Ode to Fino Austin.

By now you've heard the sad news, Fino Austin will be closing their doors at the end of March 2015. While I'm happy for Emmett and Lisa Fox, this piece of Austin culinary history will always have a place in my heart and a place in many chef's vitaes. During Fino's ten year run, the back of the house was a training ground for many of Austin's new great chefs, bartenders, and restaurants. Faces that I got to know and love at Fino include Jason Donoho now at Alamo Drafthouse, Bill Norris also at Alamo Drafthouse and Midnight Cowboy, and Josh Loving now at Midnight Cowboy and Jeffery’s. That’s just the short list. I’ve included a social graph of some of the chefs that have gone through the doors of Fino. Photos by John M. P. Knox.

While we wait for Emmett and Lisa’s new place to open, savor some past photos from Fino.

The shishito peppers are one of my favorites along with the fried olives.

Here's the mussels with a light yet flavorful broth.

This was a special. And special indeed.

This photo was from a wine ride in 2011.

Mr. Josh Loving doing his thing.

I'm pretty sure those are the hands of Bill Norris.

This was a special. A modern interpretation of meat and potatoes.

Fino was one of the first places that had a solid cocktail program. Many of Austin's great bartenders had a stint behind the bar here.

This foie was part of a chef's special dinner with St. Germain Elderflower circa 2010.

Beyond Measure, Beyond Words: A peek behind the scenes of @TEDxAustin2012

I just finished an amazing 6 month long experience.  I after it was all said and done, I spent about 175 hours over the 6 months working on the experience called TEDxAustin.  I was the xLunch producer, and I produced every aspect of the food experience. I did not get to partake in the full experience, but working on the experience was just as amazing.  I can say that I'm even more rich.

Photo by John M. P. Knox @windaddict

I did hear bits and pieces of the talks.  I heard a quote from @JCourt about preemptive love, " Violence unmakes the world. Preemptive love remakes the world." I was overwhelmed with the feeling of preemptive love.  My friends who participated in the lunch concept preemptively showed me love.  They dedicated their time and their craft to something I was doing without question. Thank you, friends. Thank you for showing me that preemptive love.

I did sit down for Penny's talk. I met Penny about 4 years ago at a food blogger's pot luck at her house.  I absolutely love her, and the idea of that we should live I'm the moment.  Our lives are made up of all these small moments.  See them. Live in them. Cherish them.  I got to meet Penny's father, and I stole a hug.

Penny's talk was thoughtfully placed right before lunch.  This year's lunch showcased some of the top chefs in Austin with deep roots in the food community.  There were several goals for the lunch 1. Create an interactive food experience to drive engagements 2. Serve fantastically creative dishes 3. Highlight the leaders in our food community and 4. showcase locally sourced foods.

Paper dress. photo by John M. P. Knox @windaddict

I was told that it would be a difficult task, but nonetheless, I took it on.  I won't go into the logistics of pulling off this feat. From table settings to sourcing the food locally, this was nothing short of a miracle. I tweeted earlier that week that I was in the car with 100 chickens.  I didn't tweet that they were all being delivered to the restaurants and were already dead.

TEDxAustin cake balls by Austin Cake Ball.

I had several people say that I did the impossible.  And they are right.  I did what was impossible to do on my own. With the preemptive love, it was very possible.

I must tip my hat to Rebecca Scofield at Whole Foods for putting in so much time into this endeavor.  She is nothing short of amazing by bringing in Johnson's Backyard and Vital Farms.  My  chefs wowed me with their creativity and presented a fantastic menu.  David Norman of Easy Tiger started the day with showing people how to knead dough during breakfast, which tied into breaking bread over lunch with friends.  The Natural Epicurean  brought an A team staff to support our event.  The staff was sharper than their knives.

