Tasty cross section

Tasty cross section, originally uploaded by .solo..

Finally found a muse for recipe following creativity. Excited appreciative nights and days of kitchen and other room fun await

Graceland Lola

Graceland Lola, originally uploaded by .solo..

the usual turkation extensive adventures entertain:

2661 miles of thanksgiving marathon festivities complete: czech elvis bbq blues; beignet country parthenon jellystone christmas; opry duked charcoal whiskey blue ridge winding leaves; waterfall apple gamed fish powering cribbed settled trains; appalachian three forks fog turkey toasts; porch sammie campfire frozen friendly fall.

it's amazing to reminisce about year five in Blue Ridge and previous adventures of Big Bend, Redwoods, Hot Springs, & Durango. many friends and relationships and the growth, progress, fading, and adaptation of each.

the virtual opposite to christmas traditions of static family structure but a perfect bookend for self exploration and balance.

Garrison Brothers tejas finest

Garrison Brothers tejas finest, originally uploaded by .solo..

fresh & local - only available in the county it's manufactured in. craft excellence

sandwich section

sandwich section, originally uploaded by .solo..

one of my most favorite flavor combinations & sandwiches: the banh mi. an excellent balance of tastes combining french and asian influences.

shown: local dai due head cheese, boggy creek spinach, basil, springdale farm chilies, full quiver farm pickled ginger carrots; fresh bread (traditionally served on a banquette but deviated for fresh local purposes here).

livestrong signage

livestrong signage, originally uploaded by .solo..

Oktober & fall: transition of colors, slow rolling clouds and wind. Also the re-emergence of cycling season and charity ride events. This weekend it was the Livestrong Challenge (previously Lance Armstrong's Ride for the Roses before it expanded to multiple cities and expounded in its charity fundraising goals). Livestrong always surprises in its scope and appeal: people from all over the US and even a few international participants (Italian, Spanish) come to Austin to ride and now run to support the fight against cancer. Livestrong along with the Hill Country Ride for Aids (my favorite spring charity ride) focus on the survivors, the cause, and the participation of a wide variety of riders.

A perfect weekend of clouds, headwind & hills. I rode with a team of very good friends (Anne, Jess, Kristi & Amity) and started out early to get some miles in before meeting them at rest stop #8 (65 miles of happy hills for me; 45 amazing accomplished miles for them). Flickr has all photos but suffice to say it's extremely rewarding to pedal through beautiful challenging hills while thinking about those one rides in support / in honor of (for me it's my Aunt Kathy who went through breast cancer and had her last chemo session last year). Seeing that there are people who conquer the disease and then continue with riding and living strong (as the motto says) gives strength to those who are faced with the seemingly insurmountable challenge of cancer.

It's a bit motivating.

Kartoffelsalat

Kartoffelsalat, originally uploaded by .solo..

oktoberfest - a cultural annual tradition of friends and merriment with the finest of foods and music (all kinds of polka; an acquired tasted, yes).

kartoffelsalat is a family tradition I was raised on (I was completely unaware of the yellow mustard based potato salad of the south and was perplexed as to why they were identified the same at friends' picnics and at restaurants). For everyone knows that all good potato salads have bacon, onions and a cider vinegar sauce as their base.

regardless; I have now taken this familia dish as my own and present it proudly every oktoberfest for friendly enjoyment and appreciation (with tasty tweaks added over time).

wine food art: performance pile

IMG_9619, originally uploaded by .solo..

La Dolce Vita - my favorite event of the year. Austin Museum of Art's premier fundraiser benefiting its art education programs. Nothing finer than merging my preferred triad of interests at one of the most beautiful venues in this fare city; La Guna Gloria.

Favorites of the night:
- running event logistics and overseeing a smooth operation
- east side show room lamb rillettes and squash terrine
- balcones distillery new releases
- back porch end-of-night lake overlooking relaxation
- san palo's puerco nopalitas cheese & avocado perfect bites
- paggi house oyster soup
- llano winery

Road trip favorites

IMG_9328, originally uploaded by .solo..

the usual position of anticipatory joy and west tejas adventures.

tdf 10 vista

tdf 10 vista, originally uploaded by .solo..

with world cup done (viva espana; alas hup nederland); classic grand entertainment now moves to tour de france. this clockwise year quite entertains with hills, cobbles & mountain categories to challenge. and oddly enough; I'm glad that the lance isn't in maillot jaune contention as it allows almost neutral passionate coverage.

celery reduction

celery reduction, originally uploaded by .solo..

corn stock; celery stock; lamb stock...

things to play with and insert as a background for sauces and dish creations.

lamb box

lamb box, originally uploaded by .solo..

