franktex

(Since I work for them, I'll go ahead and put my 'shill' hat on!) If you liked The Fancy Lawnmower, I'd recommend that you check out the Saint Arnold Amber Ale, it's our best seller, and my personal favorite. You can also find: Saint Arnold Brown Ale (slightly sweet, toasty); Texas Wheat; Elissa IPA (a well-balanced IPA named after the tall ship docked in Galveston). We also have five seasonals, currently The Spring Bock (a REAL bock beer, very malty, higher in alcohol), Summer Pils (light, crip, and hoppy), Oktoberfest, Christmas Ale (a farily big beer with a sneaky 8%; and we are also making a series of single batch, very high gravity, barleywines and Belgium-types called Divine Reserve. Did I mention we make a great Root Beer too? www.saintarnold.com

And don't forget, if yu're downtown: Thai Passion-excellent Thai food that is open until 3am!!! http://www.thaipassion.com/

Another closure: Rosie's Tamale House on Congress @ Oltorf closed last night after 11 years in Austin. I never did go there.

Under contruction: Madam Mam's-Westgate/290 Hyde Park Grill-Westgate/290 Hoover's #2-183 near Anderson Mill (not sure of the exact cross st)

Also check out Zinger's on Anderson between Burnet & Mopac. I did most of my Christmas shopping there, and they have a lot of cooking gear.

No Frank, the Cook review was published Dec 1st, last Thursday. ← My bad. I just read it on Thursday.

What's wierd about the Press review is that he mentions Alison Cook's review, which appeared in yesterday's paper, the same day The Press comes out. How could the Press reviewer have advance knowledge of what Ms. Cook had written when they both were published on Thursday? FM

Well, the method of putting the batter on the bottom absolutely worked! I guess the beaking powder causes it so rise to the top and brown. I took a photo, but I don't have the capability of posting. Is there a trick to it?

There's two new reestaurants opening on S. 1st, on Mexican Food row. One of them is called Acuarios Cafe, which advertises Tex-Mex(you cant have too many Tex-Mex restaurants!), and the Buenos Aires near Oltorf. I really hope this is going to be S. American food. Neither are open yet, but it looks like it will be soon.

<<I'd probably use some tapioca if I were making it just to thicken, and the pearls would go nicely with the cells of the grapefruit.>> Many recipes called for tapioca. If this actually comes out right, I'll post a photo over at Cooking/Dinner forum.

I found serveral on Google that say the same thing, but here's one of them: Cherry Cobbler 1/2 cup butter 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup white sugar 1 tsp. Baking powder 1 cup milk 2 cups pitted sour cherries 3/4 cup white sugar Preheat oven to 350 F. Place butter in a 9/13" baking dish and place in oven to melt while oven is preheating. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and baking powder. Mix in milk until blended, then pour batter into the pan over butter. Do not stir. Rinse out bowl from the batter & dry. Place cherries in bowl and toss with 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour. Distribute the cherry mixture evenly over batter. Do not stir. Bake for 50 or 60 minutes until golden brown. The above is not my grandmother's, but it is very similar, and my sister insisted that it works, so I guess I'll give it a shot. She says the baking powder causes it to rise above the fruit.

I do not make desserts. But, I was given a can of Cherries Jubilee and was asked to make a cobbler. Several recipes, (including my grandmother's that my sister gave me) call for pouring the batter(soon the be crust) on the bottom of the pan, and the fruit on top, and somehow, the batter finds it's way to the top and browns? Is this true? It doesn't sound like it would work, but I thought someone here could confirm it or not. Thanks. FM

Thanks for all the great comments and photos. I am definitely going to try and get up there for this event next year, with a Bubba Pass for sure. Plus, to read all the 'this sausage is better than that sausage..' comments are pretty funny, since that stuff goes on all the time down here (as I'm sure it does in NC, KC, etc). "Is it served with sides, or without? Is it served on butcher paper? So & so's sauce is way to vinegary." As you guys know, barbeque is very personal, and taken seriously, and it's great to see that NYC 'gets it'! Did anyone catch the screening of 'BBQ:A Texas Love Story'?

Ma, I can smell the smoke all the way down here in Texas! Oh wait...that's my smoker out back! All this talk about barbeque, so I just couldn't resist! Thanks for the up-to-date coverage & pics, guys!

