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
Appeteasers
"Winners of 10th Annual Culinary Awards"
Houston’s culinary crème de la crème gathered at Ibiza Food & Wine Bar on October 1st for My Table magazine’s 10th Annual Awards for Culinary Excellence in Houston. The gala reception and dinner was hosted by Charles Clark and Grant Cooper, winners of the 2005 Restaurateur of the Year award, and My Table publisher Teresa Byrne-Dodge.
Houston’s top chefs, restaurateurs, industry professionals and local “foodies” gathered to honor winners of the 2006 Houston Culinary Awards with a special tribute to restaurateur Alex Brennan-Martin, recipient of the eighth Legends of Houston Restaurants Award. Event proceeds benefited the Houston Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program.
The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception followed by a specially created four-course dinner by Chef Charles Clark. Following the awards ceremony, tables were cleared away and guests enjoyed the Culinary Awards after party, dancing until the early morning hours.
Winners of the 2006 Awards for Culinary Excellence are:
RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR ~ John Sheely, Mockingbird Bistro Wine Bar
CHEF OF THE YEAR ~ John Sheely, Mockingbird Bistro Wine Bar
UP-AND-COMING CHEF OF THE YEAR ~ Jason Gould, Gravitas
OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE ~ Cafe Rabelais
PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR ~ Lisa Biggerstaff, Dacapo’s Bakery & Deli
OUTSTANDING BAR SERVICE ~ Bar Annie
SERVICE PERSON OF THE YEAR ~ Bill Floyd, ICON Hotel
CATERER OF THE YEAR ~ Jim Manning Catered Affairs
BEST INTERIOR DESIGN ~ Glass Wall
BEST NEW RESTAURANT ~ Glass Wall
A La Carte
"Tasty Happenings Around Town"
- Le Mistral, celebrating five years of serving unique French cuisine in Houston, has announced an expanded restaurant with a grand opening targeted for late spring or early summer 2007.
“We really care about our customers and we’d like nothing more than to accommodate their growing requests,” said David Denis, Chef and Co-owner of Le Mistral. “Our dream always has been to build a freestanding restaurant, something we’ve been planning for a few years now. We are very excited about our new location and the increase in offerings for our expanding clientele. Rest assured that Le Mistral is not changing, but only getting better.”
The new location will be right next door to its current restaurant at 1420 Eldridge Parkway between Briar Forest and Memorial, but triple in square footage, increasing from 2,700 square feet to more than 9,000 square feet. However, the dining room will remain intimate, only increasing to 22 tables from 18, but with more space in between.
The new location also will boast a private banquet room on the second level, comfortably seating up to 120 people, a Chef’s Table for small parties located in the kitchen, and a wine cellar, which also will serve as a private dining area, seating up to 12 people. The wine cellar will house an impressive collection of wine.
Co-owner and front manager Sylvain Denis notes that finishing off the upscale offerings of the new location, the restaurant also will have a separate, 1,400-square-foot Jazz Lounge, showcasing live jazz music every Friday and Saturday evening. The upscale lounge will offer a large selection of premium bar brands and a separate, more casual menu. It also will open up onto an outdoor courtyard area.
For those busy Houstonians without time to enjoy the fine dining at Le Mistral, the new location will introduce Foody’s Gourmet, featuring many of the restaurant’s signature items, including specialty olive oils, sauces, dressings, imported cheeses, homemade desserts, and other delectable delights. A quick stop on the way home from work or to pick up items for entertaining friends will allow busy customers to have the same Le Mistral experience at their homes. Cooking classes also will be offered.
For additional information, call 832-379-8322 or visit Le Mistral
- John Watt and Tracy Vaught, operators of Trevisio Italian Restaurant in the Texas Medical Center, recently announced the appointment of Jon Buchanan as the new executive chef.