A big thank you to the restaurants and chefs:

• BC Tavern / Wink: Matt Taylor  @BCTavern @WinkRestaurant
• Carillon at the AT&T Executive Center: Josh Watkins, Chris Andrews, and Brad Turner  @CarillonAustin
• Fino/ Asti: Jason Donoho, Scott Kaplan, and Carlos Sachital @Fino_Austin @ASTI_Trattoria
• Lenoir Austin: Todd Duplechan, Jessica Maher @Lenoir_Austin
• Swift's Attic: Mat Clouser, Zack Northcutt, Callie Speer @SwiftsAttic
• Uchi/Uchiko: Philly Speer, Tim Dornon, and Dustin Harvey @UchikoAustin  @UchiAustin

And our food partners:

• Austin Cake Ball @AustinCakeBall
• Kohana Coffee:  @KohanaCoffee
• Easy Tiger David Norman @EasyTigerATX
• Natural Epicurean
• Sugar Mama's Bakeshop @SugarMamas
• Whole Foods  @WholeFoodsATX
• Zhi Tea @ZhiTea

Photo by John M. P. Knox @windaddict.  This was a view from inside the black box.  I loved the design that Jeff Sharpe and Chris Czichos made.  I want them to do that to my house.
In case you were wondering about the menus:

BC Tavern/Wink  -  Broccoli, Bleu cheese mac / Braised chicken (cachatorrie style)/ roasted carrots and spinach

Carillon   - Chicken Roulades, Bacon, Espellete, sherry emulsion / Texmati rice,dried apricots, almonds, celery, black pepper syrup / Carrots, caraway, molasses, pork jus gastrique

Fino/Asti   - Smoked Vital Farms Chicken & Spinach Morcilla Blanca / Carrot Purée / Broccoli Slaw & Egg Yolk Bottarga

Lenoir  -  The Chicken or the Egg - Chicken pot-au-feu with egg ravoili
Swift's Attic  -  Roasted Chicken Bahn Mi / Broccoli Kimchee Spinach / Quick pickle salad
Uchi/Uchiko  - Vital farms chicken, sweet short grain rice, candied pork belly, crispy garlic / Pickled carrots, pickled broccoli /s pinach oshitaki

It must also be mentioned that just a few weeks ago, Chef Scott Kaplan of Fino was attacked and seriously injured.  While I am sad to see something like that happen, I was thrilled to see that he decided to come out to play at TEDxAustin. You can view Chef Scott's fundraiser here. 

The speakers and sponsors dinner.

Working as the xLunch producer, I got to meet some other incredible people, in very unexpected places.  The staff at the Austin Music Hall,  Pascal's catering, and Premiere Party were fantastic to work with.  They went over and beyond with helping with the set up and loading.  We also had group of volunteers from Accenture who were amazing. I couldn't believe how focused they were. I'd love to have them at any event.

The TEDxAustin 2012 copywriting, design, and production logistics were handled by an extraordinary team.  A big thanks goes to Kristin Bender, Leah Kaminsky, and Lisa Cogliati.  Also, Jeff Sharpe and Chris Czichos did all of the design, layout, and building to create the stunning environment at TEDxAustin 2012.  It was drop dead gorgeous.

Close up of the panels. 

And lastly, I had the experience of working closely with Shawna Butler.  I must have called or texted her at least once a day during the last few weeks of production.  This woman is insightful, efficient, focused, and I'm guessing that the final singing experience was her doing.  Craig Hella Johnson lead a choir in being.  We announced our being by singing.  We sang to announce our being.  And our being was Beyond Measure.

Dinner at Fino Austin with St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

My inner foodie dreams had come true.  Not only was I going to attend a dinner and cocktail pairing with St. Germain Elderflower liqueur at Fino, but I was also going to provide the dessert.  Chef Jason Donoho and Bill Norris presented a fabulous dinner and cocktail dinner, and Richard Arebalo did a wonderful and thorough write up.  

Two of my favorite dishes from the dinner were the scallop crudo with grapefruit and lavender and the pork belly confit with seared foie gras and julienned apples over smoked potatoes.  The scallop crudo was simply amazing.  With sweet and citrus notes paired with the light fragrance of lavender, the dish was to die for. Yes, I want that as part of my last meals. This dish also inspired me to top grapefruit with St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur.  The pork belly confit with foie gras and apples was also intense, rich, and well balanced.  The potatoes were amazing.  As an ordinary root veggie, the potato is usually a filler food, a side dish, something that we generally kick to the back of our minds. Not these potatoes though.  With smokey goodness, Chef Jason's smoked potatoes can hold their own.

