Yuji Ramen in New York City

I recently took a trip to New York City - one that was right around 24 hours long from touch down to take off.  Even in my short time frame, I was able to stuff myself silly.  When I got there, who else but Pichet Ong took me for an eating adventure of the Big Apple.

Yuji Ramen, owned by Yuji Haraguhi, was one place that he insisted on.  He didn't just suggest it.  He insisted.  So off we went to Whole Foods on Houston Street.  Yuji was supposed to be a rotating pop-up on the second floor of this Whole Foods.  But I guess they became so popular that at they stayed.

Here's another write up of Yuji Ramen by Serious Eats.


Something you might find curious about Yuji is that he didn't eat ramen growing up.  It wasn't a part of his comfort food or college food for that matter.  As a result, he says that his ramen is unique and different because he doesn't have an ideal ramen that he's trying to emulate or replicate.

Yuji's history starts with an education in business and then sales at a seafood supplier.  He has no official culinary training so he says, with a shy grin.  I have a plethora of respect for those in the culinary arts who learned it on the job or out of passion - and you can taste that passion.

While we were there, admiring fans would come by for a bowl and smile cheerfully at him.  He's pretty darn lucky as I saw many, many young women exploding with giddiness at the counter.  Oh, what is it like to be a Ramen God? 


The first dish I ordered was the salmon and cheese mazeman (ramen with little to no soup) - a pretty amazing dish.  The goal of his seafood offerings is to "showcase seafood through ramen."  And he hit the nail on the head with this one.  The cured salmon is sweet, savory, and has the flavor of the sea.  The texture was tender yet had structure that said "someone took great care of me!" 

I can't really find words to explain the flavor of this dish.  I can only describe it as a mashup of subtle gastronomy on a bed of noodles.  You just need to try it.  And then you'll understand my inability to describe it.  

The second dish I got was the daily special, a clear fish broth that was beautifully clear and flavorful.  This dish does have the comfort feel of soups that my mother made, and the careful execution that would can impress even the pickiest of ramen connoisseurs.  If I'm back in New York, I'd definitely visit Yuji Ramen again!

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.

Win tix to MIXAustin: Cool your haute bodies with Summer cocktails

Austinites have to face the truth.  We're in the heat of Summer now, and the @ChevyTexan Denali I had for the week registered the temperature at 105 degrees (June 5th).  My own car doesn't have a temperature read out for the weather, but I'm going to hazard to guess that the rest of the Summer will be able the same - Texas Hot.  Some cocktails might change your tune though.  

Google Places is presenting MIX: Celebrate Texas Cocktails on Friday, June 17th, and I am a fan.  I've been dabbing in the cocktail culture for several years now, and it is apparent that Austin is blazing through as the "hot and haute" cocktail mecca.  The MIX: Celebrate Texas Cocktails  celebrates Texas spirits at the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs.  Custom-made libations from the crafty hands of local mixologists and fresh ingredients from Whole Foods will be served from 9 pm until midnight. Cocktails will served with yummy freshly baked mmmpanadas, sandwiches from Sugar Shack BBQ, and gastro pub fare from J. Black's. JWG Photography will be capturing the fun! 

Liquor sponsors include: SAVVY Handcrafted Vodka, Pecan Street Rum, Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka, Deep Eddy Vodka, Enchanted Rock Vodka,

Treaty Oak Platinum Rum, Republic Tequila, Tequila Ambhar, Paula's Texas Spirits, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Railean Rum, Graham's Texas Tea, and Dripping Springs Vodka.

Tickets are currently on sale for $50 until noon on Friday, June 17 or $60 at the door; price includes drinks and food for the evening. Purchase tickets at http://www.mixaustin.net/tickets.html.

To WIN a pair of tickets to the festivities: you can enter by posting the names of three of my favorite cocktail bars in Austin. It isn't difficult to find which ones are my favorites! @Mousethedog will pick a winner on Tuesday the 14th at noon. 

Photo by Cory Ryan courtesy of POM PR.

Date: Friday, June 17th, 9pm until Midnight.

