Turkey Day is upon us, and an abundance of families will be cooking fall-centric dishes at home tomorrow. In case you’re looking to scrounge up some last-minute Thanksgiving recipes, here are a few offerings from a handful of talented Texas chefs.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Absinthe Crème Fraîche from Jason Dodge of Péché 

For the soup:
½ medium-sized sugar pie pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 shallots, peeled and quartered
3 cups chicken stock
¼ cup maple syrup
2 sprigs fresh thyme

In a large bowl toss pumpkin with thyme, salt and pepper, and shallots in olive oil until thoroughly coated. Place on a medium sheet tray. Roast at 400 degrees until slightly caramelized. Let cool before handling. Heat stock to a simmer and add pumpkin, shallots, and maple syrup. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.

For the crème fraîche:
1 cup crème fraîche
½ cup Pernod Absinthe

Reduce absinthe by ½ cup in a small sauté pan over high heat. Fold into crème fraiche. In a serving bowl, ladle soup and spoon crème fraiche on top. Garnish with pumpernickel or Pecorino Romano croutons.

Maple Bread Pudding from John Bates, chef/owner of Noble Pig Sandwiches

“The reason I love bread pudding is because it reminds of the holidays. It is good in so many ways and reminds me of family,” Bates says.

Maple Bacon Bread Pudding
loaf day-old bread
6 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
1 cup maple syrup
¾ teaspoon breakfast sausage, cured
9 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 ½ cups bacon, crumbled and crispy

Dice your bread. In a pot add half and half, sugar, maple syrup, and breakfast sausage. Bring the milk up to a simmer and allow the sugar to dissolve and infuse the flavors. In a mixing bowl, add whole eggs and egg yolks. Mix together the eggs and temper the hot milk into eggs. Pour hot custard base over the diced bread and bacon. Allow to soak for thirty minutes and then pack into mason jars. Put jars into a water bath and bake until set in a 350-degree oven. Approximately 45 minutes.

Apple Cheddar Pie from Janina O’Leary, executive pastry chef of TRACE

Cheddar-Cheese Tart shell
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons cold water

Crumble topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Apple Pie Filling:
6 cups cored, peeled, and thinly sliced crisp apples
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Crust: In a large bowl or food processor  combine flour and salt. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese and toss. Add cold water, by the tablespoon, until a rough dough forms. Gather dough into a ball, flatten into 3/4-inch-thick disk, and tightly wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Turn overhanging dough under itself to form an edge along the top of the pan, and crimp edges. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is lightly browned — about 15 minutes.

Filling: Add cut apples to a large bowl and toss with lemon juice and zest. In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the apples and toss to mix thoroughly. Spoon the apples into the prepared crust.

Crumble topping: In a small bowl using a fork, toss flour, brown sugar, butter, and grated cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the top of the pie with crumble mixture. Place pie in the middle of the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown — 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sullivan’s Thanksgiving Eggs Benedict from Thomas Dritsas, corporate executive chef at Sullivan’s Steakhouse

“The Thanksgiving Eggs Benedict is a fun way to repurpose your leftover turkey into a uniquely delicious dish for the whole family to enjoy the next morning,” Dritsas says.

Thanksgiving Eggs Benedict
1 English muffin, split
2 ounces gravy
2-4 ounces turkey slices
2-4 ounces stuffing
2 cups water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 jumbo eggs (for poaching)
3 ounces cranberry sauce

Start by heating the turkey, stuffing, and gravy in a microwave until warm throughout. Split the English muffin, then toast and place on a warm plate or platter of choice. Divide stuffing with an ice cream scoop or large spoon and place on top of each side of the English muffin. Top stuffing with slices of reheated turkey and press down on stuffing to level out so the egg will sit on top of the turkey properly. Bring the water and vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepot. Crack 2 eggs, then drop into the simmering water and poach for 2-4 minutes depending on how you like your eggs done. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain well on a paper towel to remove liquid. Set one egg on top of the turkey that is on each side of the toasted English muffin. Ladle approximately 1 ounce of gravy over each poached egg. Spoon the cranberry sauce on the plate accompanying the Benedict. Serve immediately.

Braised Short Rib from Olivier Ciesielski, chef of  L’Olivier Restaurant & Bar

“This dish reminds me of my childhood in Burgundy, France. It’s a simple, very rustic dish that my mother used to cook. We ate a nice braised meal almost every week during autumn and the winter,” Ciesielski says.

Braised Short Rib
5 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2 inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 whole tomatoes, crushed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
3 ounces of red wine
5 cups beef stock (demi-glace)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy pan oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate and reserve.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomatoes; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, and then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic and beef stock.  Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender,  about 2–2 1/2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in plate with the potato tart with sauce spooned over.

