TartQueen's Kitchen

Finally. The last installment.  It’s admittedly a little later than I intended; but we’re now reaching the finish.

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Day 4 – Saturday

Steve & I woke up with – surprisingly – no hangovers.  Must have been the rich food.

 

We soon met my parents to take a look at the Alpine Farmers Market.  It’s a rather small market.  Not much in the way of fresh produce, but there were plenty of homemade goods like preserves, goat cheese, gluten-free baked goods, and pickles.

We spent about an hour at the market and then took a walk through town.  On the other side of the tracks, so to speak.

When we went back across the tracks, Mom and I took a detour into a jewelry store that I frequent every time I go to Alpine, La Azteca Jewelry.  The couple that own the store design their own jewelry into one-of-a-kind pieces.  Beautiful stuff.  And very reasonably priced.  Mom fell in love with the store and bought herself a new ring. I bought two.

After this, we went our separate ways for a few hours.  Steve and I headed to the Big Bend Brewing Company (http://bigbendbrewing.com) for their big barbecue and music party.

I offered to work the gate for Stewart.  Steve, Mom, and Dad went on in to enjoy the food, beer, and music by the Doodlin’ Hogwallops (http://www.piggigger.com).  Steve was kind enough to bring me a plate of barbecue, boudin, and potato salad.  The lady who helped me at the gate, Mary, was a volunteer for one of my classes last year.  I was happy to see her again.  She lives in Dripping Springs and has family near Fort Davis.  So, she comes out often.  She sure seems to know a lot of people.

It was, from what I observed, the biggest event of the festival.  I felt great for not just the brewery, but Stewart, too.  It, to me anyway, was a very positive sign that  the festival is becoming successful and can be even bigger next year.

By about 3pm, traffic into the brewery was had slowed considerably (the event was to end at 4), so Stewart let me leave.  Mom, Dad, and Steve were off doing their own things – Dad went back to his hotel to rest; Mom and Steve to a Tito’s Vodka Infusion Class.  I took advantage of the alone time to go back to my hotel and take a quick nap.  Glorious.

Later that evening, we went to our last planned even of the festival – Dinner at the Cow Dog.  I’ve written about Cow Dog before in one of my previous Big Bend posts, but, just in case you haven’t read it, I’ll just say that those are quite honestly the best hot dogs I’ve ever had.  And, with Hogan and Moss (https://www.facebook.com/Jonhoganband) providing the music, it was a wonderful ending to a fun festival.

We left the party early to head out to the McDonald Observatory for the Star Party (http://mcdonaldobservatory.org).  Steve, Dad, and I had attended a Star Party before and the night was perfect – clear with no moon.  Unfortunately, the night we went with Mom (who’d never been to the observatory), it was overcast.  Once we arrived at the observatory, there was a bit of touch-and-go as to what they were going to do if the weather didn’t clear.  Apparently, they do have contingency plans for just these sorts of events.

When it was time for the Star Party to begin, we were informed that it was too overcast to go to the amphitheater  Instead, the employees directed us to the indoor theater to talk to us about what we would be seeing that night if it was clear.  Mom’s and my favorite part was when they displayed pictures from the Hubble Telescope on screen.  We later agreed that we could’ve sat there and just looked at more of those all night.

About 30 minutes later, it was announced that it was just clear enough to go outside and hopefully catch some of the night sky.  We all got to see Jupiter.  Mom, Dad, and Steve got to see the moon.  I opted for the telescope pointed at Mars.  However, by the time I got to that telescope, it had clouded over again.  Bummer.  We left not long afterwards.  Despite the disappointing night sky, we all had a good time.

Back to Alpine.  Then, to sleep.

 

Day 5 – Sunday

With the festival officially over, it was time to head back to Austin.  However, breakfast with my parents before they left for home was in order.

Somewhere in his travels around town, Dad saw a sign for Magoos.  A Tex-Mex restaurant that served Menudo.  Well, there was no way he was going to pass that up.

In case you don’t know what Menudo is, I’ll tell you.  It’s a rather hearty soup made with a base of chiles, broth, and beef tripe. Sometimes hominy is also added.  You garnish the soup with onion, dried oregano, and either lemon or lime.  It’s believed to be a traditional hangover cure in Mexico.  If the tripe is cleaned properly, the soup has a rather mild and slightly gamey flavor. If the tripe isn’t cleaned properly – yuk.