Location: Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, 2312 San Gabriel, Austin, TX 78705.

For more information, please visit: http://www.mixaustin.net/.

FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=135665289841831

Twitter: #MIXtexas

A portion of MIX proceeds will benefit Austin Involved, Austin's newest volunteer movement. Members of Austin Involved have the opportunity to learn about local nonprofits, vote for their choice of inspiring organizations, and give a small donation of time and money as cohesive group in order to make a larger impact. http://austininvolved.org/

 

Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is Imminent

The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is underway, and there's still time for you to get tickets to some of this year's hot events.  Though some of my top picks have already sold out, there's still time to squeeze in an event or two.  My plans for this year's festivities include the Live FIRE! Supremacy over Flames.  Emphasis on the FIRE! please. I have no shame in showing my excitement for beef (please hold the rated pg-13 comments).  With chefs like Andrew Dwyer of Australian's Outback, Brad Farmerie of Public Restaruant in NYC, Andy Ricket of Pok Pok in Portland, along with many local favorites, you'd be swooning too. 

A giant thank you to the ever wonderful Carillon, ATT Center, and Chef Josh for inviting @windaddict/@hopsafari and myself to attend the Star Power event.  This night with Kyle MacLachlan & Animal Restaurant brings out the giddy in me.  Graced with the skills of Chefs Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo, Josh Watkins, and David Bull, there's no secret to why this event was sold out.  I'll be spending several hours at the Veloway prior to dinner that night.  

I'll also be attending the Sunday Fair to be held at the Mexican American Cultural Center.  I know the complaints from last year was that it was muddy and the lines were long.  I'm usually not the type that enjoys crowds or lines.  But for some reason, when it is in Texas, in a muddy field, and there is copious amounts of tasty nibbles and sips, I don't mind.  I find it kind of fun and adventurous.  I haven't visited the Mexican American Cultural Center before, so it'll be a new experience for me.  Here's some photos from this year's media event at Hotel Saint Cecilia.  It was my first time at the venue, and I'm having a crush on it. 


This parked in front of me there, so that's already a big bonus.


A majestic tree, an old car, and a bright green grass brings character to the location.


A view from the upper porch. 


Andrew Dwyer smoking up some tasty corn in a giant wok.  He was the cutest thing at the party.  He walked around serving people at the party in that wok that was bigger than he is. 


Tasty, moist, slightyly sweet, raw, vegan, AND gluten-free morsels of happiness from Hail Merry.



Hot ladies at a Haute Party.  Thank you for the wonderful event! 

Wine and Food Foundation's Tour de Vin - Oct. 7th

Even though Austin is located in the center of Texas, cultural cuisine and wine is still within our reach.  The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas is hosting the 6th Annual Tour de Vin, a globe trotting adventure for your palate.  Wines from France, Argentina, Italy, and Chile will be showcased along with tasty treats from local restaurants.  Here's a short list of participating restaurants: Buenos Aires Cafe, Cipollina, Fogo de Chao, Foreign & Domestic, Jack Allen's Kitchen, Maria Maria, NoRTH, Portabla, Rio's Brazilian Cafe, Silver Whisk, StrEAT, and The Turtle.  There might be some names that you don't recognize yet, and that can be remedied.  Last year's event was the first time I was introduced to StrEAT, and it is still one of my favorite foodie finds.  It is incredible how brand new foods to me could taste so comforting.  See the food porn below and read about last year's event here.  If you'd like to discover some new tasty eats and taste some delicious wines, tickets are $50 per person for Foundation members and $75 per person for the general public. To purchase Tour de Vin tickets (available in September), or to become a WFFT member, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org or contact the Foundation office at 512-327-7555.  The event is Thursday, Oct. 7th, 2010 from 6:30 - 9:00 at Whole Foods Downtown. Bunny Chow from StrEats. Pionono from Buenos Aires Cafe.  Hint: They have booze in them.  Fete Accompli's Special was a creamy dip served on a cracker.

