A Free Lunch

SXSW is happening this week and I've been spending a lot of time volunteering and going to events. One of the most striking things about the whole enormous endeavor - besides the multiple manifestations of mobile communication technology - is the passionate pursuit of free stuff. Swag. Especially free food (and drink).

But you know what they say about free lunches. Adobe had offered a free brunch online - and then when the badgeless folks showed up to claim their due, they found out that the brunch was being held on a floor that was badge-only access. Wah-wah.

It's kind of astounding to see techies and film nerds jostling in line for free beer, popcorn, chips, cookies. Just around the corner they could get a real free lunch, every weekday, but somehow I doubt they'd be interested.

And then there's the volunteers - thousands of us. Only those who work 6 or more hours in the Convention Center - which theoretically doesn't allow outside food in - are given meal tickets for the SXSW volunteer hospitality lunch. It's free(ish, if you don't count your volunteer hours as needing compensation) and even pretty healthy. Special diets not particularly accommodated though. Working front of house requires handling angry vegans.

BTW someone could make a killing next year with a few strategically placed, reasonably priced vegan/vegetarian carts around the ACC.

What would you do for a free lunch?

Nori Chips

This recipe for nori chips from Mark Bittman has been in my "to try" file since I first saw it last fall. Finally got around to making the chips, and I agree - if you like the taste of seaweed, these are a good snacking alternative. I'm enjoying the taste more on day two than the day I made them, and they're just fine without the sesame oil.


I don't think I had seaweed until college - which was when a friend from California finally introduced me to sushi. Now I like it in a number of different forms, and I think it has also increased my appreciation for other seafood, like raw oysters, that really taste of the sea.

With buckwheat soba for a light lunch.

Cookbook Experiment: Cusines of Mexico

Number two in The Cookbook Experiment is Diana Kennedy's Cusines of Mexico (1972). Well, number three really, because number two should have gone to Ann Clark's Fabulous Fish, but I forgot to take a picture. It happens sometimes.

Cusines is a fairly intimidating book, and I flipped through it for a while trying to find a recipe that looked simple enough for me to prepare without too much extra shopping or prep. Finally I settled on a cold squash salad, or ensalada de calabacita, garnished with pickled onions called cebollas encurtidas.


The recipe called for zucchini and also a chayote squash, which I'd never cooked with before. According to Kennedy, the light green ones that we see most frequently are also the least prized of three different varieties of chayote.

The pickled onions, with oregano

A three-sisters dinner: corn tostadas, pinto beans, and the salad, with queso fresco
(and carrots from the farmer's market)

Closeup!

The salad was ok, but I'm still working on my taste for chayote. It's certainly an expressive vegetable, though.

DIY Banh-Mi

A few weeks ago, I had professionally-prepared banh-mi, but I found myself wondering if I might be able to make my own at home. After doing some web research, I assembled my list of ingredients and set out to get everything necessary.

The sandwiches are already multicultural - French imperialists left behind their bread baking skills in Southeast Asia, so the sandwiches require a crusty bun.
Where to turn but the local panadería?

Can I tell you how excited I am to have good crusty bread in the 'hood? These bolillos are fab.

The veggies: daikon from the Asian supermarket, pickled carrot/daikon in sushi vinegar, chopped scallions, and a tomato for good measure

Daikon is my new favorite vegetable. It doesn't hurt that I always think about this.

And a very important garnish: cilantro (also added lettuce)

I also added mayo and hot chili paste, and chopped up eggs and shrimp for the innards. After doing this a second time, I recommend pulling out excess bread from the inside of the bun, and making a paste of the mayo/chili/onion/pickled veggie that marinates for a while before going on the sandwich.

A bit more involved than a pbj but worth it for a weekend lunch.

Snacking in Chinatown

With Chinese New Year in the papers, I decided to head up to the North Austin Chinatown shopping center this past week. I wasn't the only one - the front end of MT Supermarket was even more crowded than usual, with lots of gawkers at the special New Year's sweets on display.

I also ducked into Short n' Sweet Cafe for a green milk bubble tea and some kind of very colorful rice & coconut dessert. I appreciated being able to choose unsweetened tea. The cafe also has ice cream, some candies/sweets in bulk, and a small selection of savory food.

Helpful hint: Children under 5 not suggest to eat.

The Cookbook Experiment

I'm temporarily living with my mom, which has given me access to her library of cookbooks, a small selection of which you can see in the picture below. She has been collecting cookbooks since her own young adulthood, and even has a few from my grandmother's generation. It's an astounding collection of recipes, tips, and other food-related wisdom.


In an effort to get to know these books better, I'm starting a semi-Julie/Julia inspired project to make one recipe from each of these books. Along the way, I'll rate the recipe on various factors (ease of preparation, availability of ingredients, tastiness of results, etc.)

First up, Paris Home Cooking, by Michael Roberts. I was wanting to make vichyssoise, never having had it but thinking leeks and potatoes would make a good midwinter soup, for an unusually cold and wet Austin February. Well, apparently the soup isn't French in origin, but I did find a hot potato and leek soup (not pureed).


It turned out well - even without the bacon the recipe called for. I had to make some substitutions for other ingredients: didn't use the exact type of wine called for; improvised an herb bag - not having cheesecloth - with a tea strainer; green onions rather than chives. Otherwise the recipe was fairly simple and ingredients not unreasonably exotic.

Ease of preparation: A- | Availability of ingredients: B+ | Taste: A

Dining Out: Thai Fresh

Thai Fresh, recently recognized by Bon Appétit, is a multi-purpose food-related endeavor, offering cooking classes, catering, a changing selection of prepared foods for dine-in or take-out, and even a few Thai cooking utensils for sale. They locally source many of their ingredients.

I went there recently with food blog compadre Citizen Taco, and sampled some of the dishes available from the deli. You can choose one, two or three items, and are given the choice of brown or white rice. About half the selections are vegetarian.

Tofu with green beans
(I also got a green curry, which I liked better but was less photogenic)

Two ice creams: Thai tea and black pepper

I was also offered sticky rice with my ice cream (I declined). The ice cream/sorbet selection had all kinds of interesting flavors, and would be even more appealing during Austin's long summer.