I hope to see a detailed review of the event as well. I believe Fat Guy did one last year, and it was great. I hope to get there next year, as this life-long Texan here in Austin has to see for hisself crowds of people lining up for barbeque in NYC! Actually, it's good to see the interest in food that I grew up on. I've met Ken from Blue Smoke at a couple of food festivals down here, and am looking forward to checking out his place, as well as some of the others that have opened up there. And FYI Fat Guy- I see that 'Barbecue:A Texas Love Story'(http://www.bbqfilm.com/) is having a screening sometime this weekend there. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you get a chance. Have fun everyone!

I just re-read it the other day, as I heard Robb and The Fajita King speaking at a 'Talkin' Tex-Mex' discussion at the local Food Festival last weekend (It was funny because it got heated, and even a heckler in the audience disputing where fajitas were invented) and, of course, had to hit one of my favorite places in San Antonio, The Blanco Cafe for some enchiladas made with red corn tortillas-just great!! Also recommended is the Eggs in Hell(eggs poached in chile sauce).

I drove by today, and it is much lighter than yesterday. Yes, I did see the grocery pick up in the garage, but will probably wait a while to use it-I'mn sure there's a bug or two that needs to be worked out.

I just got back from a trip to the new Whole Foods, and it is truly unbelievable. I did not spend a whole lot of time there, because it was quite hectic, but it was fun anyway. There's nothing that they don't have, I swear. First of all, if you go, you might try parking at the old one and walking, just to avoid the congestion (it actually moved fairly fast withall the parking kids working) until the newness wears off (sometiome on 2006!!), and for maximum 'wow' factor. Things that blew my mind initially: The prepared foods- you can have lunch in a different part of the store everyday-just great. Notable-cooked whole duck, and nearly every fish they sell fresh, the cook too. Seafood-LIVE Alaskan King Crab!! OK, so it's $19.99/lb, with each crab weigh in at 5-8 lbs, it will take about 2 lbs of melted butter! Wines-LOTS of great wines under $10. Produce-shrooms shrooms shrooms!!! Beer-I know they carry Saint Arnold, but not sure about anything else :o) Lots of Express check-outs too. While it won't keep me away from Central Market South, it will be a pleasure to go by to 'check the beer stock at Whole Foods.

OK, so after I pick up my bottle of Blood Orange Soda, I go over to the butter section and find Lurpak Danish Butter with Lime & Chili. I like making my own butters, but this one is pretty good. Frank the sheep

It's probably a good thing I did not have this recipe for Christmas!! Thanks!

...and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding!!!!

You got that right! Ta Hua was THE best dumpings in town! The steamed vegetable dumplings were awesome.In case you missed it, R. Walsh recently had a good story on dumplings: http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2004-10...ining/cafe.html

I believe that '7' on S. Congress has small portion/tasting menu as well.

I've got a small rack of St. Louis cut spares in my marinade as we speak, and will cook tonight. I'll post (maybe even a pic or two) to let you know how it comes out. I ended up adding a little more than apricot (preserves) and soy. I added a little hoisin and ginger as well-it just seemed like it needed something. You'd asked earlier about boiling the ribs, and being a Texas BBQ'er, boiling ribs is sacreligious, but, it does, in fact, make them unbelievably tender, and I know for a fact that it is a method in many restaurants(not BBQ, of course), and probably can't hurt at all for Chinese BBQ ribs. I do feel that at least overnight in the marinade helps though. Just curious-have you guys ever asked the folks at your favorite Chinese BBQ joint about their methods? I have not-I guess it's one of those things I'd like to figure out on my own, or just too intimidated to ask.

Hey Scott! I, too, have tried COUNTLESS times to make these ribs, and have given up many times, so I can appreciate your persistence. Since I've tried so many times, I will give your recipe a shot. You might find this Char Siu discussion over on the China board, as there are a few like us that have tried, and tried, and tried....: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=55246 Also, here's a link with a rather lengthy but informative method. While most of the info iis for pork roast and not ribs, I think the flavor,marinde, process is pretty much the same as best as I can tell. http://www.shiokadelicious.com/shiokadelic...6_char_sie.html