I did try some of Dad’s Menudo.  It was pretty good.  It didn’t taste dirty at all.  I don’t know if I would’ve eaten a whole bowl of it, though.

Mom, Steve, and I went a little more safe:  Huevos Rancheros.  They were excellent.

 

After breakfast and hugs good-bye, Mom & Dad headed back to north Texas while Steve & I headed back to our hotel to check out and head back to Austin.

As is our wont, we decided to take an alternate route back home as opposed to driving back on IH10.  We decided on US190 to US71.  It took us about 2 hours longer than the traditional route home, but we did get to drive through some towns that time forgot and see some new scenery.

While we were on US190, we passed through the towns of Girvin, McCamey Iraan, Sheffield, Ozona, El Dorado, Menard, Mason, and, finally, Llano.  Some of these towns were simply a crossroad while some were almost bustling metropolises.

While Steve was dozing in the passenger’s seat, I passed an old ruined fort.  I decided to turn around and check it out.  If, for no other reason than to stretch our legs.  It was Fort San Saba (Presidio de San Saba).

The original fort (presidio) was built in 1751 on the banks of the San Gabriel River.  In 1757, it was rebuilt on the banks of the San Saba River where the remains stand today.  Like many Spanish forts, it was a way to gain a foothold and hold onto conquered land, for protection, and to convert the native inhabitants to Catholicism.  The fort was abandoned after an attack by native tribes in 1772 and was basically left to the elements.  In 1936, the Texas Centennial Commission made attempts to restore the fort and, frankly, did a rather poor job of it.  Most of what they restored fell to ruin once again.  The Texas Historical Commission and the town of Menard both oversee the current restoration to see that it’s done carefully and properly.

One we hit US71, we decided to stop at our favorite barbecue joint, Cooper’s.  For me, it’s the best.  Anywhere.

Of course, we way over bought and overindulged.  Brisket, Sausage, Pork Chops, Steak, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Bacon-Jalapeno Mac & Cheese (a new item for them; in fact, I bought more for home), and Peach and Blackberry Cobblers.

What the hell, we figured.  We’ll just take it home.

Another hour driving.  And, finally, home.

Steve & I decided while it was lovely to be in our own house again and settling in with the cats, we already missed Big Bend.  It just has that kind of pull on us.

 

Just so you can get a little taste of the fun we had, here’s link to the official trailer of the Viva Big Bend Food Festival 2014 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRm-BIZThmc).  Yes, I’m in there.

 

Hope to see you all there in 2015!

 

 

 

A little late. But here it is…

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Friday was my busiest day and it dawned early for me. Too early.

I was up late into Thursday night starting prep for my cooking class and was exhausted by the time I fell into bed.  However, even after 16 years of teaching cooking classes, I never sleep well the night before because I tend to worry too much about everything that might go wrong.

So, long story short, I laid there in bed for another 2 hours trying in vain to go back to sleep.

Then, the alarm went off. It was time to get up and head to the Cowboy Breakfast at Fort Davis.

It was a chilly, overcast morning and perfect for a nice hearty chuck wagon breakfast.

The chef that morning was Glenn Moreland, a champion amongst chuck wagon cooks.  And, after eating his food, I can see why. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, Dutch-oven Biscuits, and cream gravy with sausage.

While we all agreed that while the eggs were very good, but nothing special, the biscuits and cream gravy were the best we’ve ever had.  And, after living in Texas for as long as Mom, Dad, Steve & I have, that’s saying something. It wasn’t greasy, flour-flavored wallpaper paste; it was a lovely, not-too-thick, flavor balanced amalgamation of sausage, flour, and milk.  There are many restauranteurs who should take cream gravy-making lessons from Mr. Moreland.

Then, there were the biscuits.  Fluffy as a new pillow.

And, of course, our scenery made everything go down easy.

After breakfast, Steve & I drove back to Alpine while my parents went with Mom’s friend Betty (we happened to run into at the breakfast) to her home and then took a trip into Marfa for lunch.

I had to get back to the hotel to prep for my class.

On Thursday night, I cut & marinated the meat for the kebabs and cooked the eggplant for the Baba Ghannouj; Friday, I did everything else.  My class was on Middle Eastern Mezze. The menu consisted of:

Hummous

Ful Mudammas

Baba Ghannouj

Fatoush

Shish Kebabs

I taught a very similar menu last year that proved popular, so Stewart & I decided that it would work again.  And, while the prep was easy (especially since I’ve done all these recipes dozens of times), it took me about 4 hours to get everything ready to take to the hotel. So, yeah. I was just a little stressed.