Green Bean Bundles from Patrick Russell, chef of MAX’s Wine Dive Dallas

Green Bean Bundles
Yields 25-30 bundles
2 pounds fresh green beans
1 pound applewood-smoked bacon—thick cut is best
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 orange
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Clean green beans by clipping the tip and tails, and removing the string.  Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, take the green beans and cook for 3 minutes; strain and shock in ice water to cool, repeat until all green beans are cooked. Strain green beans from ice water. In a new pot, boil butter and brown sugar; add soy sauce, garlic, and the juice of one orange and boil for 3-5 minutes more. Take the bacon and cut the strips in half. Wrap 5-7 green beans per each half, and place into a deep baking pan. Pour sauce over green beans, and let sit overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until bacon is rendered and crispy.

Turkey Gravy from Christina Lee, chef of Central Market Cooking School in Austin 

“I love this recipe because it is easy, tasty, and versatile. I use it to make turkey pot pies, turkey and dumplings, and baked turkey and rice casserole.  It’s also delicious on mashed potatoes,” Lee says.

Easy Turkey Gravy
yields 4 cups
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups hot turkey stock
1 tablespoon each of parsley, thyme, sage, and oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium pot, melt the butter and add the flour.  Whisk continuously until a blond roux has been achieved, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the hot turkey stock 1 cup at a time, whisking to incorporate into the roux. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Butternut Squash Cheesecake from Michelle Antonishek, executive pastry chef of Bar Mirabeau

Antonishek says this dessert is extra special to her because she made it for husband, Bar Mirabeau’s Executive Chef Bill McGrory, the day Bill asked Michelle to marry him.

Crust
2 cups graham crackers
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted

Mix all ingredients together and line cheesecake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut two butternut squash in half and place on pan lined with water.  Bake until butternut squash is tender and soft. Scoop out the squash and place in a blender and puree until smooth.Hang in cheesecloth to drain the excess water and moisture.

Butternut Squash Cheesecake
1 pound cream cheese
4.5 ounces sugar
12 ounces squash puree
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon cloves
6 eggs

Cream the cream cheese, sugar, and spices until smooth on low speed. Add the squash and mix until smooth on slow speed. Add the eggs one at a time scraping after every other egg. Strain and bake in a water bath at 275 degrees until set. (Depending on size: large 10″ cheesecakes, approximately take 1-1.5 hrs.) Serve with whipped cream and candied pecans.

Roasted Green Chile Pecan Dressing from Joe Synatschk, executive chef of Central Market Fort Worth

“This dressing is spicy and crunchy, and pairs well with turkey or pork at Thanksgiving,” Synatschk says.

1 8×8 pan cornbread, crumbled
1 small loaf crusty bread, cubed
3 poblano or hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1-2 jalapeño peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 cup sweet corn kernels
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2-3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt and black pepper, to taste.

Allow breads to sit and dry out a bit. Char jalapeños and poblanos. Allow to sit in a bowl covered with plastic for 5 minutes. Peel, seed, and chop peppers, reserving some jalapeño to adjust for spiciness to taste. In a large sauté pan, sweat onions and celery in butter until tender. Add corn and sauté until warmed through.

In a large bowl, combine crumbled corn bread, cubed bread, chile mixture (some reserved), onion mixture, pecans, and half the stock. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add more stock as needed for desired texture. Taste for spiciness, add more chiles as necessary. Stir in beaten eggs and cilantro and place in a large baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until set and at an internal temp of 160.

Aji Ham from Rene Ortiz, executive chef of Sway and La Condesa

Whole roasted spiral cut ham from local butcher
Aji dijon glaze (recipe below)
canned pineapple rings
maraschino cherries
toothpicks

Aji Glaze
1 cup dijon mustard
2 cups local honey
1/2 cup Aji Amarillo paste (Peruvian yellow chili found at Mexican food markets)

Glaze method: Place ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil, reserve with a brush to glaze the ham.

Place the ham onto roasting rack. Add the decorative garnish with pineapple first, then the cherry, and stab them with toothpick. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and start the process of basing with the Aji glaze. While the ham is cooking, occasionally add some of the sweet glaze to it. Once the ham is up to temp and the glaze is starting to caramelize, the ham is ready to come out of the oven.

Apple Pie from Laura Sawicki, executive pastry chef of Sway and La Condesa

Pie dough
yields one double crust pie
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
8 ounces unsalted butter, diced
about 1/2 cup ice water

In a food processor, mix flour, salt, and sugar together. Pulse to evenly distribute. Add the cold, diced butter and pulse several times until the pieces are small and pea-like. Do not over mix! Pulse in the ice water a little at a time, adding up to 1/2 cup, if needed. Pulse until it just comes together. Turn onto a floured table and very gently knead the dough once or twice to bring all the flour together. Dough should be shaggy and loosely incorporated. Divide the dough into two pieces and form into a flattened round disk. Wrap dough and place in refrigerator overnight.

