Noshing Out – Gourmet Barbeque

                Hopping on planes and accruing skymiles week after week has its perks, but what it doesn’t allow you to do is get a good feel for a city at play. Sure, you might be able to see restaurants, districts within the city, maybe even go for a run along some of its more scenic areas, but until you can spend a day at leisure, not having to head back to the hotel to get enough sleep for that first thing in the morning call, you cant really get a taste for the city that surrounds the office. Last weekend, I stayed over in San Antonio.

My weekend started earlier than my work days do, driving up to La Cantera mall by 8:00 am on a briskly cool Saturday morning. The sun just peaking up from the horizon, slowly illuminating more and more of the land, hundreds of Texans gathered in between the closed doors of the shoppes, geared up in running attire, ready to dash through the Culinaria 5k. A fellow runner was wearing a t-shirt that encapsulated the entire event “I run so I can wine.” Upon completion of the 1.5 laps around the outdoor mall, runners were treated to not only the standard water, bananas, and granola bars, but to a walk around food and wine festival. Nothing like 19 Crimes Cab Sauv before 9 am after a 3.1 mile run. Restaurants from all over the area had tents and tables set up, dishing out carnitas, sangrias, and famously fluffy pancakes from Magnolia (whose line started with the first finishers of the race). Cooking on an open griddle, steam billowed from their shack. Served with whipped butter and warm syrup, the flapjacks felt like warm marshmallows to the touch. Similar to a fresh donut, the pancakes dissolved in your mouth, suffusing it with the  signature “sour” twang from buttermilk and the nuttiness from the flat top grill.

After a rest and a shower, my day continued with another jaunt through the Pearl district. The same location from a previous post on Cured, the ex-brewery is now a shopping, art, and culinary space. While everywhere are the signs of the old brewery, brick buildings, rusted metal structures, what stands out is the wooden shack. The Granary ‘cue and brew looks like it could be a sugar shack in the North Woods. The microbrewery kettles stand prominently in copper between the entrance and the bar. Seated and perusing the beer menu, I select a Belgian trippel. I’m a fan of the heavier gravity and lighter flavors of Belgian styles brews, and after tasting two others, the mild orange rind bitterness and slight spice of cinnamon came through a background sweetness of almost hard cider flavor.

I always endeavor to sample as much of a restaurant’s offerings as I can, particularly the establishment’s specialties. In pursuit of this, I ordered the market meat platter and the beef clod (part of the shoulder). The meat platter came with pulled pork and beef brisket with sides of beans and german potato salad. After tasting the beans, I asked if I could swap the potatoes for a second bowl. Pieces of meat, a variety of beans in a rich molasses, and tomato paste sauce were heavily perfumed with smoke. Both the beans and the meat gave way at the slightest pressure of the tongue, melting in my mouth.

The beef clod was plated with coffee quinoa, baked to a hard crunch. Tomato caramel replaced the traditional barbeque sauce in this playful reinterpretation of brisket. Red, brown, purple, and black shaded the tender center of the cut. Its outer edges firmer with a burnt end char. Sweet, smoke, spice, and umami meshed with contrasting textures with each bite. Chased with a cold beer, I could proudly call my day complete.

Graham’s Gastronomy – Cajun Whitefish

                Cajun spiced whitefish. That was the only direction I was given from London for the one complete meal I had time to make over the weekend. Able to use my poorly missed kitchen for only two days a week, my grocery list has become woefully truncated, and with my upcoming two week absence in the back of my mind, I endeavored to use anything I had already. My shortlist to use was: Apples, oranges, bean sprouts, cilantro, shallots, soba noodles, bosc pears, and hard cider. Like a slot machine, I kept shuffling through combinations; many being dismissed as clashes of flavors made themselves apparent (is there a way to put apples with cilantro, some kind of salsa perhaps…). It was a sunny day, unseasonably warm for March, so a run (literally) to Whole Foods would serve as my muse.

                No trip to Whole Foods is complete without a stop at the cheese department. A short conversation with the red-coated woman behind the counter brought to mind a poached pear dessert that could be modified to fit my ingredients. Hard cider would replace white wine, add honey and poach the pears. Toasted walnuts substitute pecans, adding crunch to the otherwise smooth texture and a nutty aroma, and filling the crevasse cut from the center of the fruit. Then, the cider, reduced to a syrup, melts the creamy yet mildly pungent gorgonzola placed in the middle.

