Dupuy Dish

To say Whole Foods downtown is a hot spot for Sunday morning brunch is an understatement. From ladies lunching after church to power couples taking a break with their pups from a run on Lady Bird Lake, WFM downtown is a the Sunday place to be… Especially if the weather is nice as it was this past Sunday, and even more so when the hot cup of Joe you’re nursing is in anticipation of meeting Alton Brown. He was in town for a book signing of his newly released cookbook, Good Eats, the Early Years, and I managed an invite to the media preview event, complete with a fresh copy of the book for signing.

You know, Alton Brown, the quirky Foodie-meets-Mad Scientist Food Network celeb from Good Eats? Or perhaps you’ve seen him narrating the harried hour of slicing, dicing, sautéing, grilling, poaching, steaming, and plating as top chefs duel it out on Iron Chef America? Alton Brown is for cooking what Bill Nye the Science Guy was for kids learning about science. Yes, Good Eats may be high on the cheesiness factor, but  no where else have I learned such valuable tidbits. i.e. adding salt to coffee grounds while brewing takes the bitterness out; tomatoes weren’t introduced to Italian cuisine until the 19th Century; or that contrary to popular belief, a real Caesar Salad never contains anchovies, except for what content their may be in the Worcestershire sauce.

I’m happy to say the new cookbook offers many of the same clever tips and helpful history… and it has a whole host of recipes from the first 10 years of the show.

So did I learn anything from the famous food geek? Well, no. Believe it or not, all I was able to manage was a firm handshake and introduction, before my mind went blank and I was, well… star struck. He ended up asking all the questions: Do you like to cook? How long have you been a writer? Who would you like me to sign this book for?

Answer 1: Yes.

Answer 2: As long as I can remember, but professionally for a few years.

Answer 3: Me, of course! ; )

With such a line behind my I figured this wasn’t the time to get up close and personal anyway. But I will say Mr. Brown was all about business, but not in a fussy way. Convivial. Friendly. Even charming. I may not have opened the door to a budding friendship, but I do have a signed copy of his cookbook, and a quick snapshot to document the whole experience. Next time I’ll be more prepared. ; )

Good Eats cake by Whole Foods Market Bakery

Every town needs a cocktail to call its own. New York has the Manhattan (and for a good few years in the late ’90s, the Appletini), New Orleans has the Sazerac, and Milwaukee has, what else? Beer. When it comes to signature cocktails, Austin is no different. Except that instead of claiming just one “cocktail of all time,” this city of creative thought, live music, and generally keeping things weird, likes to name a new signature cocktail every year at the Austin Cocktail Throwdown.

In the past the town has seen the spicy-yet-controversial (long story) “Batini” from Lamberts, and more recently the “Fire In the Hole” from Ranch 616, which was simply a shot taken from a whole jalapeño filled with Tito’s Vodka, Paula’s Texas Orange liqueur, and lime juice, which is then followed by a chaser of Lone Star beer. (It doesn’t get more Austin-y than that!)

This year more than 20 local restaurants and bars entered their best concoctions into the 6th Annual Austin Cocktail Throwdown hosted by the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau and sponsored by Tito’s Vodka.  The mission was simple: design a cocktail that has a distinctive “Austin” feel showcasing local ingredients and capturing the personality of this city. (Oh, and they had to use Tito’s vodka, of course.) The original entries were anonymously judged and narrowed down to a consummate top 5. (The most points were awarded for creativity, feasibility to be made year-round in a busy bar, and menu appeal.)

Read more…

A Few Texas Wine Facts:

Texas is the 5th largest wine producing state in the country.

Texas is the 4th largest wine consuming state in the country.

Texas has more than 3,500 acres of vineyards planted throughout the state.

Texas has more than 180 wineries across the state, a few of which are producing award-winning wines that are standing up against California, French, and Spanish wines.

Last weekend Texas winemakers, grape growers, sommeliers and food and wine writers met in Dallas for two important conferences, The Go Texan Drink Local Wine Conference and the 2009 Texas Sommelier Conference. For four days the world revolved around wine, wine, and more wine.

For complete post  at Texasmonthly.com, click here.

Don’t think a tiny mention in a newspaper or magazine can really make much of a difference? Think again. Just ask Doug Young, co-owner of Cover 3 restaurant in Austin. This fledgling North Austin locale with less than a year under its belt was simply humming along with steady business for its upscale sportsbar-that-you-can-still-take-a-date-to concept. But in late July things changed. Texas Monthly magazine released their August issue featuring the Top 50 Burgers in Texas and guess who landed the #12 spot?

You guessed it—Cover 3. Apparently they had a surprise visit from Texas Monthly Executive Editor, Pat Sharpe one night when she slid into the restaurant after a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse nearby. Little did they know the big ole cheeseburger she was noshing on would bring them an up tick in business. According to Young, when the Texas Monthly burger issue hit newsstands, within two days, the kitchen was scurrying to get a last-minute meat order to cover the increase in burger sales. The restaurant went from serving an average of about 125 burgers a week to between 650 and 700 burgers!

Click here for complete post.