Filling:
7-8 apples
juice and zest of half a lemon
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Peel and slice the apples 1/4-inch thick. Toss the apples in a large bowl with all ingredients except the butter. Allow to macerate 5 minutes. When ready to assemble the pie, roll one piece of dough 12-14″ and place into the bottom of a pie tin. Trim the edges so there is a slight overhang. Place all the apples into the pie and dot the filling with butter. Roll remaining piece of dough slightly larger than the first. Fold in half and place over the filling. Unfold the dough to cover the pie completely. Gently tuck the edges of the dough into the pan, pulling the top dough over the bottom. Crimp the edges of the pie and place in the freezer about 30 minutes to firm up. The pie can remain frozen at this point.

Egg wash: Whisk together 1 egg, pinch of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon water

Brush the entire top of the pie with egg wash. Sprinkle liberally with sugar. Cut vent holes in the top of the pie in a decorative manner. This is crucial to allow steam to release. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for at least one hour. If the pie is getting too dark, turn the oven down to 325 degrees or wrap the edges in aluminum foil. Allow the pie to cool completely before eating.

Tagged: Aji Ham, Apple Cheddar Pie, Apple Pie, austin, Bar Mirabeau, Central Market, Christina Lee, Eggs Benedict, green beans, Houston, Janina O’Leary, Jason Dodge, Joe Synatschk, L'Olivier, la condesa, Laura Sawicki, MAX's Wine Dive, Michelle Antonishek, Noble Pig, Olivier Ciesielski, peche, recipes, Rene Ortiz, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Sway, texas, Thanksgiving, Thomas Dritsas, turkey gravy

Fall is upon us and you know what that means: pumpkins! Yes, these orange gourds are already making their way into local farmers markets and Texas restaurants. I’m pretty crazy about pumpkins and the eclectic culinary creations they inspire, so I decided to reach out to a number of Texas chefs and see what pumpkin dishes they’re planning to put on their fall menus. There were some many gourmet creations hailing from Dallas, Austin, and Houston that I had no choice but to divide this story into two parts. Check back tomorrow for more pumpkin dishes you can make at home.

TRACE‘s Pumpkin Beignets
Brioche
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 ½ cups pumpkin flour
1 ½ tsp salt
⅓ cup sugar
1 ⅓ tsp instant yeast
9 tbsp cold butter, cut into chunks
3 eggs
½ cup milk
⅓ cup water

TRACE’s Pumpkin Beignets

Combine yeast, warm water, and a pinch of the weighed out sugar in a bowl and let sit while you weigh out the rest of ingredients. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, gradually adding the eggs and yeast mixture. Add the butter and let it incorporate for about 15 minutes until the mixture is smooth and forming a ball shape. Put into greased bowl and let double in size. Refrigerate for 2 hours and cut into desired shape. Fry at 375 degrees for about two minutes. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Filling
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 egg
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 pinch salt
1 cup whipped cream

Combine the first 6 ingredients and lightly fold in whipped cream. Pipe into doughnuts after fried but while still warm.

W Hotel‘s Pumpkin Spice Martini
1 ½ oz vanilla vodka
½ oz Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka
½ oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
½ oz pumpkin spice liqueur
1 tsp vodka whipped cream

W Hotel’s Pumpkin Spice Martini

Combine the liquid ingredients into a shaker glass with big ice cubes. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a teaspoon of vodka whipped cream sprinkled with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve with a small number of roasted pumpkin seeds to balance the experience.

bolsa‘s Spiced Pumpkin Panna Cotta
1 ¼ cup milk
3 ½ sheets gelatin
1 ¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

bolsa’s Spiced Pumpkin Panna Cotta

Set the gelatin sheet in an ice water bath. Blend together the milk, pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, and spices until they reach a smooth consistency. Pour pumpkin mixture into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once the mixture is up to heat, take the gelatin sheets out of the ice bath, squeeze out the liquid, and set into the pumpkin puree mixture. Stir until all of the gelatin has dissolved. Pour in the heavy cream to finish. Ladle liquid into six 5-ounce ramekins. (The ramekins should be sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Chill the panna cotta until set – about 6-8 hours – and serve with cranberry sauce or top with whipped cream.

Farmhouse Delivery‘s Sausage and Risotto Soup Baked in a Pumpkin

Sausage and Risotto Soup Baked in a Pumpkin. Photo taken by Marshall Wright.

