Restaurant recipe: Green chili pork
We asked what restaurant recipes you'd like to have, and you answered in force. Trudy's stuffed avocado, Hyde Park Bar & Grill's famous fries, cheese soup from Upper Crust Bakery and many more. We'll ask. For now, let's start with Green Chili Pork from the Roaring Fork, with locations at 10850 Stonelake Blvd. and 701 Congress Ave. www.eddiev.com . Send your recipe requests to msutter@statesman.com.
- Mike Sutter
2 cups diced yellow onions
1 cup diced poblanos
2 lb. diced pork
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. cumin powder
2 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. jalapeño powder
5 Tbsp. green chili powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
In a stewing pot, sauté vegetables until tender.
Add diced pork. Add all dry ingredients.
Stir well for a couple of minutes, blend well. Add chicken stock and let simmer on low to medium heat for 11/2 hours or until fork tender.
Skim fat off surface as stew simmers. Season with salt and pepper just before service, only if needed, to your taste.
Serve in a bowl with pepper Jack cheese, roasted serrano pepper and warm, buttered flour tortillas.
Annie Ray: What's in Your Fridge?
There are plenty of photographers in Austin who take party pictures at events around town, but none is as synonymous with photo booths as Annie Ray.
Since she started setting up photo booths at concerts, galas, bars and fundraiser events in 2007, Ray has photographed thousands of Austinites, but she wouldn't keep getting asked to do high-profile events if her photos didn't capture the essence of Austin's vibrant citizens. (She also posts all the photo booth pictures on her Web site, which makes for fun browsing even if you aren't looking for a photo of yourself.)
What makes her photos stand out is that she's not just pointing the camera at party guests and asking them to say "cheese." Part of Ray's talent is drawing people out of their shells with wacky requests ("Show me your tiger!") or props like mustaches or even grapes. Ray also shoots for publications including Austin Monthly and Tribeza, and her work has appeared in the American-Statesman's Austin360 magazine.
Her signature lighting and lens work mean that people familiar with her photography probably could have identified this fridge as hers just by looking at the quality of the photo.
What three things are always in your fridge? Jalapeños, garlic and onions.
What's your favorite condiment? HOT chili sauce
What's your favorite food to photograph? Soups. Whenever I look at photos of soups in a cookbook or cooking magazine, I always get this overwhelming feeling of wintertime, cozy blankets and giant soup mugs!
- Addie Broyles
Make plans now for Valentine's Day féte
Consider this a friendly reminder from your newspaper-clad cupids that if you want a seat at one of Austin's most romantic restaurants, you'd better make reservations now. Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday, which means restaurants will be filling up even faster than usual. If you're looking for something other than dinner, Fall Creek Vineyards is hosting wine and chocolate pairing classes with the always-entertaining Jane Nickles of the Texas Culinary Academy at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Valentine's Day. The winery is also hosting a Valentine's picnic lunch outside at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 13. Buy tickets ($18 for the class, $30 for the luncheon) by calling 325-379-5361.
- A.B.
Openings, closings & coming soon
• Under construction: Maggiano's Little Italy, an upscale Italian restaurant chain. 10910 Domain Drive, Suite 100, at the Domain. 501-7870, www.maggianos.com.
• Under construction: A second Austin location of the Japanese restaurant Sushi Zushi. On Domain Drive at the Domain. www.sushizushi.com.
• Open: Austin Daily Press, a trailer at 1207 S. First St. specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches. The original location at 900 Red River St. is open from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., and the new location is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 848-5215, www.austindailypress.com.
• Open: My Fit Foods Austin, offering health-oriented meals cooked and packaged on-site for take-out and delivery. 3201 Bee Cave Road, Suite 105. 329-0003, www.myfitfoods.com.
• Open: Cajun Pizza Place, a pizzeria also serving po'boys and salads at 7318 McNeil Drive, Suite 111. 291-7997, www.cajunpizzaplace.com.
• Moving: El Chile at 918 Congress Ave. downtown has switched places with El Chilito at 1025 Barton Springs Road.
- M.S., A.B.
Plant know-how before backyard vegetables
It's officially planting time for Austin gardeners, but if you're clueless as to how to get started growing your own lettuce, peas, carrots, beets and other spring crops, Citizen Gardener is offering classes to help . Each 10-hour session is composed of three classes (two Saturday morning and one Wednesday evening) and covers square-foot gardening, composting, soil and rainwater collection. Go to http://citizengardener.ning.com to sign up for a course, which costs $50 or is free with a pledge to volunteer at a local community or school garden. The next round of classes starts Jan. 30.
- A.B.
Food and wine briefs
• James Holmes of the Austin restaurant Olivia has been invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York on April 1. Holmes' menu will focus on local and Texas ingredients, including Loncito's Lamb and Thunder Heart Bison, and he'll be accompanied by ranchers from those operations. In other Olivia news: Andrew Francisco, formerly of Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, is joining the staff as chef de cuisine to replace the departing Morgan Angelone, and Taff Mayberry is coming on as pastry chef. Mayberry recently served as pastry chef at the Shoreline Grill.
• In celebration of Australia Day next week , Stone House Vineyard in Spicewood is hosting an Australia Day dinner on Saturday . Winemaker Angela Moench, an Aussie herself, has planned a dinner of shrimp, beef in pastry and Pavlova with strawberries to celebrate. $50, including dinner and wine. 512-264-9759, www.stonehousevineyard.com.
• Due to rain, the Bad to the Bone chef competition that had been scheduled for Jan. 15 at Stubb's has been postponed until Feb. 27.
- A.B., M.S.
