New Year's Eve at Sportello

Happy New Year! I know I'm a little late, but 2014 still feels pretty new! We rung in the new year with a low key date night. We actually flew into Boston on New Year's Eve, so we came home, dropped off our suitcases, traded our travel clothes for date night duds and jumped on a commuter rail train into the city. We were going to Sportello!

Over the years, we've been slowly making our way to each of Barbara Lynch's restaurants. We love No. 9 Park, Menton, and Drink, so we were excited to finally try her more casual Italian dining outpost. We pulled up a barstool at their countertop to look over the menu. Homemade pastas are their specialties -- perfect for a cold snowy night!

We started with the Burrata appetizer -- warm creamy mozzarella served on toasted bread and topped with speck and dried figs. And since it was New Year's, we ordered a bottle of bubbly. We had a great time watching the chefs cook up orders on the stoves lining the back wall. We even spotted Chef Barbara herself for the first time! Our entrees arrived next, pasta piled high and steaming in their white bowls. I think I "won" dinner this time around with my Strozzapretti pasta tossed with braised rabbit and picholine olives, but my husband's Tagliatelle with Bolognese was no slouch.  After a little dessert and coffee, we braved the cold to head back home where we spent the rest of the evening cuddled on the couch in our PJs until it was time for the ball to drop and to clink glasses of champagne! Cheers, 2014!

A Texas Christmas

Man, did the holidays go by like a blur!  How was everyone's Christmas? Ours was a good one spent at home in Texas, first with my husband's family in Austin and then with my family in Paris (Texas, not France). We drove a lot, we laughed, we cooked, we ate a lot, we caught up with old friends, we watched Christmas movies, and of course, presents were involved.

Austin Highlights:

When we flew into Dallas, our sweet friends the Ranges put us up for the evening. They took us out for TexMex, gave us stockings full of treats, let us play with their adorable little boy Noah, fed us a great breakfast the next morning, and then sent us on our way to Austin!

We drove through central Texas, happy to be amidst the wide open spaces of home, and eventually made it to Austin.  We spent our time leisurely, enjoying being home. We helped my mother-in-law make fudge (and helped her eat her homemade divinity and candied pecans), we put together a Christmas puzzle featuring trains (I'm married to a man who loves trains), we decorated gingerbread houses, I stocked up on used books from Half Price Books, we looked out over the dry lake bed of Lake Travis for the third year in a row, my mother-in-law made us wonderful biscuits and gravy on Christmas morning, and we opened presents while sipping mimosas. Afterward, we drove over to Grammy and Pampa's for Christmas dinner, playtime with all of our adorable baby cousins, and a raucous White Elephant exchange! I took away a huge foam hand for holding my beverage of choice. Just what every girl needs!

Austin Food Highlights:

And since one of our favorite parts of traveling home is all of the food, how could I leave out my favorite foods while visiting Austin?

Grammy's for Christmas Dinner - While this option may not be publicly available, I couldn't leave it out. You can't beat a grandmother's Christmas dinner prepared with love for her family!

Tamale House East - My husband's brother was playing a gig here during brunch, so we stopped in for a little live music and some of the best breakfast tacos I've had. I ordered a classic bacon, egg, and cheese (plus a generous sprinkle of cilantro for good measure).

Texas Chili Parlor - Their migas and chili is the true breakfast of champions. Also, $2.50 mimosas are hard to beat (if you feel like a stiffer beverage, try the Mad Dog Margarita, made with mezal).

Vintage Heart Coffee - A friend opened up this darling little coffee shop in East Austin, and I finally got to stop in for a visit. It's warm, welcoming, and best of all, the coffee is delicious. My favorite touch was a basket of colorful cloth napkins for patrons to choose from.

HOPE Farmers Market - Down the street from Vintage Heart and Tamale House East, we stumbled upon a little farmers market. Though it wasn't large, there were some great vendors. Our favorite items were Curious Confections' English Toffee with Pecans and Wunder-Pilz's kombucha (we loved the Heart made with Yaupon Holly, apparently the only caffeine plant native to North America).

