Truffle Class -- Mmmm lots and lots of chocolate

Last night at Central Market Cooking School, I attended a Truffle Making Class. At first I scoffed at the $70 price for the class, but I feel that I got my money's worth from it since the price of 12 truffles can cost about $25 - $60! Luckily, we each got a handsome tin of about 65 truffles made with quality dark chocolate from the grocery store below and ganache for us to make a few more!

The class made the process seem a lot easier because there were no double broilers involved. There are special chemical qualities involved in chocolate that make it difficult to handle at times. First of all, we were told NOT to use chocolate chips. There is a particular chemical in chocolate chips that hold their shape and are difficult to melt because of it. The chips also do not have enough cocoa butter in them. So when they melt, the texture is lumpy. When making truffles, we were told to use baking squares of bittersweet chocolate like El Rey from Venezuela. At Central Market, you can actually state the dollar amount you want to spend and sample the chocolates. Mmmm! Since the heated heavy cream was used to melt the chocolate, it was a much easier process.

Truffles also take time. We were told to keep our ganache chilled for 2-3 hours! Luckily, the chefs made our ganaches ahead of time. Each chocolate and combination of ingredients are different. And, depending on how shallow your pan is or how the more ingredients that have to bond, the longer the substance will take to solidify! Different structures disrupt the crystal lattice structure thus slowing down the bonding process. Man, why wasn't chemistry class this much fun?

The chefs taught us to work with cold ganache. She just grabbed a small spoon, rolled the chocolate into a ball, and covered the ball with either coconuts, peanuts, hazelnuts or cocoa. The use of gloves is recommended since it makes things much easier and having another person with you makes it more fun too! I also enjoyed the combinations that they provided us: plain chocolate, chocolate with hazelnut, chocolate with caramel and salt, white chocolate,lime and coconut, and chocolate and banana. It seems like you can play with a lot of different mixes. So, it will be interesting what I end up with when I make some more!

I really hope that I can get to more cooking classes next year. And, what's great about cooking is that it becomes the gift that will keep on giving- to be shared with the beau, family, friends, and co-workers!

J'adore arborio rice!

My latest foodie project was resurrecting the aparagus risotto recipe I played with last summer. Hannah and I were in charge of Wednesday dinner two weeks ago. We decided to do an Italian theme. She offered to make one meat and one veggie lasagna. Jeff, our friend who just recently returned from South America, made Brazilian Cheese Puffs. And, I brought over a super easy salad and risotto to complement the meal.

The salad is very easy to make. The secret is putting in ingredients that people love. I used green leaf lettuce, yellow sweet cherry tomatoes, parmasean cheese, marinated artichokes, and avocados. The asparagus risotto recipe is based off of the Working Class Foodies segment they released last summer.

We had a bit of a snafu on the evening of our event! Hannah was running late on the lasagnas. So, people were snacking on the cheese puffs and we started a first course of salad, risotto, and these beef tonque tacos from Thuan's. By the time we finished this course, Hannah arrived with the main course. Overall, it was a tasty group dinner.

Taste @ Austin

So, over the last TWO weeks, I've taken a trip up to Austin and have been able to sample some of their tasty fare. I was pretty excited because I was able to try some new places this time instead of going to the old stand-bys like kolaches at the gas station, Kerbey Lane pancakes, or Chuy's.



One of the first places we tried out was Opal Divine's on South Congress. This was a great place congregate for pints, bar food, and football. (So maybe not any Texas football teams, but nonetheless, game-watching can be had there.) The best thing about the place is the location. It is in Penn Field, and it's an interesting re-use of space. It was formerly a pilot school, but is now used for office buildings, a bar, and coffee place.




