*drumroll please*
Back from a long vacation, it’s the liiiiiiiittle diiiiiiiiish! Hope you’re all having a nice 2010 so far. Thanks for checking back even though it’s been like a ghost town around here. TUMBLEWEEDS. Like I mentioned last post, we’ve been planning on updating the site and have lots of great things in store, so stay tuned.
In actual food-related news, we just had dinner at probably one of the most popular restaurants in Dallas, La Duni. Unlike many things that are popular, La Duni really deserves the attention. Their modern take on Latin dishes & beautiful desserts have become (in the small handful of times I’ve visited) some of my favorites.
But don’t be tricked into thinking that La Duni is a Mexican restaurant. Yes, they do have tacos, flautas & quesadillas on the menu. However, their flavors go way beyond the Mexican border with additions like Argentinean sausage & Pampero black beans. Here’s a mini-guide to set the record straight & help you brush up on your Latin before your next meal at La Duni…
Chimichurri – (See above) A green sauce originally made in Argentina & Uruguay. Ingredients often include parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, vinegar & red pepper flakes. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat.
Plantain – A member of the genus Musa (bananas, basically). They tend to be firmer & not as sweet as the “dessert bananas” that we eat in America & are often used in savory dishes. When sliced & served fried, they’re also called “tajadas” in Honduras, Panama & other parts of South America. (That’s how La Duni serves them!)
Arepa – A flat, unleavened cornmeal bread from the northern Andes. Kinda like a tortilla, but thicker. A perfect addition to meat dishes.
Pabellon Criollo – (See also: Heaven) A traditional Venezuelan dish that’s made up of rice, shredded beef & black beans. Often served with fried plantain slices. At La Duni, you also get a slice of queso fresco & arepa.
Queso Fresco – A mild & soft unaged white Spanish cheese (See plate above.)
Patacones – Cooked green plantains that are smashed, crisped & then sprinkled with salt.
Chicharron – 1. super crispy pork rinds. 2. a fun word to say
Pisco – A Peruvian liquor distilled from grapes. The main ingredient in the Pisco Sour. (See above. See also: good times)
4620 McKinney Avenue | Dallas, Texas 75205
See website for other locations.
214.520.7300
Happy new year everyone! Thanks for reading this past year & for all the nice comments & emails. It really makes me so happy to know that people like the site. We’re talking about a little reorganization in 2010 & new ways to search the site & whatnot, so stay tuned. Rang in the new year in Missouri, where it’s snowy & so freaking cold.
Rain, sleet, wintery mix—whatever you call it, leave me out of it. It reminded me of some winter cupcakes I made for some friends & family last week so I thought I’d post the picture. They’re vanilla on vanilla. I thought about making them white chocolate & peppermint, but after having a peppermint martini that was like sipping Scope, I thought better. Individual cupcake boxes from Amazon are a cute way to present them, but prepare for some serious folding. Those little boxes are harder to put together than you’d think!
So today it was back to work. The holiday’s aren’t really over for me yet; I’m taking off the second-half of this week for New Year’s. Today was just a necessary snap back into reality for a day or two to get some work done. Yesterday we finished the long weekend with a little post-Christmas brunch. What better place to go than Hattie’s? It was beautiful, as always. It such an adorable restaurant—lots of white, an antique tin ceiling, dark wood & simple table arrangements.
(Looking back, you can tell we really love this place.)
On my plate was a slice of banana nut bread to start. Sourdough was the other bread option, but I decided to go sweet over savory. I sipped on a spicy Bloody Mary (the perfect choice for a Sunday morning, if you ask me) & decided I was definitely in the mood for poached eggs. Hattie’s offers their poached eggs atop crab cakes with a spoonful of hollandaise sauce. Sold.
The eggs were poached perfectly. They could have probably won a medal for them. Light & delicate, the crab cakes had just a minimal amount of breading & were really flavorful. As for the hollandaise sauce… ah-mazing. I know I should’ve trusted Hattie’s from the very start, but I was a little nervous about it. I’ve had some really unpleasant hollandaise sauce before: thick, gloopy, yolky, weird… I almost asked for the sauce on the side, but decided (daredevil that I am) to risk it. There was no need to worry. It was rich, but not overpoweringly so. The eggs liked it. The crab cakes liked it. I definitely liked it. On the side I had bacon, which was standard but very crispy (bonus!) & cheesy grits. Health food, basically. No matter. It was definitely worth a little more time at the gym.
