Austin Food Journal

Lately, this has been a very requested dish. Plus, it goes perfect with the weather. I think the key is to do the full, overnight, marinade of the beef in the red wine. I start out with a whole, bone-in roast. After I have cut the meat into cubes, I make a stock with the scrap and bones. It makes the sauce even richer. The side of potatoes are also a must. If anyone out there is listening (I’m looking at you Santa) a ricer might make a good gift. It would come in handy for super smooth potatoes.

This is my wife’s rustic curry soup. It varies by season, but today’s is made up of lentils, onion, carrot, Napa cabbage, bok choi, mustard and fennel seeds.

The French may wear hats and talk funny, but they love a good sauce. The sauce I am speaking of is the noble Hollandaise. You say you thought it was from Holland? No, no, my friend, France. We mainly put in on Eggs Benedict, but it can do much more than that. This mother sauce is a mix of egg yolkes, butter, lemon and a willing whisk.

This has to be the tastiest, most colorful, least expensive way to get flavor into a meal: carrots, onions and celery. Either cook it down, mix it in or stuff it around.

Sometimes, one of your friends starts mouthing off about how great his chicken fried steak is. So you go do what you know you have to do; make your own killer chicken fried steak. How did it turn out? The potatoes were awesome, the steak needs some work.

Friday Super Post! Grilled steak on Bibb lettuce with roasted fingerling potatoes, leeks, Pure Luck goat cheese and a Meyer lemon vinaigrette.

Put the potatoes in a big cast iron skillet on medium heat, slowly browning the cut side. Then, flip them over and put the skillet in the oven to finish cooking them through.

You guessed it, leeks! I tossed the potatoes with them.