ATX FOOD NEWS | Eating our way through Austin, one delicious bite at a time.

Duck Diner adds to the Robertson Family’s Dynasty

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

West Monroe, Louisiana’s most famous faces since…well, since ever (apologies to Jerry Stovall), have recently added restauranteur status to their collective resumes. On Friday the family opened Willie’s Duck Diner on a street that I’m fairly certain didn’t yet exist when I hightailed it outta town, looking for a bigger city. I had no idea the dimpled, sweet boy I knew as Jason in high school would someday be as bearded as any respectful East Austin hipster, and staring at me from tee shirts, posters, coffee travel mugs and dvd covers in just about every store known to man.

The Duck Diner menu reads like you’d expect from a Louisiana home cookin’ restaurant: frog legs, gumbo, fried duck strips in place of the usual chicken, fried crawfish, oysters, dirty rice, ettoufee and boudin, greens, meatloaf, smothered pork chops, biscuits, Miss Kay’s banana puddig and more Southern favorites. Makes me hungry! I might have to make a pot of jambalaya soon, or at least some good, spicy dirty rice.

While I’m not a huge fan of the show, I enjoy watching it occasionally to get a glimpse of the town I called home for years. My friends that still live there will post excitedly on Facebook when they’ve been out and run into one of the Duck Dynasty family members. In a sleepy North Louisiana town, these folks are big time celebrities. I think the success of their series has been bolstered by their no drama reality, and wholesome family values. Although I may not tune in to the show often, I applaud the family for bringing tourist dollars into West Monroe.

I’m including in this post a recipe for good Southern style biscuits, from Alton Brown, who was born in California but had the good fortune to grow up in Georgia and learn regional cooking from his mother and grandmother. Like most boys, he learn to cook so he could impress the girls, and his recipe produces feathery light, delicate biscuits that are a showpiece of breakfast in the South.

Southern Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don’t want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that’s life.)Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Per biscuit: Calories: 121 ;Total Fat: 4.5 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 3 grams; Total carbohydrates: 17 grams; Sugar: 1 gram; Fiber: 0.5 gram; Cholesterol: 6 milligrams; Sodium: 331 milligrams

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(512) Brewing Company’s Anniversary Party, and Delysia Chocolate Pairing

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

(512) Brewing’s Five beer, an Imperial Stout, and completely delicious.

I’ve had to celebrate Austin Beer Week at home, mostly, due to my hectic schedule the past few weeks. But then Saturday rolled around and I had the perfect opportunity to escape from my house and head out to (512) Brewing for their 5th anniversary party. I’ve had a special place in my heart for (512) since my first sip of their Pecan Porter. I am *that girl*, the one who tweets joyfully when I’ve tracked down and purchased a bottle of Whiskey Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter. It’s safe to say I’m a (512) Brewing Company junkie, and that label remains safely in place after tasting this year’s anniversary beer, Five, an Imperial Stout. Creamy, rich and full flavored without a trace of bitterness, this is one damn fine beer.

The drummer of this heavy metal band had a full back tat of the Virgin Mary.

One thing I very much appreciate about (512) Brewing is that we can bring our 4 year old along. The brewing company welcomes children as long as they are supervised. My kidlet rocked out to the music, explored the grassy areas behind the buildings and in the middle of the parking lot, and petted a lot of dogs. We both stood and watched one hard rock band play, and admired the drummer’s full back tat of the Virgin Mary. My son thought the drummer was smart for keeping a spare stick in his pocket.

My best tip I can give anyone going to a (512) Brewing party is to go early for up close parking, or be prepared to park down the street and walk. And when you go early, you’ll have shorter lines for the coveted special brews.

If I can get away on Monday, October 28th, I’m going to Draughthouse, where (512) is partnering with my absolute favorite chocolatier, Delysia, to present a beer and chocolate pairing. The list of pairings reads like erotica to my tastebuds, with offerings of (512) Bruin paired with Delysia’s Pumpkin Spice Truffle, and Pecan Porter with Delysia’s Pecan Porter Wort-Infused Chocolate Truffle, Five Imperial Stout with Delysia Pecan Cayenne Chocolate Bark, and more. Be still, my heart. Read more here and then go show some love to Delysia on her Kickstarter site, where she is hoping to raise money for a production kitchen and chocolate education center.

Categories: Beer, Buy Local, Craft beer, Family Friendly, Local, South Austin | Tags: (512) Brewing, Austin Beer Week, beer, brew | Comments Off

Green Chile Mac & Cheese FTW!

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

Mmmm…toasty bread crumb topping, flecks of green chile, this mac & cheese is a winner!

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity, mostly centered around my four year old son. And we all know kids love mac & cheese, right? My kid certainly does, and he will eat it every time it is served, unless it is homemade. My shameful secret is that my child wants, nay craves that boxed stuff with the not-found-in-nature orange colored cheese powder. Yesterday I grabbed a microwaveable cup of the foul stuff from the pantry and set it on my kitchen island while I prepared the food of the gods, homemade macaroni & cheese. I had some roasted hot green chiles to use, too. And so it went, a decadently rich mac & cheese, delicately flavored with green chile. The heat of the peppers was tempered by all the cheesy goodness, so please don’t go for mild chiles. And do not use raw ones in this dish, or you’ll run the risk of crunchy bits when you want creaminess.

My recipe is an adaptation of Alton Brown’s Baked Macaroni & Cheese. I’ve found his recipe to be a great base, and you can add things like green chile, diced ham, diced roasted chicken, or crab and lobster, whatever tickles your fancy, or needs to be used. I hope you think this is amazing mac & cheese, just like I do. My son took one bite, told me it was yucky, and asked for his cup of microwaved mac. Sigh.

Green Chile Mac & Cheese

2 cups large elbow macaroni

3 TB. butter

3 Tb. flour

1 Tb. ground mustard

1/2 diced onion (yellow or white)

1 Tb. Spanish smoked paprika (or regular, but I like the smokiness)

3 cups milk

8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 roasted hot green chiles, skin, tops & seeds removed, diced

Kosher salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1 Tb butter

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup Italian (or garlic/herb flavor) bread crumbs

Prepare macaroni according to package instructions. While pasta is boiling, melt butter in a separate pot. Add flour and mustard and whisk continually until roux starts to darken. You do not want to burn this or it will turn bitter and you’ll have to throw it out and start over. Once it has started to darken, add the onions and continue whisking for another minute. Add paprika and milk and whisk thoroughly. Add cheese and stir to incorporate, then add chiles. The cheese will melt quickly, and as soon as it has, give it one last good stir and turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then cover pot to keep it warm. In a small frying pan, melt 1 Tb. butter, then add breadcrumbs and stir until all butter is absorbed. Turn off heat. Drain pasta and put into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Carefully add the chile cheese mixture and stir well to ensure all pasta is well-coated. Top with bread crumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are browned and the filling is bubbly. [Side note: My oven is way off, and the temperature fluctuates wildly, so I check it at 15 minutes. I have an oven thermometer hanging in it, and some times my oven will go 25 to 50 degrees off while cooking, almost always to the hotter side, not cooler.] Let the mac & cheese rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!