Rudy's - Is an explanation required for this one? No trip home is complete without BBQ.

Rosie's Tamale House - We never miss out on visiting Rosie's, my husband's hometown TexMex joint. Their menu even boasts a Willie's Plate thanks to a famous local patron!

Summermoon - We always try to stop in here and get a bag or two of their wood-fire roasted coffee to bring home with us.

Freebirds - It may not be the trendiest place to go these days in ever-changing Austin, but I still crave their burritos.

The Candy Jar - We had the best time decorating gingerbread houses in their back room!

Road Trip Food Highlights:

The day after Christmas, we began the long trek to Paris, heading north on I-35. I've made this drive many times, but the trip is more fun these days now that I have someone to share it with. And the best thing to share on the road? Kolaches from the Czech Stop Bakery in West! My favorites are apricot and the sausage with cheese!

Paris Highlights: 

My husband always teases me that just when you think you've reached the middle of nowhere in Texas, you have to drive 30 miles further to reach Paris. When we finally rolled into town, we couldn't believe the tree damage still evident from a terrible ice storm earlier in the month. Branches were piled like barricades along the streets. Trees were split down the middle or toppled over. Smoke rose from temporary brush burning sites. It looked like a war zone, and this was two weeks after the ice had melted! Though my parents' front yard was a mess of brush and limbs, inside the house was warm and welcoming! My grandparents joined us for Family Christmas Part 2 and Chorizo Soup thanks to some fantastic Mexican chorizo that my brother brought in from West Texas. We spent the rest of the evening in the living room catching up, opening presents, eating cobbler, and watching football (would you expect any different in Texas?).

We spent the rest of our time lounging, antiquing with Mom, cooking, you name it. One night Mom made us her Bar M Beef Stew, named after my Dad's cattle ranch. Another night I helped make Chicken Spaghetti and crustless caramel pies. After dinner one night, my husband got a fire going, and we sipped hot tea while watching White Christmas (an annual tradition). We caught up with old friends, we took a walk along the Trail de Paris, and we strolled through the square in Downtown Paris. 

Paris Food Highlights:

And these were our favorite eats in Paris!

Paris Bakery - I love coming in here for a pastry and coffee or for a sandwich with a cup of soup. This time we met up with my friends Philip and Sarah for lunch! (They also do Saturday Night Pizza and Live Music that I'm still dying to check out.)

Bois D'Arc - Paris can now boast its first "upscale" restaurant! An abandoned gas station has been turned into an adorable restaurant dishing up really good food. We stopped in for brunch, which was an incredible deal -- $10 entrees and complimentary mimosas. Who does complimentary mimosas?? I'm so glad that my parents joined us to finally try this spot!

Magels - The best chicken fried steak in town!

Hot Dog on a Stick - I know these are usually located in malls, but ours is a little trailer at our shopping center that's been a local institution since the 70's. With one of their cheese on a sticks and a big cup of fresh lemonade in hand, I truly feel at home.

La Familia - Dishing up some of the best TexMex in Paris, you can't go wrong with anything on their menu. My favorite is the cheese enchilada + sour cream chicken enchilada combination plate!

Paris Coffee - Last but not least! I wish this place had been around when I was growing up, because I'm a coffee shop girl to the core. Few things make me happier than camping out a table with a good book and a large, steaming mug of coffee. This time I was joined by Alison, my friend from the womb!

All in all, it was a wonderful Christmas, a wonderful trip home, and a wonderful vacation. I'm so thankful for the times we have visiting Texas! But here we are, back to the real world. A new year is upon us, and I think it's going to be a good one!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

("Merry Christmas Y'all" Print from owlloveart's Etsy Shop)

This afternoon my husband and I are flying south to spend Christmas at home in Texas.  After the extreme cold and copious amounts of snow we've had in Boston, I'm ready for a change.  And I can't wait to see our family and friends. We'll also work our way through our "Texas To-Do List" (items on this list include TexMex, Chicken Fried Steak, BBQ, breakfast tacos, Shiner beer, chili from Texas Chili Parlor, and kolaches from the Czech Stop). Of course there's never enough time to catch up on everything we miss from home! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, filled with love, friends, family, and good food! I'll see you in January!

