Smothered Goose

Last year around New Years we discovered that Central Market carries goose for the holidays. Because I've read too many 'classics' and cry along to 'period' films based loosely on Jane Austen books, I decided that we had to have a goose-feast on New Years day and that it had to become a tradition for us. Eating a huge holiday meal on New Years was always a tradition in my family and so goose was not a stretch. It was just weird.

But our friends trust us when it comes to food (I don't know why, considering that we've now fed you rabbit, homemade dried sausage, and other delicacies), so we threw a nice formal dinner party, including homemade spaetzle and lentil soup. The lentil soup is another family tradition, because like the black eyed peas in the south, for Italians, eating lentils on New Years is supposed to bring luck for the coming year. Particularly financial luck, but I think that has more to do with the resemblance between lentils and coins.

With a little help and trust from our friends, the goose turned out to be wonderful. I mean really wonderful. It tasted like butter. It was legendary. Only I forgot to get pictures last year. I did however snap a few shots of what became of the leftovers, also delicious.

Salad with avocado and goose (because the goose was not rich enough on its own...)


Goose, brie, and arugula paninis on rosemary sourdough. Yes, it was as good as it sounds:


This year, of course, we had to get another goose and repeat the fantasticness and keep up the tradition. Only I messed up. I called Central Market (North) a few days before New Years while we were still in NY. Me: "Do you have (any goose? geese?) goose available for the holidays? Butcher man: "oh yes, we have a ton of goose!" Me: "(oh crap I guess I don't need to reserve one, this man will think I am silly) ok thanks!" Oops. When we went two days later...no more goose. But Rob was all over this 'goose chase' (yes, intended) and immediately called CM South, which thank goodness, had plenty of birds. This time we reserved one and made the trek south.

I thought Schlitz only made beer!


I present to you, the goose, stuffed with fruit stuffing and covered in wild game seasoning, pre-roast:


post-roast:



What we did with the leftovers this year, goose ragout with homemade potato gnocchi.

gnocchi ready to go:


goose ragout!

Daal (spiced lentils)

Lentils make a hearty and healthy side dish or soup base that can be prepared in many ways. Daal is a classic Indian dish, sometimes strongly spiced. This version is a little milder, but quite delicious as an accompaniment to citrus flavors or delicate dishes like fish. If you want to make the lentils into a meal, add a little cooked chicken or lamb.


Daal
Servings: 4-6
Time: 30-35 minutes

- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or mild olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper (less for milder)
- 1 teaspoon cumin



Place lentils in medium pot and cover with a little less than 1 inch of water. Stir in ginger, salt, cayenne, and turmeric. Bring lentils to a boil and then turn heat to low and continue simmering for 25-30 minutes. When done, lentils will be tender and most of the liquid will have been absorbed.

In the meantime, heat oil in small skillet. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Don't let the garlic become golden. Add cumin and stir for 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into lentils before removing them from stove and serving. Try a little and add more salt and pepper to taste.


For some extra flavor, stir in some fresh, diced tomatoes and cilantro about 5 minutes before you finish cooking the lentils.

French Onion Soup

Everyone has their own version of course, but this is the one that we make on lazy weekends.


French Onion Soup
Servings: about 6
Time: 1-1.5 hours

- 6 cups beef stock
- 4 large to 6 small onions (at least half red)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 large garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1/2 cup DRY red or white wine (we prefer red)
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 small bay leaf
- pinch white pepper (black is ok)
- baguette (sliced)
- swiss or another melty cheese (Gruyere and Jarlsberg are really good)- grated

Cut onions in half and thinly slice. Caramelize onions in 2 batches (if you have a large soup pot and a large skillet or second pot, cook them at the same time!). To do this, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir occasionally as they soften and cook for the next 20 minutes.


It is important to try to AVOID non-stick pans. You want the onions to stick a little and develop a nice brown tinge. This caramelizing process brings out the sweetness of the onions.



The batches above need a few more minutes, but you can see the beginning of caramelization. Once the 20 minutes are up, add the garlic to one batch, stir, and continue cooking. Add the wine to the second batch and cook both until the wine is reduced/absorbed by the onions (another ten minutes or less).

Combine the onions into one large soup pot and add 5.5 cups of beef broth and seasonings. Stir, breaking up the browned bits that stuck to the bottom of the pot during caramelization. Add the rest of the broth to the second (now empty) pan, heat gently, and scrape up browned bits. Add this mixture to the large soup pot. Simmer the soup for 20-30 minutes. Salt to taste but go easy because adding the cheese later will add salt. In the meantime, toast baguette slices in the oven.


Once the soup is done, ladle servings into oven-proof bowls (if you're not a fan of pieces of onion, simply strain the soup and keep the delicious broth). Heat broiler. Top soup with 2-3 baguette slices and top all of that with grated cheese.


Broil soup 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browning slightly.

Icenhauer's and The Rainey St. Scene

For those of you who don't live in Austin, this post is only going to make you jealous...which is another reason to come down and visit us!