1 small pumpkin
olive oil
salt & pepper
1-2 cups cooked risotto (just about any flavor works)
4-6 smoked or sundried tomatoes
¼ – ½ cup cooked meat (sausage or chicken is best)
2 cups chicken stock
4 tbsp cream

Preheat oven to 350. Cut top off pumpkin and reserve. Scoop out seeds and filaments, leaving flesh in place. Rinse seeds and toast if desired, or discard. Rub pumpkin inside and out with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Soak dried tomatoes in warm water until softened and dice. Add to pumpkin cavity along with remaining ingredients, and check for seasoning. Replace pumpkin lid, place in small casserole dish and bake uncovered until cooked. To serve, place in a large bowl and ladle out soup along with scoops of cooked pumpkin.

MAX’S Wine Dive‘s Pumpkin Hummus

MAX’S Wine Dive’s Pumpkin Hummus

La Condesa’s Habanero Pumpkin Puree

Carnitas
2 pork shoulders (brined in salt water for 12-18 hours)
4 quarts of pork fat or duck fat

Cut the shoulder into 2-inch pieces and place in salt water solution and hold in refrigerator. After the brine has reached time, rinse the meat and pat it dry. Place in a deep pan or large pot, cover with fat, cover with foil and place in a 300 degree oven for 3 ½ hours.

Pumpkin Escabeche, pickled vegetables
diced pumpkin
cauliflower
Spanish onion
habanero

Once the carnitas are tender and ready, let them cool to room temperature. For pick-up and plating, sear the carnitas to crispy. Once the carnitas are crispy and seasoned, place a spoonful of the puree on your plate, place the carnitas on top, and garnish with escabeche and toasted pumpkin seeds (or pepitas). Optional: use some pumpkin seed oil as well for a more rich flavor. Serve hot with a side of corn tortillas, cilantro, and lime wedges.

The Carillon‘s Pumpkin Soup with Chorizo, Spiced Crema, and Herb Oil
2 large pumpkins, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
½ large yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp maple syrup
¼ lb Mexican-style chorizo
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp confectioners sugar
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup chives, chopped

Soup: In a large pot, sauté onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt until they have just a bit of color. Add pumpkins and just enough water to cover. Cook at a low boil until soft. Add molasses, maple syrup, and ¼ cup heavy cream. Puree and salt to taste.

Chorizo: If chorizo is in a sausage casing, remove and discard it. In a smallsauce pan, render chorizo until fully cooked. Strain fat and set aside.

Crema: In a medium mixing bowl, combine remaining cream with cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Mix rapidly with a wire whip until cream is firm enough to create stiff peaks. Salt to taste.

Herb Oil: In small saucepot, heat oil over low until approximately 150 degrees. (Just too hot to the touch. Combine oil and herbs in a blender and puree. Drain through a fine strainer. (Do not push through). Salt to taste.

 Backstreet Café‘s Spiced Pumpkin Hot Cocoa 

Backstreet Café’s Spiced Pumpkin Hot Cocoa

5 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ tsp vanilla bean or 1 whole vanilla bean
3 heaping tbsp cocoa mix (we make our own, but you can substitute Jacques Torres or Ghirardelli Double Chocolate)
1 ½ cups pumpkin puree (substitute Libby’s if you don’t want to make your own)
2 oz maple syrup
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon bark
½ tsp whole cloves
8 cardamom pods, crushed and opened, shells and seeds

In a large heavy-bottom pot, roast cinnamon bark, cloves, and cardamom over high heat. Cook until they begin to smoke and smell. Approximately 5 minutes. Pour in milk and cream. Add vanilla, salt, and pepper. Whisk in with pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Once warm and steaming, stir in maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Let infuse for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the cocoa mix. (If you want a more intense chocolate cocoa, you can also add in 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate at this point). Stir for 2 minutes until all the ingredients are dissolved and finely mixed. Reduce heat to medium and let cook for an additional 10 minutes. Run through a fine sieve to remove pumpkin pulp and spice pieces. Mix will keep up to four days after cooked if properly refrigerated.

Drink: Garnish with toasted marshmallows. You can toast marshmallows with a crème brûlée torch if you don’t have a fireplace. Put a dash of cinnamon over the top of the marshmallows and serve.

Tagged: austin, Backstreet Café, bolsa, dallas, Houston, la condesa, Layne Lynch, MAX's Wine Dive, Pumpkin, the Carillon, TRACE, W Hotel

I first met Andrew Zimmern last fall at Whip In in Austin where the spirited television chef was filming his hit Travel Channel series, “Bizarre Foods.” Though Zimmern has traveled all over the world, he made it clear to me during his stop in Texas that Austin’s culinary scene evoked a certain quality he rarely ever saw in American cuisine. “The people of Austin really enjoy being experimented at,” Zimmern explained to me. “They redefine the meaning of bizarre food.”