Buchanan came to Trevisio in 2005, serving as sous-chef under Bonner Cameron, who recently resigned his position. Says Watt, “Jon is the perfect candidate to lead Trevisio. He is very pro-active in producing exciting new specials, approaching each dish with a fresh attitude, incorporating the freshest seasonal items to our menu in a creative way.”
Buchanan, a graduate of the Art Institute of Houston Culinary Arts Program, has been in restaurant kitchens for the past 13 years. His previous restaurant experience prior to Trevisio was as executive chef at Daily Review Café, overseeing a menu of creative American comfort food.
In addition to his formal culinary credentials, Buchanan has also honed his skills in some of Houston’s best restaurant kitchens. He has worked under Robert del Grande at Café Annie, and spent time under the tutelage of the French master chef Georges Masraff when he opened the eponymous Masraff’s on Post Oak.
“This is a very difficult profession. It is physically demanding and at the same time artistically challenging,” says Buchanan. “But being able to create new dishes, run my own kitchen, and pull together a staff that I’m proud of, well, it’s definitely rewarding,” he states.
- Now in its fourth year as a premier attraction at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Rodeo Uncorked! Wine Show attracts wines from across Texas, the United States and throughout the world. The fourth annual International Wine Competition will be held Nov. 11-12, 2006 in Reliant Center. The competition itself is not open to the general public, but the winning wines will be presented for tasting and awards at the Roundup and Best Bites Competition on Feb. 26, 2007, at 7 p.m. in Reliant Astrodome. In 2006, more that 4,000 guests tasted the award winning wines and sampled signature bites from the participating Houston area restaurants, caterers, shops and hotels.
The Champion Wine Auction and Dinner will be held March 3, 2007, at 6 p.m. in the Methodist Training Center at Reliant Park. A reception and the pairing of the champion wines with a special seated dinner begin the exciting evening of bidding for the award-winning wines from the competition. The Champion wine lots are unique, with over-sized etched bottles prepared especially for this event.
The Double-Barrel Sampler Case, containing specially blended wines from 12 great wineries, may be purchased from members of the Wine Competition and Auction Committee.
See the Event Schedule and Wine Event Tickets for more information.
From the Wine List
"Wine Industry Trends"
As a nation, we are consuming more wine. And I think, as Martha would say, “That’s a good thing.” American diners are realizing the health and gastronomic benefits of wine as a beverage and a food complement.
According to The Wine Institute, in 1995 U.S. consumption was 1.77 gallons per person. Total wine consumption was 464 million gallons. (I believe I drank a gallon or two or that, myself.) Ten years later, 2005 individual consumption rose to 2.37 gallons and total consumption had increased 52 percent to 703 million gallons. We can see daily evidence of this as more and more Americans enjoy wine when dining out as well as at home. Just check the shopping carts at Randall’s or Central Market.
We Americans still lag behind the French and Italians, however. They were at 60 and 54 liters (15.8 and 14.3 gallons) per capita, respectively, averaged over the 1997-2000 period. Luxembourg, however takes top honors, at 61.5 liters (16 gallons) per person over that same period.
As wine consumption has increased, the number of individual wineries has grown. Seems like every movie star, Hollywood producer, doctor, dentist and lawyer, not to mention common folk, want to get into the wine business. In Texas, for example, there are now over 100 bonded, working wineries, with many more waiting to get approval.
At the same time, there has been considerable consolidation in the industry around the world. Witness the purchase of Robert Mondavi Winery for about $1.3 billion by Constellation Brands and a similar purchase of Vincor International of Canada, one of that country’s largest wine producers. Constellation, out of New York State, is now the world’s largest wine producer. Similarly, Fosters of Australia, best known for its beer, has been gobbling up wineries right and left for many years. Even in Europe, many still wine and champagne houses have been bought by luxury goods conglomerates, often because inheriting family members can’t pay the taxes imposed once the original owner(s) die.
Significant price increases, especially for top European and California wines, have become all too common over the past decade. For the stellar 2005 vintage in Bordeaux, prices of top tier wines are expected to start at $500 per bottle, according to a recent edition of Wine Spectator. Many California stars are over $100 per bottle. Competition for great wines from countries like Japan and China is helping to drive prices up.
