Homemade

Everyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I love eating out. I mean l-o-v-e, love. In my mind, eating is more than just fueling my body, it's an opportunity to experience delight, comfort and, my God, taste! And since I'm no Top Chef, I spend a lot of time hopping around town sampling the best new bites.

But out of respect for both my wallet and waistline, I cook most of our weekday meals at home. Since this too is, in it's own modest way, a quest of experiencing joy through my stomach, I'll share with you some of my latest dishes.

Before we jump in, let me clarify that I by no means consider myself a talented cook. I mean, In four years of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I have yet to survive the day without burning or butchering something beyond recognition. With that honesty out there, I know delicious when I taste it. Here are a few ideas on how to bring it to your dinner table.

Crack Pie

Dessert first, that's my motto. This recipe comes from New York's famed bakery Momofuku Milk Bar. I snagged it from Bon Appetit, who kindly keeps it posted online here. I like to think of this treat as a cross between a buttermilk pie (in consistency) and pecan pie (in flavor). And, as Bon Appetit eloquently puts it, "Anyone who has taken a bite... immediately knows the reason for the sassy name."

This photo is mid-bake. I don't have an "after". It was eaten too quickly.

Root Vegetable Soup

For Christmas I gave Lane "Fire in My Belly," the new cookbook from Kevin Gillespie. This book is perfect for teaching at-home cooks how to to elevate their meals just a smidge by trying a few new ingredients and some trickier techniques. Kevin also has an amazing knack for find the God-given deliciousness in every ingredient and letting it sing. This soup was no exception.

This soup included parsnips, rutabaga, jewish artichokes and plenty of other veggies I don't typically buy.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

So this was an experiment gone right. You know, one of those nights where I had plenty of groceries, but nothing that logically combined into a meal. I let the creative juices flow and came up with these bad boys. And hot damn, were they good. The sweet potatoes were stuffed with sauteed cherry tomatoes and yellow bell pepper, warm goat cheese crumbles and toasted pecans. The trick is the potatoes themselves. I used the microwave (hey, no judgement), but rubbed the skins with olive oil and himalayan pink salt before they cooked. Do that and I dare you to try and skip the potato skins.

The Big D

Most of my diary entries growing up started with "Dear Diary, I'm sorry for not writing in such a long time...". It seems as though this theme continues with my neglect of this blog, although today I refuse to apologize for my tardiness. It's my blog and I can do what I want. But I suppose I've now done so inadvertently... so, sorry.

Hello! So many updates to share as life has taken many turns since I've typed last. Lane and I, along with Rushmore and Bluebell, have made the move three hours north to Dallas so Lane can pursue a great job opportunity with an Orthopedic Oncologist. Sounds complicated, but he's loving it. This means a whole new city to explore, get to know, and fall in love with. Truth be told, I never saw myself living in Dallas, as there are far too many stereotypes that come along with the territory (think big hair, big boots and big credit card bills). But shame on me for my assumptions because I am already feeling right at home. And I get the sense that these people love food just as much as I do.

The rule of our house right now is "no repeats" as there is simply no excuse for going back to a restaurant twice when there is so much to explore. Here are my two favorites so far...

1. Company Cafe
Located in Lower Greenville, proximity is what first lured Lane, my parents and I in. Maybe it's the Austin in me, but I love a good hippy dive and Company Cafe's allegiance to all things organic was instantly appealing. The bottom line is that better ingredients make better food. It's as simple as that. Taking a fresh, organic spin on classic comfort food, this place knocked it out of the park on all four of our plates. I highy recommend the chicken pesto risotto, rich with what I assume was tons of olive oil, mozzarella, basil and cream. Mmm, who could complain?

2. Sweet Georgia Brown
It's always a good idea to let the locals pick the spot, as was certainly the case with my friend Joel. He faithfully led us to the best soul food I have ever tasted (Hoover's in Austin coming in a close second). Heed the warning that you may want to split your plate with a friend, as the portions could serve a family of four. But with each butter-flooded bite, I fell deeper into post-Church Sunday bliss, barely making it home before my nap began. Try the sweet potatoes. And the green beans. And the barbeque.

Bread Ball

Might I take a moment to step away from my typical post topics and speak to another form of culinary appreciation... playing with one's food.

Last night as I began to toss a three-week old neglected loaf of bread into the trash, my husband had an epiphany. An epiphany that only can be described as sheer brilliance and can be summed up in two words: Baguette Baseball.

So out we went to our neighborhood community lawn to test out our new makeshift bat. I took my stance, Lane pitched a perfect throw, and one swing was all it took! The loaf exploded into a thousand bread bits and we in turn erupted into laughter and smiles.

Despite missing the "prime" of this baguette, I'd say I still got my $1.59's worth.