Because I didn’t have any hard-and-fast numbers, I had no idea how much food to make.  So, I went with a triple batch of each recipe.  I figured, if nothing else, I could leave the extra food for the kitchen staff at the hotel.  Actually, my biggest fear was no one except Steve and my parents showing up.

Well, my fears were unfounded. More than 3 people showed.  By Steve’s estimation, I had 25 – 30 for my class. And, I made just enough food.

It was a good group.  They listened, took recipes, asked thoughtful questions, and seemed to enjoy the food.  I admit I felt a strong sense of relief.

Overall, I think the class went well.  There was just enough food for the class with a little left over for the kitchen staff. Except for the kebabs. Those were gone.

I must give credit to William Paynter, the Century Grill General Manager, who was a great help. I couldn’t be more grateful to him and his staff.

At the end of class, after Stewart & I announced the gin-and-oyster party in the Holland Loft Courtyard, I cleaned up and cleared out as quickly as possible so I could get some oysters and put my feet up for a while.  I didn’t really care about the gin drinks. Although I did have a few sips of Mom’s and Steve’s drinks.

The party was actually just outside Steve’s & my room, so we and my parents were able to get our food and drinks and hide out inside.  If we wanted more, we could just walk two steps out the door and partake. Since I hadn’t eaten since the breakfast, I was grateful for the snack.

We chatted for a while, I got cleaned up, and then we headed to our next event: The Tito’s Vodka Cocktail Dinner at the Granada Theater.

The whole event was, in a word, incredible.  The food was catered by the Saddle Club by Chefs Stephen and Jonathan Wood.  The cocktails were mixed by David Allen, whose book “The Tipsy Texan” was an event at the festival in itself.

The dinner started out with a “passed app” of Slow Roasted Cabrito with Avocado Mousse, and salsa on flour tortilla cups.  The cabrito was perfectly cooked – a lovely shredded melt-in-your-mouth treat. The mousse was simple and the salsa added just the right amount of heat.

 

The cocktail was a mason jar full of the “Little Miss” made with Tito’s (as all the cocktails were), roasted pineapple juice, lime, cinnamon/clove syrup, and bitters.  I only had a small taste of the Little Miss.  Wow.  If you weren’t careful, these could be dangerous.  They tasted almost like a spicy lemonade. (Full disclosure: I’m allergic to cinnamon. So, I only had a small taste of this cocktail and the dessert.) Mom and Steve enjoyed it.  Dad sipped.

The first course was a Pork Belly Carnitas with Marinated Grilled Artichoke Bottom, Pickled Watermelon Radishes, and Bacon Creme.  (For those of you unfamiliar, carnitas is basically pork that’s been braised or roasted then pan fried.)

Wow.  All I can say is wow.  Artichokes aren’t my favorite vegetables, but I’d eat them every day if they could taste like this. The carnitas had just the right amount of flavor, richness, and textures.  And the creme; well, everything’s better with bacon.  The pickled radishes added just the right amount of contrast to the rest of the dish and cut right through the richness.

The paired cocktail was “Southern Days”.  It was made with vodka, watermelon, mint, and sugar.  A very refreshing summer-sipping-on-the-porch cocktail.

The main course was Jalapeno Rubbed Beef Tenderloin, Bacon & Pepper Jack Hominy Cassoulet, Chayote Squash, and Fire-Roasted Jalapeno Cream.

This was my favorite course, hands down.  The tenderloin was at least 4-5 ounces of Chateaubriand cut cooked to a well-rested medium rare.  While I don’t believe the tenderloin is the most flavorful cut of beef (or any animal for that matter), Chef Stephen found a way to make its grass-fed goodness shine.

I think I found a new way to make chayote squash – a vegetable I rarely use.  I should’ve asked him how he made it, but it seemed to me to be very simply pan seared.  It still had some crunch to it.

One of my favorite foods is hominy.  And by pairing it with bacon and cheese, it was moved to new hights of possibilities.

And the Bacon Creme? What do you think?

The paired cocktail was “Tito’s Martinez”.  Made with vodka, Carpano Antica (a sweet vermouth), Luxardo Maraschino (a cherry liqueur), and bitters, it acted as a digestif to help counteract the richness of the course.

Dad didn’t like it.  Mom & I split it.

