FOOD BLOG

Chocolate Bar in Austin!!??!!

Answer to a hungry girl-on-the-go’s question – by Cheryl Moody

Yes, at Extraordinaire (500 N. Lamar on the 5^th Street Side, 512-542-9400)!!! This divine home décor boutique features not only the finest, most unique offerings from around the globe to enhance your individual style, but fine food items, also.

I do believe that the Chocolate Bar at Extraordinaire is a Lone Ranger in Austin! Not exactly wearing a black mask or disguise, Steve James and Michael White’s chocolate bar is full of silver bullets to bring bad taste to justice. The silver bullets include Amadei, Sweet Shop, Chapon, and Austin’s very own Lina’s Cocoa Couture…..

They have “the world’s best chocolate” there – AMADEI. I can testify to this fact because I am savoring each tiny nibble of Amadei’s Toscano Black 70% right now. Ahhhhhh! As I open the individually wrapped bar and smell the essence of chocolate, fantasies of Johnny Depp from “Chocolat” begin dancing in my head. (No, he wasn’t the Lone Ranger, but he did wear a mask in “Don Juan de Marco.”)

Based in Tuscany, Italy, Amadei was so exclusive that it was only available in restaurants like Napa Valley’s “French Laundry” until recently. Extraordinaire is the only shop in Austin to carry Amadei, subjected to a stringent application and approval process conducted by the brother – sister duo, The Tessieris, who own their own cacao plantations in Chuao, Venezuala. They insist on strict control of the quality… from planting the beans all the way to the finished product.

Their dedication to quality is non-pareil. They demand perfection or the product is not released. Each of their plantations maintains its own unique taste, just like estate bottled wines. The different chocolates are now known as “cru” – a term borrowed from vintners.

Amadei is a “Fair Trade Company” and is highly regarded as being socially conscious in human rights and child slave labor there. In fact, they formed and currently support a farmer’s co-op for their plantation workers.

To read more about “The World’s Best Chocolate”, please check the Food & Wine article in the May 2006 issue. Here’s the link: http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-worlds-best-chocolate

Another Stunning and Delicious Silver Bullet at Extraordinaire’s (500 N. Lamar on the 5^th Street Side) Chocolate Bar:

Lina’s Cocoa Couture was founded by the fabulous Lina Husodo. She is both a local architect AND a skilled chocolatier whose handmade, hand-crafted and hand-decorated chocolates are considered “jewelry” by some people and pieces of art by other admirers.

Photo by Lina Husodo

Chocolate jewelry? Lina has created edible necklaces and earrings made with flavored bon-bons and solid chocolate. The fragile jewelry is worthy of a Vogue fashion shoot. Call Extraordinaire at 512-542-9400 to order them in advance of a special occasion or fun event. Be careful with the body heat or you’ll melt the exquisite jewels.



Photo by Eugene Hsu                                   Photo by Eugene Hsu

Lina’s lovely and unusual designs are glazed with colors which sheen and shine, with an emphasis on fillings, such as sambuca, port, bourbon, amaretto, kahlua or frangelica. Garnering spices and flavors from her Indonesian heritage, Lina incorporates tamarind or coconut pandam, and blends spicy mango with basil, black currant with port wine, orange peel with almond and Grand Marnier, even limoncello.

An example of her dedication to fresh ingredients, Lina handpicks the lavender in Fredricksburg. Her magical chocolate creations should be eaten within 14 days, as they are preservative free.

Please call Extraordinaire at 512-542-9400 or check back here and ask Steve for the date and time of Lina’s monthly chocolate tastings. Friday evenings 5-7 is champagne happy hour!

You may also find the Texas Classic – Sweet Shop – at Extraordinaire (500 N. Lamar – 512-542-9400)

Sweet Shop USA is the largest hand made, family owned chocolate company in the US. Based in Ft. Worth, their chocolates have Texas-sized taste. The chocolates, truffles, brags (turtles), cookies, pralines, toffees, pretzels, fruit & nut covered in chocolate – they’re made from all natural ingredients.

What does hand made mean?

Hand stirred

Hand poured

Hand rolled

Hand signed

Hand swirled

Hand packed

Hand sealed

Hand boxed

Hand tied bows

Hand carried

Hand delivered

A Texas classic, Sweet Shop’s most famous product are their pecan brags,

and their almond toffee bar is the most fabulous – in my humble opinion…

Patrice Chapon is the exclusive Parisian chocolatier, formerly of Buckingham Palace. He has had his own shop in Paris for the last 20 years, and his chocolate creations are preservative free, in the purest form. PURE PURE PURE!!! His chocolates are flown straight from Paris, only 3 times a year. Bergdorf Goodman carries them in Manhattan, so once again, Extraordinaire has pulled a major coup for Austinites.

The little chocolate trunks with drawers of chocolates (think Louis Vuitton) are filled with drawers of pralines & truffles...

Olive Garden Recipes

Jim Smithson

I love to eat out, especially at the Olive Garden. Their recipes are perfect for any appetite, big or small. Unfortunately for me, I can't afford to go there as often as I would like. I decided that there had to be some way for me to eat the food I love at a fraction of the cost. Luckily there is just that and I'll prove it!

When I go out to dinner, I always want to get an appetizer, but the cost keeps me from getting it. When I'm making meals from home, I make sure to give myself the appetizer that I'm always craving. One of my favorite Olive Garden recipes is their hot artichoke spinach dip. The recipe goes a little something like this:

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1 cup chopped artichoke hearts

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

dash ground pepper

crackers, toasted bread, or tortilla chips

1. Simmer the spinach and artichoke hearts in 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander when done.

2. Heat cream cheese in a small bowl in the microwave on high for about 1 minute. Or, use a saucepan to heat the cheese over medium heat until hot.

3. Add spinach and artichoke hearts to cream cheese and stir well.

4. Stir in the Parmesan, pepper flakes, salt, garlic powder and ground pepper, mixing thoroughly. Serve hot with crackers, toasted bread, or tortilla chips.

This Olive Garden recipe is great for a snack, but there are plenty more recipes available, including entrees!

Red Lobster Recipes

Jim Smithson

Isn't it depressing to think that you have to go out to eat to have a quality dinner? I know I feel that way. Luckily, I'm going to share with you an inexpensive way to eat food from a fine quality establishment with Red Lobster recipes. Whenever I go out to eat at red lobster, I know I need to eat the batter-fried shrimp; here is the secret recipe to make this meal in your own home.

Ingredients:

• 1½ pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

• ½ cup oil

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup milk

• ¾ tsp. seasoned salt

• ¼ tsp. salt

• Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1. Preheat oil to 350 degrees. Combine ½ cup oil and egg; beat well. Add remaining ingredients except oil for frying and stir until well blended.

2. Dip shrimp into batter to coat. Drop shrimp into hot oil and fry for 30-60 seconds or until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towel.

Serves 6.

This is just one of many red lobster recipes I can share with you. Other meals include Maryland crab cakes, red lobster margaritas, lobster pizza, and so much more! With such quality food as this, it is nice to know that when you want to save some money and impress your friends, that you can cook and entertain guests in the safety of your own home. Cooking and preparing meals for yourself and guests can be overwhelming at times. By using this, and other red lobster recipes, you can be comforted in knowing that you will make a wonderful meal while saving time and money.

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