DallasEats Hearts Eating in Dallas

In case you missed it, click here to check out yesterday's Appetite for Instruction featuring Margie from Eating in Dallas.  

Big hugs to Margie for sharing her delicious recipe for Brie with Red Grape Salsa and Toasted Walnuts.  Also big thanks to Hubbard for allowing me to crash his Sunday with a camera and clipboard.  Finally, belly rubs to Maxine and Roger Staubach for being on their best behavior!

C&S

We've Worked Up Quite an Appetite!

Have you checked out Appetite for Instruction lately?  Today's featured chef is Michelle Carpenter of Zen Sushi who generously shared her delicious and stylish recipe for Ceviche Martinis (pictured above).

I have to admit, this weekly bug-a-chef column is a lot of fun to write.  Not only does it give me an awesome excuse to call up any restaurant in the city and ask for one of their most delicious recipes, but it also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the chefs themselves make the dish.  For instance, following along with Chef Michael Tyler, I learned that making Italian Buttercream Frosting isn't nearly as difficult I'd always assumed it would be.  They key, he showed us, is patience.  (And a reliable candy thermometer.)  And speaking of patience, I don't know that I'd have the self-control to wait 12 hours while Jeffrey Kowitz's brisket braised in the oven, but now I've got the recipe if I'm ever feeling up to the challenge.

Click here to check out the A.F.I. archives.  We're working up quite a collection!  And feel free to chime in with any suggestions for future chefs you'd like me to bug.  ...I mean interview.

C&S

I See Hummus in Your Future...

This week's Appetite for Instruction features a delectable hummus recipe from Cosmic Cafe.  I can personally attest that it is one of the best versions of this classic Mediterranean dish that you'll ever dip a pita in - thanks to not one but two secret ingredients.

Cosmic Cafe is an Oak Lawn institution, decorated in colorful murals and exotic statues (the fellow above watches over the parking lot).  Owner Praveen Sachdev reports that his hummus is one of the restaurant's most popular plates, and he took his sweet time coming up with the perfect palate-pleasing formula.  A full menu of vegetarian delights is also available, including samosas, quesadillas, tacos and more.  

The shaded patio at Cosmic Cafe is one of my favorite spots for rest and relaxation, and now you can enjoy a taste of that nirvana in the comfort of your own home.  Enjoy!

Super Bowl Munchies!

What's hot and crunchy, packs a spicy punch 

and will disappear before half time?  

...Give up?  

It's Susie Buck's Texas Rumaki (a.k.a. Jack's Bites), and you can learn how to make this easy crowd-pleaser in today's Appetite for Instruction on the Dallas Observer's City of Ate blog.  Susie, chef and co-owner of Jack's Backyard in Oak Cliff, is a pro when it comes to giving hungry, fun-loving guests exactly what they crave.  I had the pleasure of visiting with her earlier this week, and she provided step-by-step instructions for putting together this popular appetizer at home.  

Read all about Susie's Texas Rumaki today and your guests will thank you Sunday.  Take my word for it - bacon never had it so good.

C&S

This Spud's For You!

BuzzBrews' Garlic Marbles?  Yum!

Check out this week's Appetite for Instruction to learn Ernest Belmore's secret to delicious potatoey goodness.  Belmore, founder of Cafe Brazil and BuzzBrews Kitchen, knows his way around a Yukon Gold - and these famous Garlic Marbles are an ideal side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

Dallas Observer City of Ate:  Appetite for Instruction #2

Enjoy!

C&S

p.s.  If you missed last week's lesson, click here to learn how to make an easy and sophisticated pasta dish from another top Dallas chef:  Appetite for Instruction #1

p.p.s.  And if you have a suggestion for a future installment of this series, please do let me know!  I'm sure there are some tips, tricks and dishes you'd like to learn from restaurants/chefs around town...

Nonna: Behind the Scenes

I walked into Nonna on a chilly afternoon, right on time for a private cooking lesson with chef Julian Barsotti.  This lesson was to be photographed and posted on the Dallas Observer's City of Ate, and I was a little nervous about breaking the ice.  How to make casual foodie chit-chat with a guy who extrudes his own pasta and fires entrees in a wood-burning oven that reaches 750 degrees at its hottest point?  I fidgeted, picking invisible lint from my coat as I awaited my instructor in the dining room.

Turns out, I had no need to worry.  Chef Barsotti bounded into the room and greeted me with a warm, disarming smile.  The young chef was quick to dive into an easy conversation about his popular restaurant and the dish he would be demonstrating in the kitchen. 

"We've been really fortunate,"  Barsotti said of the success of Nonna, open just one year as of last November.  A steady stream of diners hungry for handmade Italian fare were flocking to the restaurant even before a feature in Bon Appetit sang its praises.  The article, detailing a variety of dishes from restaurants representing the "new breed" in Italian cooking in America, showcased Chef Barsotti's Taglierini with Bay Scallops and Meyer Lemon.

For our lesson, the chef selected another simple pasta preparation: Bucatini all'Amatriciana.  It's the sort of rustic, satisfying dish you'd find in a neighborhood trattoria in Italy - the kind of place food travel shows are always raving about.  And as an added bonus, we'd also be working with one of Barsotti's favorite ingredients.  (Here's a hint:  it doesn't have feathers.)  

Barsotti's picture-perfect pancetta.

Like many of his colleagues, this chef professes a love of all things pork-related.   At one point he raved, "Swine is definitely my favorite animal to eat!"  Now that's enthusiasm.  In the dish of the day, we'd be incorporating Barsotti's house-cured pancetta into a rich, tomato-based sauce with hefty dose of heat.  

After the chat, we made our way to the back of the house to tackle the task at hand.  Following Chef Barsotti through the kitchen door, I was greeted by the beautiful, bustling chaos that lies in the heart of most every restaurant.  Men and women in fresh whites and aprons swirled around us, filling bowls and bins and ramekins with colorful bits and pieces.  Dollies loaded with boxes and crates criss-crossed the room, and a radio blared classic rock in the background.  I was reminded of my restaurant days as the familiar sights and sounds and smells of this behind-the-scenes work played out in front of me.  But it was no time for a trip down memory lane; there was cooking to be done.

And speaking of cooking, you'll have to click here to see the rest of the story:  

Dallas Observer City of Ate:  Appetite for Instruction

This container of leftover pasta lasted about five minutes after I got home.

I left Nonna that day with a tiny pink box of leftovers and a new dish to flaunt to my friends, but most of all I was thankful to have observed firsthand this talented chef's energy and enthusiasm for his craft.  I hope his lesson inspires you to toss together a little pasta for dinner tonight!

C&S