Austin Food Journal

I first ate this dish in Costa Rica. Simple local dish. Beans, rice, onion, coriander and hot sauce. I make the beans with tomato, onion and garlic.

You know you’re doing something right when you ask your wife what meal she would like for her birthday and she says: pizza! I wasn’t aware, but she just informed me, that it isn’t really pizza unless it has red onion on it. Interesting.

Char-roasted Poblano pepper scrambled eggs with tortillas, salsa and cheese.

Here and now: I am reinstating Sunday dinners (to all of you who don’t or have stopped). Break some bread with family or friends. I like the idea of food bringing people together. In good times, slow times, boring times good times and bad. Food is the connection. Births, weddings, workdays and holidays. Food marks the time.

Made up a little supper for a friend of ours that is in town from Colorado. Warm tomato and mozzarella salad (below), roasted new potatoes and onions, lemon thyme chicken with a white wine reduction. Everything was from the farmers market except the chicken. It is satisfying to buy produce from the person who grew it. We had been buying organic black beans that we found out were from China. Nothing against China, but if they can’t make dog food right, how can I trust their beans?

The tomatoes are from our garden and Boggy Creek Farm. The mozzarella is made daily at Mandola’s Italian Market. Some basil, salt and olive oil and were good to go.

I have been experimenting with making my own chili oils. My newest is with Ancho chili, which I used to cook this chicken. It gives it a nice smoky heat.