IM Thai was so delicious! There is something comforting about eating a curry on a cold day. I think it's the warmth of the veggies and tofu along with the heat from the curry. After walking around Pedernales Falls State Park, this was a nice way to end the evening with good food and good company. I tried the masman curry which had a very sweet kick to it. The crab rangoons and the spring rolls were tasty. Both came in presentations that were different from the norm which were refreshing. Since it is a BYOB establishment, a member of our party went to World Market and picked out a lovely red wine to pair with our meal.







So on my second visit back to Austin, I was in the downtown area for a conference and I was hungry for a dinner meal. What is a bit annoying about downtown on a Sunday night is that is can be kinda dead. So, I yelped locations that were within walking distance from the Omni and found Thai Passion. The decor is really nice and fresh, and their food is delish. I tried their spring rolls, sipped their hibiscus mint tea, and had their green curry with chicken. It was so good that I ended up taking a big group of other people back over the next day! I tried out their shrimp eggrolls and had the shrimp Tom Kha. I love coconut milk and curry. So, sweet and spicy... I can't get enough of it. I was so inspired, I've bought the ingredients for Pad Thai and look forward to making it for me and the beau in a few days.



Upon a recommendation from a colleague, I decided to try out Counter Cafe. It has the welcoming smell of meat. I tried the Counter Burger which was made on a grill right behind the counter by two cooks. I like the fast pace behind the counter - almost like watching a bartender make your cocktail. I thought the medium well burger was quite good. It did lack any spicyness that I usually like in a burger though, but their sweet potato fries were awesome!




The taco truck phenomenom is alive and well in Austin. At 6th and Nueces, I went to One Taco for a delicious and welcoming barbacoa taco with cilantro, onions, and green salsa. It was convenient, warm, and oh so good.

That pretty much rounds up all my fave stops in the area. When you're in town, don't be afraid to try new things in the ATX.

99 Ranch Bakery

So, don't let the name fool you. 99 Ranch is not a jumbo dollar store. It is an Asian Grocery store off of the i-10 which helps save my gas so I don't have to drive all the way to Chinatown. I think one of my favorite things about this place is the bakery. You get a tray and your own tongs and you can browse through all the baked goodies. I like the onion rolls with bacon and the yellow custards. One savory treat and one sweet treat - awesome! I have also tried their chocolate bread and hot dog bread. So if you are looking for something delicious, tasty, and affordable, I recommend you taking a visit to the 99 Ranch Bakery.

November Foodie Projects

Whew! There has been a lot of cooking going on these past few weeks. It all started when I decided to make pumpkin cupcakes for our "All Things Pumpkin" contest. I placed 2nd in the workplace competition. Man, I was robbed. Then, there were a couple of potlucks for work and with friends. For work, I made this delicious acorn squash with nuts and berries in a butter and brown sugar sauce. It was divine! For friends, I made some king ranch chicken which is my favorite potluck dish to make.


On the night, we went to the symphony, I made a couple of steaks for me and the beau. They were quite, quite tasty. I just chopped up a little bit of basil and mixed some olive oil, salt and pepper to the leaves. I rubbed the steaks on them, and I put them in my handy, dandy crate and barrel grill pan. While that was cooking, I boiled some red potatoes, then placed them in the oven. Once soft, I grilled them in the tasty meat juice from the steaks. I also cooked some asparagus in a simple pan with olive oil in the oven. The meal was very tasty! And, I had a very happy beau.

What is it about cinnammon rolls that are so lovely and tasty? One morning, Jacob asked me if I needed anything from the store, and I shouted chinnammon rolls please! Awww! So divine. There's just nothing like the quick and simple Pilbury dough can of this stuff.

Finally, my last challenge was helping my father and brother with Thanksgiving dinner. Since my mother had to work all day, we were dad's support staff. My brother cooked potatoes au gratin, asparagus, and a pumpkin cheesecake. All while studying for his CPA exam! Isn't he awesome. I did a repeat of the acorn squash, mini empanadas, and made the famous pecan tarts for the meal. My mother also had me fry some eggrolls! I blame those for ruining my turkey dinner. Those eggrolls are too addictive. :)

Taste @ Thelma's

It was my day off, and I wanted to grab lunch with one of my favorite friends, Albert! At first I wanted to eat a good burger, then we scrambled to find a place that wasn't crowded. Then, we moved on to barbeque. Mmmm... moist, delicious brisket... how joyous!

