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Soba Making Demonstration at Tei-An in Dallas

This just in:

Akira Inoue, the master of Teiichi Sakurai (chef /owner of Tei-An) will be demonstrating how to make soba-buckwheat noodles at Tei-An.

Mr. Inoue teaches the art of making soba at Tsukiji Soba Academy, the school he founded in Tokyo. He will travel to New York-Dallas-Los Angeles to introduce the art of making soba.

Mr. Inoue will make “Shin Soba” or “fresh soba”, which is made with flour from newly harvested buckwheat. Shin Soba is a rare treat as it’s available only twice a year, and highly prized by the Japanese for its certain aroma and sweetness.

Mr. Inoue would like to show you the art of making soba.

The demonstration will take place on Tuesday, October 20th at 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Tei-An.  You can order Shin Soba hot or cold from the menu after the demonstration.

Please join us to witness a great master at his craft.

For reservations or more information, please call 214-220-2828 or e-mail teian@tx.rr.com

Mini-Review: Tortas La Hechizera in Dallas

I hit Tortas La Hechizera on Maple for a late lunch (2:30 p.m.) and the place was packed. There was not an empty chair in the house so I ordered my torta poblano to go. (Note to self: wait for an open table.) By the time I got to my house, the bread was so soggy I had to eat the torta with a fork-a. As you can see from the picture, it’s not a pretty concoction but even cold and sodden this torta always makes me happy.

The two huge slices of Mexican bread are filled with fistfuls of sliced avocados, chopped and griddled poblano peppers and white onion, melted white cheese, crema, sliced tomatoes, and lettuce. For a little torta joint, this place offers a zillion options: too many tortas to name (Cubana is probably the most familiar to you), quesadillas (deep-fried), enchiladas mole, and tostadas. They also carry a large selection of bottled Mexican soft drinks and candies. The price of the torta poblano is $6.69 but one is enough for two people. Unless one of those people is me. I am looking down at my stomach right now and it looks like I am, once again, pregnant with a food baby.

It’s Apple Season and Time for an Abuela

Just because I can’t drink for 10 more weeks (still very pregnant) doesn’t mean I am not looking forward to the moment I can be sipping some spirits. Now that crisp apples are in season, I have been dreaming about an Abuela — tequila, freshly-pressed apple juice, a dash of simple syrup, garnished with a slice of tart green apple. Years ago, I interviewed Monica Greene at the long-since closed Ciudad, and she raved about this cocktail she named for her grandmother–her Abuela. I know it might sound a little odd, but it is the best use of alcohol and apple juice outside of the traditional hard cider. Jump for a few additional tequila and apple juice recipes from Herradura.

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What I’m Still Drinking: Kiepersol Estates Semillon

She shoots. We score.

I’ve written about my love affair with Kiepersol Estates Semillon 2007 before. It’s a nice soft wine with undertones of pineapple, mango, and grapefruit (Hi, Leslie!). Last month, D photographer Elizabeth “Spider Monkey” Lavin and I headed out to Kiepersol and spent the day picking grapes and watching the crew as they began to process the 2009 wines. If you haven’t been to the tasting room at Kiepersol which is just south of Tyler, you should go now–October is Texas Wine Month–and sip some wine  on the back porch. Better yet, you can read the travel feature I just completed with the details of the property’s bed and breakfast, upscale steak restaurant, and the best stocked bar between Dallas and Houston. It’s a great place to get away for a couple of days. Especially if you love good food and wine.

Wednesday Morning Cinnamon Roll Search

Good morning Dishers. I woke up with a cinnamon roll craving this morning and stopped at the closest place to the office, the creatively named “Donuts” store on Lemmon next to Toy’s. This is what I got. It looks and tastes more like a glazed doughnut with cinnamon than anything else, and my craving isn’t satisfied. Where can I get a good cinnamon roll like grandma used to make, not a Honey Bun lookalike?

50 Incredible Lectures for the Ultimate Foodie

A nice lady named Amber Johnson sends you this link to 50 Incredible Lectures for the Ultimate Foodie. I’ve spent the last 90 minutes dipping into the video library and I could spend the rest of the day curled up on the couch watching them all. So far I’ve scanned “Craig Claiborne and the Invention of Food Journalism,” “Food Writing Forum: Eat, Memory,” and Ferran Adria: A Day at elBulli”. Bookmark the site and save it for a rainy day.