Tonight, the Austin episode of Bizarre Foods premieres at 8 p.m. CT and features some Austin favorites, including Foreign & Domestic, Contigo, Lamberts, Barley Swine, Gourdoughs, Dai Due, and a number of other Austin spots. It seems like Rene Ortiz of La Condesa will also be featured on the episode as well, according to a post on Sway’s Facebook page which warns, “Spoiler alert: Rene might kill something [tonight].”

Bridget Dunlap with Andrew Zimmern

The host for Zimmern’s Austin visit is Rainey Street Queen Bridget Dunlap, owner of Lustre Pearl, Clive Bar, Bar 96, and the yet-to-be-opened Container Bar. ”Andrew and the crew are super badass! He was so fun, sweet, and down-to-earth,” Dunlap said of her experience with Zimmern. ”We all stayed out together until 12:30 a.m. and had a blast. He loves his job and the crew loves him…the whole experience was really amazing.”

Catch all the Austin bizarreness tonight on the Travel Channel!

Tagged: Andrew Zimmern, austin, Barley Swine, Bridget Dunlap, Contigo, Dai Due, Foreign and Domestic, la condesa, Lambert's, Layne Lynch, Rene Ortiz, Sway, Travel Channel, Whip In

Attention, Austin foodies. You know that Thai restaurant that’s being built across from the Elizabeth Street Café by the La Condesa people? The one we’re all watching slowly rise from a vacant lot seemingly forever? Two of the most pressing questions about it have now been answered: The restaurant’s name will be Sway and it’s opening late this summer.

That’s sway, as in “beautiful” or “pretty” in the Thai language. More to the point, it means “delicious” if you’re talking about food. The other day co-owner Jesse Herman and executive chef–partner Rene Ortiz threw a small sneak-peek tasting party. Afterward, Herman led a walk through the new digs (still a work in progress), which are being designed by Austin architect-of-the-moment Michael Hsu.

The space, which seats 150 inside and out, is like nothing else I’ve seen in Austin. The kitchen is literally part of the dining room, like a theater in the round. All the seating is at community tables and counters, and the walls and furniture are made entirely of mahogany. By my rough estimate, the kitchen takes up nearly a third of the interior space. In fact, diners can even eat in the kitchen at a stainless-steel “chef’s counter.” Given the openness, Herman admitted he might need to ask the cooks to watch their language. (We can all imagine that speech: “No F-bombs! None! Ever!!”)

Guests who don’t book the coveted chef’s counter will dine at the massive community tables throughout the dining room and at the counters that line the plate-glass windows looking onto the garden. (So get used to chatting with strangers, à la Barley Swine.) Except for the curvy counter chairs, all the seating will be benches. The custom-built tables are so massive that it takes four or five men to move one. Maybe it’s all that wood, but the whole time I was there I kept thinking, This reminds me of a den. I know it’s based on the traditional Thai-style lanna house, but to me it felt like a large, exotic, comfy den.

But enough about the space. What about the food? As anyone who’s eaten the interior Mexican cuisine at La Condesa knows, Ortiz takes considerable and tasty liberties with traditional recipes. Sway will be no different. A sampling of six dishes from the fifty-odd on the menu was notable for completely avoiding the sweet, spicy, coconut-milky profile of so many Americanized Thai restaurants. Pad kweitio, for instance, was a mélange of soupy wide rice noodles topped with great crisp pork belly, purple Japanese eggplant, cilantro, and the aromatic herb known as holy basil. Another, incorporating Chinese ideas, was a gorgeous heap of salt-and-pepper lobster that came to the table in its shell (cut into manageable pieces, thank goodness), tossed with fermented black soybeans, cayenne, and a blend of sea salt and pungent powdered Sichuan peppercorns.

Many aspects of Ortiz’s approach come from having lived and worked in Sydney, Australia, for several years, under well-known modern Thai chefs. In that country, much of the restaurant workforce comes from Thailand and Thai restaurants are as commonplace as Mexican restaurants in Texas. In an odd but happy coincidence, both of La Condesa’s owners, Herman and Delfo Trombetta, also had lived in Thailand Australia, where they too were exposed to the contemporary Aussie approach to Thai cooking.

As at La Condesa, desserts will be provided by executive pastry chef Laura Sawicki, recently named one of Food & Wine’s best new pastry chefs in the United States. Going even farther afield, her creations use Thai flavors basically as a jumping-off point, like her bracing affogato with Thai tea and tapioca pearls on ice cream, or her cashew fudge brownies lavished with chocolate mousse, honey-tinged popped amaranth grain, maldon sea salt, and dabs of miso cashew butter.

Hiring for the kitchen and front of house should start in a few weeks. If all goes according to plan, Sway will be open in late summer, and you’ll never feel quite the same about plain old pad thai again.   (The address is 1417 S. First.  Sway will be open for both lunch and dinner seven days a week.)