Sadly, I didn’t get to try to much of dessert: Sopapilla Cheesecake.  It looked like a wonderful amalgamation of creaminess with a cinnamon brulee crust.  I did try a couple of bites of Dad’s portion and detected coconut as well.  However, no one else could confirm this.

The final cocktail more than made up for my lack of dessert experience: the “Iceberg”.  Made with vodka and frozen Cremes de Menthe and Cacao it tasted like melted chocolate chip mint ice cream.  I was only sorry they served it to us in shot glasses.

After the meal and some well-deserved applause for Chef Stephen and his crew, we made it back to our room in a relatively straight line.

After discussing meeting up at the Farmers Market the next morning and relaxing a bit, Mom & Dad went back to their hotel.

Steve & I were in bed by 10.  We’re old.

 

Day 4.  Soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday started a bit earlier than Wednesday.  Well, truth be told, much earlier.  Not only was it Park Day, but it was also moving day.

A little background.  When we arrived at the Holland on Wednesday, we found out that the room we were originally booked for (more specifically, a loft) wouldn’t be ready for us until Thursday.  So, we were put in a regular room for Wednesday night.  The hotel would move our things the next day; but, of course, we needed to be packed up.

Fine.  Although, I kinda felt bad for the person who had to move our stuff.  It was more than the usual suitcases.  We also had a cooler and bins full of food and accoutrements needed for my class at the Holland on Friday.

After cleaning up and packing, Steve & I went to grab a quick breakfast from the hotel spread.  It was the usual variety of pastries, cereal, and granola.  I will say, though, it was certainly a step above the average hotel breakfast fare.

 

After breakfast, we went to pick up my parents at their hotel for another sojourn to Big Bend National Park.  Steve & I have been there, oh, I think, 10 times now. Dad, a couple of times.  Mom had never been, so we decided now would be as a good a time as any to take her.  Plus, it always seems to be just a little different every time we go.

But first, a quick stop in Marathon.  Mom had to go to the post office.

Task completed, we headed down the road to the park. For those of you who haven’t been out here before, nothing is close together.  The three largest towns out here – Alpine, Marfa, Fort Davis – are all 30 minutes away from each other and the park itself is an hour from Marathon (or, as the locals call it, Marath’n).  If you factor in getting to the park headquarters (which is what the road signs measure), it’s almost 2 hours from Alpine.  But, the scenery makes the drive worth it.

If you leave early enough in the day, you will (hopefully) see the buzzards sitting on the fence posts with their wings spread warming themselves up.  They’re sinfully ugly and kinda gross birds, but they’re fun to observe.

If you want to take pictures of buzzards (or any carrion bird), you have to be careful.  If you startle them, their preferred method of defense is throwing up the contents of their stomach. And, since they eat already dead things, you can just imagine the smell.  Well, maybe you can’t.

On into the park.  We just hit the time between the wildflowers and the cactus blooms.  So, not much color foliage-wise, but still, as always, beautiful in its own desert way.

After the many stops requested by Dad & me so we could take photos, we finally made it to the park headquarters, Panther Junction.  So, we decided to eat lunch at the lodge in the park.  The Chisos Mountain Lodge.

Lunch was, in a word, dull. The food was edible but, like all places that cater to large, diverse crowds, boring.  The best part of the meal was the appetizer, Texas Toothpicks.  Basically, deep-fried onion and pickled jalapeño pieces.  They weren’t greasy and the dipping sauce – a kind of chili-mayonnaise thing – that wasn’t bad.

Mom went for a BLT. She says it’s the only sandwich she eats at restaurants because it’s not too messy.  She said it was good.

Dad went for a burger.  He said it was dry.  The pattie definitely looked like it had been cooked immediately from its frozen state.

Steve & I both opted for the fish tacos. Bland doesn’t even begin to describe the flavor. We liberally poured on the appetizer dipping sauce to help out. It did. Kinda. It also looked as if they tried to warm up the tortillas but waited too long to get them to the table, because by the time we got them, the tortillas were stiff and dry.

The rice and beans were good, though.

After lunch, we decided to take a short walk around the Basin.  We’ve made this walk before but never during the daylight hours.  So, it was nice to see the Window in its daytime glory.

We came in through the north entrance, as we always do, but decided to leave via the south entrance heading towards Terlingua. We wanted to stop at the General Store there and check out the ghost town.

Steve & I have been to Terlingua Ghost Town maybe 5 or 6 times at this point. Sadly, it becomes more and more dilapidated every time.  The ravages of time and humans have taken their toll.