                Back home, wedge of cheese in tow, I coat the fish liberally with seasonings and put it in a 350˚ toaster oven while I tackle the sides. I wanted to use the cilantro with the shallots, but the buckwheat of the soba didn’t seem to match with a traditional chimichurri, so instead I sautéed the shallots in bacon grease and added darker flavors like soy and balsamic to create a sauce in the food processor. Perhaps I didn’t add enough liquid, but the vegetative crunch of the herb held on and its freshness clashed with the almost fermented flavors in the rest of the sauce.

                Unsatisfied but not disheartened, I went back to the culinary drawing board. Back at Whole Foods, I stopped in to talk with the seafood department for ideas about side dishes. They suggested the heat of the Cajun seasoning could use a cooling component. Mixing green apple and bean sprouts, along with what was left of some shredded cabbage and plain yogurt, adding lemon pepper to brighten and spice, I created a white-washed slaw with a satisfying crunch. Sweet, tart, cream, and crunch all played their part, a welcome counterpoint to the pliant, Cajun kick from the fish.

                Cooking complete, London and I plopped onto my pleather couch and pulled up Netflix. Lights dimmed, but not enough to obscure the enjoyment of the food, the table made a scratching noise as we pulled it towards us, settling in for dinner and a movie, and a lazy Sunday evening.

Noshing Out – VOX

My travels to San Antonio kept me in Texas over the weekend, so I took the opportunity to check out Austin. Only a 1.5 hour drive North, it was an easy way to get to see more of the Lone Star State. Saturday evening, taking the suggestion of both a coworker and the concierge, I made my way downtown to check out the nightlife. My wanderings, (and a search on OpenTable), brought me to the South West part of town near The Alamo Cinema, to VOX Table for a late dinner. Being a party of one, the hostess asked if I would like to sit at the bar directly in front of the kitchen. I gratefully accepted.

                Expedited plates and their associated tickets were passed directly to my right. Forgoing the menu, I decided to order based on what I saw pass by, along with input and suggestions from my waiter. Every dish was artfully crafted prior to service, chef’s hands dipping into the mis en plas arrayed in front of them. My curiosity got the best of me as I inquired about this sauce and that garnish, learning that VOX had a bit of a flair for molecular gastronomy. My first dish was hamachi served on the tip of a pippete. Six were displayed on a block of wood cut specifically for the plating. Crunchy and slightly sweet tiny white orbs encrusted the raw cubes fish, while the pickled cucumber and tomato raisens added a secondary crunch. The acidic and tart coconut vinaigrette in the pipette had a slight creaminess that enveloped the fish and vegetables as each bite was quite literally, sucked down. (see 10 o clock on the plate)

                The colorful calamari linguini caught my eye and inspired my stomach. The hood of the squid was cut lengthwise and sautéed with tomato and a chorizo broth. The shallow bowl used for plating was first painted with a corn puree before the calamari was assembled on top. Garnished with watermelon radish and a crisp made from squid ink, the dish was as colorful as it was delicious. Squid was soft and pliant while the oil from the chorizo played into the corn puree, giving a spicy and smoky hint.

                With so many choices and delectable dishes passing by, my third choice was difficult. From consultation with the expediter, we determined that the newest menu item, the pork cheeks, was the best choice. Pork cheeks also make an appearance on another menu item, the tongue + check bun, but the preparation was completely different. In the bun, buttery pastry encircled the meat and a red wine jus. Complete with a horseradish aioli and topped with crispy leeks, it was a larger, creamier take on beef wellington. My order was the alternate choice, glazed pork cheeks with piquillo peppers, black eyed peas, and a sweet and sour au jus. The same cut tasted completely different, as the glazed cheeks had dark sweetness from the caramelization. The dark meat cut melted with the sauce, filling my mouth with umami flavors.

                Dessert was a flourless chocolate cake, but the excitement came from an orb of menthol liquor that sat atop. Mint and dark chocolate melded together as I punctured the pouch, the liquid cascading around the dense cake. Cocoa nibs brought a hint of bitterness and texture, adding crunch to the otherwise velvety smooth finish to a phenomenal meal.