Tagged: Delfo Trombetta, Jesse Herman, la condesa, Laura Sawicki, Rene Ortiz, Sway

For five years, Jesse Herman, owner of La Condesa, has been working on the concept behind his yet-to-be-opened Thai restaurant in Austin. His modern Mexican establishment, La Condesa, has garnered culinary praise from all over Lone Star State and the nation. So what’s a guy that owns one of the most respected Mexican restaurants in Austin doing opening a Thai restaurant? Is it insanity, or pure genius? Herman talked with TEXAS MONTHLY about his Thai restaurant, Australian cuisine, and how Rene Ortiz is so fluent in Thai…food.

Jesse Herman

Your other restaurant, La Condesa, embodies modern Mexican cuisine. Why open a Thai restaurant?

That’s a cool question because a lot of people have said it’s odd what we’re doing, but they don’t understand the reasoning behind it. Both my business partner and I lived in Thailand at different times during college. I [also] lived in Australia, and there is this style of modern Thai food in Australia and it’s as significant as Mexican food in Texas. You’ve got a culture of Australian chefs preparing Thai food that are influenced by modern Australian cuisine. It doesn’t really exist anywhere else in the world, except Australia, and it reminded me of La Condesa’s concept as far as it being a modern take on food where you can relate to it and understand it, but you experience it in an elevated way, in terms of the atmosphere, the food, the presentation, the service, everything. Five years ago, I put together a business plan for this idea, but I didn’t know how to do the food because it’s not something you really see around here. It all came together when Rene [Ortiz] cooked dinner at a birthday celebration and he made a whole fried fish, which is very traditional Thai, and he also made crispy pork hock, which is a dish from a very well-known Thai chef, David Thompson, an Australian that owns restaurants in Sydney, London, and Bangkok. I asked him how he knew how to make this dish, and he said, “Well, I learned to cook Thai food in Sydney.” He had lived there for a few years and worked with a chef in Sydney. A lightbulb kind of went off, and we’ve been working on the project ever since. All the pieces just fell into place.

Interior of La Condesa

Will Rene be the chef at the restaurant?

Yeah, Rene will be the executive chef and partner and Laura [Sawicki] is going to be the executive pastry chef. A lot of the kitchen crew will be coming over from La Condesa.

When are you planning on opening?

Within the next couple of months. We’re getting closer and closer to opening.

Is Thai food well represented in Texas?

It has nothing to do with Texas. Nationally, we’re used to a certain type of experience with Thai restaurants, and we [hope] to turn that upside down.

What are some dishes or things we can expect from the restaurant?

Because of how we work with seasonality, I don’t even know what the opening menu is going to be like, but what I can tell you is that there is going to be a lot of familiar things that are still going to be prepared traditionally with a little bit of our twist on it. There are going to be a lot of things that people have never heard of, seen, or tasted before. We’ve been working on this menu for a long time, and one of the unique aspects from our culinary standpoint is that Rene and Laura work very closely together, and you don’t often see chefs and pastry chefs working so closely together. Delfo, Rene, and I spent a couple of weeks in Australia visiting all of the restaurants that had inspired me and that inspired and taught Rene. We visited a lot of his old friends in Sydney, and that was really refreshing to see exactly what’s going on and how we want to adapt that here. I wouldn’t have opened the restaurant if I felt this was something we were trying to just figure out how to do. Ethnic food inspires Laura and Rene and our partners, but at the end of the day, if you want to execute at a certain level, it takes a tremendous knowledge base and skill to do something like this. We can’t wait to showcase what we have in store.

Tagged: austin, Jesse Herman, la condesa, Laura Sawicki, Layne Lynch, Rene Ortiz

Not bad at all: Texas captured four of seventeen finalist slots in Food & Wine’s new “People’s Best New Pastry Chef” competition.” That’s really impressive, considering that the Texans are up against chefs from Chicago and New Orleans, among other cities (we are in Central, one of three competition areas). So go vote for somebody from here, y’all. We can’t let our folks down.

But now, while I’ve got your attention, let me say that I’m completely baffled that there are no finalists from Dallas, San Antonio, or Fort Worth, and that three of Texas’s four are from Austin and only one from Houston, a much, much larger city. If that seems crazy to you, I strongly suggest you contact the Food & Wine folks.  The more they hear from readers about the geographical imbalance of the competition the more likely they are to take steps to fix the next one–that’s my opinion, anyway, for what it’s worth.

That said, do vote for a Texan. The contendahs are as follows:

Steven Cak, Parkside, Austin, who is well-known for his classy s’mores (pictured) with cinnamon marshmallow, dark chocolate ganache, cinnamon foam, and white chocolate cream.

