Foods I miss in Austin....

....would be far, far too long. I did a similar list when I left Wichita, but for Austin, it will have to be a top ten.

1. Breakfast tacos--yes, I am addicted and just this morning suggested to my little diner on the corner that they add them to the menu. Particularly, from Elsi's.
2. Protein 2000 from Veggie Heaven.
3. Hot dogs from Dog Almighty.
4. Central Market. Sigh. Do I need to say more?
5. Vietnamese food, particularly Sunflower by my house.
6. The pastry case at Mandola's, particulary the angenetti (cakey, lemon cookies.)
7. The Steeping Room--if you haven't been, then get yourself there.
8. Boxes of vegetables from my CSA.
9. Having friends over for dinner.
10. The giant Asian market up the street.

Mangez!

Céréales du Petit Déjeuner

Vintage Tupperware cereal container, available on Ebay. Buy it now for $4.95.

Cereal had a special place in the home I grew up in, literally. Sam, my dad, had built drawers in the cabinets for easy access and one of those drawers was loaded with Tupperware containers filled with a variety of choices. Barbara would occasionally buy a sweet cereal, like Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries, but it had to be rationed against 'plain' cereal to which we added at least the same amount of sugar that was in the Captain. Probably more. Most likely, there was some secret equation or ratio, like one box of sweet cereal to every 4.25 boxes of unsweetened cereal, but I never cracked that code.

Perplexing cereal to children? Grape nuts. It was a like a never ending bowl that just kept sucking up and absorbing the milk. It probably takes at least a half-gallon of milk to eat one bowl of Grape Nuts. Who knows. Another secret equation.

• Cereals I would eat as a child: Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies.
• Cereals I would prefer not to eat: Grape Nuts, Bran Flakes, anything with raisins.
• Cereal involved with disgusting story I will not repeat here: Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries

Cereal was really the only breakfast food I liked as a child. I always preferred it to a hot breakfast, but would of course indulge in pancakes or French toast on Saturday morning. When we would go on vacation, breakfast had to be at a restaurant with cereal on the menu. A little like Andy Warhol and his lunch of Campbell's tomato soup, I had to have cereal for breakfast. Of course, the morning meal was not free of family politics. As the only manic morning person in our family (I guess Sam is a morning person, but not as...talkative as myself?), I was always ready to begin the day with inquisitions and conversations. Sadly, my younger brother Eric was not, and refused to eat breakfast with me because I talked too much. Moi? I'm sure you believe, as I do, that he was simply being overly sensitive.

My grandmother, Ruth, also had an array of Tupperware cereal containers. (In fact, I think Ruth invested all of her mad money in Tupperware. When she finally acquiesced to an apartment close to my parents, Barbara told me that everyone had already gone through her collection, but I could look at the remainders. Three yard-size garbage bags left! After everyone had taken what they wanted!) She didn't see these cereal containers as simply a place to store cereal, but as a starting point and outlet for creativity. In each, Ruth would create a custom blend of cereals, every changing and always intriguing. You might find Cheerios combined with Raisin Bran or Corn Flakes mixed with your Rice Chex. If you wanted cereal straight, you had to get it from a fresh box opened from the pantry. Otherwise, it was take your chances with one of grandma's cereal cocktails.

Reader, you're probably wondering where Ruth kept her custom cereal blends. In a special sliding drawer built by my dad? No, she had those of course, but Ruth kept her cereals in an appliance above her stove that was either an old microwave or extra oven. It's true. It heald at least six containers of the magical, cereal potions easily. In her defense, I should say that my grandmother rarely fed her children or grandchildren cereal for breakfast. She would make waffles in an ancient waffle iron my uncle had saved his money to order from Sear's in the 1950s, my Aunt Sally's bran muffins (That, dear reader, is another story about aging and the demise of cooking skills.), or leftover blackberry cobbler my uncle would top with heavy cream and my mother with skim milk.

What is in my new cereal container? Kashi's Heart to Heart. What's in yours?

All of this to say, cereal is probably still my breakfast of choice, with breakfast tacos as a very close second.