Albert knew just the place to take me. We drove to Thelma's at 3755 Southmore. So, the building didn't look like much, the ambience isn't hip or happening, but what they lack in both of those areas, they make up in their food. I ordered the brisket with two sides (potato salad and green beans). I had so much beef that I had plenty of leftovers. The meat is moist and you can tell it has been smoked slowly and with lots of love. The sweetness of the sauce pairs well with their sweet iced tea (which has a bit of lemonade in the mix). My friend Albert tried their chicken and brisket with dirty rice. He said that he regretted the chicken choice and will be ordering the ribs and brisket next time. If you want to take some out of town guests to a good bbq place, Thelma's is it.

Indian Delight

So, last weekend, Jacob invited me to have dinner at colleague's house with him. It was a little unexpected and I wasn't sure what I was signing myself up for as we took the drive down there.

We were welcomed by Mr. Gosh, an older Indian man, who was wearing traditional Indian clothes. We sat and talked to him, and he was eager to have a conversation with Jacob about teaching and his life in India. After a while, a man with a shitar came and Mr. Gosh busted out his drums! And, we were treated to an incredible live jam session! It was very relaxing listening to their music (it almost made me fall asleep!). They played music for us for two straight hours! It was incredible.

Afterwards, Mr. Gosh's family invited us in the kitchen to sample some delicious Indian fare - curried goat, curried fish, curried lentils, rice. It was all tasty! What I love about foreign families is that they are always so hospitable, friendly, and welcoming. They are also so willing to get the best foods, plates, and drinks out for you. I think that's the greatest elements of eating. How it brings people together to talk and to share.

Taste @ Washington Grill

So, my beau loves watching football and we decided to invite friends to get together and watch the Texans vs. the Colts last night. As we thought about all the places we could enjoy watching the game, the beau suggested Washington Grill. We went previously and enjoyed the back patio and Thursday Trivia Night. With a huge screen to watch games and delicious foods, we new the patio would be the perfect spot.

Our friends met up with us and were pretty impressed with the set up. They never saw such a huge backyard patio, and they did enjoy the huge projector screen for Monday night football watching. Unfortunately, it was an off night because they had one bartender and one cook. So, it was almost the end of the 2nd quarter by the time we got our food. Luckily, the bucket of Shiner tided our group over. But, for a hot dog, fries, and shrimp appetizer, I considered that way too long.

Fortunately for them, the spices on the fries and tastiness of the shrimp made up for the long wait. And since our previous visit had good service and good gastropub food, we will let it slide. Eventually, a waitress did come around and help us that evening. I just attribute it to being an off day at an establishment that is still trying to find their groove.

But, if you are looking for a fun place to enjoy high quality pub food with a nice patio area, I think this is your spot. So, the staff has some kinks to work out and their interior could use some sprucing up (my friend compared the inside of the building to a sparse country dance hall), but I'm willing to come back and see what new improvements they'll have.

Cooking with Kale!

One of my purchases from the Canino's Farmers Market was kale. I really wasn't too sure what to do with my kale at first. So, I did a little research. Because of the toughness of the kale, it was recommended that you massage it. And, it's pretty easy - all you do is rinse the leaves, dry them, and put a little sea salt over it. Rub it in a little and let it sit while you prep the rest of your veggies. Voila- now, you have nice tasty kale leaves.

My dinner group was in a pinch and needed some help. So, I decided to share the wealth of kale and make my massaged salad. After rubbing in the leaves, I added chopped sweet tomatoes, fresh mozarella, marinated artichokes, guacamole, and chick peas. I added a little bit of pepper, olive oil and basalmic vinager. I let the salad rest for a couple of hours, and had a tasty salad that the group was pleased with eating.

