by Emily

Fashion Goes Gourmet with Delicacies Jewelry

What do you give the chef, home cook, or food lover who has it all? When their kitchen is bursting at the seams with every kind of specialty ingredient and kitchen gadget possible, why not try… jewelry?!

A team of food loving entrepreneurs, including designer Nicolle Nelson and Chief Culinary Officer Andrew Zimmern (you know, of Bizarre Foods fame), has come out with a new line of bracelets called “Delicacies.” Billing itself as “The world’s first and only full-line of jewelry for epicureans,” Delicacies offers sterling silver & leather charm bracelets and gold pendants. Each piece features an ingredient – artichoke, chicken, basil, egg, fish, etc.

Similar to selecting a gemstone with certain ascribed powers, each Delicacies piece has a special meaning. For example, cacao means creativity, passion, and prosperity, while chicken signifies good fortune, protection, and wisdom. (Chickens are protective? Who knew!)

Delicacies sent me a bracelet to try out (tomato = health, love, and passion… I’ll take it!) and it even came in a cute little mason jar holder instead of a jewelry box. The leather bracelet strap is bordered in a lovely robin’s egg blue color that perfectly matches my FitBit (score!). The charm is very delicate and doesn’t stand out, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on how you like your jewelry. Here I am holding a tomato, IN a tomato bracelet. Whoaaaa.

And hey, Father’s Day is coming up next weekend. Delicacies now offers “Thick Cuts” which are basically man bracelets, could be a thoughtful gift for the dude in your life if he (a) loves to cook and (b) loves to wear accessories.

The real question, I guess, is… are you a big enough fan of cooking and tomatoes (or whatever your choice ingredient is) that you’d like to wear your love on your wrist? These bracelets are $75 a pop ($85 for the thick cuts) and the pendants are all around $200. A pretty penny! Would you consider one of these pieces for yourself or a food-loving friend, or do you prefer to spend your dough on actual food?

Seafood Pasta Jobell Cafe and Bistro Wimberley, Texas

by Emily

Food Porn of the Day: Seafood Pasta Overload

I guess overload isn’t the best word, because in this case, there is NO such thing as too much of a good thing. This is the seafood pasta from the lovely Jobell Cafe & Bistro in Wimberley, Texas. This gorgeous pile of decadence is comprised of lobster tails (yes not tail, tails!) and lump crab served over fresh sundried tomato pasta with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and fresh parmesan cheese. I can’t emphasize how amazing this was. If you are ever in the Texas Hill Country area, you owe it to yourself to stop by Jobell’s beautiful grounds to treat yourself to a glass of wine and this ultra-luxurious dish on their shady patio.

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by Emily

Say Yee Haw to National Burger Month

Did you know that May is National Burger Month?! Well, it is. As a human living in Austin, Texas, I eat my fair share of beef, and my Austin born & raised fiance eats a TON of it. It’s safe to say that burgers are his #1 favorite food in the world. So I feel like I’m somewhat qualified, even if it’s through transference, to tell you about good beef and burgers. And yes, if you haven’t been to Texas and had our beef, it’s good. Really, really good. (May I recommend ALC if you’re ever in the neighborhood?)

The lovely people at the Texas Beef Council sent over their latest recipe for celebrating National Burger Month: the Western Burger. This burger keeps it simple… no crazy sauces or deep-fried mischief here, just solid beef with a slight twist… jalapeños right in the patty! Because Texans also like it spicy. Texas Beef Council says, “This Western Burgeris a perfect, guilt-free way to celebrate the month-long holiday and gives a nutritious spin on one of Texans’ summertime staples fit for any backyard gathering.” Works for me! So if you want this bad boy healthy, you can serve him in a lettuce wrap instead of a bun, but follow your heart/stomach.

Texas Beef Council’s Western Burger

Cocktail O’Clock: A Better Bloody Mary

There’s no better way to brunch-bust a hangover than with a nice, tall bloody Mary. But as the weather gets warm, I often find a dark-red glass of tomato juice just doesn’t sound appealing in the morning. Fortunately, we have options, courtesy Supper @ Hotel Emma in San Antonio. Housed within the original Pearl Brewery brewhouse, Emma serves a unique lineup of clear cocktails that puts a unique spin on classic drinks. Their “Pearl” bloody Mary starts with a housemade tomato water, mixed up with lemon juice and mineral water for a lighter, fizzy BM experience. (And vodka, of course!)

“The Pearl” Bloody Mary

1 1/2 oz Vodka

2 1/2 oz tomato water ( See below for recipe)

.25 oz lemon juice

.25 oz mineral water

Mom’s Breakfast in Bed: Cheesy Corn Muffins with Nut Pesto

In need of a last-minute momma’s day idea? Here’s a quick and easy bake-up that will have your house smelling cheesy and warm, and brings the flavor with a creative savory pesto in lieu of butter and jam.

CORN MUFFINS

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup plain flour

1 1/3 cups cornmeal

1 tbsp. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 pinch white pepper

4 tbsp. softened butter

1/2 cup Jarlsberg® cheese

NUT PESTO

5 tbsp. olive oil

1 pack fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup cashew nuts

salt and pepper

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

This Exists: Indian Poutine

We love every kind of poutine here at ES, from poutine potato skins to poutine tater tots, the poutine burger and the poutine cronut (OK, I made that last one up, but if someone wants to make a pou-ronut I am 100% on board).