Holiday 2007 Rehash

This year, we did the tour of the 'ahs' for the holidays--Wichit-ah, Omah-ah and Tuls-ah. Here are some dining highlights from the long, long....LONG (but fun) trip.

Wichit-ah
In Wichita, we saw lots of friends. It was a super-fast visit, but we squeezed every bit of friend-time in we could. Sorry if I missed you this visit, but you're top of the list next time I'm in town! Wednesday night we went to N&J Bakery which is one of the best Lebanese restaurants in the city--and there are many. I think they have the tastiest fattoush salads in Wichita, crisp and perfectly seasoned. Barb was planning on having a few people over on the following night and ordered their hummus, homemade pita and pistachio cookies. I love the pistachio cookies, but more on that later.

When we got back to Barb's, we kept her company as she began some of the prep for her Thursday night menu. One of the sweet treats was 'crispy crackers' which involves baking club crackers that have been topped with nuts and a buttery caramel. They are like crack, once you start you are hooked. Barb and I are carefully watching them in the over as they bake.

Thursday morning, Mitchell and I had breakfast at the Beacon Restaurant with an old friend from work and his new bride. The Beacon is the greasy spoon of all greasy spoons. It's located right next to the newspaper office (Which used to be the Eagle-Beacon back in the day) and is decorated with a lighthouse theme. Many of the very artistic items are for sale. If you eat meat and find yourself 'dining' at the Beacon, be sure and order the Beacon Traditional which is an open-face, lightly toasted English muffin topped with 2 eggs cooked to order, your choice of bacon or ham, and cheese melted over the top.

Thursday night at Barb's was fun and we got to hang out with many of our Wichita friends. I even got to have Molly sit in my lap, which is something I really miss being so far away from her. Barb made tons of delicious treats and served her wonderful mulled wine, but I think everyone enjoyed the pumpkin biscuits more than anything else. They're a classic and even better served with the maple pumpkin sauce which Barb had never tried before. Make them, but don't even think about serving them without the sauce!

Recipe: Barb's Pumpkin Biscuits with Pumpkin Maple Sauce
Biscuits 2 ½ cups all-purpose baking mix (like Bisquick) 1/3 cup instant non fat dry milk ¼ cup packed brown sugar 1 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ¾ cup 100% pure pumpkin 1 tablespoon water

Sauce
1 cup maple syrup 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine baking mix, dry milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl. Stir in pumpkin and water until just moistened.
• Knead 10 times on lightly floured surface.
• Roll dough to ½ inch thickness; cut into 12 biscuits.
• Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Heat syrup, pumpkin and cinnamon in a small saucepan until warm.
• Spoon sauce over warm biscuits.

Of course, no visit to Wichita would be complete without a trip to the Nifty Nut House. They have all of my favorites, so I stocked up. Plus, it's always fun to be there during the holidays because there is so much electricity in the air. People are crazy for nuts! I bought:

• Double-dipped chocolate covered peanuts (the size of gum balls)
  
• Dark-chocolate covered pistachios
• Bridge Mix (with fruits)
• Yogurt-covered pretzel Christmas trees. (I swear their's are the best!)
  

Omah-ah
Old Town Omaha is filled with lots of great shops and restaurants, and we were sure to hit several of our favorites. We stayed at the Magnolia Hotel (which is in a converted office building and very nice if you're looking for a place to stay in Omaha) and it was easy walking to breakfast or dinner. Plus, the Magnolia has a complimentary continental breakfast, cocktails in the evening and a milk and cookie bar at night. Not kidding. Milk and cookie bar.

Zio's pizza is always a special treat and by the slice. You can order whatever toppings you wish and they're happy to oblige with piping hot slices right to your table. We had broccoli and onion (I won't apologize. I love broccoli on pizza.) and tomato and spinach. They have so many topping choices it will boggle your mind.

Even though we live right smack dab in the epicenter of Indian culture in Austin, TX, that doesn't keep us from ordering it when we're out of town. The Indian Oven, also in Old Town, serves all of your favorite Indian treats and has a great wine list to boot. Cold night? Fresh curries and a glass of wine will warm you right up.