I was gonna have a repeat of the same recipes since I still had more kale leaves for Jacob, but unfortunately, the kale ended up getting frozen in the fridge. So, I had to re-group and modify my recipe. I ended up creating a kale saute. I mixed in sweet tomatoes, ground turkey breast, and hard boiled eggs with a chili sauce and soy sauce melange. It turned out not bad. (Not good, but still edible and interesting.)

So, for a little over a dollar, I was able to create some pretty healthy dishes with some kale. I've heard that baked kale chips are surprisingly good. I think this will be my next kale experiment.

taste @ Cedar Creek

Last week, I was looking for a place to relax, hang out, and catch up with friends. I hadn't been to Cedar Creek in a while, and I knew it was going to be the right spot to do all three things. I jumped on one of their comfy antique couches (the kind of seating you would find in a wood-paneled basement with a deer trophy), and I waited for my fries and sipped on my pink lemonade.

The best thing about this "Creek" location is the beautiful scenery. This one has an actual real creak, AND it is the closest one to my house. It is conveniently located along the White Oak Bayou bicycle trail. Making it a popular destination for my bike rides. (Mental note: I need to repair my flat. So, I can come back via bike.)

On Monday nights, they have these delicious wings for $.50 and a burger with beer special for $10. The atmosphere is laid-back and the bartenders are pretty friendly. The seating outdoors reminds me of an afternoon relaxing in Austin after a fun swim in Barton Creek. You really don't feel like you are in Houston.

So, the next time you need a place to chillax' I would strongly consider Cedar Creek.

Shop @ Canino's Farmers Market

On my day off yesterday, I decided to take the short drive over to Airline Drive and check out the vegetables and other goodies available at Canino's. It is a large open-air market where you can pick up seasonal fruits and vegetables. Since I was trying to detox from my eating/drinking fest in the country, I decided I was going to get some ingredients for some chili with veggies and lean meat and other healthy items. I picked up some fresh kale, eggs, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, red potatoes, and green beans. I also grabbed some peanut brittle to share with my office mates.



The display for the pumpkins were too adorable. So, I picked up a couple of small pumpkins for Jacob and myself. We will be carving these little cuties after our post-spin class dinner. Lately, my friends in years past have been really excited about carving pumpkins and we've jumped on the bandwagon, too. And, nothing like Martha to give some inspiration! The mini jack-o-lantern faces look adorable. I was told to spray the insides with bleach in order to prevent rotting. It will be interesting to see if that works.



Since I served as a volunteer chili judge over the weekend, I got really motivated to pull together my own style of chili last night. I sliced up two garlic cloves, one small yellow onion, one green bell pepper, some cilantro, fresh cherry tomatoes, and two stalks of celery. I cooked them in a pot with olive oil and some spices (montreal steak, Tony Chachere, parsley, salt and pepper). I created the same spice treatment with some lean beef chunks and ground chicken breast and cooked the meat in a separate pot. Once the veggies got watery, I added a cup of red beans and slowly added my spiced meat. I slowly let it simmer for about an hour added more spices (chipotle and cinnamon). I let the chili sit overnight in the fridge and packed some for my lunch today. Yum-o! I enjoyed the chili with a sprinkling of parmasean cheese and a side of cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Very, very delish!

If you are in the northern Heights area, I challenge you to stop by Canino's and make your own special fall dish soon. Here's to good eatin'!

taste: Breakfast and Cooking Class with Chef Monica Pope

It's one thing to be able to enjoy watching Top Chef or the Food Network from the comforts of your own home, but it's a whole other experience to be able to eat breakfast with a celebrity chef. Over the summer, my friend Yushan invited me to meet with Monica Pope for breakfast, a tour of her restaurant T'afia and Farmer's Market, and snag front row seats at her complimentary cooking class.

