Food Matters
Burger, with a side of doggie biscuit
By Kitty Crider & Dale Rice
Oct. 5, 2005
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Deborah Cannon/AA-S Shadow, a 1-year-old collie, appears eager to get his order from P. Terry's employee Will Price. The dog's owner, Allison Lauphlin, got something less crunchy. |
At Quality Seafood, oysters now, fillets for later
Quality Seafood supplies more than 50 kinds of oysters — from the East to the Gulf to the West coasts -- to area restaurants. Now the supplier is serving them up for diners as well. Quality Seafood (5621 Airport Blvd.) last week opened an oyster bar on the premises. Proprietor Paul Huntsberger said a variety of appetizers will be available at the bar, including raw oysters, fried calamari, peel-and-eat shrimp and steamed clams and mussels from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The bar will be extending its hours to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday beginning the first week of November. "From a business standpoint, this made sense," Huntsberger said. "Part of our survival is to change and adapt to what customers are asking for." In the process, he said, Quality Seafood is becoming more of a general market, with wine, vegetables and a small retail area for things such as cedar planks for cooking salmon.
It's hard to beat this nifty implement for whipping cream
When you need to whip cream by hand, the double balloon whisk will do the job nicely. Not as fast as a Kitchen-Aid, but you don't always have one of those handy. Designed like a whisk within a whisk, this gadget also works with egg whites and other airy tasks. Made of stainless steel, it is dishwasher safe. That's a good thing, because it is not as easy to clean as a single tool. From Kuhn Rikon, the 11-inch size goes for $16, the 10-inch for $14, and they are found at specialty retailers.
Bluefoot mushroom makes an imprint locally
Bluefoot sounds like a combo of the wireless technology and the legendary creature. But it's a mushroom that is filling produce baskets at local stores and making the occasional restaurant menu. Its uniqueness is its purplish blue hue. While the funky fungus used to be harvested in the wild in the fall, it is now cultivated year round. Still, it is pricey, currently ranging from $40 to $50 a pound. Chef Eric Polzer of Wink, who has used it in sauces for meats on his menus, says the mushroom is strong-flavored and requires cooking. However, when cooked, the blue color is not as vibrant. We also think tucking a few in a fall centerpiece would add to the table conversation.
North Austin soon will get a taste of Hoover's
Names in the news: Hoover Alexander of the popular Hoover's Cooking in Austin and San Antonio is planning a third restaurant at 13376 Research Blvd., near the intersection of U.S. 183 and Anderson Mill Road. "I'm bungee jumping, and, oh, Lord, catch me before I splat," jokes the affable restaurateur. He will duplicate his home cooking/comfort food menu that includes such best-sellers as meat loaf, fried catfish and jerk chicken. Not to be forgotten are his homemade pies and banana pudding cheesecake. The restaurant, open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, will be in the old Ray's Steakhouse location. "I'm hoping, hoping, hoping to be open before Thanksgiving." ... Southside Market's Elgin hot guts get a quarter-page nod of approval in the October issue of Gourmet. Only the New York mag doesn't call the all-beef sausages "guts" like Central Texans do. ... Richard Kaplan of Brown Paper Chocolates will have his exotic candy in Central Market by the middle of this month. He still sells at the Sunset Valley Farmers' Market on Saturdays as well.