418 Bishop Avenue | Dallas, Texas 75208
214.942.7400
If you want to dine at The Zodiac downtown, you’ll to have to wait until January rolls around to get a reservation. However, that doesn’t mean you have to rule out a lovely lunch at Neiman Marcus. Across the street there’s the NM Fashion Cafe, which definitely deserves your consideration next time you’re downtown.
I lunched there today with some friends before checking out the store’s windows as a sort of kickoff to the Christmas weekend. While my entree was tasty but unremarkable (Southwest Caesar Salad), what came before & after made lunch really delightful.
To start, the Queso Tortilla Soup is a must. Non-negotiable. If you like traditional tortilla soup, you’ll love this updated version. Instead of the classic red broth with chunks of chicken & veggies, this soup is a cheesy, velvety, yellow cream. Next time, skip the cup; I’m getting a bowl.
After the meal, my friend Eric & I split a slice of the Strawberry Dream Cake, which was so cute it inspired the picture above. Strawberry cake with fluffy white frosting… it was delicious. Half is all you need, because it’s really sweet.
Stop by the Fashion Cafe if you’re downtown for lunch or shopping at Neiman’s or just looking for some cake.
Word to the wise: Get there early. We lunched a little later in the afternoon & by that time they were out of the daily special, as well as the angus burger. How exclusive.
1525 Commerce St. | Dallas, TX 75201
214.573.8250
(Left to Right)
Himalayan Salt Plate
For the foodie who’s seen (& eaten) it all: a hand-cut block of pink salt that adds a hint of flavor to foods. Use it right on the grill, in the oven, or chill it to use as a beautiful way to serve sushi.
Sur la Table: $40
Selvedge Denim Apron
For the man of the kitchen, a vintage denim cira 1940 is just the right mix of style & utilitarianism. No lacy frills in this kitchen.
Hickorees: $155
Central Market Gift Card
So you can never go wrong with a gift card, but here’s what makes a gift card from Central Market special: they can be redeemed on cooking classes there. I’ve both given & received cooking classes from CM with great success. You can pick up a calendar of classes at the store to include with the gift card so they can pick the one they’ll like best.
Central Market: Any $$$. Classes are in the $50 – $60 range.
BeeHouse Iced Tea Pitcher
Their signature tea pots are round & cute, which makes this structured iced tea version even more unique. Brew it right in the pot using the included diffuser & put it right into the fridge.
Rare Device: $50
Brooklyn Brew Shop Kits
Kits that include everything you need to brew at home! Originally included on a matthew jacob’s annual gift guide. (He’s a good friend of the little dish & beer connoisseur.) While he’s inclined to choose the IPA, I think the Gingerbread Ale is where it’s at.
Brooklyn Brew Shop: $40
Renzo Oven Mitt
Cheery & useful. It’s a perfect complement to a baking book & they’ll use it all the time.
Built: $15
Animal Lunch Bags
Boo the pink panda(?) is on my personal wish list. Fill it with yummy snacks for double elf status.
Target: $10
Komforte Chockolates
Forgive them the quirky spelling; one look at their line of candy-bars & you’ll see they can’t help being different. The Seattle-based company currently has 3 flavors ranging from the insanely delicious-sounding French Toast flavor to the plainly insane Ramen Noodle. Availability is limited; it looks like your best online bet is here.
Seattle Chocolates: $3
Skillet Street Food Bacon Jam
This popular Austin trailer ships only one item: bacon jam. It’s rendered bacon that’s been simmered for 6 hours with onions & other spices. Delicious. Just the kind of thing our favorite pork devotee would love.