The dessert I provided is a very special to me.  I first tried an ispahan cupcake made by Deverah Otten at Cupcake Meetup 2.0 at SXSW 2009.  One bite, and I was in love.  Ispahan is a classic French combination of lychees, raspberry, and rosewater created by Peirre Hermes.  I worked on my tipsy ispahan (boozed up version) recipe for several months only to think "This needs something."  I chatted about my problem with the extremely knowledgeable Bill Norris, and he introduced me to St. Germain.  I'm very honored that I got to share my favorite cupcake at Fino.  The cupcake is Amaretto cake, brushed with rose water, filled with lychees and raspberries, topped with St. Germain Swiss buttercream, and garnished with a fresh rose petal.
A big thank you to Fino_Austin, Chef Jason Donoho, and Bill Norris for having us over for dinner.  A big thank you to Bryan Townsend from St. Germain making it happen.  Don't forget to read Richard's in-depth write up of the dinner. 

Bill preparing the drinks.

Pouring of the first drink.

Delicious snacks.

Bryan Townsend from St. Germain.

Scallop Crudo, grapefruit, and lavender.

Pork Belly confit, foie gras, apples, and smokey potatoes.

Bill teaching us about St. Germain.

Pretty bottle for a lovely drink.

 The Tipsy Ispahan.

Fino, Jack Allen's, Wine & Food Foundation w/Mirabelle, Carillon, & Uncle Billy's bringing you good eats and drinks

With five booze and food events right around the corner, Austin is in for a treat.  Fino, Jack Allen's, The Wine and Food Foundation, The Carillon, and Uncle Billy's all have some fun events in store for the beer, wine, or cocktail lovers.  You'll know where I'll be!  See below for deets. 

Fino's St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur Dinner  75. per person, Cocktail Reception @ 6:30 PM, Dinner @ 7 PM. Reservations at 474-2905

 

Snacks

TBD

Girasol- Fino Sherry, St. Germain, Sunshine Bitters

Course 1

Scallop Crudo with Grapefruit & Lavender

Paloma Flower- Don Julio Reposado, Grapefruit, St. Germain, Grapefruit Bitters & Egg White

Course 2

White Gazpacho with Green Grapes & Marcona Almonds

Cedar Fever- Old Tom Gin, St. Germain, Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur, Peychaud's Bitters

Course 3

Pork Belly Confit & Foie Gras with Smoked Potato & Apple

Scotch & St. Germain Surprise

Course 4

St. Germain Sorbet & Cupcakes from Jennie Chen

aka Misohungry (yep, that's me!)

St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

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Jack Allen's Kitchen, Wednesday, March 3, 2010 7:00 pm, $65.00 per person/all inclusive

5 Course Paired Wine Dinner with Ironstone Vineyards and Brazos Valley Cheese

Join Jack Allen’s Kitchen, Brazos Valley Cheese, and the great grapes of Ironstone Vineyards for a terrific wine, cheese, and food pairing dinner in our private dining room overlooking the greenbelt.  Ironstone Vineyards, fourth generation growers and one of the ten largest family owned and operated wineries in the US, features the Christine Andrew, Leaping Horse, Sonoma Creek, and Ironstone Vineyards labels.  Included in the evening’s presentation are five current releases that display Ironstone’s rich fruit flavors, balance, and grace. Oh, yeah, and then there’s Jack’s food – making magic happen with incredibly fresh local produce, fresh Gulf caught seafood, and delightful cheeses from Brazos Valley Cheese. Jack will share background on each flight and course, including a discussion of Ironstone’s Sustainable Viticulture practices -  their time-honored and environmentally respectful approach to vineyard management. (Translated: they take great care of their piece of earth, which is really cool.)  Call 512.852.8558 or visit our website for reservations.

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The Wine & Food Foundation & TEXSOM Fundraiser - Louis Jadot Burgundy Dinner with Director of Winemaking Jacques Lardière
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 7pm Reservations: 346.7900  $85 per person, held at Maribelle Restaurant, 8127 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX.
 

Reception

Parmesean Crisp with Lemon-Chevre Mousse & Chives

Confit of Veal Breast with Creamed Chanterelles on Toasted Brioche

2007 Pouilly-Fuissé

 

Menu

Herbed Chilean Sea Bass with Lemon and Watercress Puree

Roasted New Potatoes and Zucchini Custard

2007 Chassagne-Montrachet

 

Roasted Squab Breast with Leg-meat Confit Strudel

Blueberry Squab Jus and Spring Vegetables

2006 Pernand Verglesses Clos de la Croix de Pierre

2006 Moulin-à-Vent, Chateau des Jacques
 

Pepper Beef Tenderloin with Gruyere Butter and French Onion Jus

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding, Creamy Garlic Mashers, Haricots Verts

2006 Pommard

2006 Gevrey-Chambertin, 1er Cru Lavaux Clos des Jacques
 

Cheese Course

Crotin Aged Chevre, Iberico and Brillat-Savarin Cheeses

and Walnut Burgundy Bread

  2006 Corton Pougets, Grand Cru
 

Dessert

Flourless Bittersweet Chocolate Torte

Mascarpone Crème Fraiche and Blackberry Crush 

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Olive you too!

