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What I’m Drinking Now: Alsace

Looking for a wine that is bright and refreshing to enjoy on our hot summer days?  Now is the time to try white wine from Alsace, France.   Alsace may not be on your radar, but don’t be afraid of the tall, thin bottle; wine from Alsace tends to be complex, filled with character and completely refreshing, and quite representative of the land.  Selections include modern takes on varietals like Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, to the more traditional Alsatian Riesling and Gewurztraminer.   And, in a time when every day wine needs to be cost effective and satisfying, great options can be priced around $12-$16 a bottle. 

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The Price of Mac ‘n Cheese

You know what I like about you guys? You have strong opinions. Your comments yesterday on the macaroni and cheese rant gave me an idea. Let’s see how much you love your macaroni and cheese when you see the price. Okay? You can all thank our intern, Sweet Sara for doing the dirty work.

The Porch: Smoked ham Mac & Cheese Casserole, $9

Chamberlain’s: Wild Mushroom Mac & Cheese (made with orzo), $8.95

Hibiscus: Baked in a casserole dish, five dark cheddars, panko crust. $8

Screen Door: Smoked cheddar, white cheddar, cheddar, cream cheese, bread crumbs, baked in oven. $7

Rathbun’s Blue Plate: Carr Valley Mammoth Cheddar Mac & Cheese, $9

Kenny’s Woodfire Grill: Adult Mac & Cheese, smoked Gouda, cure 81 ham, white truffle oil. $3.99

Hattie’s: Four cheddar macaroni & cheese, with Smokey razor white cheddar. $9.50

Jasper’s: Aged Gouda, cheddar, ham and pearl onions. $9

Abacus: Applewood bacon smoked mac & cheese: $10

South Dallas Café: whole pan, $35 When asked what kind of cheese, the nice lady just said, “Cheese.”

A Quick Look Back at The Mansion Kitchen

Richard Chamberlain in the Mansion kitchen.

Last week I was shooting the breeze with Amador Mora, the chef at Maximo. We talked about the 24 years he spent working his way up the ranks of the kitchen at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. Before he started working at the Mansion, he was a dishwasher at S&D Oyster. “It was 1979 and I needed another part-time job,” he said. “So I stopped by the construction site of the Mansion and got a job as a construction worker.” Mora literally built the restaurant and then moved inside to be the daytime dishwasher.

Mora started hanging out with the prep guys and asked them to teach him how to use a knife. At one point he was prepping alongside Dean Fearing (saucier), Kevin Ascolese (tournant), and Richard Chamberlain (grillardin). I sent Richard Chamberlain a note asking him to verify the scenario and he sent these pictures.

Dean Fearing, the early years.

Dallas is unique—we have a nice community of chefs who have worked together at various times and places and still spend time with each other. They also devote a lot of time, product, and energy to charitable organizations. I bet there are a lot more pictures like these out there. Chefs, if you have a story, share it.

Cheap Eats at Dallas Fish Market

And the bargains keep coming. Downtown’s Dallas Fish Market just debuted its new bar menu featuring grilled calamari steak, pan-fried red chili oysters, skate BLT, Maine Jonah crab claws, achiote marinated fish tacos, and bruleed figs (pictured left). Better yet, the bar food menu is 50 percent off daily 5-8pm. Photo by Gustav Schmiege

Top Chef Masters Episode Three: Pretty Offal

Buh-bom, ching! Yes, last night’s ep focused on offal, and it also focused on Rick Bayless a whole bunch. I thought they were going to pull one of the Bravo switch-a-rooskie, where they show one person every five seconds and then someone else comes out on top. Was that the case? Jump for the recap.

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Dallas Farmers Market Report: It’s Pea Time

I bought some Texas cream peas last week in East Texas and they were delicious. I cooked them in chicken stock with big hunks of Noonday onions and thyme from my herb garden. However when I really get ambitious, I make this nifty recipe I clipped from TexMo a couple of years ago. You can buy some this weekend at the Dallas Farmers Market, along with these other local and regional goodies.

Angela’s Farm – lots of onions – red, yellow and white! Yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, okra, peas are starting to come in

Berry Best Farm – Organic Blueberries

Birch Creek Farms – acorn and yellow squash, cucumbers, zucchini, new potato’s – Yukon gold and red Pontiac potato’s, purple top turnips, – THEY are selling out fast every weekend so be here early!

Comeback Creek – blueberries, onions, garlic, peppers, cucumbers, and squash

Coopers Organic Farm with certified organic onions

Dan Massey – Cream red new potato’s, yellow straight neck squash, green zucchini, Blue Lake green beans, Japanese cantaloupe, Crimson Sweet watermelons, seedless watermelons, Small Jubilee watermelons, Black Diamond watermelons, blackberries and jalapeño peppers, Black-eyes and Purple Hull peas (weather pending), tomato’s

Dis-n-Dat – eggs

Fred’s Alaska Seafood – salmon and crab legs

Fretwell Produce – okra, yellow crook neck squash, patty pan squash, 8-ball squash, gold and green zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, red new potato’s, Pablano peppers, Jalapeño peppers, sweet banana, Marconi pepper, green bell peppers, white 1015’s and purple sweet onions

Haney Farm – eggs

Harmony Harvest – eggs and veggies- also has CSA group

Heather Duncan – cut flower bouquets out of her garden, she also has a recipe for Lavender Lemonade made from her own lavender!

Heddin Family Farm – Texas Cream peas, Purple Hulls and Black eye peas, green beans, green tomato’s, Cayenne Peppers, Jalapeño Peppers, squash, red new potato’s, zucchini, pickling cucumbers

J.T. Lemley – yellow squash, 8-ball squash, tomato’s, onions, peaches, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, plums, blackberries, cucumbers, new potato’s, sweet yellow onions

Joe Smith Farms – hanging baskets of flowers and annuals/perennials to plant – really great deals and good for garden pots

John Lucido – still has some herb plants and of course his herb pasta and canned goodies

JuHa – Pork and Goat meat, eggs

JZJ Beef – Beefmaster beef, beef jerky, and beef sticks!

Kitchen Pride – Mushrooms – Oyster, Portabella, Baby Bells, and White Button

La Esperanza Farm – variety of spring vegetables – can’t even list them all!

Lightsey Farm – peaches, onions, potato’s, plums, blackberries, green beans, zucchini, apricots

Mill Creek Farms is also bringing in squash, potato’s and peas

Northstar Ranch – Beef and pork –

Orchid Garden with specialty plants and beautiful orchids

Savoy Sorbet – Sundays – herbal infused sorbet from her herb garden

TxHoneybee Guild – local honey and zip code honey

TxLonghorn Cooperative – Saturday’s and Sunday’s with certified Longhorn Beef