Mini Pickles

I love pickles. Sometimes I have cravings for pickles (I am not nor have ever been pregnant). I order burgers with only mustard and pickles. I sometimes snack on a bowl of dill pickle chips doused in mustard. So why is it that before today I never knew these itty bitty pickles existed? I buy the small jar of sour pickles at the grocery store - but even those are like 3-4 times as big as these.



Those are olives next to them! Sometimes I hate being uncultured. I bet fancy people grew up knowing all about these mini pickles, also known as cornichons.

Happy New Year from The Comida Blog

I know this is late, and posting has been light, but The Comida Blog wants to wish everyone a Happy New Year.  We are unsure if anyone besides the actual bloggers even read the site, but if anyone else is reading we thank you.  We all have full-time jobs that we probably hate (I know I do), so we don't have as many posts as we would like.  If anyone else is reading let us know in the comments.

For now here is a picture of something from HEB I did not buy.

I Heart Starbuck(s)

As nerdy as I am when it comes to TV, you'd think I'd have been addicted to the updated Battlestar Galactica when it came on the then SciFi channel (now SyFy in case people couldn't handle 5 letters). But I didn't. So at the end of 2010 I finally started and finished it. What can I say? It was really enjoyable, I poured through the 4.5 seasons and cried when appropriate, laughed when Apollo had a random hooker girlfriend and was sad that Helo had a shirt on so much. It won't replace Lost or Arrested Development at the top of my TV list, but I would watch it again and recommend it to my fellow tv nerds.

So, back to the comida part of Comidablog. I am addicted to coffee (yes this seems disjointed but I'm getting there). Everyday I drive past Starbucks to work and get a grande nonfat latte. With my budget, this is not a good idea. With my waistline, again, not a good idea. When I drink the first sip of my morning latte I seriously smile and say out loud (in my office), "Ahhhh, coffee." It is my favorite.

This goes back to Battlestar Galactica because somewhere between the first and second episodes of BSG I developed a huge girl-crush on Kara Thrace, callsign, Starbuck.

Only one is the harbinger of death....and *spoiler alert* it isn't Kara.

Sip and Savor

Hey Austinites,

There's a new event coming up beginning next week: Sip & Savor. It's kinda like restaurant week but some places have drinks. I'm always up for a good deal so I thought I'd share.

I'm excited cause El Arbol is participating and I've been wanting to try it - mostly cause there's a tree in the middle of the restaurant (but I hear the food is good too).

And since this post didn't have any exciting pictures, here's one for your enjoyment:

Isn't he adorable?

XOXO,

TRE

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

A friend of mine thougthfully purchased a Bacon Love 365day calendar for me for Christmas. So many mouth watering facts and quotes, but one page imparticular led me to an alarm clock on bacontoday.com which led me to this.... Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. The recipe seems easy enough especially cause you can use store bought ingredients. Definitely going to try these but I had to share....I love sweet and savory and I LOVE bacon. mmmmm.....bacon

Alan Wong's - A Taste of Hawaii

I had the pleasure of enjoying a seven course tasting at Alan Wong's Restaurant on my vacation....I promise I will mention the more off the beaten path places but I thought this a good place to start. Wong is one of if not the best chef of Hawaii's regional cuisine. He opts to use regional ingredients and merge them together with a modern take. Restaurant service was amazing and the place was small with a clear view into the kitchen which was interesting for a fine dining restaurant but very fitting to create a cozy ambiance. I chose the seven course tasting menu....to start I had Ahi tartare with coconut ceviche. The ahi and the citrus in the sauce made it absolutely delightful. The small dab of coconut cream and caviar on top took it to another level. Second course was a soup and sandwich....chilled vine ripened tomato soup with grilled mozzarella cheese and a foie gras and kalua pig sandwich. The soup and mozzarella were a perfect combination. I couldn't quite taste the foie gras in the sandwich but the pork was tender with a hint of sweetness. In the picture is what came on my friends plate which was seared ahi inside some fried strings and avocado. For my third course, I had seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Ling Ming Hui Chutney. The foie was cooked absolutely perfect and the chutney added a slight sweetness to the dish. There was shrimp and pork mixed in as a delightful twist. I almost didnt want this one to end but there was still more to come. The fourth course was steamed Opakapaka(Hawaiian red snapper) The fish melted in my mouth but here the sauce was an absolute star. Tasted more of an asian influence in this dish as the sauce was spicy like a curry with hints of coconut. Left my mouth stinging but was very very tasty. Next up was the way I want the rest of my life to be......butter poached. Butter poached Kona Lobster with spicy corn and lobster broth spiked with Okolehao(Hawaiian spirit from Ti plant). I've had lobster several places before but never this tender the fork merely touched and it fell apart. Lots of citrus and coconut in the broth ....refreshing and savory all at the same time. Finally the main course Okinauwan sweet potato flan, fried mozzarella, Maui Cattle beef rib eye with bone marrow butter, and beef burger. I started with the flan that had a very slight crisp top and perfectly soft texture. Sweeter than the sweet potatoes I'm used to but still savory. The fried cheese had a surprise in it mixed with what to me tasted like potato and butter. It was the only thing that was just okay on the plate. The ribeye was so tender and juicy. It was one of those steaks that you bite into and your salivary glands explode. I was content after I had that. The burger was good too but couldnt hold its own after tasting the steak. For dessert I had Strawberries Romanoff, Hawaii Island Goat Dairy Panna Cotta, Kula Strawberry-Hibiscus Soup, Goat Cheese Sorbet, Hawaiian Vanilla Sabayon. The sorbet with the strawberries were a perfect pair. My friend's dessert was much more playful and fun it was called "The Coconut"- Haupia(Hawaiian for coconut) Sorbet in a Chocolate Shell, Tropical Fruits and Lilikoi Sauce. Lilikoi(passion fruit) appears in lots of places around town. At the swap meet I bought fresh pineapple topped with the pulp or powder of it. Overall Alan Wong's Restaurant provided a wide range of what the island had to offer in a more refined setting. Just made me more more excited for what I might find elsewhere on the island. I remembered Wong appeared in the finale of Top Chef season 2 and after reading about him decided that would be a must on my trip. Well worth it. Mahalo Mr. Wong.