Johnny G's - a local butcher that sources farm raised fresh animals and sells to the community. A great service that's no longer really prevalent in the supermarket driven culture of today (large companies have minimum orders and supply chains that often prohibit local fare).

I still prefer getting meat directly from farmers / ranchers at the farmers market but it's a nice alternative to have.

Now it's time to find enough various recipes for half a lamb...

restaurant thinkings

restaurant thinkings, originally uploaded by .solo..

business plan pondering: remote restaurant near nature with fields of seasonal fare.

small house
family style service
seasonal kitchen fare
on-site gardens & prep.
water features
cycling stop
large outdoor flagstone / CG patio with garden trellises

cap tex tri

cap tex tri, originally uploaded by .solo..

first time tri - sprint distance.

quite fun and an affirmation that goals are to be accomplished.

official results:
chip time = 01:38:00
class position: 30 overall place: 264
splits (time / overall rank):
750m swim (23:23 - 446); 20K bike (37:34 - 156); 5k run (30:25 - 297)

South Austin creation.

South Austin creation., originally uploaded by .solo..

interesting creation - fit for south congress and hippy enclaves / college campuses everywhere.

fast? finished.

fast? finished., originally uploaded by .solo..

congress avenue mile race.

training:
six course dinner
email reminder of morning race
wake & run

too fast a start (first quarter; balanced second quarter with no kick at end).

baby octopi bests

baby octopi bests, originally uploaded by .solo..

'new' current favorite establishment.

open kitchen (hot!) and a short eclectic menu of fine things. great staff; amazing food & reasonably priced. a fine northern neighborhood addition

http://www.foodanddrinkaustin.com/

eve luxurious lunch

eve luxurious lunch, originally uploaded by .solo..

birthday week brings obligations of celebration (difficult I know) and affords the opportunity to focus on what I really enjoy (many many things. But with opportunity I get to choose various settings of life enjoyment: nature-centric; solitude; group joined; close friend enjoyed activities; all various activities to allow relaxed focus and introspectional enjoyment.

Friday lunch: a hot summer-ish day that eschewed the usually enjoyed warm hearty plates in favor of the lighter porch friendly fare: charcuterie, beans, olives & beets; all with an amazing Sancerre Rose

Porch declarations

Porch declarations, originally uploaded by .solo..

congregations of friends and years of traditional ongoing: tired post-oaks waking, morning-long drizzled food prep, cocktails, stories & races of the day; celebrations throughout the night.

Oaks Day Beauty

Oaks Day Beauty, originally uploaded by .solo..

There might be nothing finer than sauntering through Old Louisville south past the university to Churchill Downs; walking through shotgun shack neighborhoods and seeing the twin spires slowly rise.

Friday is Oaks Day; the precursor to the Kentucky Derby which is held on Saturday and receives the majority of media attention outside of the city. Oaks is more of the locally focused day with the same amount of fashion, juleps, races & festivities. It's usually half the cost to attend and a bit less crowded; which allows for a more relaxed excited environment. That and it's been the best weather day the past several years.

Tradition at its finest

summit presented climbing leg(s

summit presented climbing leg(s, originally uploaded by .solo..

Hill Country Rid for Aids: one of my favorite charity rides. Beautiful spring wildflowers accompanied by perfect weather. Well, except for headwinds - not so much fun but quite a lot of swearing; that and the distracting musical motivations of Ghostland Observatory. Did I mention hills?? Because that is one of the finest amenities of the ride (and of course the hill country in general); lots of hills - rolling, gentle, steep, surprising, wind-blocking and just mean (all kinds!).

This year's team was Ballet Austin which consisted of friends from ballet fit class that I was introduced to almost a year ago now. Initially bought in to try the program and evaluate its athletic benefits and how it might be marketed to the male demographic. It ended up being a great ongoing experience and offers a great complement for cycling training: strength, balance, flexibility & fluidity. Alas, no team Soup Peddler this year; but the team costume tradition continued (and with a professional edge). I had to go with a last minute boa addition to balance the comprehensive tutu costume of the other team members. It's a lighthearted ride for sure; well - as much as a 65 mile ride with headwind hills & a water crossing crash can be.