We made a quick stop in the General Store for some t-shirts and Topo Chico. (For those of you who don’t know, Topo Chico is a Mexican carbonated mineral water.) Then, the 90-minute drive back to Alpine.

We dropped my parents off at their hotel and went back to ours to get the keys to our new room and clean up for the Viva Big Bend Food Festival opening night party.

Stewart had reserved a loft for Steve & me.  I needed it so I could prep for my class the next day without getting in the way of the kitchen staff at the hotel restaurant.  When we finally walked in, we were thrilled.  A nice large living area with a serviceable kitchenette and a huge bedroom area with a whirlpool tub and large bathroom.

Jackpot.

We cleaned up and headed towards the party at the Railroad Blues, a great music venue in Alpine.  The local telecom company was giving away free fajitas and coozies with magnets. Very handy.

The fajitas were very good. Most of the time, the skirt steak is so undercooked, the meat is chewy.  This time the meat was cooked through and was very tender. (Although, admittedly, I don’t know what cut of meat this was.) Plus, they didn’t overdress the fajitas.  Just grilled onions, peppers, and some excellent salsa. Steve got us both seconds. After my parents arrived, he went with Dad to get food and got himself a third one.

After conversing with my parents and Stewart, Steve & I went back to the hotel to begin prep for my class.  Mission accomplished, I went to bed.

 

Day 3… Coming up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes. Husband Steve & I are out in the gloriousness that is Far West Texas. Again. Honestly, it’s one of those places where I look for any excuse to go.  Like New York.

I was invited back to teach and help out at the 2nd Annual Viva Big Bend Food Festival (http://www.vivabigbend.com/food_events.html) by its founder, Stewart Ramser.  I gladly said yes.  Stewart’s a great guy and I certainly hope I can play at least some small part in helping this festival succeed.

But first, Steve & I, along with my parents who met us out here, had a day and a half to entertain ourselves.

On our way out from Austin, Steve & I, as is our wont, stopped in Fredericksburg for some leg stretching, lunch, and gas for the car. (As an aside, since we are now down to one household car, we decided to rent one for this trip. It’s a behemoth that I’m terrified to drive.)

We stopped for lunch at a little bakery/deli on Main Street called Java Ranch.  Steve had a club sandwich while I had a BLT.  Simple sandwiches that you have to work really hard at to screw up.  The sandwiches were good, if serviceable. Nothing of note, really.

After eating, grabbing a cookie for me, an iced latte for Steve, and filling up the car, we were on our way once again.

Steve & I finally made it to Alpine about 6:30.  We checked into our room at the beautiful Holland Hotel (http://thehollandhoteltexas.com), cleaned up, changed, and headed to pick up my parents at their hotel.  We were off to Marfa to dine at one of our favorite restaurants, Cochineal (http://cochinealmarfa.com).

Steve & I chose to take my parents to Cochineal because we both knew they, and especially my mom, would enjoy it.  Their food is exquisite (not a word I use lightly in reference to food), their wine list is excellent, and their cocktails are outstanding.  And the space? A quiet minimalism.

We started off with cocktails. Well, all of us except Dad.  He opted for Diet Coke.

Next came the bread.  It tasted like a sourdough with a very dark hearty crust and a soft crumb.  It was served with a soft butter sprinkled with black sea salt. Lovely.

Next came the appetizers; or, as listed on the menu, small plates.  When they came to the table, my family being my family, we finished them all in less than 10 minutes.  By no means a record.

After this repast, it was on to the main entrees. Everyone was very happy with their choices.

Dessert was a bit limited.  The one item Mom wanted, the Ginger Pot du Creme, was apparently an aspirational dessert and, according to our server, wasn’t good enough to actually serve to customers.  The other dessert, Creme Brûlée, was sold out.  So, that left Carrot Cake and Chocolate Souffle with a Molten Center.  You can guess which one we went with.

Overall, our meal was wonderful.  This was the second time Steve & I had been to Cochineal and both times have been a delight.  It’s definitely a destination restaurant; no doubt about that.  Even if you lived in the area, this would be a special occasion place.

Mom pointed out that not only was it an excellent meal, but the portions were reasonable.  She said (and I agree with this) that she would rather pay more for a good meal she can actually finish than pay less for a meal where she either stuffed herself or couldn’t finish.

