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"Readers' Survey; Tila's website; Shade's new shade"
Readers’ Survey
The editors at My Table magazine are committed to giving you the latest information on Houston-area food, restaurants and wine, as well as the personalities, trends and festivals that make this the vibrant food city we all enjoy.
So how are we doing? Please take a few moments to fill out our first-ever readers’ survey.
We’ve got some nice prizes as incentive.
By completing the survey, your name will be included in a random drawing to win four tickets to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Hobby Center September 19 through October 1 (courtesy of Broadway Across America), plus dinner for four at Morton’s the Steakhouse. Ten second-place winners will receive My Table tote bags.
Ready? Go to survey
Thank you for helping to make My Table a better magazine!
Please note: The deadline for completing the survey is Sunday, September 10, 2006. The winners will be contacted on Monday, September 11.
Tila’s Website
Tila’s Restaurante & Bar at 1111 S. Shepherd Drive (at the curve) has a new website. Check out the entire menu and the great Mexican food offerings at tilas If you have questions, call them at 713-522-7654. Tell them My Table sent you.
Made in the shade at Shade
Shade, at 250 W. 19th Street in the Heights, has a renovated patio covered by lovely umbrellas and topped off with a cute, little children’s table for four. You can also book it, or a table inside, for your brunch or happy hour party by calling 713-863-7500.
Culinary Calendar
"American Food, a Gala and a Culinary Trip"
Explore and Celebrate American Foods
Wednesdays, October 11-November 15, 2006, My Table editor Teresa Byrne-Dodge leads a new and unique course at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University.
“The Anthropology of Food: American Originals” will explore and celebrate foods original to the Americas, including tomoatoes, chocolate, corn, chiles, and more. Lectures will include history, sociology, mythology, food lore, and recipes, and each session will conclude with a tasting. Fee: $160.
For more information:
Click here
10th Annual Houston Culinary Awards Gala
The gala dinner is set for Sunday, October 1, at Ibiza. If you’d like to attend, contact us ASAP at 713-529-5500 or email culinaryawards@my-table.com Tickets are $150 each, must be paid for at the time of ordering, and always sell out. Get your order in now.
Culinary Trip to Mexico
My Table is sponsoring a culinary trip to Mexico early next year. In conjunction with Hugo Ortega of Hugo’s restaurant, we will take a group of up to 30 people to Oaxaca January 17-22 for six days of cooking, tasting, touring, and shopping. Among the highlights is a cooking class and market shopping with cookbook author and cooking instructor Susana Trilling.
The trip is priced at $1552 per person (double occupancy) and includes RT airfare from Houston, hotel for five nights, daily breakfast, ground transportation, cooking demos, and five dinners with wine. Deposit of $500 due October 30, 2006 with the balance due December 1.
For more information, call Betty Feehan at 713-479-1312 or email Betty.Feehan@Navigant.com
My Recipe
"Asparagus and Parmesan Flan"
Asparagus and Parmesan Flan with Morel Mushroom Cream Sauce
Makes 8 first-course servings
For flan
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
4 large eggs
1 and one-third cups whole milk
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
1 and one-quarter teaspoons kosher salt
One-half teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
One-eighth teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
For sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces fresh morel mushrooms (thoroughly cleaned)
1 teaspoon julienned basil
One-half cup whipping cream
1 cup of blanched asparagus spears
1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
Make flan:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 8, individual-size, Teflon-coated savarin molds. Steam asparagus in a steamer set over boiling water, covered, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Purée asparagus in a food processor until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (You will have about 2 cups purée.)
Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl, then whisk in asparagus purée. Pour asparagus mixture into pan and bake in a hot water bath until flan is set and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer pan to a rack to cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
Make sauce while flan cools:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add morels and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add basil. Stir in whipping cream, asparagus and mustard. Bring to a boil, stir and remove from heat. Season sauce with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Run a thin knife around edge of flan to loosen, then quickly invert and place flan onto plate or bowl. Spoon morel cream sauce around flan and serve immediately.
From the Wine List
"Malbec among Friends"
Malbec was once one of the five grapes used to make the traditional Bordeaux red wine blend.
But it went out of style in France. Now, this “abandoned” grape has found a receptive home in the lofty Andes foothills where it is being turned into rich, bold red wines.
Here are the top five picks from Corks, the wine column written by Chuck Jenkins and me. For more details, see the August/September issue of My Table. A combined rating of 10 is possible.
2005 Terrazas de Los Andes Afincado, Vineyard Las Compuestas, rating 9.5
2005 Crios, rating 9
2003 Felipe Rutini, rating 8
2003 Catena, rating 8
2003 Mapema, rating 7.5
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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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