Lots of fun, camaraderie, crazy support and seeing folks that don't ride too much achieve something that truly does challenge (all while exhausting oneself and achieving that favorite euphoric fully muscle exhausted state of being).

blooming boggy

blooming boggy, originally uploaded by .solo..

rains of spring and misty morns: the slow revealing of spring and scents reward those who wander out despite the lack of sun. the realm between full motivating sun spring and the heat of oncoming summer is most enjoyable.

visiting my favorite farms throughout the spring rewards in that the slow evolution of late winter growth and the transitions to verdant vibrant productive spring illustrates the growth and seasonal evolution is fully appreciated.

spicewood

spicewood , originally uploaded by .solo..

serenading sun spring is here and with it the best biking weather of the year (along with October.

open road, open thoughts & a wandering mind to accompany swift rhythmic peddling and miles of rolling road intermixed with the finery of spring: bluebonnets, indian paintbrush, flowing creeks & lush trees. such enjoyment and scenery accompanies the euphoria that continued physical exhaustion provides.

happy tired legs; clear head & healthy being

Grouper ceviche

Grouper ceviche, originally uploaded by .solo..

office - desk made.
file under "how to make co-workers confused"

a dilemma: one has acquired excellent fresh local fish (gulf grouper flash frozen immediately upon catching and then transported to Austin upon docking where it's filleted and then sold the next morning). what not to do: let it rest in your fridge or re-freeze it.

so upon morning waking and noting that fresh amazing fish is now just over two days old and demands immediate consumption. wait until dinner?? never! have for breakfast?? an excellent option but requires time; thus compromise = lunch; but how to prep... (work has no cooking facilities) which leaves the great lime + chili + fish ceviche option. pack fresh herbs (dill, chervil, italian parsley), green garlic, salt.

a small sharp knife; desk prep & a sealable container create the opportunity for sashimi light lunch. it's not quite the office space desk gutting; but it does suffice.

3 palms lounging

3 palms lounging, originally uploaded by .solo..

phoenix spring training. amazing baseball setup of comprehensive intimate laid back fun. small field professional training that combines the innocence of youth and the uniformed technical repetition of the simple things that comprise a great game.

the only randoms: autograph seekers and the city itself. why are signatures of strangers so valued?? perhaps a documentation of pleasant memories or a tangible alternative to photographs. also, the city: a strange combination of Vegas & LA - expansive 'flat' development in a setting that seems desolately beautiful.

she + him. day two

she + him, originally uploaded by .solo..

the exhaustion that is the marathon of music, fun, friends and stories too numerous to tell; if recall completely in detail. similar to ACL there are so many hours in so many days that are all chalked full of details of hilarity, fun, enlightenment & musical enjoyment. many many new things never before heard along with validations of acts rumored and enjoyments of the absurd.

now rest and relaxation; physically on the precipice of illness (throat, head & nasal challenges). documentation in hand but requiring the sorting, downloading, cataloguing, filtering & cross checking of information.

exceptional as always; and with quite a few friends participating this year; several from out of town which is always exceptionally fun. nothing more edifying that helping host amazing vacation fun for those who travel.

broken bells

broken bells, originally uploaded by .solo..

day one - brooklyn vegan, broken bells, dark castle, neon indian, zoe keating, soko, choir of young believers, fanfarlo, ozomatli, the black, paul wall & chamillionaire.

amazing musical wanderings as well as a first: ride home for a 20 minute sunset siesta & lola run.

musical city appreciation and anticipation

it begins yet again! four full days of official spring introduction and wandering explorative freedom. most look at band lists and carefully plan what shows, venues, bands & schedules work best. I find the most fun in the freedom that comes with fresh air sweet sun cycled wanderings; fully appreciating the influx of out-of-town music enthused folks and bands where the level of energy is palatable and relaxed at the same time. night enjoyment of notable acts mixed with new artist sampling complete the experience.

daytime activities consist of outdoor venues, free beer & cocktails and occasionally food. short sets starting at noon run the full length of the afternoon with ebbs & flows of crowds, energy and musical stylings. eventual transition to night small (or relatively large) indoor venues and 'proper' shows.

exhaustedly night cycles home and relaxed musical musing dreams rest up before waking and finding that in this beautiful town that reinforces happy local living: daily juice beginnings; local coffee shop book and lawn lounging; friendly folks abounding in exploration and shared experiences.

all begins tomorrow. random musings and extensive pictures and photos will assuredly appear.

enjoy!

urban saturday

urban saturday, originally uploaded by .solo..

Mobile social ride great times cap a typical saturday of active happiness. ballet fit in the morning awakes, strengthens & stretches. downtown market farming with stops to chat with Roberto, Sebastian, and the Dai Due crew leisurely entertain. last sunset valley farmers' market day Richardson Farms steak acquisition and tales of blue corn possibilities and wet fields.
To note: I was not able to find one copy of the Oxford American after visiting three book stores /sigh: I guess on-line shopping is indeed best (direct ordering costs only 5.95 from the comfort of home).

