Craft Beer, Fine Wine, Artisan Spirits, and Mouthgasmic Food.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Beer and Garlic Fondue Recipe

During Black Friday Football 2009, I got a fancy electric fondue pot.  To celebrate many belated events and achievements (John's new iphone application went online, I accepted three jobs over the last few months), I decided that beer and garlic fondue would be an appropriate meal.  This recipe is the popular rue method of making fondue.  Enjoy!

Ingredients to serve two:
bullet2 tablespoons butter
bullet2 tablespoons flour
bullet8 oz lager (I used Samuel Adams Boston Lager)
bullet3-4 garlic cloves, minced or use garlic press
bullet4 oz L & D Appenzeller (mild hard cheese), cut into small cubes
bullet2 oz Cave aged Gruyere, cut into small cubes

Directions: In a sauce pan or an electric fondue pot, melt the butter slowly.  Add the flour and whisk it in vigorously.  If are using a fondue pot that doesn't have much heat (like those ceramic ones that are heated by tea lights), you need to make the fondue in a saucepan first before transferring it to your fondue pot.  Keep whisking the flour and butter mixture until the rue (butter/flour mixture used to thicken soups and sauces) is a golden brown.  At this point, stream in the beer while whisking.  It will probably foam and bubble.  Add the minced garlic to the mixture or use a garlic press to press it into the mixture.  Keep whisking until the mixture is like a thick gravy.  Add the cheese to the mixture one handful at a time while whisking.  Make sure the cheese is melted thoroughly before adding more cheese.  The aroma at this point should be intoxicating.  Once all the cheese is added, the fondue is ready to be served. Since I was only serving for two, I didn't buy large quantities of veggies that I had to wash and chop.  Instead, I roamed around Whole Foods Downtown picking up some fresh veggies from the salad bar and some prepared food from the deli, barbeque, and prepared dishes.  I chose 2-3 ounces of a variety of items which costs on average $1.50 per item. 

Traditional things to dip into the fondue:
bulletBread sticks
bulletApples
bulletCarrots
bulletCelery
bulletCherry Tomatoes
bulletBroccoli
bulletCauliflower
bulletCubed Ham
Things I dipped:
bulletSeeduction bread cubes
bulletBrisket
bulletBoudin sausage
bulletSpinach and gorgonzola polenta cake
bulletRoasted Garlic Carrots and Parsnips
bulletFresh Green Beans
bulletFresh Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Peppers
bulletRoasted Maple Squash
bulletOlives

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Up, Up, and Away!

Sunday, Dec. 20th was my first hot air balloon ride with Austin Aeronauts. While it might not be as thrilling as a skydive, my first flight with Austin Aeronauts was fun and exciting in its own way.  The morning started early, as in 6:30 am early.  The reason they start early is because winds tend to pick up over the course of the day, and it really isn't a good idea to take first time passengers up if the winds are more than nine miles per hour. 
The course of the hot air balloon is entirely up to Mother Nature.  At different altitudes, the wind blows in different directions.  To tell where the wind was going, a helium balloon was released into the air prior to take off. The pilot, David Smuck, and retriever, Chuck, watched the direction of the helium balloon as it floated through different altitudes.  A hot air balloon team consists of at least two people, a pilot and a retriever (not Golden, German Short hair, or Labrador).  The pilot navigates the balloon by releasing air or turning on the flame for more more hot air.  The pilot is responsible for finding a good landing spot for the balloon as well as landing it safely.  The retriever drives to the landing location to pick up the balloon and passengers.  Sometimes it isn't easy as good landing spots aren't always easily accessible to a truck towing a trailer.  Good landing spots aren't always easy to find as there are many parameters.  Dry, flat land sans large rocks or livestock is ideal.  Private property is sometimes the only option for landing, and if so, they tend to look for property that isn't gated or locked. 

Sunday morning was freezing.  Check out the frost. 

The balloon is first filled with cold air with a high powered fan.  Other passengers are helping by holding the balloon.  The volume of this particular hot air balloon filled is about the size of 60 school buses at 100 ft long and 100 ft in diameter.  This aircraft can hold up to 1500 lbs.  