Fall Events to leave you stuffed and tipsy

Fall is underway, and that means the food events are picking up like mobile homes in a tornado.  Excuse my sense of humor.  :o)  @windaddict and I will be in Denver covering the Great American Beer Fest over the next week, but here's some upcoming events to satisfy the glutton in you.  I also have some tickets to give away, so make sure you read the entire post. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wednesday, Sept 15th, 6:30 pm - Jeff Potter, author of Cooking For Geeks, is coming to Austin on a book tour.  He is giving a talk on the science of cooking and will show some sous vide cooking equipment. Event: Jeff Potter, author of Cooking For Geeks Location: Whole Foods (525 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX‎), Mezzanine Time: 6:30pm Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wednesday, Sept 15th, 7 pm - Maker's Mark Whiskey Dinner at Highball.  Whiskey is delicious. In fact, it's so delicious, that aside from drinking it, sometimes we put it in food. There's going to be a lot of whiskey going around at this dinner, folks. The menu, four-courses of tasty whiskey-enhanced edibles, includes crab bisque served with White Dog, Texas Quail stuffed with a Maker's-infused duck liver mousse and served with underaged whiskey, beef tenderlion with a bourbon basted oyster mushroom duxelle, scalloped sweet potatoes and prosciutto bundled asparagus and served with a fully matured whiskey, and finally, an aniss scented creme brulee with salted shortbread, served with Maker's Mark 46.  Tickets are $57 and include everything listed above.  Purchase tickets here: http://www.thehighball.com/events/whiskey-dinner-7pm-55/   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saturday, Sept. 18th, 11am - 4 pm - Taste of North Austin invites you to sample good eats, enjoy live music, cooking demonstrations, children's events and fabulous shopping.  Food samplings and children’s activities will require wristbands. Beer and wine will be available for purchase at select restaurant booths. A wristband of 10 tastes is available for purchase for $20 at Simon Guest Services at The Domain. Purchase you wristband before September 12th for $5 off.  Location:  The Domain, 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Austin, TX.  Contact for more information: Lauren Harris, Area Director of Marketing, 512.873.8099. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sept. 17-20th - Whole Foods Turns 30!  Join Whole Foods as they celebrate their 30th birthday.  See here for list of events and activities.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It isn't a secret that Indian food has a special place in my heart.  Here's an event I don't want to miss.  Saturday, Sept. 25, 5-9 pm - Taste of India invites you to enjoy Indian Cuisine, entertainment from 6-7:30pm, henna art, and name writing.  Proceeds from this event will benefit orphanages in India and locally to Austin Mobile Loaves & Fishes. $3 for admission to this event that is sure to stimulate your taste buds.  Location: St. Williams Catholic Church in Round Rock.  More information here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=146498762038181&ref=mf I also have 15 pairs of tickets to give away to this event.  To win a pair: Tweet "@misohungry I want to go to Taste of India! Benefits @MLFNOW!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wednesday, Sept. 30th - 6:00 pm -  Chef Showdown at the Southwest Bistro at the Hyatt.  I've judged several Chef Showdowns, and these are events that will leave you wondering how you managed to eat stuff so much in your face.  Here's the details! WHO: Go Texan restaurant chefs representing the Driskill Grill, Roaring Fork, and Southwest Bistro WHAT: The Hyatt Regency Austin hosts the third Go Texan Chef Showdown, a multi-course gourmet chef competition featuring local ingredients. Event is part of the Go Texan Restaurant Round-up. WHEN: Thursday, September 30, 2010. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m.; Chef Showdown at 7 p.m. WHERE: The Hyatt Regency Austin Southwest Bistro | 208 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX 78704. TICKETS: $49 plus tax and gratuity. Includes wine pairings. Limited seating. Event reservations are available via opentable.com or by calling 512.480.2035 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mondays Starting Sept. 13th - Hotel San Jose announced today the return of steak night, a monthly prix fixe menu prepared by Chef Larry Mcguire of Perla’s and Lambert’s with reservations at 6:30 pm, 7 pm, 8:30 pm, or 9 pm. The meals range from McAllen Ranch NY Strip ($40) with seared mushroom and shallot relish, Niman Ranch Natural Rib Eye ($40) with fennel salsa verde, Certified Angus Beef Filet ($45) with Hollandaise and fresh horseradish, or Ahi Tuna Steak ($40) with smoked paprika chimichurri. Served with salad, grilled asparagus, steak house potatoes and crispy shallots, diners are in for a real treat.  Dessert includes Mexia Pear and blackberry cobbler served with vanilla ice cream. Wine options for the evening include ($9/glass or $34/bottle) Fontsainte Corbieres Rouge from France 2008 vintage or Hugl Weine Gruner Veltliner from Australia 2008 vintage.  If you're craving a steak, the prix fix menu is sure to satisfy your tummy.  Hotel San Jose is located 1316 South Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704. Reservations are limited, for more information or reserve your table call 512-852-2350. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursday, Oct. 7th- 6:30 - pm - Tour De Vin at Whole Foods Downtown.  I have 3 words.  This event rocks.  This is where I first had StEats last year, and it was absolutely amazing.  Trying food for the first time that tasted like comfort food is kind of mind blowing in that dejavu-Inceptions-meets-Matrix kind of way.  If you like food and wine with from other cultures, you'll love this event.

