Austin Food Journal

After a big, complicated food weekend, it is nice to do something simple. I banged out our standard pizza. Simple sauce, red onions and olives. The good news about my explorations into baking bread is that my pizza dough has improved. I am still butchering the bread, but applying some of the successful techniques to the pizza dough.

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We went up to Dallas. The meal was tasty (though I had no hand in cooking it).

Roasted chicken with mashed squash and herbs. I also grilled some lemons to go over it.

I hit this one out of the park. I don’t like to brag, but I was patting myself on the back so hard, I think I knocked the air out of my lungs. It might not look like much, but it is 100% Bœuf Bourguignon. Beef soaked in red wine! You can’t get any better than that.

The flat-top haircut item above is a Portabella mushroom that accompanied the beef. Along with pearl onions baked in cream and mashed potatoes.

A slow braise: beef, onions and carrots in wine.

We love Pederson’s apple smoked, uncured bacon. We get it at Central Market. Their sausage is also excellent. We first had it at Kirby Lane and have been hooked ever since.

This was waiting for me upon my return to town last week. My wife whipped up this tasty little dish.