On this very hot summer day, we gathered early at T'afia and enjoyed a delicious breakfast featuring locally grown foods. I had a savory breakfast enchilada with a piping hot cup of coffee. Monica shared with us her thoughts on good slow cooked food. She recalls her Czech grandmother teaching her how to cook and how she went to London to improve her culinary skills. She returned to the states, and started her career as a chef. She talked about the challenges of serving up new and different kinds of foods here in Houston especially to a town that was used to large servings of the standard meat and potatoes. She also spoke about the importance of slow food and eating locally. She challenged us to eat one meal a week with just food that was sold near our city.

We were also able to take in a tour of T'afia and the Midtown Farmer's Market. The best foods I sampled were the Texas Cheeses from the Houston Dairymaids, the chocolates from Brown Paper, and the ready-made paneer from Nisha's Quick and Ez Indian food. Monica told us how the concept grew from just a simple table at the farmer's market at Onion Creek to the Midtown Farmer's Market just outside of T'afia. I would advise you to bring plenty of cash because good food doesn't come cheap. Fortuantely for us, Monica gave each of us a bag of treats from each of the farmer's market booths. It was pretty awesome!

Afterwards, we went upstairs to the cooking class where she make crab claws and a pave. Watching Monica cook, teach, and entertain was very educational and fun. The visit was very inspiring and a good reminder that good food takes time. It makes me sad when I see people eating frozen entrees. What have we resorted to? I hope that I can incorporate more newness and adventure in the foods that I cook and taste.

Cheers for Healthy Bites!

Tough decisions! Jacob and I were getting ready to go to Boot Camp yesterday morning, and he asked me what our lunch plans were. I mentioned the Brunch and Bowling at Lucky Strike with friends. For $15, you get bottomless mimosas, game and shoes, and one entrée. Yay! But, the wise boyfriend told me that we would be totally negating our workout. Boo! So as I was grunting, sweating, and suffering through my burpees, the thought of fried chicken and french toast just didn't sound so appetizing.

I kept thinking about the prospect of a tasty Morningstar black bean burger with some baked sweet potato fries. Have you ever tried those black bean burgers? Damn! They are so good. They taste nothing like hamburgers, but they are spicy and dee-licious. You can have the patties and the fries baking in the oven while you take care of other business. Jacob steamed some cauliflower, and I sautéed them with canola oil and sprinkled a little bit of sea salt and parmasean cheese. The lunch meal ended up being quite lovely.

After our meal, I did end up meeting my friends. And, it was definitely more guilt-free. I had a couple mimosas and bowled a couple of games. Balancing out the little demons is a good thing. And it was much much more enjoyable.

Another Successful Date Night In

Cooking is such a fun past time. Jacob and I had such a good time last week that we decided to do another date night in. We met at our usual spin class. This time we had an interesting substitute teacher who wanted us to sing along and handed out a prize to the first person who waved a towel and growled. (yeah... I won the prize!) Since my calves have been burning from my new athletic conditioning class, I didn't push myself as much as I typically would. Nevertheless, I enjoy the workout because it helps calm my stress and puts me in a good mood.

This week I decided to experiment with a recipe from Jamie Oliver. I have been trying out a few things from his book, Jamie's Ministry of Food. I made pasta with homemade pesto, sliced up fingerling potatoes, broccoli, and parmesan cheese. While my pasta was boiling, I decided to slice up all my veggies. Using a food processer was very helpful in this process. I would make sure you slice up the fingerling potatoes thinly. Right before the pasta is cooked, you add the thinly sliced potatoes, broccoli florets and thinly sliced stalks. You drain everything leaving a little bit of water in the pot. Dump the pasta and veggies back in the pot and mix in your parmesan cheese and pesto sauce. We added a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. I would probably try and experiment with crumbled bacon on the top. The stuff was so good. We had to get seconds.

