Burrata Cheese Report From Jimmy’s

Dang, I got so far behind yesterday, I forgot to post this report from a Disher who ordered burrata from Jimmy’s. Here, a day late, we hear from Anne:

Picked mine up last night [19th] at Jimmy’s. Paul picked out the crackers and wine.  It was really good with the olive oil and salt and pepper and the crackers. A very mild cheese that really needs a flavored cracker. No water crackers for this cheese!! Paul said about 155 people ordered it!  What did you eat the cheese with in Italy?  Have you gotten any feedback from other SideDishers?  Thanks for the tip…keep ‘em coming!!

Eat with it? Don’t you mean drink with it? We made “Italian nachos” by piling a spoonful of cheese on top of a thick slice of fresh tomato, adding a leave of basil, drizzling the nacho with olive oil, and finishing with a pinch of sea salt.

Somebody Help Me: Pici Pasta

Pardon my current obsession with all-things-Italian, but I must go on with my search for the best. I just got off the phone with Paul DiCarlo at Jimmy’s, the go-to store for Italian food and wine products. I told him I had just returned from Italy and before I could finish my sentence he blurted out, “No, we don’t carry pici pasta.” I said, “Well, that was going to be my second question but how did you know I was going to ask that?” He said, very matter of factly, “Oh, everyone who comes back from Italy calls and asks for pici.”

Okay, I know that basically all pasta is flour and water and sometimes eggs, but what is so special about pici? It’s firm and round with a slightly chewy texture served with simple sauces. See that picture to the left, that’s pici pasta fresh from the stove, served in a touch of the water it was cooked in and covered with a layer of freshly grated pecorino cheese and black pepper. That’s it. And to quote Paul, it was culinary greatness. Any restaurant out there making pici? Tell me. Quick.

Burrata, Burrata, Get Your Fresh Italian Burrata Cheese

Remember when I posted about burrata cheese? Now you can place an order at Jimmy’s Food Market and buy the real deal, wrapped in leaves, delivered fresh from Apulia (Puglia in Eyetalian). Paul DiCarlo over at Jimmy’s sez this:

Next week we have a truck coming in from Brooklyn with Burrata.  I am taking pre-orders on the Burrata $8.99 (300 grams). If you have never had a Burrata, you should give it a try.  It’s a ball of mozzarella - firm skin on the outside and creamy on the inside. I like it with a little olive oil, cracked pepper, a pack of Pavesi Crackers and a bottle of Gavi. It is culinary greatness. Remember Burrata has a short shelf-life (5 to 7 days). We will also be ordering Stracchino and Robiola.Order deadline is Thursday 3pm 11/13.  It should arrive the week of Nov 17th - You will be emailed when your order arrives.

Truer words have never been “spoken” about cheese. Call Paul, 214-823-6180, and tell him that you read it on SideDish. Then starve yourself until your cheese arrives. I’m thinking a burrata party, e tu?

Jonsing for Tuscan Food

I’ve been back from Italy for two weeks and I still can’t shake the tastes of Tuscany out of my senses. All I think about is olive oil, sage, pasta, prosciutto, Chianti, and gelato. Here on SideDish, we’ve talked a lot about the lack of good Italian food here in Dallas but I am determined to find some now. (I’ve got my (short) list of places to re-try, let me see yours.)

In the meantime, I’m calling Jimmy’s Food store to see where I can get some Cinta Senese. Here, piggy, piggy. I took this picture at a pig farm outside of Siena. That’s the “head pig” Bella, on the right. Once endangered, thanks to the efforts of dedicated farmers, the “white collared pig” has made a big comeback–today there are over eighty breeders. These pigs live in the semi-wild and feast on acorns, roots, and truffles. The meat is redder than most pork due to the higher percentage of oleic (good) fat. (Is that the best news ever?) Anywhoo, after I snapped this shot, we went to cooking school to learn how to cook this little piggy and the taste of the meat changed my culinary life. I have some of the sausage I brought back in my fridge but I want to find a local source. Jimmy’s Food store? Can you read me? Over.

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Thanksgiving Day Dining Options

This post will be the official spot on SideDish for Thanksgiving Day dining. I will post releases from restaurants, caterers, and anyone else offering specials. Okay, check back often and make reservations. (Restaurants, feel free to post your info in comments.)

