Editor's Table
"Cover Illustration Wanted"
My Table is calling for entries! Join the ranks of other great artists by having your work published on the cover of Houston’s first literary dining magazine. Here’s the skinny:
- What: Cover art contest, with the winning entry appearing on the October-November 2008 cover of My Table, Houston’s Dining Magazine.
- Open to: Everyone, including art students, amateurs and professional artists.
- Contest theme: The Great Texas Food Quiz
- What’s in it for you: A cash prize of $100, a bio blurb about you on the Contents page and the chance for your cover artwork to be seen on newsstands and thousands of better coffeetables all over town.
- Media: You may work in any two-dimensional medium, including paint, collage, scratchboard and photography. We also welcome computer-generated graphics and accept Photoshop CS2, InDesign CS2, Illustrator CS2, Quark 6.0 or higher and Freehand 7.0 files in Mac format. FINAL ARTWORK MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY AT 100% SIZE. To view past My Table covers, see www.my-table.com/section/issue/index.html.
- Size: The finished, trimmed magazine is 9-1/8×11-13/16. To view a template of the cover, with border, UPC box and logo, see www.my-table.com.
- Deadline for submission: Friday, May 2, 2008
- The fine print: Submissions must be original work and may not have been previously published. All rights to the winning artwork will shared by My Table magazine and the artist.
- Email your submission to: Publisher Teresa Byrne-Dodge at teresa.byrnedodge@my-table.com.
A La Carte
"This and That and More"
Beginning March 29, Fred’s Fairly Famous Sauce will be available at Rice Epicurean Market. Ron Konig has teamed up with his parents, Fred and Diane Konig to bring to the public the sauce that has been in the Konig family for over 45 years. The sauce is available in two flavors, both in 14.5 ounce bottles: Original Flavor and Sweet and Spicy. According to Ron, “My father, Fred, originally made the sauce just for our family. We started giving it to our friends and neighbors as a gift during the holidays, and they could never get enough.” The family will be on hand at the Post Oak and Memorial Rice Epicurean Market for their “Big Meat Sale” on March 29th to demonstrate the many ways that Fred’s Fairly Famous Sauce can enhance every family’s favorite dishes.
Did someone say “yum, yum?” For a few months each spring, Pico’s Mex-Mex Restaurant features soft-shell crabs. They are now available and are flown in each day so they are always fresh and luscious. Pico’s is located at 5901 Bellaire Boulevard. Call to check availability at 713-662-9393.
My Recipe
"Chilled Avocado Soup"
Makes 7 to 8 servings.
Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
3 whole black peppers
4 medium avocados, cut in half (pits removed)
¼ cup lime juice (fresh squeezed)
2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
¼ cup chopped onion
1 cup crema natural
1 cup chopped cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh spinach
1 jalapeno, sliced (note: add more jalapeno if more heat is desired)
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. Bring to a boil chicken broth, quartered onion, garlic and ground whole black peppercorns.
2. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer to measuring device and allow to cool for about 30 mintues. Using a colander, remove the solids from the broth.
4. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pitts and scoop out the pulp into a blender. Add the fresh lime juice.
5. Add about ½ of the cooled chicken broth and blend until the avocados are smooth. (Add more chicken broth if necessary to blend the whole mixture.)
6. Place cream cheese, chopped onion, the crema, cilantro, spinach and jalapeno and remaining broth in the blender and blend on high until smooth.
7. Combine with avocado mixture and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or until well chilled.
8. Serve in chilled bowls and garnish with salsa.
Culinary Calendar
"Don't Forget These"
Masraff’s, located at 1025 S. Post Oak Lane, will host a five-course Burgundy Dinner on March 31. The meal will feature the Burgundy wines of Vineyard Brands and will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person (++). For reservations, call 713-355-1975.
Trevisio restaurant is continuing its Guest “Chef” Series in April with Dr. Paula O’Neill. O’Neill is associate dean of educational research and professional development at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston and professor in the department of diagnostic sciences. Her signature dish for the month will be Salmon over Orecchiette Pasta with rappini, radicchio, leeks, lem, and extra virgin olive oil. A happy hour on Wednesday, April 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. will kick off her signature dish. Trevisio is located at 6550 Bertner in the John P. McGovern Texas Medical Center Commons. For more information, call 713-749-0400.
Bistro Calais, at 2811 Bammel Lane, continues with its monthly live jazz nights on Thursdays and Fridays from 7-10 p.m. Here’s the upcoming schedule for the rest of March and April:
- March 27, Jane Vindiver Duo
- March 28, Sharon Montgomery Duo
- April 1, Open Mike Night with Jane Vandiver
- April 4, Sharon Montgomery Duo
- April 11, Mood Indigo
- April 18, Jane Vandiver Duo
- April 25, Sharon Montgomery Duo
Hungry? Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill Memorial City will host an intimate five-course wine dinner at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8. The special guest will be John Holdredge, owner and winemaker at Holdredge Winery in the Russion River Valley. Seating is limited to 24 guests. Cost is $125 per person (++). For reservations and more information, call 832-358-9000. The restaurant is located at 9827 Katy Freeway.
