Editor's Table
"Holiday Greetings!"
As (hopefully) most of you noticed, we didn’t publish a SideDish on December 7th. That was due to a death in my family which took me away for several days.
So….we’re publishing now for the holidays and will bring you more food/dining/wine goodies early next year. We’ll take a few days off to enjoy time with family and friends, and hope you’ll do likewise. From all of us at My Table and SideDish, have a great holiday season!
Culinary Calendar
"Join the Mexico Culinary Trip"
Update—Culinary Trip to Mexico Now Going to Puebla
Click on the following link for all the details:
Mexico
A La Carte
"From our table to yours...."
- Churrascos Restaurant is coming to The Woodlands Town Center in the spring of 2007.
Cordua Restaurants has leased a 9,000-square-foot retail space in the 21 Waterway Avenue building in The Woodlands Town Center for construction of the new Churrascos. The bi-level restaurant will feature a bar on the street level and dining room overlooking The Woodlands Waterway® on the second level.
Churrascos is a South American-style restaurant that incorporates the flavors of Latin American cuisine and utilizes high-quality American ingredients. Signature items include the Churrasco, a charcoal-grilled center-cut beef tenderloin steak; Tres Leches dessert: vanilla cake laced with three sweet creams and topped with a light meringue; and Cordua’s signature plantain chips and chimichurri served on every table.
- Gift giving got you stuck? Maybe this will help.
Get out of the box and into the basket when it’s time for thoughtful gift giving. Whether you’re celebrating a traditional holiday, special anniversary or just want to surprise a friend, client or boss, a basket brimming with Texas goodies is a unique way to personalize the gift-giving experience.
Have a favorite foodie? Find a basket of Texas-made salsa, barbecue sauce and spicy chile powder that will have your loved one singing your praises. Is your honey a health enthusiast? Deliver a bouquet of Texas-grown fruits, nutritious nuts and sunflower seeds. If you find yourself in a gift-giving jam when it’s time to shop for a special someone, order a sampling of Texas-made jalapeño jelly, peach preserves and other sweet and zesty spreads.
With help from the Texas Department of Agriculture’s GO TEXAN members, you can mix and match to your heart’s content. Personalize your basket to the appetite and preference of the recipient and add gift certificates, tickets to a show or handy gadgets. Your imagination and thoughtfulness could be the greatest gift of all.
For more gift-giving ideas, visit TXDA and click on the “Get a Handle on Gift Giving …” link.
My Recipe
"Ropa Vieja"
1, 8-pound beef brisket
½ cup olive oil, divided
¼ cup dry white wine
1 head plus 1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
4 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup dry sherry
Fresh chopped parsley
3 bay leaves
4 red ripe tomatoes, chopped
3 cups tomato puree
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut brisket into pieces lengthwise. To tenderize meat and enhance flavor, massage beef with ¼ cup olive oil, wine, 1 to 2 tablespoons garlic, salt and black pepper. Place in a roasting pan with water and cover with foil. Roast 3 to 4 hours, until tender. Remove been stock and set aside. Let brisket cool. Cut off as much fat as possible. Hand-tear met into thin bite-size strips.
To make sauce, combine remaining garlic, onion, and green and red bell peppers in a stockpot. Add sherry, parsley, bay leaves, salt and black pepper and simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato puree and reserved beef stock. Bring to a boil and add beef, then reduce heat. Simmer about 15 minutes. Serve with white rice, black beans and sweet fried plantains. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Chef’s Note:
Ropa Vieja is best served with the traditional white rice, black beans and fried plantains, sweet or green.
From the Wine List
"Does Your Wine Have Personality?"
Here’s an interesting wine/personality match from the Texas Department of Agriculture. Find your wine personality below and then find the telling traits of your favorite wine buddy. When it comes to great-tasting wines (from Texas or elsewhere), we may find we are what we drink.
The Cabernet: You’re bold and you’re strong, but with a warm side that only comes out once we’ve gotten to know you. Same goes for that bone-dry sense of humor. It’s no wonder the sophisticated set loves you – not that you care. You’re just as happy at home with backyard burgers as you are at a banquet with filet mignon. If you were a car, you’d be a classic – but not the kind people are afraid to touch. You’ve got some power, and you were born to use it.
The Merlot: There’s a mystical side to you, slightly mischievous, but that only makes you the life of the party. The fact that we can’t really know everything about you makes you all the more intriguing. It’s just so hard to nail you down – sometimes you’re subtle, other times you’re adventurous. If we could forget about you we would, but who are we kidding? You had us at “hello.”
The Pinot Noir: There’s no getting around it. You’re difficult. You’re demanding. But oh, oh, oh so worth it. You’re the kind who has to have things just “so” before you’re willing to open up and share your secrets. But we don’t mind going to a little extra effort. The way you see it (and we tend to agree), that doesn’t mean you’re a prima dona – it just means you’re great.
The Muscat Canelli: There’s just one word to describe you – sweet. Of course, you’re deeper than that, but there’s no denying that’s the overwhelming characteristic that makes you, well, you. Still, you’re no lightweight. If we could spend real, quality time with you, we’d discover your true nature.
The Port: Look at you, Smooth Operator. You are so silky sleek you don’t walk into a room, you glide. You appreciate sophistication, but you’re anything but stuffy. There is a refinement in the way you express yourself. If one is willing to take a step up the ladder, they’ll find you’re happy to meet them halfway. That’s because, once you get past the stately surface, you’re just as sweet as you can be.
The Shiraz: You know who you are – the toast of the town. You’re boisterous – make that joyous – and you light up a room just by walking into it. Your motto? Life is too short to be a wallflower. Of course, there’s no danger of that happening to you. So what if you’re not to absolutely everybody’s taste? Those who really know you don’t just like you – they honestly, insistently, unconditionally love you.
The Riesling: Still waters run deep. No, you’re not the showy type. You’re a little more reserved. You’re the perfect friend. You’re comfortable, and yet – you still surprise us now and then. And if we found ourselves stranded on a desert island, we can imagine growing tired of just about anyone after a while – but we’d never grow tired of you.
The Chenin Blanc: You’re from Texas, right? We knew it the minute you came in. There’s just a trace of that delightful accent. It makes you a little spicy. And then there’s that slightly southern way you present yourself – cultured without being pretentious. Nobody can accuse you of not being completely down-to-earth. There’s nobody we’d rather hang out with on a Saturday night.
The Blush: Hey there! No need to put on airs, you’re exactly what you seem to be and everybody – I mean EVERYBODY - likes you (whether they choose to admit it or not). Oh, you’re not likely to dine with royalty anytime soon, but that’s their loss. You’ve got a good heart and a pleasant disposition, and you just make people feel so good. What’s wrong with that?
The Chardonnay: It’s hard to describe you, but if we had to put a label on it, we’d say that you’re totally, completely, heartwarmingly pristine. There’s something absolutely pure about you. And while you seem lighthearted, there is a certain elegance in the way you hold yourself. We wouldn’t be surprised in the least to find you charming heads of state one day – and the next, swinging a picnic basket on your way to a beachfront getaway for two.
The Gewurtztraminer: It’s true, you make no attempt to fit in with the crowd – but that’s only because that’s the way you like it. How boring to be like everybody else! You’re having too much fun being the outsider. But at the right time, in the right place, you know how to grab the spotlight. And maybe that’s exactly where you belong.
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Copyright My Table magazine, 2008
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