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Casey Thompson is Alive and Well in San Francisco

At least that is what Ms. Amy Severson tells me. Amy sends the photo along with this report:

We’re up here to prepare the Cattle Baron’s Dinner that was auctioned in 2007. We came up a day early with Lisa and Richard Chamberlain, and are spending one night here before heading up to Napa. We immediately headed down to the Market in the Ferry building and met Casey Thompson, who looked absolutely fabulous. We had appies and wine on the patio of the Water Bar, watching the sailboats and relaxing. Blonder, slimmer, taller very much a “California Girl”, she’s living on Treasure Island but working with Fischer Winery in Napa doing on-site dinner parties paired with their wines. She’s not slowing down, traveling to points north and south to taste different parts of the coast (she said Portland is a city she enjoys visiting), and considers this just an amazing learning opportunity - too good to leave to come back to Dallas (for now).   

Blonder, slimmer, taller? Huh? That hardly seems fair. Next thing you know Casey will have a sassy little British accent and be engaged to Hugh Jackman. Then I would really have to hate her. Amy, keep us posted on the gala dinner. We want insidery details, please.

Report From Italy: A Mozzarella Bar

Dishers, I discovered a restaurant in Rome called Obika and we have to do whatever it takes to get one in Dallas. Okay, so I’m a little late to the mozzarella bar party–this place has been written about in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and a host of European publications. Currently there are locations in Rome, Milan, London, Turin, Kuwait City, and New York. One side of the menu offers four mozzarellas (paestum, pontina, affumicata, and stracciatella di burrata) and a long list of salamis, fish, vegetables, and condiments to mix and match. Pictured is the burrata with a plate of salami made from free range Cinta Senese pigs in Tuscany. I could eat this every day. We also tried a panini stuffed with hand-cut prosciutto, from San Daniele, mozzarella di bufala, sliced tomatoes, and chopped basil on olive bread. I could eat this every night.  Check out their website and more pictures below.

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Report From Italy: Eating in the Jewish Ghetto

Last week I was in Rome for three days where I ate so much I thought I might explode. Not only did I visit some of my favorite haunts (Hosteria Costanza), I tried a couple of new places in the Jewish Ghetto area of town– Ristorante Piperno and Ba Ghetto. Ristorante Piperno is in an restored home built in the 16^th century on a secluded little square (Monte de’Cenci) near the Tiber. They have been serving Roman-style dishes since 1860. We gorged on Jerusalem artichokes, fried zucchini blossoms, spaghetti carbonara, gnocchi with fresh porcini mushrooms. Service was incredible; the crowd was mostly locals.

The next day we stumbled into Ba Ghetto, a Kosher Israeli/Roman place in the Ghetto. Again we went for the Roman food–pastas and fried artichokes–but we also tried skewers of grilled chicken, Kosher salami, and house made vegetarian couscous. Other than a couple from Cleveland sitting at the table next to us, the restaurant was packed with regulars. Pictures below.

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Report From Italy

Prego Dishers, I returned last night from Italy where I attended the week-long Ecco la Cocina cooking course and culinary tour in Tuscany. Our trusty group of eight ate and drank our way through the Chianti region. Highlights of the trip included visits to wine cellars large and small and castles big and tall. Along the way we picked saffron from fields around San Gimignano, dined at fabulous restaurants in Siena, and drank Brunellos in Montalcino. I ate my weight in burrata.

And we cooked: our hands-on lessons took place in ancient mill that has been somewhat converted into a romantic kitchen where Italian-American chef, Gina Stipo, taught us how to prepare the regional and seasonal dishes of Tuscany. We spent the last three days in Rome where we discovered some amazing taste sensations. As soon as my brain catches up to my body, I will spill all of the cannellini beans. Until then, enjoy some food porn after the jump. (more…)

London: Three Days, Six Meals, Two Bobbies

As soon as I posted about a pub in London, I got an e-mail from a reader who says:

Hey, I am going to London too!! My wife and I will be there for three days. Can you ask readers to help us too!! Thanks!!

So!! Hit it, Kids!! England is swinging.

