Our second annual Quiz Bowl was a huge success, and we couldn’t have done it without our many sponsors, participating teams, volunteers, collaborators, and the whole Slow Food Austin board. We’d like thank all the businesses and individuals involved in making this such a great event:
Richard Reininger, Videographer
LBJ High School’s Quiz Bowl Team
Jeremy Blum, photographer
Jason Flowers
Beam Brands
Roxar Gin
This summer, Slow Food Austin partnered with Central Market to offer the Young Chef Cooking Class Series which introduced seven to twelve year olds to kitchen fundamentals like shopping, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up. For each of our three classes, the Young Chefs prepared simple, nutritious, and tasty one-pot meals. We had a great time teaching the Young Chefs, and they had a great time cooking. Our other sponsors for this series of classes were Zinger Hardware, Breed and Company, and Le Creuset.
These are the recipes the Young Chefs prepared:
Magic Bus Hash Browns
2 eggs
1 cup hash brown potatoes or frozen home fries
1/2 cup shredded or grated cheddar cheese or your favorite cheese
4 strips of bacon (uncooked)
salt and pepper to taste
1. Pre-heat Dutch oven on low to medium for 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Place bacon in cook both sides until crispy, then remove. Keep renderings (oil from bacon) in the Dutch oven.
3. Add frozen hash brown to renderings. Stir frequently. Cook until potatoes are rusty.
4. Add eggs on top of hash browns.
5. Sprinkle cheese on top of hash browns.
6. Cover with lid cook 5 to 10 minutes until translucent eggs turn white or to desired doneness.
7. Once eggs are done remove from heat and serve.
Chicken and Vegetable Ramen
2 chicken thighs
1 bunch scallions
1 1/2 tsp garlic minced
1 1/2 tsp ginger minced or grated
1-2 oz soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1 pkg Ramen noodles, flavor packet removed.
1/3 pkg bamboo garden frozen veggie medley
Garnish: Scallions, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, lemon wedges
*Throw away flavor packet.
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Heat Dutch over over mid-high heat for 5-10 mins. & toast sesame seeds for ~5 seconds. Remove and reserve.
3. Lightly season chicken skin only and cook skin side down till golden in color. Remove and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before handling.
4. While chicken is cooling, cook ½ of the chopped scallions, garlic and ginger for 3-4 minutes with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally.
5. Add water and bring to a boil, add sugar and cook for 20 minutes with the lid off.
6. Peel skin off chicken thigh and place seasoned side down on a folded piece of heavy duty foil and toast in 350 oven for 5-7 minutes until completely toasted. Mince once cooled.
7. Remove thigh bone from chicken, (throw away joint) season and add to pot.
8. Dice chicken into ½ inch pieces, season and reserve.
9. Once stock has boiled for 20 mins check for seasoning.
10. Add chicken pieces to stock and cook 1 minute with lid on.
11. Add ramen noodles (break the brick when you add it) & cook 3 min. with lid on.
12. Add bamboo garden veggies, cook another 1 minute with lid on.
13. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 2 minutes with the lid still on.
14. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and a small pile chicken skin in the center of the bowl. Drizzle sesame oil around soup. Drizzle lemon juice around soup.
Peach Chili
2 Tbsp oil (olive, coconut)
1 large onion
6 garlic cloves
½ lb lean/natural ground beef
½ lb lean/natural ground pork
1, 16 oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes
5 medium local peaches
1 ear Texas corn
1 box cornbread mix (Jiffy)
1/3 cup milk
1 cup water
Spices:
3 Tbsp sweet paprika
3 Tbsp ancho chile powder
2 Tbsp mustard powder
1 tsp cayenne chile powder
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp salt
1. Heat Dutch over over mid-high heat for 5-10 mins.
2. Add 2 Tbl oil to the Dutch oven (coconut/olive/canola)
3. Add onions, sauté until translucent.
4. Add garlic, stir for 1 minute to lightly cook.
5. Add spices and “store” the spices, onion, and garlic
6. Add ground pork and beef, stir until well broken up and cooked well
7. Add tomatoes (with water), peaches, corn & water
8. Bring to a boil at high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer while you prepare the corn bread
9. Preheat oven to 350
10. Follow directions on the boxed cornbread mix or use your own recipe
11. Once chili is thickened to your liking, add corn bread batter on top
12. Cover and place in oven for 25-30 minutes
13. Let rest before serving, ideally 30 minutes but 15 minutes at the least.
Date: Saturday August, 11, 2012, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (second class)
Location: Central Market Cooking School, 4001 N. Lamar Blvd. Austin, Texas 78756
Tickets: THIS CLASS IS SOLD-OUT
Do you know a tween who loves to cook or wants to learn to cook?
Central Market and Slow Food Austin have partnered to offer the Slow Food Young Chefs Cooking Class Series which will introduce 7-12 year olds to kitchen fundamentals like shopping, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up. Join us for one (or all three) of our summer cooking classes.