Vanarin Kuch, Tiny Boxwood’s, Houston, famous for Anjou pear tart tatin with crystalized ginger caramel on puff pastry with a crispy apple chip.

Josh Matlock, Paggi House, Austin, known for deconstructed goat’s milk cheesecake with fresh blueberries, graham cracker crumbs, and snickerdoodle.

Laura Sawicki, La Condesa, Austin, famous for her crema cocida, consisting of vanilla-bean panna cotta with watermelon, agave, queso fresco, pickled watermelon rind, and roasted pepitas.

Tagged: Food & Wine, Josh Matlock, la condesa, Laura Sawicki, Paggi House, Parkside, People's Best New Pastry Chef, Steven Cak, Tiny Boxwood's, Vanarin Kuch

There’s nothing like a bandwagon. No sooner did Food & Wine and Bon Appétit fall all over themselves to give Austin a whole lotta love than StarChefs.com (an online magazine for chefs and culinary insiders) decided to hold one of its four national awards ceremonies in Austin this year.  Their editorial board scoured the landscape for the top talent in Texas’ capital city (and in San Antonio, too) and recently announced more than a dozen winners in nine categories.

As a result, in February, a gaggle of the hottest chefs in Austin and San Antonio are going to be in one place at one time, offering samples of their best bites. And there will be some choice wine and cocktail sips too.

Here’s what you need to know: The tasting will be held on Tuesday, February 21, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Driskill Hotel. Tickets are $85 for regular admission, $125 for VIP, and can be purchased online at starchefs.com/tickets or by calling 212-966-7575.

So, is StarChefs.com on the mark as far as their choices go? In my humble opinion, absolutely. They considered around 60 candidates (which they found through talking to local media and doing their own research, followed up by in-person tastings and interviews).

OK, it’s time to cut to the chase. Who won?

In the chefs category, it’s David Bull, Congress; Ned Elliott, Foreign & Domestic; Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue; Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine; Rene Ortiz, La Condesa; Paul Qui, Uchiko; Quealy Watson, The Monterey, in San Antonio; Andrew Wiseheart, Contigo.

In the pastry chefs category, it’s Plinio Sandalio, Carillon; Philip Speer, Uchiko. In the sustainability chef category, it’s Michael Sohocki, Restaurant Gwendolyn, in San Antonio. In the hotel chef category, it’s Josh Watkins, Carillon. In the artisan category, it’s John Bates and Brandon Martinez, Noble Pig. In the restaurateurs category, Tyson Cole, the Uchi group; Jason Dady, Bin 555, Tre Trattoria, Two Bros. BBQ Market, all in San Antonio. In the sommelier category, it’s June Rodil, Congress. In the mixologist category, it’s Jeret Peña, The Esquire, in San Antonio.

The host chef is  Jonathan Gelman, Driskill Grill. (By the way, the photograph is from a StarChefs.com  gala held in New York last year.)

Tagged: Aaron Franklin, Andrew Wiseheart, austin, Barley Swine, Bin 555, Bon Appetit, Brandon Martinez, Bryce Gilmore, Carillon, Congress, Contigo, David Bull, driskill grill, Food & Wine, Foreign & Domestic, Franklin Barbecue, Jason Dady, Jeret Pena, John Bates, Johnathan Gelman, Josh Watkins, June Rodil, la condesa, Michael Sohocki, Ned Elliott, Noble Pig, Paul Qui, Philip Speer, Plinio Sandalio, Quealy Watson, Rene Ortiz, Restaurant Gwendolyn, san antonio, StarChefs.com, the Monterey, Tre Trattoria, Two Bros. BBQ Market, Tyson Cole, uchi, uchiko

Ever been to a “cupping?” Despite what may come to mind, the term “cupping” has nothing to do with either gender’s undergarments. (So get your brain out of the gutter!) Much like wine tasting, cupping is the sort of ritual that coffee tasters go through to evaluate coffee. For coffee roasters, especially small-batch artisan roasters, it’s the primary way they maintain quality and consistency. Just as most of us begin our day with a nice cup of Joe, latte, soy macchiato, or otherwise, Mike McKim, founder and CEO of Cuvée Coffee, begins each day with a morning cupping from his “boutique” operation in Spicewood. (Just outside of Austin.)

Mike McKim of Cuvée Coffee

And if you’ve ever tasted a cup of freshly brewed Cuvée Coffee, you’ll soon understand why. This is not your average scoop of brown ground from a vacuum-sealed tin can. This is more like the Cadillac of coffee. And where most office-style drip coffee grows stale and cloyingly bitter—regardless of any attempt to make it taste better with powdered creamer, fancy syrups, or little pink packets—Cuvée is bold and full-flavored with essences of fruits, nuts, and earth. It tastes like silk. Like butter. Like good coffee.