Update on Tre Wilcox

Hey Dishers, looking for a caterer for your New Year’s Eve bash? Tre Wilcox is open for business. He has been a busy private chef. He just returned from preparing a private dinner in Willington, Delaware. Here is his full report:

Recently, I was in Wilmington, Delaware for a private dinner.  My clients, Mr. and Mrs. Sanford lived on a 256 acre property.  Needless to say, it was captivating and beautiful.  Mrs. Sanford had a few hobbies, one of them being a gardener or maybe I should say a farmer.  In the back of their home, Mrs. Sanford maintaned a garden the size of a football field.   The short list of vegetables growing in this garden includes, swiss char, sungold tomatoes, baby lima beans and every herb you could think of.   Of course Mrs. Sanford wanted me to utilize her garden, and I was glad to oblige.  After the dinner, I sat back to reflect on the taste of all the ingredients I used for their dinner.I was reminded of something…the ingredients that chefs use, are what people really like about our food.

So does Tre Wilcox go to Disneyland after such a victorious gig? Hell no, he’s going to Italy. Where? “I will be enjoying an 8-night, all expense paid trip to Florence, Italy this month. So you can expect an increase in my Italian flares and flavors at future dinners.” Wow, “Italian flares” is a rapidly becoming an uber trend. Yum. Keep up with Chef Tre here.

Eating London: One Pub, One Meal

Dishers, and I’m talking to you JD/DT, I need a pub in London. I am leaving Thursday for a tour of duty in Italy and have a long layover in London. It’s only long enough to take in one meal. I had reservations at The River Cafe, but opted to do something more casual. There are people in my group who have never been to London and they want to eat “pub food.” So, while I am perusing the Chocolate Room they will be eating at the pub of your choosing.

Can Somebody Help This Poor Girl: Island Edition

Dishers, I’m going to Puerto Rico in two weeks and would love some advice on where to dine. If any of you have been to San Juan and have some suggestions, now’s the time to spread the knowledge.

It’s Time to Flavor Trip

See those people in the blurry picture? They are tripping out like heavy, way out. Tripping like our intrepid reporter, and heavy drug user, Kristiana Heap did when she went deep into the flavor zone and lived to blog about it. Now, if you hurry, you too can trip the ’shrooms fantastic with the good folks at Flavors From Afar when they host “Dallas’ second-ever Flavor Tripping Party” on October 25^th at 6:30pm. (A possible 2^nd date–Sunday, October 26–is planned if the first date sells out). Never dropped acid? Me either. (Hi, Pinocchio!) but you won’t be doing any Window Pane, Green Dragon, or Blue Heaven, you’ll be ingesting one “miracle fruit berry” or, for those of you scoring in Latin, a synsepalum dulcificum berry. Dishers, i a brave new world out there–it’s time to tune in, turn on, and drop out. And tell your friends: Snider Plaza is the new Haight-Ashbury. Dig it. 214-696-2327.

Report: Texas Wine Month

Hey winos, we are already 8 days into Texas Wine Month. Have you swirled any good local vino yet? I wouldn’t be surprised if there is any left–our loyal reader, and resident wine chick, Lisa, has been doing more than her fair share by traveling all over the state and writing a book called Wine Girl. (Guess our little chick has grown into a girl. Dang, I feel old.) Anywhoo, today our wine girl wants to share her hangovers highlights with you. So, without further ado, here is Miss Lisa:

Hey, Dishers! Enjoying Texas Wine Month so far? I hope your corkscrews got a workout last week! [Ed: Y'all be nice to her.]

As mid-month approaches, let’s take our exploration of Texas wine to the next level. Time to hit the road! Maybe you tried some local wine in the comfort of your own home last week, and now you’re ready to get up close and personal. Or maybe you’ve heard about wonderful wineries in the area, but you’re a little fuzzy on the details. No worries - that’s my department. Today I’ll highlight a handful of wineries right here in our own back yard.

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Can Somebody Help This Person

Good heavens, Dishers, we are turning into Chowhound. Don’t get me wrong, I love it that you all are bonding as a foodie nation and helping each other spend calories wisely. Without further ado, the reader needs advice:

Hey, since you always put up requests can you ask people to tell me where to go in Seattle? Thanks.

Boy howdy do I wish a certain someone would ask me where to go today, but that isn’t your concern. In the meantime, I’m tossing the pike to you: help this person.