Young Chefs will prepare a simple, nutritious and tasty one-pot meal. Our first class focused on Breakfast, and the Young Chefs learned to prepare Magic Bus Hash Browns. For our second class, the theme was Lunch. The Young Chefs made Ramen Noodles with stock made from scratch rather than using seasoning packets found in packaged instant meals. Our third class in this series is all about dinner, and the young chefs will prepare Peach Chili with a cornbread crust. We’ll come together at the end of the class to enjoy a delicious meal.
Date: Sunday, August 12, 2012, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: The Highball, 1142 South Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78704
Tickets: $25, which includes the restaurant nibbles, happy hour priced drinks, and the most fun you’ll have all summer. Purchase tickets online.
Date: Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 7:00 pm
Location: TRACE Restaurant at the W Hotel, 200 Lavaca Street, Austin, Texas 78701
Tickets: $65 for members; $75 for non-members. Purchase tickets here.
On Tuesday July 24th, Slow Food Austin will host a special Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon Dinner and a documentary screening in conjunction with Chef’s Collaborative’s “Save Bristol Bay” initiative. The dinner and a movie will be held at Trace Restaurant and the W Austin and will feature a special menu created by Chef Ben Hightower and inspired by the Documentary film, Red Gold. Whole Foods Market Austin fishmonger and Bristol Bay commercial fisherman, Jason Hedlund, will personally be bringing back Sockeye salmon from his annual two week long commercial fishing expedition.The four course fresh sockeye salmon dinner with wine parings will be held at Trace Restaurant followed by a screening of the documentary film, Red Gold, at the W Austin.
Bristol Bay Alaska, home to one of the largest sockeye salmon fisheries and one of the largest king salmon runs is under threat from foreign mining corporations that want to turn the watershed into an industrial mining district, Pebble Mine. Even at its minimum size, mining the Pebble deposit would eliminate or block 55 to 87 miles of salmon streams and at least 2500 acres of wetlands – key habitat for sockeye and other fishes.
Be sure not to miss this very special evening!
To learn more about the Save Bristol Bay Initiative go to: http://www.savebristolbay.org/about-the-bay
To learn more about the documentary film, Red Gold: http://www.feltsoulmedia.com/thewire/redgoldfilm/
*A special thank you to our sponsor Trace Restaurant, W Austin and Whole Foods Market.
**Valet Parking is available at the W Austin for $7.
Proceeds from the Event benefit Slow Food Austin Programming.
Date: Saturday July 14, 2012, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (second class)
Location: Central Market Cooking School, 4001 N. Lamar Blvd. Austin, Texas 78756
Tickets: $20 per team (1 adult and 1 young chef). Cost includes all ingredients and tools needed for the class and the shared meal. Purchase tickets here.
Do you know a tween who loves to cook or wants to learn to cook?
Central Market and Slow Food Austin have partnered to offer the Slow Food Young Chefs Cooking Class Series which will introduce 7-12 year olds to kitchen fundamentals like shopping, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up. Join us for one (or all three) of our summer cooking classes.
Young Chefs will prepare a simple, nutritious and tasty one-pot meal. Our first class focused on Breakfast, and the Young Chefs learned to prepare Magic Bus Hash Browns. For our next class, the theme is Lunch. The Young Chefs will be making Ramen Noodles with stock made from scratch rather than using seasoning packets found in packaged instant meals. We’ll come together at the end of the class to enjoy a delicious meal.
Date: Tuesday, March 27th, 6:30 pm
Location: Springdale Farm, 755 Springdale Road, Austin, Texas
Tickets: 5 Course Seated Dinner $65 a person (includes wine) THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.
Please Join Slow Food Austin for a very special 5 course dinner at Springdale Farm featuring incredible biodynamic wines from Austria paired with a locally sourced Austrian meal by Wolfgang of Fabi & Rosi. This Dinner will not only be delicious, but educational, too. Attendees will enjoy a beautiful meal while learning about the history of the Austrian biodynamic wine movement. This is sure to be a fun, engaging and magical night at Springdale Farm.
A very special Thank you to our Sponsors, Pioneer Wines, Whole Foods Market, Fabi & Rosi and Springdale Farm.
The $5 Meal Challenge from Slow Food USA took place on September 17th, and the results are in. Stories from all around the country are listed on the Slow Food USA site.
The topic of whether eating fast food or junk food is really more affordable seems to keep appearing. For more information about costs of home-cooked meals, see also the recent article by Mark Bittman “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?”
And, here’s the round-up of $5 Meal Challenge dishes from right here in Austin:
Notes from Maggie’s Farm created a full meal with sides and condiments: 
Entree: Pozole
Sides: Roasted Corn 3 ways, Refried Black Beans,
Condiments: Fire Roasted Salsa, Pico De Gallo, Roasted Corn and Hatch Chile Relish with Queso Fresco, cilantro, jalapeno, cabbage, onion, avocado served with crispy tostada, or corn tortillas
Shelley of Franish Nonspeaker hosted a $5 Meal potluck and prepared a Fig and Jam Tart that was just $1 per serving.