David, the pilot at the top of the balloon during inflation.

A look into the inflating balloon through the envelope on top. 

The flame throwers.  These make shooting flames into the balloon.

We're just now starting to float.

The Dell Diamond.

The other balloon.  You can see the shadow of the balloon I was riding in on the other balloon.

We flew over someone's very dirty pool.  Here's a photo of the reflection of our balloon in the pool.

Reflection of the balloon in David's sunglasses.

Cattle grazing.

Shadow of the balloon.

Spooked cows.  When the cow on the left first saw us, it literally freaked out.  It startled violently, stared at us with wide eyes, and froze.  Poor cow.  I thought it was going to have a heart attack.  When humans first see the balloon, they usually run inside to fetch a camera.  Dogs occasionally bark at us. 

After flying for about 90 minutes (~26 miles), we found a good spot to land.  The landing spot was only 3 miles away from the take off locations, and it was a grassy flat area on a public road near some homes.  David begins our descent by turning off the burners and pulling on the red cord to let some hot air out. 

There are no photos of landing because it can be kind of bumpy.  The basket can tilt, and you can get thrown out.  Lucky me got to be the pilot once we landed.  David, the pilot, hopped out of the basket while I got to pull the cord to let out the rest of the hot air. It wasn't an easy task.  Talk about some rope burn.

Collecting the deflated balloon. 

David and the other passengers squishing the air out of the ballon. 

The balloon is partially rolled up, then rolled into a bag. 

David, another passenger, and I sitting on the balloon to get the air out.

Chuck, our retriever, laying on the balloon to get the rest of the air out. 

Post-flight, everyone gets a glass of champagne as part of tradition. The legend is that the very first hot air balloon was mistaken for a fire-y beast of sorts, and attacked by people on the ground.  People just weren't used to seeing large objects in the sky with fire in 1783.  The champagne tradition was developed as a way for the hot air balloon passengers to signal to people on the ground that they were indeed humans; after all, who doesn't recognize a champagne bottle.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Food Porn at the Carillon

When the Carillon announced that they were having a $30 prix fixe menu, @windaddict and I decided to jump at the chance to try dinner at the Carillon.  Even though our holiday schedule was packed to the gills, we're so happy that we made time to try out Chef Josh Watkin's creations. All photos by John Knox. Entire set here.

Before we started on the food porn, @natanyap and I got a tour of the kitchen. I really want that mixer.  See me smiling? I need it for the upcoming Cupcake Smackdown2.0.

Josh looks like he is saying something like "No, you can't take that home with you." I'm saying something like, "But um. I need it.  Please?"

Butter food porn.

Some Amuse-bouche which means to amuse my taste buds.  They sure did. 

Fresh baby iceberg salad with applewood smoked bacon, Maytag blue cheese, and chervil-ranch dressing.

I had the tuna tartare with apples and almonds.  Fresh and delicious.

This pistachio crusted sea scallop with chanterelle mushroom and truffle herb salad is absolutely amazing.  The nuttiness of the pistachio paired with the scallops was just heavenly. 

Prince Edward Island mussels with a Thai Red Curry Sauce with pineapple and cilantro are the best mussels I've had so far.  The sweet pineapple paired with the Thai red curry was a fantastic pairing.  All flavors were perfectly balanced with nothing dominating this dish.  Do try these mussels.  You'll be glad you did. 

Smoky crisp pork belly with diablo glaze, Asian pear salad, and fried mint.  This dish has pork.  Need I say more?

Texas coffee rubbed burgundy Pasture Farms New York strip with roasted parsnips, caramelized lemon, candied garlic, and mesquite syrup. 

Pan-seared mero with raw cauliflower, cherry-pine nut chutney, and brown butter yogurt.  Three words.  Brown Butter yogurt. 

If you haven't noticed, dinner at the Carillon has pretty much left us stuffed and speechless.  Next time the Carillon is having a prix fixe menu, you better get down there!