Eating Maine: The Finale

Okay, so I’m not in Maine anymore, but I still want to rave about the meal I had at White Barn Inn, which was my primary purpose in going to Kennebunkport (although my adventures with lobster rolls was a nice sidebar). The restaurant, led by executive chef Jonathan Cartwright, has quite a reputation, as its the only AAA Five Diamond, Mobil Five Star restaurant north of NYC. The menu, comprising the best tastes of New England, changes weekly, but I’d like to share the highlights from our meal this past Saturday. For starters, this beautiful butternut squash soup with crispy Maine shrimp dumplings and a hint of salty prosciutto–a meal unto itself, yet it was only the first of four courses. (Yes, I had to be carried upstairs to my bed after the meal. Luckily it was only one flight up.) Stick with me after the jump for more photographs. (more…)

Eating Maine: Part II

Well, we slept like babies on the first night–probably enhanced by the complimentary Mighty Leaf chamomile tea in the White Barn Inn lobby–so we were ready to feed the belly come daylight. After a buffet breakfast–fruit bowl, quiche, and a bread basket filled with everything from croissants to cherry almond muffins–we hit the streets of Kennebunkport. First stop: Breakwater Spa, where I darn near snoozed (that’s a good thing) through an Ultra Luxe Facial. I awoke to hunger pains, so it didn’t take long for us to stumble into Old Salt’s Pantry, in the main square. Actually, we stumbled into Old Salt’s Gifts first, where Barbara insisted we go see her son next door at the deli–after we bought a few fall foliage postcards by local photographer J. Colby. And, determined to find a lobster roll worthy of famous status, we obliged. Son John was a charmer, cooking up grilled cheese–white American cheese on white bread, thank you very much–and a lobster roll that kicked the arse of the lobster roll from the night before. (And it was a buck cheaper.) This time the sweet meat was the star; the mayo was only a condiment, the way God intended. Together with a bag of salt and vinegar Lay’s potato chips, it goes down as one of the best lunches in my travel history.

Eating Maine: Part I

So here I am in Kennebunkport, Maine, where we narrowly escaped Hurricane Kyle. (Apparently it swung east. Hooray!) Did this stop us from enjoying ourselves? Of course not–because there were lobster rolls to be had. We drove in from Boston–we had this big idea to take in the fall foliage along the way, which turned out to be a bad idea because it was dark and raining and we couldn’t see the foliage, anyway–and we got lost heading to White Barn Inn, where we are staying. (We asked for directions four times and finally made it.) Friday night we stopped at Alisson’s Restaurant, where there is a famous lobster roll, apparently. And, because I knew I was coming to New England, I had been fantasizing about lobster rolls for a week. To start I had a special: cheeseburger soup, which was kinda like queso (nice!), all spicy and loaded with ground beef. The “famous” lobster roll was stuffed full of sweet meat, doused with mayo, and served with too-sweet coleslaw and pickle chips. It was mighty tasty, but I wasn’t convinced it deserved its famous billing. I washed it all down with Sam Adams Oktoberfest–then slept like a baby at the White Barn. Although it started off a little rough, the day ended up a-okay. Funny what a little lobster and beer can do.

A Little Bit of Amsterdam in Dallas

Last February I went to Amsterdam. It is one of my favorite cities in the world. The Beemster cheese is addictive (you can buy it at locally at Central Market). With the exception of a few Indonesian places, the food isn’t the greatest in the world, but the “coffee” is better than any tricked up latte you’ll ever smoke drink at Starbutt’s (not a typo). After a few “cups”, it’s great to rent a bike (left) and head out to one of the many fabulous museums (Hi, Vince!). When I miss Amsterdam, I go to Café Rembrandt on McKinney. No, you won’t find “ladies of the night” or Eurotrash folks standing outside smoking, but they do have reproductions of the Dutch masters on the walls and a few bites of Dutch fare on the menu.

You might want to take both of your ears there this weekend: they are featuring some live music from Tim Miller (Friday at 9PM) followed by Clay and the Electronic Cowboys (Saturday, 10PM). I don’t know anything about the music, perhaps Nikki, our pie and herb expert, can ask her husband. Oh, you may want to call ahead—it’s probably BYOCoffee.

(Beemster, the cheese that won’t get you arrested.)

I Will Eat Rome For Three Days

See that nasty looking chick to the left? That’s Polly Walker who starred as my alter ego, Atia of the Julii, in the HBO series Rome. I loved the show so much that I decided to gather a few friends and go to Rome in October. I have two questions for you: where can I buy clothes like that because I am so going in character, and where do you suggest I dine? I have my favs, but I want to hear yours. Peel me some grapes, please or I’ll off your head. (Easy on the Caesar salad jokes.)