Skillet Street Food: $12
In the November issue of Esquire, writer Ryan D’Agostino talks about what it’s like to cook recipes from Thomas Keller’s new cookbook, ad hoc at home, FOR Thomas Keller. It’s about as nerve wracking as you’d think, but Keller makes it down-to-earth offering ways to improvise with over-salted corn, advice for aspiring chefs & some strong words for those of use who like to cook with tongs.
Read the full article online.
Meet Thomas Keller: chef & owner of The French Laundry, reoccurring guest on TV shows like Top Chef, and one of the most famous American chefs. I’m sure you know of him, but now you have the chance to actually meet him. Tomorrow at the NorthPark Williams-Sonoma, Chef Keller will be signing copies of his new book, ad hoc at home. Unlike the legendarily complicated French Laundry Cookbook, Keller’s new book focuses on casual, family-style food with heart. Check it out here on Amazon, but don’t buy it because he’ll only be signing copies purchased at Willams-Sonoma.
Need 2 Know:
Who: Thomas Keller
What: ad hoc at home cookbook signing
When: Tomorrow, Friday December 11 at 2:00 PM
Where: 327 Northpark Center, Dallas, TX 75225 214.378.6216
Why: Because Keller is pretty awesome & the cookbook looks delicious! (It would also make a cool Christmas gift for foodies on your list. I’m not sure how many copies they will let you have signed, so that might be something to call about ahead of time if you’re planning on more than one!)
So last week I sent out a call for your baking suggestions & was delighted at the response. Thank you so much, guys! Really, you sent some great ideas for holiday baking. I will definitely be making some Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies this week (via The Los & Lauren). Sam’s Genoise Cake sounds like a delicious thing to try for an upcoming party.
I could go on, but those ideas will have to wait a little… When I was thinking about what to bake this weekend, I forgot about one minor thing. Well, actually it’s a big thing. This weekend had already been devoted to some VIB: very important baking. (I know, lame.)
Here’s the backstory: When I was a little girl, my grandma would bake all of us gingerbread houses to decorate for Christmas. She’d cook the individual pieces in cast iron pans & construct them into bare houses with royal icing caulking. When it came time to decorate, she’d whip up batches of royal icing to use as “glue” & lay out dishes of every kind of edible supply we thought would look pretty (with a heavy emphasis on red & green candies, of course).
The tradition has continued & we’ve done it without fail every year. On years we weren’t able to fly to our grandparent’s house for Christmas, she would actually mail everything to us. All of her eight grandkids (in three different cities from Palo Alto to Washington D.C.) would get a homemade house to decorate, frosting to use, and a kit of the harder-to-find candies she’d sought out. (Those chocolates that look like tumbled rocks were a huge deal, especially in the years before Central Market made them easy to access. Seriously the big time.) The dates are kinda fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure she did it for over 20 years because it started when I was young. That’s a lot of baking.
She passed away two years ago, leaving an empty space in our family that no one can fill. She was that kind of grandma, you know what I mean? So of all of the things about her we’re missing, I thought there was at least one thing I could do to keep our traditions the same. Before she died, I took the gingerbread pans & told her that I’d be happy to make them that year… & I guess the years after that too. Indefinitely I think, because everything about Christmas seems to remind me of her.
This year it hasn’t been going so well. The dough has been turning out strange, the side-panels of the house are bubbling & the corners are burning. I don’t remember so many mishaps last year—perhaps beginner’s luck? But I’m working on it & hope to have the ones I need to ship in the mail by Thursday. Wish me luck… I’ve got 2 down (poorly crafted ones I’ll probably try to pawn off on my brothers or sister) & 7 to go.
(If you’re interested in starting a tradition of your own, you can buy these pans that come with the recipe.)
So it’s been strangely quiet here on the little dish, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense considering the holidays are like the playoffs for those who love to cook and bake (and eat, for that matter!)
I have to take full responsibility for that. I’m a writer in an industry that’s really impacted by the holidays. It’s a crazy, crazy time of year for me and I sort of shifted into “survival mode.” It’s been quite some time since I’ve had a relaxing meal out or investigated a new restaurant to try… Très sad!