Kate of A Bobo Mess made a Black Bean Feta Salad.
Lisa from Lisa is Cooking prepared a Vegan Cajun-spiced Dirty Rice dish to serve ten that came in just under budget.
Kathryn from The Austin Gastronomist created a Zucchini Crumble for dessert that came in at 86 cents per serving.
The Whole Story blog from Whole Foods offered this great list of budget-friendly meals too.
Date: Saturday, September 17, 2011
Slow Food USA has invited everyone to take a $5 Meal Challenge on September 17th. By joining friends and family for a slow food meal that costs no more than $5 per person, we’ll be taking back the ‘value meal.’
And, we’d like to hear about your meals. If you prepare a meal at home or a dish for a potluck for this event, we’d like to hear your story. Send us a description of your dish or meal and how you kept the cost below $5 per person, a photo if you have it or a link to an online photo gallery, or send us a link to a post if you blog about the event. We’ll post a round-up of all the $5 meals one week after the event. We’re looking forward to collecting this list of affordable slow food meals, so take the challenge and then tell us what you did.
Send info about your meal by noon on Friday, September 23 to: lisa@slowfoodaustin.org
Round-up of $5 meals will be posted on Monday, September 25.
“slow food shouldn’t have to cost more than fast food.”
We welcome Paul Courtright of Pioneer Wine Company for this guest post:
I’m yet another one of those Austin transplants. Four years ago my partner and I decided to move here because of the potential. The things that I love—food, wine, and music—are so vibrant and unique here, and the enthusiasm is infectious.
It’s no revelation to say that the food landscape in Austin has changed radically in the last four years. The downtown farmer’s market has grown from a small, if energetic, city block to a really exciting and distinctive showcase of local food culture. A number of truly exciting restaurants have expanded the idea of Central Texas cuisine, and are starting to make food yet another reason for people to visit and relocate to Austin.
As a part of the food world, the beverage scene in Austin has taken off. We have truly great coffee at Caffé Medici and Houndstooth, world-class cocktails at Bar Congress and Fino (to name just two), a score of new and exciting local breweries like Jester King, and a growing number of restaurants with cool wine lists.
Now, when Austinites seek to discover a new wine, they can do so at a number of locally owned and operated wine shops. When choosing a wine shop to frequent, I look for an atmosphere where I can start a dialogue with someone who is passionate and knowledgeable. With this in mind, I set out to find some warm weather refreshment by stopping in at three of Austin’s best retailers:
Wiggy’s is iconic. The two locations downtown are so full of personality, they’re just great to spend an afternoon in, getting lost among the bottles. Their suggestion for summer was a nice rosé from southern France.
The producer, Mourgues du Gres, is in the Costières de Nîmes (in the hillsides of Nîmes, an ancient city east of Provence also famous for being the birthplace of denim fabric). Dry rosé is a staple in southern France, the combination of refreshing acidity and a bit of weight is ideal for the warm Mediterranean climate and rolling limestone hills which resemble Austin in the summertime. François Collard is a young farmer bringing this traditional style into our modern lives.
My next stop was East End Wines. The shop is still young, but the staff combines years of experience in the Austin wine scene. They also suggested a wine from southern France, but their candidate was an esoteric white from Corbières.
Domaine Faillenc Sainte Marie, has been producing wine in the stony hills just north of the Spanish border since the reign of Louis XIV. Dominique and Marie-Therese Gibert farm the land nowadays. In a region much better known for reds, this white is really something special—full bodied, yet refreshing. It’s great both for sipping on the porch and grilling with friends.
The Austin Wine Merchant has earned a great reputation over the years. It’s a serious wine shop, without pretense. Just steps away from the downtown farmer’s market, it’s also a convenient option for stocking up on summertime thirst quenchers.
I’m a big fan of white wines from the Basque region of northwestern Spain. Txakolina looks intimidating on paper (it’s pronounced “chalk-oh-leena”), but there’s nothing challenging about the tangy, tart wines. Just like the Hill Country, the steep coastal mountains of the Basque region are inhabited by livestock (sheep, in this case). Instead of lemonade, the local tradition is to knock back a few copas of the low-alcohol local wine after a long day in the hot sun. A bottle of Gurrutxaga Txakolina is the perfect refreshment to share with friends around the pool.
After four years, I’m proud to live in Austin. This is a city with exciting opportunities, a place where local and imported food traditions are co-mingling and creating something new and unique. There are some great local purveyors of produce as well fine food and drink. By stopping into your local wine shops this summer, you not only support these invaluable small businesses, but you stand a great chance of getting turned on to some groovy, interesting wine—and maybe a little history to go with it.