Here’s a new one: Desi Galli restaurant in NYC is now serving Indian poutine, made with Tikka Masala gravy and grated paneer cheese. Yes, please.

in Cheese / Restaurants / Trends 0 comments

by snebbu

Leftover Easter Candy Cookies

It’s been over a week since Easter and you still have a bag of random candy visited somewhere you think nobody can hear you when you crack into those wrappers. With every crinkle is a little bit of regret. Meanwhile, you stare into the bag wondering when the hell you will ever reach the bottom. We here at Endless Simmer are problem solvers. Which is why we bring you Easter Candy Cookies. Take whatever easter candy you have (minus jelly beans) and throw them into these suckers. You won’t regret it.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks room temperature butter
12 tbsp. sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Your remaining chocolate Easter candies CHOPPED

Recipe

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Blend butter, sugars, and add eggs and vanilla until mixed
Gradually mix in dry ingredients – do not overmix
Stir in the candy
Bake on cookie sheet fro 8-10 minutes

We didn’t bake all of the dough at once – it will freeze well and bake it whenever you have a hankering for a warm cookie.

in Desserts / Recipe 0 comments

by Emily

Cocktail O’ Clock: The Artist’s Lament

Every Spring, Austin hosts the Moontower Comedy & Oddity Fest, a festival all about – you guessed it – comedy. This year, Moontower features comedians like Martin Short, David Cross, Leslie Jones, Maya Rudolph, Janeane Garofolo, and more… and it’s happening this very weekend! In honor of the event, Justin Elliott, the Director of Hospitality and Bar Program Creator at popular downtown cocktail bar The Townsend has created a special drink, only available Thursday (4/21) through Saturday (4/23). It’s called the Artist’s Lament ($8) and it’s available at the bar, which is hosting a number of Moontower shows.

This drink is only on the menu during Moontower, and The Townsend will be a popular spot during the festival for comedy shows and, of course, drinks. If you’re not in Austin for the fest this weekend, no worries! We got the secret recipe to make this complex and bitter cocktail at home.

What Justin says about this drink: “Loosely based on the classic ‘Artist’s Special’ I present – in honor of the miserable lot that we all know comedians to be – the ‘Artist’s Lament.’ Basically it has a lot of the tasting notes of an Artist’s Special but it’s way more bitter and it’s definitely smoking about a pack a day.”

Sounds good to us! Bottoms up to the weekend, let’s laugh and lament.

The Artist’s Lament

1 oz Dolin Vermouth Dry
1 oz Bigallet Amer China-China
.5 oz (1:1) Simple Syrup
.75 oz Lemon Juice
.25 oz Port Charlotte Islay Scotch Whisky

Swizzle together with crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

in Drinks / Endless Cocktails 0 comments

by Emily

Photo of the Day: Neon Pink Pitaya Happiness

Neon colors aren’t often found in natural foods, but get a load of this bowl! I’ve recently become enamored with pitaya (aka dragon fruit), the sweet, tropical cactus fruit with a bright pinky-red flesh. Its creamy pulp is becoming a popular addition to smoothies and bowls these days, and I encountered an especially tasty version at Blenders and Bowls here in Austin.

This is the funfetti bowl (so obviously I had to try it, since anything funfetti is heaven in my book). It has pitaya, pineapple, banana, vanilla protein powder and vanilla almond milk. Then it’s topped with hemp granola, banana, goji berries, bee pollen, local honey, & edible flowers. It was incredibly flavorful and full of texture – cold, creamy, chewy, crunchy. I wouldn’t say it tastes exactly like funfetti cake, but still delicious (and, come on, way more nutritious). Literally one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever eaten. And let’s talk about how people are putting smoothies in bowls now… it doesn’t completely make sense to me, but it does make for more opportunities to create a gorgeous presentation.

Anyway, you guys, this is why I’ve given up on making smoothies at home. Kind of lazy of me, but let’s be real. When I can spend like $8 at a specialty cafe and get this glorious bowl, why would I try to source my own exotic superfoods and edible flowers to make this myself? Some things are better left to the pros, and I think this neon tropical bowl is one of them.

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by BS

Cocktail O’Clock: Prosecco Raspberry Lemonade

Don’t know about where ya’ll are, but in NYC this weekend we finally had some serious spring weather — as in break out the bubbly and brunch all day spring weather.

In the spirit of the season, here’s an effervescent spring cocktail that combined beautiful berries, some nice tart homemade lemonade flavor, and of course booze.

Prosecco Raspberry Lemonade

Ingredients

1 Bottle Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore
1/8 Cup Sugar
1/8 Cup Lemon Sugar
1/2 Tablespoon Lemon Rind, Grated
1 Cup Mashed Raspberries

Directions:

Combine sugar and juice in a small saucepan, bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute, stirring until sugar dissolves
Remove from heat
Stir in lemon rind and ½ cup of mashed raspberries
Combine mixture and Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore in pitcher
Sprinkle remaining raspberries among the glasses

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Texas Beef Council’s Western Burger

“The Pearl” Bloody Mary

The Artist’s Lament

Prosecco Raspberry Lemonade