After a walk around a closed and rolled-up-for-the-night-Marfa, we drove back to Alpine, dropped my parents off at their hotel, went back to ours and promptly fell asleep.

Because we knew Thursday was park day.

 

Next up… Day 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Admittedly, this is coming a little later than I had planned.  With life getting in the way over the last few weeks, I haven’t had the opportunity to write a post.

Finally, the time as finally made an appearance.

The inaugural Viva Big Bend Food Festival was, as a reminder, held the first weekend of this month, April 4 – 6.  Monica Pope (http://chefmonicapope.keepercollection.com) was the “celebrity” chef in residence, having brought a trainload of folks from Houston as part of a “Foodie Train”.  I only caught a passing glance of her once.  However, I understand her classes were spectacular.

Of course, I would expect no less.

For my part, I got the opportunity to meet Tiffany Harelik (http://trailerfooddiaries.blogspot.com) when I checked in as well as her partner in all things delicious, Maurine Winkley (http://www.trailerfoods.com/about-us/maurine-winkley/).  They are absolutely lovely and I sincerely hope that I get to know them both better as time goes by.  They gave me so much advice, help, and guidance that I can’t thank them enough for.

Also, I must send a huge shout-out and thank you to the mastermind behind all this, Stuart Ramser (http://vivabigbend.com).  He invited me, answered all of my persistent questions, and gave me plenty of encouragement.

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Day 1:  Thursday

Leaving Austin on time for once, Husband Steve & I enjoyed our share of Austin morning rush hour.

We started breathing a little easier once we got a little west of Ozona.

We arrived in Alpine in the early afternoon.  We stayed at Alpine’s historic Holland Hotel.  It was originally opened in 1928.  They’re in their latest incarnation, and the hotel and Alpine seem to have benefitted. Very nice.

After checking in, unpacking and resting a bit, we headed down to dinner.  The Century Grill, as is my understanding, has only been open for a few months, but they’re already well on their way to doing great things there.

My sister-in-law Kim had traveled down from Odessa to hang out with us for most of the weekend, so she joined us for dinner.  We started out with cocktails:

Kim had a Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail. Literally champagne (or, more likely, sparkling wine) with hibiscus petals.  Very pretty, but Kim said she didn’t taste any hibiscus until the very end.  Plus, she had little bits of dried petals floating in her drink. She wasn’t too crazy about that.

Husband Steve ordered a Sparkling Margarita.  I liked it better than my drink. So, we ended up switching.

Actually, when these two drinks were brought to our table, we thought the Pomona and Margarita were put in front of the wrong person.  If you look at the way the drinks are presented, you can see why.

Appetizers:  Fried Green Tomatoes.  Why the hell not.

These were excellent, by the way.  Crispy and not at all greasy.

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical, but hopeful, when it came to the entrees.  However, I was pleasantly surprised.  It really showed me how serious the kitchen is in enticing the fine dining customer to the hotel.  In fact, I had several local merchants tell me that the Century Grill has been great for the town.

Steve’s entrée was Seared Tuna.  He said it was very good.  While it looked a little overdone to me, he enjoyed it.

Kim went all Texas traditional on us with her choice of Chicken Fried Steak.  While I’m not really one to mess with the traditional, the pecan crust and the corn in the cream gravy worked well.  She ate the whole thing while saying the whole time, “I don”t know if I can finish this”.

I opted for the special that night. Crab Ravioli with Arugula Cream Sauce.  I was very happy with my choice.  For the most part.  The pasta was fresh (I don’t know if it was made in-house, but it was fresh) and the filling was crab. Just crab.  The sauce was really more like melted butter with wilted arugula and a little cream; I was fine with that.  The only things I can say is I wish the pasta was a little thinner and there was a little less salt.

Now, on to dessert:

Steve had Cajeta Cheesecake. Basically, cheesecake served in a Mason jar topped with cajeta, cream, and a strawberry.  Interesting presentation, I thought.

Kim had Chocolate Torte.  It was lovely.  Dark, dense, and not too sweet.  Kim loves dark chocolate, so this was perfect for her.

I had Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Yummy.  Not too sweet.  Nice and warm when served.  Perfectly cooked.

I’m seeing Sticky Toffee Pudding everywhere now.  I only hope it doesn’t become the Panna Cotta of 2013.

 

After dinner, we waddled down to the Granada Theater for the opening night party.  When we got there, many of the restaurants from the surrounding towns had tables set up and were serving samples.

Oh, well.