Reader, are you eating your lunch at your desk while you catch up on my blog? Are you using a plastic spoon? I thought so! Do you know how it's made? Well a visit to the Omaha Children's Museum will cure you of that ignorance. Push a single button and moments later, a fresh plastic spoon emerges from the injection machine. Like magic.

Sammy and Jakalee (two and three respectively) were more interested in the car and the balls and the millions of other things you can do at the Museum.

Of course, I had to stop and pay me respects to Quan Yin while I was in Omaha. Driving down the Sorrenson Parkway, you just kind of come across her, perched on a hill and surveying the white, snowy world. The gate was locked, but I hopped it easily and trudged up the snow-covered steps to the top. I guess there were rabbits nesting behind because when I reached the top they ran quickly away in that breathy, panicked rabbit sort of way. I left Quan Yin an offering of four pistachio cookies that Barb had sent us away with, piled at the base of her feet. I didn't stay long because I thought since the gate was locked, some angry Buddhists might come after me from the temple in the distance. I spent the rest of the day with the Smith's song Stop Me if You've Heard This One Before running through my head. "And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder."

Tuls-ah

In Tulsa we ate and gorged ourselves on Christmas fare at the parents, including our traditional dinner of fried chicken. It's a long story, but tasty nonetheless. We still found time to join Paula, Brennan and Loren for a little pizza at the Hideaway. Probably the best pizza in Oklahoma, the Hideaway is a Stillwater/OSU tradition, but we don't hold that against them. Good pizza is good pizza!

SoCo Treats

Saturday, Katie and I bummed around South Congress doing a little shopping, looking and eating. We popped into Cissi's Market which has all kinds of yummy treats, including some garish sugar cookies that are actually divine. They served them at the docent holiday party last week, and I would say they are possible the best I've ever had.

After walking up and down the street, we decided that a slice from Home Slice would hit the spot. I love Home Slice and I think it's some of the best pizza in town. (Queen of Pies!) I know I'm not alone with these thoughts or any sort of foodie prophet. My only complaint is that everyone KNOWS it's great pizza, so it's always super crowded. Oh well, worth the wait for cold beer and hot pizza. I had a slice of cheese and a slice of margherita.

On the way back to the car, we checked out Big Top Candy Shop, the new candy destination from folks who run Monkey See Monkey Do. What will you find at Big Top? Piles and piles of every kind of candy you could possible want. Piles. I resisted, but I'll be back. AND they have a soda fountain.

Mangez!

Looking for a new Creamer/Sugar?

I'm not, I have creamer and sugar sets coming out my ears. Colorful plastic fifties ones. A silver-plated deco set. A Russel Wright set. Sets in both of my china patterns. A spare set I picked up at the thrift store that has a bowl and platter to match. Odd cream pitchers that don't match any sugar bowls, but still look great, especially the one from Rosenthal (My only piece, so I treasure it. Pronounce it 'ro zen tall' if you want to be snooty, like me.) If you don't have that perfect creamer and sugar set, that one that really says something about who you are and where you fit into the world, might I suggest the following?

This bunny service, adorned with roses, could really mix in with any china or silver service easily. Traditional, modern, simple, or ornate. It would convey to your guests (or reiterate to yourself, if you're using it for toast and tea at a solitary repast) that you are a positive person, with a bright outlook on the world. Likewise, the adorable guys definitely assert confidence in a design aesthetic on the part of the owner. They really SAY something...

And now, a PARADE OF SUGARS AND CREAMERS for your pleasure and amusement!

This wonderful design by Russel Wright is ingenious, with the creamer acting as the lid of the sugar bowl, nesting neatly on top.

This set says: I have a small table and need something economical, space wise. Plus I revere classic, American design.

A similar design and thrift store find, this piece is a silver-plated deco set by Napier.

This set says: I'm traditional, yet slightly funky. My walls are covered with Erté prints.