But it hasn’t been all doom and gloom in my culinary world. For Thanksgiving, I baked a pumpkin cheesecake based on a recipe “stolen” from The Cheesecake Factory. It was a huge success. Assembling it was incredibly simple, almost therapeutic. Measuring out spices by the precise teaspoon, beating the cream cheese until it was soft and smooth, pressing the graham cracker crust into the pan… Simple and tangible and focused — everything my holiday season hasn’t been.
It reminded me of what I love most about baking and why it’s important, even at times when you think you’re too busy for it. Which is why I’m reaching out to you. I want to bake — no, need to bake — something fun & lovely this weekend. Any suggestions? Holiday sweets? A favorite comfort dessert? I’m open to something new to try, so please send suggestions!
Now as for that marvelous cheesecake… Not only was it simple to make, it was delicious. I used a Barefoot Contessa tip on cooling the cheesecake slowly to prevent cracking and it worked perfectly. You just turn off the oven a couple of minutes prematurely, but keep it in the hot oven so it continues to cook. After 10 minutes or so, open the door so that the heat slowly dissipates. Once it’s completely cooled, put it in the fridge to chill. I think the slow temperature change is what kept it from cracking. I’ve had trouble with that in the past and after following those steps, didn’t have even a tiny one!
The Cheesecake Factory’s Pumpkin Cheesecake
(I couldn’t find the copy cat site I found the recipe originally, but you can find it here)
Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
5 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. sugar
Filling:
(3) 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
Whipped Cream
Mix the crust ingredients together in a medium bowl, just till coated and crumbly. Wrap the bottom (outside) of an 8″ springform pan with foil to prevent leaks. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside until you are ready to fill it.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and continue beating until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the pan.
Bake for 60-70 minutes. (The top will turn a bit darker at this point.) Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator. When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides and cut. Serve with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.
Here’s one thing I learned growing up in Southern California: the quality of food in a Mexican joint is directly relational to amount of Hispanic patrons. Now I’m not saying that this is the only prerequisite to awesome Mexican food; it’s just that it’s a very good sign. A tucked-away gem like Taco Bravo is one of those places that continues to prove my theory right.
Right off of Northwest Highway in a nondescript location across from the seedy Royal Inn is where you’ll find Taco Bravo. Run by a lovely group of ladies who wear the cutest aprons, it’s one of the tastiest places to get fast-food Mexican in Dallas. I’m almost hesitant to talk about it because it feels like a sort of treasure, but they really do deserve the recognition.
During lunch time, there’s almost always a crowd. Order some chips and salsa to start; that’s a must. They don’t come out to the table right away. Rather, you usually have to wait a couple minutes. This is because they fry their fresh-cut corn chips as you order them. They’re crispy and crunchy, a little chewy, and unbelievably delicious. The accompanying bowl of salsa is served piping hot.
Their crunchy tacos are made from the same fried tortillas, which makes them a must. My favorite tacos are the fajita steak and the spicy ground beef. The latter comes out dripping in a mild red sauce with diced potato mixed in. LOVE! The fajita steak is chopped up in bite-sized pieces with sautéed onion and is just as juicy — no dried out fajita meat here.
When it comes to meat, Taco Bravo offers up quite a lot of choices. They have real barbacoa, shredded beef, pork, chicken, ground beef, chorizo, lengua, shrimp, and many more. I counted at least 12 and I’ll have to go back so I can delve into the choices more expertly.
They serve breakfast all day, which is a big bonus in my book. I ordered the chorizo breakfast burrito that came with a side of refried beans and was impressed that the chorizo wasn’t dripping with red grease, as with most burritos of its kind. I kept waiting for my plate to turn into a pool of crimson excess, but it never happened. Good sign.
Taco Bravo is great little find that does the simple things right. They serve up some great Mexican fast-food at extremely reasonable prices. We’re there weekly and although we often end up ordering the same things, we’re going to branch out and try the numerous other items on the menu. When we do, we’ll report back here. ‘Till then, enjoy amigos.
Taco Plate (w/rice & beans & drink): $4.99
Breakfast Burrito (w/bean & choice of meat): $2.99
2019 W Northwest Hwy | Dallas, TX 75220
(469) 420-9600