It is only recently that I've become addicted to olives.  Yes, I know, it is an odd addiction.  But a tasty one.  I didn't used to like olives.  I would eat them on pizza and in salads, but more often than not, I just pick them out.  The first time I ate a whole olive that I liked were the fried olives at Fino. 

A few weeks ago, I attended a charcuterie event hosted by Carla Crownover (@gardens123).   Among the many tasty bites that were served, there was a plate of herbed olives.  I must admit, I polished off that plate pretty quickly.  These olives were juicy, flavorful, and unlike most of the other olives I've had before.  Most of the olives I remember eating were on Papa John's Pizza (from my undergraduate days) or out of a can.  Needless to say, I've been converted.  In order to satisfy my olive craving and learn more about the delicious fruits, I made a visit to the olive bar at Whole Foods Downtown (@wholefoodsatx).  I met with Michael (@bepkoboy), Billie, and Forrest for an education in all things olives.  Before we start on the olive tour, I've got to show you the gigantic chocolate paradise near the back of the store.  For the holidays, Whole Foods has some chocolate houses (sorry, gingerbread), chocolate gingerbread men *insert "Do you know the muffin man?" line from Shrek here*, white chocolate snowflakes, chocolate reindeer, chocolate sleds, chocolate guitars, and chocolate trees.  Any of these items would make a perfect gift. *hint hint* Chocolate pieces are sold by weight. 




Are you drooling over the chocolate yet?  Wipe off that drool, and let's get down to business.  Olives are a processed fruit that are highly variable.  With at least 300 species of olives available, the possibilities are endless.  Each specie of olives is also high variable depending on growing conditions.  Terroir (soil conditions, climate, topography), altitude, and seasonality all affect the outcome of the olives.  One species of olive grown in Italy may look completely different and taste different from the same species grown in France.  They are a complicated and complex fruit.  In generic cans, they are just called green or black, but they are much more complicated than that.

Raw or cooked? You're not going to ever find an edible raw olive in Whole Foods, unless you like to eat rocks.  I think there are some rocks in the decor by the escalators. Raw olives are terribly hard and not at all tasty.  There are two basic methods of curing olives for consumption: boiling or drying.  Most of the olives in the bar were boiled, with just a handful of dried ones.  If boiled, olives are picked then immediately boiled (pitted prior if desired) in salt water.  After boiling, the olives are marinated with seasonings, oils, or wine.  That's where we get the variety of flavors in the olive bar.  Some olive are also stuffed with things like feta cheese, blue cheese, almonds, anchovies, peppers, jalapenos, or sun-dried tomatoes.  Most of the olive stuffing is done prior by the distributor (Whole Foods uses a local one), but the marinating in herbs is done at the store. 

Dry cured olives are usually dried with salt then marinated with oil.  These look like big raisins, but I assure you, they are super tasty.  Below are photos of some of the olives available at Whole Foods Austin Downtown.  The selection does change daily, and the cheese stuffed olives are usually prepackaged. 
After my olive education, I posed a question to Michael, Billy, and Forrest.  "What is the most unusual olive pairing you've done?"  They had made some of the typical items such as casseroles with olives, olives in salads, and pasta, but Billy had one that was new to me.  Olives.  Cheese.  Chocolate.  Billy sliced up some Locatelli Pecorino Romano, dipped it into the chocolate fountain, and scooped up some French dried olives (photo below).  It sounds weird, but this combination of salty, sweet, and fat was fantastic.  All components were well balanced, and the chocolate covered cheese almost reminded me of a crumbly cookie in texture.  I'm serving this combination at my next foodie gathering along with some olive oil flat bread (photos at the very bottom).  Another weird thing to do with olives is chocolate olive cake.  That recipe will be coming soon. 

