Pizza with Rosemary, Apples and Brie
I have been wanting to make pizza from scratch for a while now, but the whole crust process was pretty intimidating and I couldn’t find a recipe online that I really wanted to use. Lucky for me, I went to The Essential New York Times Cookbook launch event at Rain Lily Farms this weekend, where I bought a signed copy of Amanda Hesser’s so named new cookbook. The event was fun for lots of reasons, but the biggest takeaway of the night for me was definitely the book. It’s 970 pages of awesome recipes. No pictures. No fluff. Just lots and lots of wonderful food, plus Amanda...
Read MoreBhindi Masala (Okra Curry)
Bhindi (okra, also spelled “bhendi”) is a really popular ingredient in Indian, North African, and Middle Eastern cuisines. This masala recipe uses basic ingredients most westerners have on hand in their pantries, and it is a nice change from the usual American Southern-style deep fried and gumbo preparations. Full disclosure: I prepared this vegan dish with jasmine rice as a main course for lunch. The flavors were great, but Rami and I were both pretty hungry a few hours after eating. I recommend adding kidney beans, chopped cooked chicken, or tofu to this dish if you...
Read MoreCentral Texas Cheeses with Red Pepper Relish
Tonight’s dinner was one of the best kind: romantic, inexpensive, and no cooking involved. I bought all the ingredients for this cheese plate from Wheatsville Co-op and Greenling, but you can find Texas artisan cheeses and fresh produce at almost any farmers’ market in Austin. The whole presentation was ready from fridge to table in less than 10 minutes, except for the pepper relish which I made the night before. Tip: Wheatsville Co-op will often place very small pieces of local and other sustainably-produced cheeses in a basket together in the cheese cooler. These odds and...
Read MoreHouse Pizzeria
I know I’m late to the party on this one, but if you haven’t made it out to House Pizzeria you should try it! Tonight we had their Oktoberfest special pizza topped with beer braised sausage, caramelized onions and cheddar. It was divine. Truly inspiring flavors, and the best thin crust I’ve had here in Austin. They had a decent wine list plus a ton of local beer on tap, and my iced tea was fantastic. Our meal came with gratis crunchy bread sticks and European-style bottled tap water. I knew we were in for a spectacular pie when I tasted cracked pepper, rosemary and...
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