Lone Star Tipsy Pig

By pure fortune and happenstance, I recently stumbled upon an article about Bryce Gilmore, a local chef cooking up the next great bite here in the heart of Texas. Next great bite? I was intrigued... 

Coining him "the next Tyson Cole," (which in Austin-speak might as well be Tom Colicchio or Thomas Keller, mind you!), the article focused on Gilmore's new feat, winning the coveted title of one of Food and Wine magazine's Best New Chefs of 2011. And that's where my mouth began to water.

Gilmore's latest endeavor is called Barley Swine. Situated at the cross-section of Hipster and Urban Chic (South Lamar), the restaurant serves up a sophisticated menu  to the tune of a down home barnyard feel. Heavy on the pork (he warned you in the name), each plate is perfection. The menu offers small plates, suggesting three per person. I love this concept, which allows me to sample a smattering of deliciousness without feeling regret if one bite isn't quite up to par. But rest assured everything most certainly was. 

Left: Grilled carrot salad, goat feta, almond brown butter

Right: Roasted beets, fingerling potatoes, blue cheese, caraway

Mmm... Jerk rubbed pork belly, grilled sweet potato, kale salad.

To die for. Hazelnut chocolate crunch, caramel pudding, honey-nut nougat.

 My next stop will be The Odd Duck, Gilmore's original food trailer, which I hear is still serving up the best pork belly in town. If the adage holds true that nothing's as good as the original, I'll be in heaven. 

It's all gravy

I've enjoyed so many good eats since my last post. And as nearly a month has past, I suppose there have been plenty of opportunities! But among all of these delicious moments, I would be remissed if I didn't devote an entry to this year's Thanksgiving feast. Afterall, Thanksgiving is a holiday essentially created to honor fellowship over the harvest- an opportunity to break bread as a community and thank God for your blessings. There's something so precious and intimate over sharing a meal with friends. I've heard it argued that it is no coincidence that many important conversations and teachings of Jesus took place over meals (think of his stay with Zacchaeus, visiting Mary and Martha, and of course the Last Supper). A bit of a digression, but my point is there is something sacred about the act of eating amongst friends and nothing in our culture celebrates this moment more than Thanksgiving.


Lane's family came to visit us here in Texas this year. Quite a blessing to us as I know that long drive from Kansas well and can commiserate with every mile! But after a relaxed day of cooking, snacking, drinking wine and playing games, our meal was complete and this was served...

Kit, Mama Nan, and the feast

Green beans with sea salt, sweet potato casserole, bacon, onion and rye bread stuffing

Roasted new potatoes with rosemary, cracked pepper and sea salt

Candied walnut and pear salad with poppyseed dressing

The seal of approval was given by all! And since I'm sure you're curious, below is the recipe to my perfect bite. I don't care if it's not Thanksgiving anymore, you should definitely try this recipe.

Bacon, Onion and Rye Bread Stuffing
Recipe torn from last November's Food and Wine magazine

• One 9 inch loaf seeded rye bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 celery rib, cut into ¼ inch dice
• 1 tsp chopped sage
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• ½ lb piece of slab bacon, sliced ½ inch thick and cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 ½ cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ tspn kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish. On  large rimmed baking sheet, toast the rye bread cubes for about 15 mins, tossing once halfway through, until lightly golden nd dry. Transfer the bread to a large bowl.
2. In a skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery; cook over moderate heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the sage and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape into the bowl with the bread.
3. Wipe out the skillet. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until browned, about 10 mins. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the bowl with the bread. In a medium bowl, wisk the chicken broth with the egg. Pour over the bread mixture and add the kosher salt and pepper. Toss until the bread soaks up the liquid. Scrape into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
4. Bake the stuffing for about 30 minutes, until hot throughout. Remove the foil and bake for about 30 minutes longer, until the top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.

A dinner invitation

It's one thing to start a blog on a topic you are well versed in. It's an entirely different matter to begin a blog on a topic that is not your expertise. But the latter is exactly my case. And here we are.

I suppose the proper place to begin is with an introduction to both myself and this new blog in which you have happened upon. My name is Georgeanne and I am a twenty-something gal, married to my sweet-as-pie husband Lane. We reside in the creative capital of Austin, Texas with our two children (of the dachshund variety- no humans quite yet!). I am an advertising executive by trade and have a healthy obsession for both high fashion and food. And, as you may have guessed, this love for food is the source of inspiration behind this blog.

I've chosen to embark on a culinary adventure to find the perfect bite. A quest, if you will. And I'd greatly appreciate your company on this journey. The deal is this: I promise to write about the new restaurants and recipes I try, but you must in turn read and comment with your own opinions on each matter. For what is a good quest without companions to experience the adventure with?

So thank you for reading and sharing in this with me. Without further adieu, let us tuck our napkins in, salute our spoons and let the feasting commence!