Coming April 10, Azzarelli’s, located at 22764 Westheimer Parkway at Peek, will host a special four-course dinner featuring the Wines of Banfi Estates. Open seating from 5-9 p.m. Cost is $75 per person (++). For reservations, call 281-395-9010.
Don’t forget the Wine and Wildflower Trail, coming April 4-6 and 11-13 to the Texas Hill Country. According to the Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau, “The hills come alive with Texas bluebonnet and Indian paintbrush during spring’s annual wildflower profusion. Wine enthusiasts can enjoy vineyard tours, picnics, music and much more while drinking up the spectacular seasonal scenery. There is no charge for this trail event and no tickets are required.” For more information and a Wine Trail map, call 888-997-3600 or visit www.texaswinetrail.com
From the Wine List
"The Real (Red) Zinfandel"
Zinfandel, that’s red Zinfandel, is known as “America’s wine.” Thousands enjoy this dark red wine with flavors of cherry, raspberry and strawberry, and usually a higher than normal alcohol content.
People often ask, “Is Zinfandel really red?” They’re so used to seeing and enjoying White Zinfandel (a light, pink, somewhat sweet wine made from red Zinfandel grapes and made popular during the 1980s) that they don’t know that the original Zinfandel is a red wine. As such, it goes extremely well with grilled meats such as lamb chops and steaks, and with full-flavored cheeses such as asagio.
Zinfandel is a black-skinned grape grown predominantly in California. It was shown by DNA testing in the early 1990s to be the same as the Primitivo grape of Apulia, Italy, and later to be identical to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Naturally some people assumed that it had been brought to California from Italy. However, in the early 1800s, the grape existed and was known as “Zinfandal” on the East Coast of the U.S., long before it was known to exist in Italy. Turns out, old commercial records show the grape was brought to the U.S. East Coast from Austria, then was taken to California, and then may have been taken to Italy. Regardless of its heritage, “Zeinfindall” was exhibited at the California State Fair in 1858 and probably was the wine of choice for the explorers during the California Gold Rush. Today it is also grown to a small extent in South Africa and Western Australia.
The grape ripens unevenly and needs a long growing season with warm, dry weather. Its skin is thin, however, and too much heat will produce a bumper crop of raisins. Its long “hang time” produces a high sugar content which often results in an alcohol content of greater than 14%, above the usual 10-13% range of most table wines in the U.S. The grapes produce a dry, sturdy red wine that is especially rich if made from “old vines”; those are 30 years or more old. In California, the vine has been especially productive in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, around Paso Robles, and in Lodi and Amador County southeast of Sacramento.
A few weeks ago I attended a Zinfandel tasting where we tasted 19 commonly available wines. I rated them on a 0-5 scale, with 5 being the best. They are listed below (in the order tasted) to possibly aid you in your choice of wines. Prices are estimated retail. Whichever you choose, enjoy this wine distinctly identified with the United States; and if you get the chance, try and compare a wine from Italy made from Primitivo.
2006 Gnarly Head, Lodi, $10, 3.5
2005 Alexander Valley Vineyards, Sin Zin, Alexander Valley, $17, 4 (see note)
2003 Rancho Zabaco Reserve, Dry Creek Valley, $20, 3
2005 Alexander Valley Vineyards, Temptation, California, $12, 2 (see note)
2005 Norman Vineyards, Paso Robles, $25, 3.5
2005 Ravenswood, Sonoma County, $15, 2
2005 Sebastiani, Sonoma County, $11, 2
2005 Edmeades, Mendocino County, $18, 2
2005 Estancia, Keyes Canyon Ranches, Paso Robles, $15, 2
2005 Gravity Hills “Tumbling Tractor,” Paso Robles, $17, 2
2005 Peachy Canyon, “Incredible Red,” $10, 3
2005 Ridge, Litton Springs (a blend), $34, 3
2004 Thirsty Fish, Lake County, $10, 2.5
2005 C. G. Di Aire, Amador County, $18, 3
2005 Peachy Canyon, Westside, $19, 4.5
2005 Cedar Ville Vineyards, El Dorado, $19, 2
2005 Bogle “Old Vine,” California, $11, 2
2005 McManis, California, $12, 3
2005 Rosenblum, Richard Sauret Vineyards, Paso Robles, $26, 5
Note: Alexander Valley Vineyards makes three Zinfandels: Temptation, Sin Zin, and Redemption (about $27).
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Copyright My Table magazine, 2008
Protected by U.S. Copyright Law {Title 17 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq., Title 18 U.S.C. Section 2319}: Infringements can be punishable by up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
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