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"Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'" Luke 2:10-12

 

Kale Salad with Pecorino and Pecans

For those of you who don't know, Texas is famous for its pecans. Though now that I think about it, if people don't know about our pecans, are we actually famous for them?? Either way, if Texas pecans aren't world famous, they should be. I have fond childhood memories of sitting around bulging bags of foraged nuts and shelling them with my family. A few weeks ago when a large box arrived in the mail from my amazing mother-in-law, I squealed with delight when I saw two large bags of pecans. I've been tossing them in almost everything: arugula salad, warm grain salad, chopped fall salad, roasted brussels sprouts, pecan pie, pecan cookies, you name it.

This weekend I made one of my favorite recipes, a simple kale salad from The Kitchn.  It's a great salad to bring to a picnic, a holiday potluck, or in your lunch at work. And it's versatile! This time I threw in some of my pecans and a little whole grain dijon mustard in the dressing. One day I topped it with a handful of dried cranberries, and another day I tossed it with diced pear, both adding a little bit of sweetness that was great with the tangy dressing and salty cheese. If you don't have pecans, try almonds or walnuts. It's easy peasy!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 large bunch of kale, stemmed (I used purple kale this time, but lacinato or good ol' curly kale work too)

~4 Tb lemon juice
1 Tb whole grain dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

~1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

4 oz pecorino, finely grated

Optional: dried cranberries, diced pear

Directions

Stack and roll the kale leaves together (similar to how you prepare to chiffonade basil) and slice into thin ribbons. Place into a large bowl and "massage" the leaves a little bit with your hands to help make the leaves more tender. 

Add the pecans and pecorino to the bowl, and toss to combine.

In a separate bowl, add the lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper, and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking continuously, until the dressing is emulsified.

Taste the dressing and adjust according to your taste (If it's too tart, add in a little more oil. Not tart enough? Squeeze in a little more lemon juice. Add more salt and pepper if necessary)

Pour the dressing, little by little, into the bowl with the salad, tossing to coat, until the salad is dressed how you like it. (You may not need all of the dressing.)

Let the salad sit at least an hour at room temperature before serving.

Optional: Serve topped with dried cranberries or diced pear.

All I Want For Christmas - 2013 Edition

As I've been doing my Christmas shopping, I've found quite a few things along the way that I've been tempted to buy for myself. But my mother taught me to never buy myself anything in the month of December, because you never know what you'll get for Christmas! Since I had so much fun putting together a Christmas wish list last year, here are some items that I'm loving this year!

I would love using this ridiculously adorable Dansk Kobenstyle Butter Warmer Pot.

(photo from Amazon)

These Southern Saying Pencils are such a cute reminder of home.

(photo from Stephanie Creekmur on Etsy)

Mr Darcy Proposal Mug. Swoon.

(photo from Brookish on Etsy)

Since my husband and I love making cocktails, it would be so much fun to set up a pretty Bar Cart.

(photos from The Glitter Guide and Obaz)

I've been eyeing this beautiful Penguin Threads Embroidered  Edition of Little Women for quite a while now.

(photo from Amazon)

This Kiss My Grits Tea Towel. for a little sass in the kitchen.

(photo from The Coin Laundry Scoutmob Shoppe)

Coffee Scrub Kitchen Soap because nothing beats the smell of coffee (and because coffee is supposed to help remove the garlicky smell from your hands after cooking).

(photo from Rocky Top Soap Shop on Etsy)

I've been eagerly anticipating the release of The Homesick Texan's second cookbook, so my fingers are crossed for a Pre-Order of the Homesick Texan's Family Table. Her first is one of my favorite cookbooks.

(photo from The Homesick Texan)

Aren't these Monogrammed Lockets lovely?

(photo from Sora Designs Scoutmob Shoppe)

These colorful Nine West Flats.

(photo from Nine West)

This Wooden Recipe Box is pricey, but it's absolutely gorgeous.

(photo from Rifle Paper Co)

Kale Market Bag. Tee hee!

(photo from West Elm)