Tipsy Bacon and Parmigiano Reggiano Wassail Apple Turnovers

When I saw that Whole Foods was having a Parmigiano Reggiano contest, I jumped at the chance to submit one of my recipes. Here it is.  Enjoy! 

Makes 36 turnovers. All photos by John Knox.

	4 cups apples, diced into 1/4 inch pieces. I used fuji apples.
	1/4 cup white sugar
	1/4 cup brown sugar
	1/2 cup brandy
	1/2 cup dry sherry
	1/4 cup Laird's Apple brandy
	1/4 tsp ground ginger
	1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
	1 tsp cloves (whole)
	1 tsp allspice (whole)
	1 cinnamon stick
	1 tbsp cornstarch
	1/2 lb bacon, any flavor you desire except jalapeno.
	1/2 - 2/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated or chopped finely
	2 packages frozen puff pastry dough (2 sheets per package)
	1 egg for egg wash

Bacon Preparation:
Chopped the bacon into 1/4 inch pieces.  Brown the bacon in a pan until the fat as rendered out and it is crispy, but not burnt.  Drain thoroughly, and blot with a paper towel if it is still greasy.  Set it aside to cool. 
Filling:
Create a satchel out of cheesecloth with the cloves and allspice.  Or you can put the cloves and allspice in a tea ball infuser.  Combine apples, white sugar, brown sugar, brandy, dry sherry, Laird's apple brandy, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and cinnamon stick and the satchel or tea ball infuser of cloves and allspice in a large pot and bring to a simmer.  Don't boil the apples (that will be at the end), but simmer them for about 15 minutes.  While the mixture is simmering, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water.  Remove the satchel or tea ball infuser and the cinnamon stick.  Pour the cornstarch slurry into the apple mixture and allow to boil until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the mixture from heat and allow to cool.  Mix in the bacon bits and the cheese when cool.  If you don't allow it to cool, your mixture my turn into a gooey mess.  You can make this mixture several days in advance.  Store in the fridge until ready to make the turnovers.  

Preparing the turnovers:
Allow the puff pastry to thaw slightly while preheating an oven to 400 degrees.  Make egg wash by beating one raw egg with 1 tablespoon of water.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to stretch it out slightly.  Using a pizza wheel, cut into nine squares by making two vertical cuts and two horizontal cuts.  For Alton Brown's tutorial on puff pastry, watch here and here.  These are not my videos.  Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Brush inside edges of puff pastry with egg wash and fold over to make a triangle. Using a fork, seal the edges.  Using the prongs going perpendicular to the puffy edges, seal by imprinting the edges with the fork.  Poke a slit or two in the top of each turnover with a sharp knife. these can be baked on foil lined pans, but I prefer to move it to parchment paper lined pans at this point.  Brush tops with egg wash. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve hot or cold.  Pair with a bubbly cava or a strong ale, stout or porter. 

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.