American Pancake

I recently visited Las Vegas and had brunch at the Wynn hotel. I think I tasted everything but one thing stood out more than anything else: the American Pancake.

It was a mini sweet (but not too sweet) pancake topped with a slice of cheddar cheese, hickory smoked bacon and peach chutney. If anyone knows how to make this (the pancake part) please let me know. It has been one day since I had it and I've already managed to dream about it three times.

Texas Monthly's Top 50 Mexican Restaurants

Texas Monthly posted its top 50 Mexican Restaurants list recently: http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/eatmywords/?p=1573

As you can tell by the comments, Mexican food in Texas is a hotly debated topic. What's better: Yellow cheese? Cotija? Who has homemade flour or corn torillas? Should tex-mex be included on a list of Mexican restaurants? So many questions! I do know I'm jealous of the people who got to taste test and had the hard work of narrowing down the list to 50.

I haven't eaten at all of these places. I can vouch for Curra's in Austin - my favorite mexican breakfast spot - but I can't for Fonda San Miguel as a I got a mad case of food poisoning from there. However, my biggest complaint: Where the heck is La Mexicana from Pharr, Texas??

BEST FAJITAS EVER

It's a travesty that La Mexicana is not included.

Gypsy Picnic Letdown

I was beyond excited when it was announced that this year Auditorium Shores would host the very first Gypsy Picnic. 30 of Austin's favorite food trailers would be in the same location offering sample sized options for $3 a pop (and some regular menu items at regular cost), live music would be provided and beer would be for sale – so basically this was a perfect Austin event. Until you got there. First off parking was a mess - the Settlement Garage Sale was going on as was an event called Barkitecture. When you finally got to the Gyspy Picnic the lines for each trailer were ridiculously long. We stayed for about 10 minutes before deciding it would be in my stomach's best interest to just go eat elsewhere which was probably for the best as I heard some trailers ran out of food. That was everyone else’s idea too as the waits at all the nearby restaurants were long as well (the poor guy at A Touch of Fire thai food trailer truck down Barton Spring was so overwhelmed I think he needed a hug - I didn't give him one but I will be back to try those thai tacos). I guess the event was overmarketed and the planners had zero idea the crowd it would attract. I was really looking forward to trying the brisket and cheesy mashed potato sandwich from 86 This, a bacon ice cream on a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich from Coolhaus, and a bahn mi taco from The Peached Tortilla but I guess I’ll have to do that at another time. I didn’t get around to taking any pictures but this sums up how I felt:

Reale's - Austin, TX - August 28, 2010

Unfortunately for Italian food in Austin, the dreadful Romeo's and the terminally disappointing Mandola's get a lot of ink.  After that all that is left are chains (Maggiano's has been reviewed on this site).  A restaurant that doesn't get as much hype as it should is Reale's, which is absolutely the best red-sauce Italian restaurant in Austin.  It is go-to comfort food for my wife and me.  When I first moved to Austin I couldn't find decent Italian food similar to the great red sauce Italian restaurants found in San Antonio 20 years ago (Caparelli's comes to mind).  Then I went to Reale's and my search was over.

The first time I had manicotti I was a child on a family vacation and the manicotti was made by my cousin.  I was hooked.  What could be better than enchiladas?  How about Italian enchiladas?  That's how I viewed them as a kid and how I continue to describe them today.

Our meals at Reale's start with an appetizer, bruchetta - basil, olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, and tomatoes on top of toasted French Bread.  It's wonderful, full of garlic and basil flavors that meld with the mozzarella.  I've managed to copy the Reale's version (an upcoming post) and am very pleased with the results.

Entrees are followed by a salad with the house dressing.  The dressing has a nice vinegary bite that, paired with the bread sticks, could be a meal all themselves.

The manicotti is one of my top ten meals.  Thin and light manicotti tubes are filled with a tasty Béchamel that isn't overly creamy and is seasoned well.  Reale's marinara sauce is full of garlic and wine flavor (I still haven't been able to duplicate the sauce), and it is perfect on top of the manicotti.  The flavor is complimentary to the filling and is also great on it's own.  I always finish up the sauce on my plate with a bread stick.

The Reale's waitstaff is always on the ball and they help make the dining experience even better.  We've been eating there for seven years and most of the servers I have seen there for all seven.  The restaurant is family owned and they do make patrons feel welcome.  Highly recommended.