The eclectic crowd was pretty sizable and seemed to be enjoying the music, booze, and food.

Music supplied by the great Dale Watson

It was a great party.  Had the opportunity to meet some new people and enjoy the evening.

Very long day. We turned in early.

 

Day 2: Friday

Breakfast was from a local bakery (whose name I didn’t note).  Husband picked up Pigs in a Blanket and a scone.

 

We started out the busy part of the day by heading to the grocery store in Alpine.  I brought many of the ingredients for my  classes with me from Austin, but I wanted to buy what perishables I could when I arrived.

We slowly started making our way towards Ft. Davis.  On the way out, we saw a few spots where the fires from last year left their mark.

Soon after, Steve, Kim & I made our way into Ft. Davis.  There were salsa and tortilla classes we wanted to attend as well as a fajita buffet lunch at Mountain Trails Lodge.

Our teacher was the head chef a the lodge, Patrick Camacho.

He gave us a quick demonstrations on flour tortilla and salsa making.  By the way, those were some of the best tortillas and salsa I’ve ever eaten.  Even better, he makes his Salsa Macho with chiles he’s grown himself.

Can’t get much fresher than that.

I must admit to not being the world’s biggest fan of fajitas.  Probably because I’ve had so many bad ones.  These were the best I’ve ever had. The meat was tender and full of flavor.  The ingredients were fresh.  All of us who took the classes (about a dozen or so) agreed that Patrick was one of the best chefs we’ve ever seen.

And, his fresh tortillas were the proverbial cherry on the cake.

Oh, yeah. There was dessert. My personal favorite cake, Tres Leches.

After a stroll around Ft. Davis to walk off lunch, I settled in at the Hotel Limpia to prepare for my first class.

(photo credit: members.virtualtourist.com/Basaic – I somehow lost my photos of the hotel)

I taught my class in the courtyard area.  It was a beautiful, if windy, day.

I need to thank the owners of the Limpia, David & Anna Shriver, for all their help and allowing me the use of their kitchen during the evening prep for their restaurant.

I also want to thank the morning chef, Caroline, the evening chef, Isaac, and my volunteers Sue, Abby, & Mary for all their help as well.  I’m so happy I had those ladies help out. I don’t know if I could’ve done the class without them. I think I was a little overambitious with my menu.  It’s hard to become completely organized and focused in an unfamiliar kitchen. At least it is for me.

The menu was a few choice Middle Eastern specialties: Hummous, Baba Ghannouj, Ful Mudammas, Fatoush (Bread Salad), Ard Ma’Khuzbara (Artichoke & Coriander Salad), and Shish Kebebs.

I wish the class was a little larger (I had about 10 people), but they all seemed to enjoy the class and got plenty of food. Added bonus: Patrick Camacho came to my class!

After clean-up and bundling what leftovers there were for the kitchen staff, Steve, Kim, & I made our way back to Alpine.  After a shower and a nap, we headed out to Railroad Blues for some music and hot dogs.

OK. Not to take anything away from anyone, but we all agreed that the Cow Dog had the best hot dogs we ever ate. Mine was The German.  A beer-braised brat with sauerkraut, hot mustard, caraway seeds on a Kaiser bun. Sublime (and I’ve never used that word about hot dogs).  Steve ate 3, including one that had shoestring fries on it.

I had a nice long chat with Tiffany & Maurine about their class at the Holland and I told them about my class at the Limpia.  We were switching places the next day, so the exchange of information was invaluable.

Railroad Blues opened in 1993 (http://www.railroadblues.com) and has long been established as one of the best live music venues in the state. And, after my first visit there, I can see why.  It’s small enough to be intimate without seeming claustrophobic and it  had that honky-tonk feel.  That night was Cory Morrow.

I’ve never seen him before, despite the fact he performs fairly frequently in Austin. Great show.

Stepping out for some fresh air:

Good night.

 

Day 3: Saturday

Steve, Kim & I headed to Marfa for some breakfast and to check out the farmer’s market.

We went to Squeeze.  A restaurant I’ve wanted to try for some time.  It’s a nice small space with a lovely courtyard (it seems that most restaurants in Marfa use this same design).

Squeeze Marfa was started in 2004 by Verena Zbinden as a juice bar that slowly morphed into a sandwich and coffee shop.  She imports chocolates from her family’s chocolate business, Vollenweider, in Zürich.

They’re great, by the way.