The secret is in the beans. And in the relationships McKim has built with small-production farmers throughout the countries from which he purchases including Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Burrundi. (While most of us have seen a trend in the term “fair trade” coffee where farmers join a sort of co-op to receive a fair price for their crop, McKim operates his coffee buying on a “direct trade” model, which means he meets and works directly with individual farmers to insure they get the most of the bottom dollar once exporting, importing, and every other cost to sell coffee is factored out. This, unfortunately, is not always the case with “fair trade.”)

For McKim, taste and quality are top priority but so is the manner in which the beans from another country make it in to your morning brew.

“This is a key point of differentiation for us,” says McKim. “Lots of roasters claim to have relationships and ‘direct trade’ but that’s not always true. We actually have personal relationships with every farmer we purchase from. We also base our pricing structure to allow every person in the chain to profit. Good environmental practices lead to a sustainable model…our direct trade model.”

Cuvée also uses quality (i.e. cupping scores) as the foundation for taste in the final product. It’s a time consuming process as each morning McKim and his team taste at least 5 to 8 different batches of roasted beans, but it’s how Cuvée has made a national name for itself competing with the likes of Chicago’s Intelligentsia coffee and North Carolina’s Counter Culture coffee. It’s a structure that only allows for made-to-order coffee production. All of the coffee roasted each day is directly distributed to restaurants and coffee shops. Nothing is left on the Cuvée shelves by the end of the day.

So how does a cupping work?

The typical set up for a morning cupping at Cuvée

Every morning McKim and his team roast a selection of different beans and pulls a sample from each batch. This includes a variety of beans from his farmers in Central/South America and Africa. Each sample of roasted beans is ground and smelled. (Much like you would a glass of wine after it is first poured.) The grounds from each batch are placed in a small glass and hot water is poured over them to steep for 4 minutes. Each glass is then arranged on a round table next to a plate of the sample beans and a small glass of water.

When “cupping,” you simply walk up to each sample with a regular tablespoon in hand and follow these steps.

1. Smell the aroma of the coffee while it’s steeping.

2. Take the spoon and break the crust formed from the grounds that have risen to the top of the glass. Smell the vapor released from the steam. “Sometimes it just smells like coffee,” says McKim. “Other times you’ll get something that smells like sugar cookies baking or something more specific like that.”

3. Let the grounds settle and skim the film on the coffee. Be sure not to stir the grounds up, it will disrupt the flavor of the coffee.

4. Take a small amount of coffee into the spoon and quickly suck it into your mouth making a loud slurping sound. (Like you’re slurping soup.) This gets air into the coffee as it hits your palate and allows you to really taste the flavors from the beans. (Experienced cuppers will suck the coffee in and breathe through their nose at the same time to get all of the notes and flavors.)

Breaking the crust made by the fresh-roasted grounds for a cupping

Repeat this quickly for each sample around the table. And once you’re finished, go through the selections again. As the temperature of the coffee changes to room temperature, so do the flavors.

“As coffee cools down, that’s when the nuances come out,” says McKim. “It’s one of those fallacies people don’t realize. People buy these boiling hot coffees from a coffee shop, but they’re missing the best part about coffee—the taste.”

Something to consider the next time you find yourself in line waiting to make your daily coffee order. Speaking of which, the next time you do, consider giving the handcrafted taste of Cuvée a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Where can you find Cuvée?

Austin: Caffé Medici, Once Over, Thunderbird Coffee, La Condesa, Parkside, Bess Bistro, Walton’s Fancy and Staple,

Dallas: Eno’s Pizza Tavern, Oddfellows

San Antonio: Local

Houston: Down House, which will be opening later this month.

Tagged: Bess Bistro, Caffé Medici, Cuvée Coffee, Direct Trade coffee, Eno’s Pizza Tavern, Jessica Dupuy, la condesa, Local, Mike McKim, Oddfellows, Once Over, Parkside, Stir Coffee, The Pearl Cup, Thunderbird Coffee, Walton’s Fancy and Staple

If times weren’t so darned tough, I’d predict that La Condesa was going to take off like a rocket. I mean, the space is crazy contemporary, the drinks are awesome, the food is by and large excellent (based on, oh, about eight apps and dishes). The only thing standing in the way are the prices, which I think are kinda high for now. But maybe the beautiful people who haunt the warehouse district still have folding money and noncanceled plastic. I loved the ceviches, which are  offbeat, and the  tuna tostada. Great duck in black mole with toasted sesame seeds (did not love love love the huarache with huitlacoche–I can barely even type those words!). You definitely ought to give the place a try. You know, be there or be square.

Tagged: la condesa, pat sharpe, texas monthly