Temporama by Canonsburg. My favorite pattern. The dishes I use in all of my dreams. The accent pieces in this set are that wonderful robin's egg blue that I love, but the under plate shown here is actually something new from Crate and Barrel. Perfect Match!

This set says: I'm funky. I wear vintage, fifties glasses. Atomic forever!

The 'good' china, some of what I own was a thrifted gift from the playwright and actress Helena Hale, who is no longer with us. The pattern is Shoreline by Metlox and all of the colors were named for the California coast. The color I collect is called wet sand. So dramatic.

This set says: Simple, elegant design is timeless and without compare. California pottery has no equl in the world of vintage china.

This set sat at the thrift store forever, so I finally picked them up for a song along with a matching bowl and platter. They are by Studio Nova from the very 80s Color Threads line. I would consider this to be my 'everyday' creamer and sugar, the one that is on the kitchen table.

This set says: I will never get over the passing of the 80s.

Finally, a mismatched ménage à trois. From the left, a rustic creamer that was a gift from Danette who has no use for creamers as she doesn't drink coffee and rarely entertains (never on a grand scale); the adored Rosenthal, with odd wings on the lid that make it very sculptural; and lastly, a petite creamer by Frankoma, pottery of the promised land--Oklahoma.

These say, from left to right: I make my own pottery. I'm a hippy; My grandmother was a minor, German aristocrat who lost everything in the war and this is the only piece she escaped Europe with; I'm from Oklahoma.

Have you tried...

The poach pod? I haven't yet, but I might pick one up just to see how it works. According to the instructions, you simply crack an egg into each pod, then float them in simmering water until the eggs are done. It seems these would work well and give you a pefectly poached egg, but I'm unsure if the rounded shape would be ideal for preparing Benedicts, etc.

Yes, that's right. They went ahead and made your life a living hell by creating this awful product. What is it? Munchies. One bag of chips that contains a mixture of Doritos, Cheetos, Rold Gold Pretzels and SunChips. In one bag. Apparently, there is a cheese fix mixture (note the use of the word fix), a flaming hot mixture and a ranch mixture. Of course, you could buy four bags of chips and make this yourself, or you could buy this one bag and eat the entire thing in one sitting. That is what I would do if I were stupid enough to buy a bag. Which I'm not.

Protein 2000

When Molly was visiting, we took her to eat at Veggie Heaven, a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the Guadalupe strip. Is hole-in-the-wall right? At VH, it's definitely not about the decor, which is a strange mishmash of posters, wall art and calendars. It's about yummy Asian food that is completely veggie friendly.

As we perused the menu, which is replete with photographs of every entree, food for the table next to ours was delivered. They had two orders of a half broccoli and half something that looked like breaded meat in some sort of sauce. It looked good. It smelled yummy. A quick perusal of the photo-friendly menu revealed they were eating Protein 2000. I ordered it. It was good. It was very good. And I noticed everyone around me was eating it. It seemed the whole restaurant had ordered Protein 2000.

What is Protein 2000, you ask? The VH menu describes the dish as, "vegetable proteins made of soybeans in a slightly sweet brown sauce with broccoli, garlic, and onions." But what's with the silly name? No idea. Of course, thoughts do turn to Soylent Green, the Charlton Heston 'classic' where the food source turns out to be people. (It's people! Soylent green is people!) But since VH is run by a 'cult' of vegetarian practitioners, we can assume that Protein 2000 is not people.

That's right, VH is run by Falun Gong practitioners, which you probably know because of their persecution by the Chinese government. They are seen by many, including experts in the West, as a cult with questionable practices for followers. But, they run a great restaurant! And you know how I love a cult-run restaurant.

I think they are putting something in that Protein 2000 though. If not, why the strange, futuristic name? And why is everyone ordering it? And why do I think about it all the time and wonder when I am going to get some more Protein 2000? Why have Thursdays become Protein 2000 day?

Today, Katie and I met for lunch at Veggie Heaven and I ordered the Protein 2000 without even looking at the menu. I don't have answers to any of the questions lingering over my plate, but I am going to stop asking them, set back and enjoy my meal. That is what the Protein 2000 is telling me to do.

Mangez!