Rainey St.
We all know that downtown Austin has changed a lot in recent years. But as is characteristic of the city, another new bar/food scene has popped up in a little neighborhood that no one knew existed until a few months ago. Remember what Red River used to be like before Club DeVille and gourmet food-carts? How about West 6th before Molotov's? Nope, me neither! Welcome to Rainey Street, Austin's newest, "secret" bar scene...and also a cute residential neighborhood where real people still live. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future regarding noise ordinances and such. While it's awesome to have a "neighborhood bar," it's not so nice when it's literally in your neighbor's house and strangers from around Travis County are descending upon your quaint neighborhood. However, I have to admit that these little bungalow houses turned indy bar scene are pretty awesome and definitely relaxed in the old Austiny kind of way. I've only been to a few of these rogue bars so far, but I like the atmosphere a lot. This area is also home to similarly rogue, and abruptly famous food places like Garage-mahal (delicious trailer-Indian food), which are certainly going to contribute to a huge increase in popularity very soon. Just my own prediction...
Here are a few of the new bars to check out:

Lustre Pearl
As with many of the Rainey St. suds shops, this one sports a great outdoor seating area. I haven't been to Lustre myself yet, but Rob tells me that it's a casual place with the added bonus of actual, regulation ping-pong tables. This one has a prime location on the corner opposite a (currently) $5 parking lot.

www.lustrepearlaustin.com

Clive Bar
Located across the street from Garage-Mahal and other eateries, this place has a fantastic porch with rustic little wooden benches and crates for your comfort. More evidence that these are grown-up places: clean bathrooms with working doors and paper towels.

www.clivebaraustin.com

Icenhauer's
We didn't spend a lot of time here, but I will definitely be going back, mainly for the delicious drinks. This place is starting to become known for its classical bartending and signature drinks, many of which are made with fresh ingredients. My favorite is a light drink that is a mix of champagne and elderflower liquor. Another big hit that packs a little more punch is a vodka-based beverage with freshly muddled strawberries and basil. These are really amazing. You need to taste one for yourself!

Facebook | Icenhauer's

Guest Star: Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe comes from Eric, who says: "This is one of a few recipes that I know from heart. It’s a recipe that my mom got from a family friend, but it’s been tweaked over the years. One of the great things about it, is it’s easy to adjust for anybody’s personal taste – just add or eliminate items in the filling (e.g., green onions or olives) as you see fit – or even if you are missing an ingredient in your pantry. It works very well with fat free/ reduced fat ingredients. The enchiladas aren’t very spicy, so you can always add heat to the enchilada sauce or use hotter peppers. In the end, though, this dish is creamy, cheesey, and heats up nicely the next day." Sounds fantastic to me!


Chicken Enchiladas
Serves: 4-6
Time: 1 hour (30 prep, 30 in oven)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed, cooked, and cooled
16 oz. sour cream
2 cans condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Cream of Celery or Mushroom can work, too)
1 bunch of green onions
1 small can (4 oz) diced green chiles
10 tortillas (12-inch)
Enchilada sauce, red (15-20 oz)
½ - ¾ lbs of cheese (cheddar and jack mix)
sliced black olives and jalapeños (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Pour a little enchilada sauce into the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish to coat all sides.

Combine chicken (cooked ahead of time, I usually boil it), sour cream, soup, green onions, and chiles in a medium bowl and mix well. Set 1 cup of the mixture aside.

To assemble an enchilada: pour a small amount of enchilada sauce onto a plate and coat both sides of a tortilla with the sauce. Spoon the filling mixture onto the tortilla (usually 2-3 healthy spoonfuls are enough). Roll the tortilla and place in the casserole dish, seam down. Continue to assemble the remaining enchiladas to fill up the casserole dish.

Combine any remaining enchilada sauce with the cup of filling set aside (and any filling that might be left over). Spread the mixture over the enchiladas in the casserole dish. Cover the enchiladas with cheese, and decorate with sliced olives and jalapeños if desired.


Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and delicious.

Pizza Rustica

What could be better than a simple, delicious pizza? The tiny, fresh tomatoes in this recipe are key. They stand in for sauce and are a little sweet, balancing nicely with other simple ingredients, like fresh herbs.


Pizza Rustica
Servings: 4-6
Time: 35 minutes (20 prep, 15 in the oven)

13 oz pizza dough (buy it to save time; fits standard cookie sheet)
8 oz fresh mozzarella sliced into ovals
1 pint of grape or small cherry tomatoes
1 table spoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dried rosemary
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/8 of a teaspoon of salt
Red Pepper flakes
Fresh spinach (or basil if you want more flavor)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place tomatoes and olive oil into frying pan and cook over medium low heat, stirring every once in a while.

Meanwhile, Roll out dough onto lightly greased or parchment covered cookie sheet.

Check on tomatoes. They should cook for about 5 minutes. When they start to become soft, add the garlic, herbs, salt, and a shake of red pepper flakes. Continue stirring and cooking until you can easily pop or crush tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Remove from heat at that point, and crush the remaining tomatoes.

Place mozzarella slices directly onto the dough, spacing them equally apart so that when they melt, the cheese will cover the entire pie. Using a spoon, drop small amounts of tomato mixture in different places directly on top of the cheese and dough.

Place fresh spinach or basil leaves in between the tomato splotches.

Place pizza in oven and cook until the cheese is melted and turning golden brown in some spots and the crust is golden.

JaneWay's Famous Chicken Salad

Looking for something light and crisp for the summer? Rob's mom has a great chicken salad recipe that includes grapes and almonds. The fruit is refreshing and makes this recipe stand out from other chicken salads. JaneWay usually serves this in a wrap, which is great for a quick dinner, outside food, or as a meal on the go. The not as famous PaulWay substituted in some delicious sheep cheese once, which pairs surprisingly well with the grapes, but only if you like very strong cheese!

JaneWay's Famous Chicken Salad
Servings: 6-8
Time: 35 minutes prep + chilling

- 5 medium-sized chicken breasts
- parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 packet dry Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- 4 good-sized celery stalks (chopped)
- 1.5-2 cups red grapes (sliced in half)
- 3/4 to 1 cup light mayonaisse
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Coat chicken in a mix of parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Add a few shakes of garlic powder. Bake chicken for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Mix together chicken, celery, grapes, mayo, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Chill well. Shortly before serving, mix in the almonds.