October is Texas Wine Month!

And the month-long festivities will start next week with a special luncheon at Fearing’s (Hi, Susan!). After that, our slogan for the next 30 days will be: Go Out. Go Eat. GO TEXAN. Read SideDish. Ok, I added the last part but the good folks at the Texas Agricultural Department have been working hard to promote all things Texan and we will support them here.

If you can’t make it to Fearing’s on October 1st, click here to find another restaurant participating in the first-ever statewide dine-out day. These restaurants will offer special Texas menu items and wine pairings and many of them have pledged to donate a portion of the day’s proceeds to Texas food banks. Win, win, win.

In the mean time, here are some fun food foodie facts about Texas:

- Last year, approximately 28,000 sample glasses of Texas wine were poured at the State Fair Wine Garden. (And I didn’t even go last year!)

- Texas is the fifth-largest wine producing state, with 163 wineries producing an estimated 2.4 million gallons a year. There are more than 280 vineyards that cover 3,100 acres. (People, we can’t be fifth at anything. Forget that California Cab. Drink Texas.)

- Of the nearly $1.35 billion that Texas wines contribute to the state’s economy, a majority is directly related to tourism. (Oh, for a second I thought that read “voyeurism.” Tourism/voyeurism? Is there much of a difference? Who cares, drinking wine is healthy for Texas.)

- Nearly 1 million tourists visit Texas wineries each year. (Seriously? That’s all? Go to a Texas winery now. It’s the perfect time of the year. Let’s get that number way up.)

- There are 8 viticultural areas in Texas: the Texas Hill Country viticultural area is the second-largest in the U.S., covering 15,000 square miles. (Yes, viticulture is a big word, but these stats are coming from agri-types, so it’s up to you to get smart. Vinticulture is just a fancy Latin word for growing grapes.)

- The Texas Hill Country is the #2 wine destination, just behind Napa-Sonoma, according to an Orbitz survey. (Screw Orbitz, let’s measure the snob factor in Napa-Sonoma–that will bring those numbers down. Next.)

- Texas has dedicated more than $4.5 million to supporting and growing the Texas wine industry. (And hopefully after writing this post, my check will be in the mail.)

- Varietals that show promise in Texas include, among others, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Viognier and Syrah. (OK kids, breathe into it. You’ve tasted all of those grapes even though you may not have known it. The next time you reach for a Chardonnay, pick out a Viognier. (Becker makes a bitchin’ one. I think the pleasantness of the wine and the lower price will win you over. Plus, they rhyme!)

Somebody Help This Poor Couple

I sure wish we could have a caption-writing contest, but we can’t. Instead we can help these poor lost souls who will be visiting our nation’s capital:

The wife and I are headed out there this week.  We are staying in between the White House and DuPont Circle.  We need restaurant suggestions!

I love Nora’s. Y’all, hit it.

Somebody Help This Poor Girl

A Disher heads to Santa Fe and asks your help:

Aside from The Shed, which I love, the hubby & I are looking for dining options for Santa Fe trip this week. We leave Wednesday. Any thoughts?

One: Bobcat Bite.

Los Angeles Farmers Market Has a Split Personality

(Photos: Meat market; Ice cream & Kafka.)

We all know that the Dallas Farmers Market needs a redo. How marvelous it would be to have a foodie destination like the one in Seattle’s Pike Place Market or San Fran’s Ferry Building. It would be such a soulful addition to our city.

So why was I surprised when, last weekend, I revisited the Los Angeles Farmers Market to see the changes they’ve made since I moved from L.A. in 1994? The old area is basically the same-mostly food vendors with older people (love the guy reading Kafka at the ice cream stand) and folks shopping for cashew butter and fresh horseradish.

However, the new, adjacent addition, The Grove, is a nothing more than a Hollywood-Meets-Disneyland mall. The fake streets are lined with the usual suspects-Gaps, Crate and Barrel, Nordstrom’s-and even a Barney’s. The Grove is full of yuppies, tourists, tattooed Melrose transplants, and families. There isn’t an heirloom tomato to be found. I found it depressing. I’m sure the city of lost angels finds it a free range cash cow. What I hate to admit is that if the powers that be in Dallas visited The Grove, we might get our Farmers Market upgrade. It just may not be what local foodies have in mind.