I had some leftovers for lunch today, and it gave the pesto more time to soak in. Quite tasty!

good things happen when... curry is involved

Through this blog, I hope to share some culinary moments and adventures. As you can see from the previous posts, they could be delightful experiences in restaurants. But for today, I will share a beautiful home-cooked moment. Over the summer, I have re-discovered a love for cooking. I love how cooking slows your mind down and helps you engage in being present: the visual colors, the exotic tastes, the energy that comes forth from putting something together in a pot.

As a sweet gesture, I thought I'd make my boyfriend a home-cooked meal that would be simple and tasty. I went to the local grocer and picked up some shrimp (1.5 lbs), green beans, potatoes, carrots, fresh basil and this amazing ten minute simmer sauce. After an intense sweat session spin class, we scampered home, and I halved the jumbo shrimp, thinly sliced the carrots and potatoes, and snapped the ends off the green beans. And, I cooked the shrimp in the curry sauce while adding some honey (to balance off the curry flavor) and black pepper.

Once it was about halfway cooked, I added the veggies in order of thickness. No soggy veggies here! Put the potatoes first, then the carrots and the green beans last. And let it come to a boil and then simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes. The prep and cooking actually took about 30 minutes. (Yeah, so much for ten minute simmer! It's those darn veggies that always take the most time. )

While this dish simmered, I cooked a pot of jasmine rice. This is a good partner with the curry because it creates a nice "bed" for your veggies and shrimp to soak up all the sauce. Stir your rice and check on it because rice loves to stick to the bottom of the pot. You'll have to check on the tenderness of the veggies. Once you know that the potatoes and carrots are at a soft consistency, you can slice up some basil and throw it on top of the dish.

Plate your food, and you are good to go. The beau loved the sauce so much he came back for seconds! :) It's a very easy dish and you can substitute veggies and meats to play around with very different combos. Exotic, healthy, and colorful - yummmmm.

(Photo is courtesy of flickr!)

Easy Like Sunday Morning @ Guadalupana

I like coming to this cozy little place. La Guadalupana has a lot going for it. It's a place you can practice your Spanish. I think this place has the best tasting and affordable cinnamon coffee. And, their pastries and breakfast plates are delicious. The owner loves coming around and talking to people, and there is a nice welcoming vibe to the place.

Last Sunday, my beau and I took his brother and sister-in-law here for breakfast. A lot of us didn't know how to decide between getting a sweet pastry or getting a savory torta or taco. So, each of us picked both. If you are looking for something filling, I recommend their three-star Breakfast Torta. It is filled with eggs, beans, chorizo, and cheese. But, I think what makes the sandwich is the soft bread. I think it makes sense since they make good pastries, their bread should also be tasty, too. The two favorites as far as pastries go are the almond croissants and the churros. The almond croissants are filled with a delicious almond paste and the churros have a cinnamon filling inside of them as well.

If you are looking for something cozy and intimate while practicing some of your Spanish, you should make plans to have breakfast at Guadalupana soon.

Taste @ The French Riviera Bakery

My French teacher would often speak soulement en francais. So, it would be a fun puzzle game to figure out what exactly she was saying to our class. One time she was recounting the buttery tasty goodness of the bread at the French Riviera Bakery. When it comes to food, I am able to learn very quickly the specific names of various, foreign cuisines. She insisted that it was the only place in town that was able to duplicate the bread from back home. She was quite shocked to hear that the owners were actually from Madagascar.


I've been a handful of times this summer, and I enjoy the warmth from the staff and the brightly cheerful painted walls. They have delicious cappuccinos with fluffy and frothy cream floating in the demitasses, and a tasty ham and cheese croissant. The whole eating experience is friendly and laid back. I like the efficiency of the staff, and I enjoy staring at all the posters from France. It kind of reminds me of those old school pictures that my French teacher would adorn his classroom with.


If you need a jolt of caffeine and want to enjoy a lovely croissant, this is your place. Come as early as you can, and make sure to bring a good book or the paper.

Bon appetit!