Before we leave, I must rave about the flat bread. I tried the plain (flavored with anise) and the almond flavor.  It is simply delicious.  The ingredients are simple and not overly complicated.  The crunch combined with just a bit of sweet caramel-y flavor is addictive. These flatbreads are located on the shelves just to the right of the cheese case.  Don't say I didn't warn you. 

Locatelli Pecorino Romano, chocolate, and French olives (dry cured).

Just one side of the olive bar.

Olives in chilies. 

These are amazing olives. Watch out for the pits. 

Dried Olives.

Seasoned with chili flakes.

Addictive Flatbread.

Cocktail Throwndown Finalist Announced! Sept. 24th #cocktailriot

If you thought Cupcake Smackdown1.0 was a blast, here's an event that will knock your socks off.  Cocktail Throwdown is just around the corner.  After receiving tasty cocktail recipes from Austin bars, 5 finalists were chosen.  

The finals take place on Sept. 24 from 5:30-7:30 p.m on South Congress (location information will be sent to winners of the tickets).  The Cocktail Throwdown is an annual contest to name the official drink of Austin.  The winner receives a custom Gibson Guitar with their logo on it, a couple of day passes to the ACL festival, a national news release announcing their victory, and a year of promotion by our media team.

Eleisha Eagle will play a rockin’ set for the night, Frank will be providing the tasty bites, local beer will be provided for those hops and barley lovers, & Tito's will also be hand pouring their signature cocktails. Door Prizes include: an Austin gift basket, a Tito’s gift basket and the big one: two round-trip tickets on JetBlue to any of their destinations that fly nonstop to Austin.

To win tickets, stay posted for the contest.  I only have 5 sets of 2 tickets (10 tickets total) to give away.  They are sure to go fast!

Here are the cocktail throwdown finalists:

·         Mole on the Rocks, by Fino
·         The Enlightened Austin Martini, by La Condesa
·         The Lady Bird, by Stephen F’s Bar & Terrace
·         The Redbud, by Paggi House
·         Shirley Bird Tea, by Hyatt Lost Pines Resort & Spa

Photos and recipes coming to this post soon.....

Bill Norris's Maraschino Cherries

This recipe is courtesy of Bill Norris at Fino Austin. He's behind the bar. I was so lazy when I received the recipe that I soaked maraschino cherries from in a jar in luxardo. Then I had one of Bill's cherries, and let's just say that it is well worth the time and effort to make these cherries. ^@$#%%@ is the only way I can describe it.

Tips:

	Here's the link to the instructions I followed for canning the jars.
	I did 10 pounds of cherries and wound up with about 2.5 cups of extra liquid. I used that extra liquid to maraschino-ize 4 lbs of peaches using the same instructions. In the end, I had about 7 quart jars of cherries and 2 quart jars of peaches.
	Let the jars cool completely before removing from water. One of the jars slid out of the tongs I was using (I couldn't find silicone waterproof mitts), and it splashed into the water leaving me with 1st degree burns.
	I bought a cherry pitter that does 4 cherries at a time from Bed, Bath, and Beyond (14.99). Best tool ever! It was kind of fun too.
	These cherries are very boozy. Not for kids. They are strong.

From Bill:

The only sticking point here is going to be finding the Luxardo Maraschino. There's not a whole lot in Austin at the moment--Spec's has some, reportedly. Don't, whatever you do, use the Stock brand. It is a vile, horrible thing. There's another one out there on occasion, the name of which escapes me, and it's ok, but Luxardo is the gold standard (http://www.luxardo.it/product.aspx?ID=778)

Per 1 pound sweet cherries, pitted

	1/2 C sugar
	1/2 C water
	2 t lemon juice
	1 cinnamon stick
	Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
	1/2 C of Luxardo maraschino liquor and 1/2 cup brandy (cheap is fine, Jacques Cardin works at about $9-$10 a bottle)

1. Wash and pit the cherries.
2. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except the cherries and booze and bring to a rolling boil.
3. When the liquid begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium.
4. Add the cherries and simmer for 5–7 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, add the liqueur, and let cool.
6. Using mason jars, can as you would preserves

Cherries loaded in the pitter.

Smashy, smashy!

Taking the cherries out.

Oh......... the pits!

Cooking the cherries.

Into the jars.

Luxardo!

Peaches on the left, cherries on the right.