We all three ordered the same thing: Ham, Egg, & Cheese Croissants.  Delicious. Just what I needed to start my day.  My only disappointment was that there was no hot chocolate on the menu. It sounds stereotypical, I know, but I would expect someone from Switzerland to have hot chocolate.

Oh, well.

I was disappointed in the Farmer’s Market.  I was expecting a whole lot more than I saw.  I think there was one produce seller, a few people selling homemade goods, a bookseller, and a lady selling rocks she found (Kim bought one).  Steve found someone selling homemade lemon-blueberry bread and peanut brittle, so he was happy. I did get some local honey, so I guess that was a win.

Took a quick trip to The Get Go to pick up a few items for my class at the Holland and then back to Alpine for a little personal shopping and class prep.

Once again, I must take the opportunity here to thank everyone at the Holland who helped me out: Front of the House Manager Donovan Sanchez, Head Chef Alex Costa, and kitchen staff Bret, Adrian, and Joey.  I had a great volunteer in Barbara.  She’s an ex-Austinite, so we had a lovely time commiserating.  She jumped in with both feet and I couldn’t have appreciated her help more.

Class on Saturday was Hors d’oeuvre.  And, I had a good sized crowd.  About 20.  I think they were expecting the Middle Eastern class.  But, they didn’t seem too disappointed with the menu.

The menu was Three Cheese Straws, Mushroom Tart, Blinis, and Crostini with Brie and Candied Walnuts.  During class, Barbara was furiously making blinis and dressing them with sour cream and caviar to serve out.  When those we ran out, we served up more blinis with my homemade cherry compote.  Everything else was prepped and ready to go before class.  Not much food was at the end.  Again, we bundled up what we could and left it for the kitchen staff and got out of their way as quickly as we could.

I thought it was a success.

Kim left us after this to drive back to Odessa, and Steve & I went back to Ft. Davis to have at Blue Mountain Bistro, the Limpia’s restaurant.

It was serviceable food. I had a pasta dish with shrimp and Steve had salmon.  None of the seafood was overcooked, the food had good flavor, and the portions were ample.  Just nothing special. We shared cheesecake for dessert.

My critique.  It’s my understanding that the Shrivers have only owned the hotel for a short time (I couldn’t find out how long) and they’re bringing the restaurant along.  Good.  But, they still have a little ways to go.  The other thing I have to say is that they really need to plan a little better for big weekends.  They were out of two things on the dinner menu and the only desserts they had available were cheesecake and carrot cake.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they seem to be getting enough business to run out of a few things, but planning is a big part of running a restaurant.  And, the food needs to move beyond serviceable.  They need to make it special.

That being said, they certainly know their clientele much better than I do.

Off to Marfa to see the Shelly King Band.

Great show.  Amazing voice.

Got to see Stewart, Tiffany, and Maurine again.  They all looked tired.  Stewart looked happy.  I think he felt the weekend was successful.  I think so, too.

For what that’s worth.

 

Day 4: Sunday.

Going home.

Not feeling so funky fresh the next morning, I opted for a large cup of hot tea.  I figured I could eat when we got back to Austin.

Of course, just to stretch our legs, and &c, we stopped in Fredericksburg.  It was a lovely day (unlike when we left) and we finally decided we were hungry.

But first, we walked around the Virens Kirche in the center of town and saw the little botanical garden.  Honestly, in all the years I’ve gone there, I never noticed it.  I’m glad I finally did.

 

Finally. Home.

 

I had a wonderful time at the festival.  And, like I said before, it was great to be able to get in on the ground floor of something that, hopefully, will become an annual event.

I hope I’m invited back and that I also have the opportunity to see more of the classes and events.  Unfortunately, my schedule this year didn’t allow for that.  But, there’s always next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Fellow Food Lovers –

On behalf of the inaugural Viva Big Bend Food Festival, I would like to cordially invite all of you for food, music, and beautiful scenery April 4 – 6 in Alpine, Marfa, Marathon, and Fort Davis, TX.

All of the information for the festival can be found on the festival website: http://www.vivabigbend.com

There’s more information being added every day.

And, yes. I will be teaching 2 classes during the festival. I’m excited and honored to have been chosen to help kick off what will no doubt be a successful, annual, and kick-ass food festival.

Besides the food and music, who couldn’t resist enjoying the scenery?

 

Of course, some of the scenery includes food (obviously)…

 

…and music:

 

So, please. Make some room in your busy schedule and join us!  It’s the ultimate getaway so close to home!