Offsetting this trend, though, has been the strengthening of the U.S. dollar versus the euro over the past two years, and a glut of Australian, Chilean, South African, and lesser California wines. Low priced brands such as Yellow Tail, Two Buck Chuck, Don Sebastiani & Sons, and Three Thieves have taken advantage of this excess to provide more wines at $10 per bottle or less.
Speaking of change, there are also more choices available to consumers these days in how to buy wines. Boxes, bags, and hand-held collapsible containers abound. Wine marketers are finding a seemingly infinite number of ways to entice us to buy their brand of $10 wine. Fancy labels, odd-shaped bottles, cute names, and colorful packing beckon us to grab a particular bottle from the hundreds or thousands on the shelves. Examples are names such as Red Truck, Smoking Loon, and Used Automobile Parts. I even saw a wine recently called Chicken Wine. Why should you buy it? Because, said the sign, it’s cheep, cheep, cheep. And with the worldwide problem of cork taint, we’ve also seen the emergence of plastic corks, composite corks, screw caps, and glass stoppers as imaginative ways to seal the bottle.
The Lone Star State also has seen many changes. In addition to the growing number of wineries and vineyards, Texans are becoming more selective in what they plant to accommodate the Texas climate and soils. Varieties such as syrah, sangiovese, and grenache are replacing old standbys such as chardonnay and merlot since the former grow better in many parts of Texas.
This influx of grape varieties that historically have flourished around the Mediterranean Sea in Italy and France has received a special name from Houstonian Dr. Russell Kane, executive director of the Wine Society of Texas. He calls it “Tex-Med,” which I think is very appropriate. Due to our state’s growing industry and receptivity to wine, Texas is now No. 5 in the country in terms of wine production and consumption.
We’ve also seen a change in consumer preferences and sophistication when it comes to the wines we drink. Pinot Grigio has become the number one imported white wine, cutting into the market share historically enjoyed by Chardonnay. Pinot Noir has rocketed in popularity, with much credit given to the move Sideways. And traditional Rhone Valley varieties such as Syrah and Viognier are increasing in popularity across the country including Texas.
Finally, we’ve seen a huge increase in the reported health benefits of moderate wine consumption for the average individual. One to two glasses of wine per day, especially red wine which is high in antioxidants, has been found to increase heart health, add fiber to the diet, and reduce the onset of cancer in many studies. Wine’s benefits are still being studied to obtain additional data.
If you are intrigued, as I am, by the art, science and passion of wine, not to mention its flavors, aromas and food-enhancing qualities, you’ll find most of these changes to be positive. Not only does wine increase our conviviality and enjoyment of life, its changing nature keeps us on our toes, too.
My Recipe
"Asparagus 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 eight, 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 two 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 one 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.
Something Sweet
"Mexican Chocolate at Hugo's"
Chef Hugo Ortega’s desserts have created quite a buzz, especially the housemade chocolate, at Hugo’s mexican restaurant.
Ortega roasts his own cacao beans and, in keeping with the tradition and using a grinder he brought back from Mexico, Ortega makes the restaurant’s chocolate the same way it has been done in his mother’s village for centuries.
The chocolate is used for the Chocolate Caliente (Mexican hot chocolate, prepared in a Mexican pot), Flan de Chocolate, arguably the world’s best chocolate ice cream, mole poblano, and more.
Subscription options
Your subscriptions options are below.
To unsubscribe,
You are subscribed as [email]
Disclaimer
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.
If you'd like to suggest SideDish to a friend, please point them to: http://www.my-table.com/sidedish/
To BECOME A SIDEDISH MEMBER, please visit: http://www.my-table.com/sidedish/ or email sidedish@my-table.com
NOTE: If URLs do not appear as live links in your e-mail program, please cut and paste the full URL into the location or address field of your browser.