with crab meat and pork bellyBeef tartare - has radish, edamame, with raw egg on topDeviled Lobster - just like what you think it is, lobster with a style of deviled eggs, except no eggs are involved, there's potato that goes well.Cheese and Meat plate with slices of cranberry bread, apples, nuts, honey, pickles, mustard, and jam.

Filet Mignon NY Strip with cauliflower, the little blobs are bone marrow mousse, didn't try it...Duck with wild riceGrilled Salmon with light cream and wild mushroom Quail - it's kinda neat to have a mini sweet potato brulee (on the left circle), it has some cranberry saucePork CollarChocolate Lintzer with homemade dulce de leche ice creamCinnamon Pear cake with poached fig and homemade butter pecan ice creamChestnut Souffle with coffee sauce and mascarpone ice creamThese nipples looking thing is a after dessert - which is praline chocolate mousseAs you're going home, they sent you off with apple cinnamon muffin, which was a bit dry.
The decor for the restaurant is hip and sharp and clean.  As you can see the portion is petite, and alot of them are medium well, almost nothing cooked to well.  There's plenty of parking at the back or front of the restaurant, although, I can imagine on a busy night they have valet blocking most of the spots.
Triniti Restaurant and Bar2815 Shepherd by WestheimerHouston, TX 77098713-527-9090http://www.trinitirestaurant.com/

Pumpkin Macaron

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Since I didn't do too well last time on the Italian method, I thought I'd give it a try... just needed to conquer it... rawr!You put 1-to-1 almond flour & powdered sugar, sifted and mix together.  Then add 2 egg whites into the mix.Mix everything together so it becomes a paste... mostly just make sure no dry ingredient is not incorporated.Then you whip the 2 egg whites on low, at the same time boil white sugar with 37g of water (which is a few drops) and boil to 112 degrees.  
When you sugar reached the temperature, you pour into your whipping egg whites, and turn it on high.Of course, you add the egg whites to the paste and it'll become running batter, and slowly become macaronnage.  Then you're ready to pipe.Kinda mixed results here... tons of little points (nipples) but a few turned out flat, so that's good.  But look at the feet, it looked good based on the feet.  For sure the Italian method consistently gives a good pied.  French method is a tad touch and go, but then since I'm comfortable with that method, I'm pretty certain I can get there.
Now, what makes it a pumpkin is that I added 2tsp of pumpkin spice into the dry ingredient.  The filling, we did a pumpkin buttercream.  Just butter (room temp), powdered sugar, and slowly add in the pumpkin pie filling until fully incorporated.  And it will look wet, just have to keep going until it's incorporate into the paste.
Good luck!





P.F. Chang's

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It's no news that we go to P.F. Chang's pretty frequently.  We go, mainly for their gluten free menu.One of my favorite is their crab fried rice... you see chunks of crabs all over.Chang's spicy chicken... it's lightly battered and yes, spicy.  I just like the sauce that comes with...And of course, side of spinach for good measure.  No one would ever accuse us of not eating our veggies!
They have a decent selection on their gluten free menu.  They used to have a mini chocolate dessert, but since they did away from that size, you only get the dome and a torte.  We were just talking about we miss dumplings, but no one in town has gf dough for it.  :(  On the upside, they now have gluten free fortune cookies, it's a coconut cookie, but you get a pretty fortune just the same.
One thing we kept hearing people talking about how this is not authentic Chinese food.  Urm... news flash, this is not!  This is American-Chinese food, which is taste adopted for the States.  I would dare say in the entire city only a hand full of places does authentic Chinese, and non of which are inside the loop, little to say in a prominent space like Highland Village.  So don't fool yourself, or let it fool you; if you want the real thing, go to Chinatown, but then it may not be something your taste buds be used to.
P F Chang'sHighland Village4094 Westheimer Rd.Houston, TX 7027713-627-7220http://www.pfchangs.com/Locations/LocationDetail.aspx?sid=1600&checked=1

31 Aralık 2012 Pazartesi

One Great . . . hot buttered rum

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The week between Christmas and New Year's is made for Jane Snow's Hot Buttered Rum Batter. 
The rushing around is over. If it isn't wrapped or decorated, it probably isn't going to get done. That week is the reward, when we get to slow down and enjoy. For my favorite recipe for doing that, I always say an inner thanks to Jane Snow.
When I became a food writer in the late 1980s, the  food writer to beat was Jane Snow of the Akron Beacon Journal. A constant-motion machine of writing, she won all the awards, she broke all the food news, she caught the trends before anyone else. And when it came to recipes, Jane had a sixth sense about what people would want to eat. 
She still does, even though she took a buyout and went into semi-retirement several years ago. Semi, I said: While everybody else was figuring out blogs and Twitter feeds, Jane was inventing  "See Jane Cook," her  online newsletter. 
She sends it out every week, with stories about life with her husband, Tony the Japanese sushi chef, and her continuing adventures with food. While it has a lot about food in her area of Ohio, it also a timelessness and that cosmic sense that good food in one place is good food in any place. It's free, too: Go to janesnowtoday.com to sign up. 
Hot Buttered RumFrom Jane Snow. Make the butter mixture and keep it in the refrigerator. It lasts for weeks.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened6 tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)1/4 cup molasses or dark corn syrupRumBoiling waterWhipped cream (optional)
Combine the butter, brown sugar and molasses or dark corn syrup. Mash with the back of a spoon or the tines of a fork to make a paste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To use, place 1 1/2 to 2 rounded teaspoons of mix in a mug. Add 1 ounce rum Top with boiling water, stirring until the mix is melted. Top with whipped cream if you really need it. 
YIELD: At least a dozen servings, maybe more.

Molly O'Neill leads table talk in Rock Hill

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In the mood to think, talk and eat  food? Rock Hill's Friday Arts Project will hold "A Place at the Table: Creativity in Food & Togetherness," a two-day forum Jan. 18-19 at the Gettys Art Center, 201 E. Main St. in Rock Hill.

The aim, according to the organizers: "Community, goodness and the mysterious bond that occurs around the table through art, film, discussion and shared meals."

Speakers include Molly O'Neill, former New York Times food columnist and author the mega-cookbook "One Big Table"; Peter Reinhart, chef on assignment at Johnson & Wales University; Levine Museum of the New South curator Tom Hanchett; and former Observer writer and barbecuer Dan Huntley.

The two-day event will include discussions, lectures, art exhibits, film screenings, an opening reception and meals, including a Live Fire Feast on Saturday night that involves a discussion on ethnic barbecue and a meal of lamb and other dishes cooked by Huntley and Fausta Salvatierra of Cocina Latina.

The two-day conference and three meals on Saturday is $85; the Saturday evening feast only is $45; a patron-level ticket including the entire conference and a limited-edition fine-art print is $150.

Details and registration: www.fridayartsproject.org, or call Stephen Crotts, 803-554-1826.