Compiling market acquired (& other local ingredients) in brunch form is one of the most rewarding enjoyable practices of the day. Nothing quite like cooking imminently with acquisitions to accentuate the excitement and reinforce the discussions had with farmers and folks.

Mobile social rides have grown from in the neighborhood of 20 people when we (I was conceptually and loosely involved at the beginning) started back just over a year ago to routinely more than several hundred folks now. amazing (& I can take no credit for any of it as I typically have to miss the Thursday night rides in favor of long standing (6 years!?) softball traditions). Acting as a ride leader is rewarding, fun & a whole different type of responsible dynamic (especially in this group. Yesterday I was able to help the googlemaps bicycle group (marketing & engineers that created the program who flew in from Seattle for sxsw interactive and attended the ride) change a flat and then escort them around town catching up with the main portion of the ride. It's always nice to welcome out-of-town folks to our city and be the best hosts possible (something that I wholly appreciate when I visit other cities and that which leaves lasting impressions). After two hours of city sun riding, free beer, raffles, & swag under a mellow johnny's tent. new out of town folks were amazed by the greatness of this (now familiar) city along with the fact that free beer was available for more that two hours with minimal lines (new belgium beer is an great supportive brewery & company!).
great days such as this have afternoons that cumulate with sunset home cycling, lola happy greetings with rewarded neighborhood hill running. further farmer market short order cooking with Zhi Oolong favorites and music (transitioning into the rewarding Up film) yield a happy tired leg relaxed self. great well rested dreams.

happy chen

, originally uploaded by .solo..

small hole in the wall favorite locate in my favorite triangle of food (southeast corner of 183 & McNeal / Spicewood along with Samberts & Asia Cafe.

handmade noodles cut to order convey a warmth and cozy feeling hard to describe.

talking water

talking water, originally uploaded by .solo..

conversations with rapids are always a favorite.

planned banh mi

planned bah minh, originally uploaded by .solo..

the wonders of work and lunchtime routines.

once upon a time lunch was mother morning made and packed into either a sturdy (ranging from metal to plastic) lunchbox with possible thermos accompaniment and toted to work or school where it was placed in a safe corner for several hours while lessons were learned or tasks were toiled.

eventually boxes of lunch gave way to cafeteria and restaurant fare enabled both by the ease associated with acquired lunches and the subsidization of food.

it seems that folks have transitioned to regard lunch as a type of pit-stop meal where the quality and enjoyment of food is not paramount as is a pivot point in the day mandated by those who create schedules.

finding a balance between those two while remaining productive remains a challenge.

shown: a desk banh mi (favorite vietnamese sandwich) interpretation created from the following:
Walton's demi baguette
Countryside pork loin
Boggy Creek greens
Full Quiver Farms kimchi
Dai Due liverwurst

Service up

Service up, originally uploaded by .solo..

an afternoon of busy usual things: balletfit flexibility; balanced single speed commute night cycling; a mug of craft pale ale camping planning with friends.

unknown dinner plans and Foer's 'Everything is Illuminated' waiting leads to short order fridge cooking. it surprises and entertains that the ingredients, techniques and skills are in place to transform the best of local ingredients into what I humbly consider a very fine meal. the dilemma is that with such revelations come the expectations and understanding that a certain cost structure and price point exist; and at this juncture it is either worthwhile to partake & purchase well made quality food or that one is paying an unreasonable premium for substandard average tasting, overpriced, unhealthy & unsustainable fare...

pedernales falls

pedernales falls, originally uploaded by .solo..

the coming of spring; slowly.

plenty of fall & winter rains allow for hill country bubbling falls, flowing talkative rivers & blooming wildflowers.

happy respite outside of the concrete jungle of busy schedules & routines.

lagoa bisque

lagoa bisque, originally uploaded by .solo..

second visits with Kim, Chris, Dean & Lindsay allow for comprehensive trials. random choosing yielded excellent selections.

the cheese balls (pão de queijo): amazing sublime taste and texture: a cross of gnocchi & Mochi ice cream. three varietals

soup, yucca frites, pastels (multitudes of types): all perfectly balanced

go

French 76

French 76, originally uploaded by .solo..

a Justine's favorite; in addition to the food of course.

preferred with just a twist of lemon; but still one of the best cocktails. discovered more than a year ago at the favorite, but not as often currently visited, Peche.

French 76 - a combination of the 75 & 77
gin, fresh lemon juice, st germain & champagne

skeletal dancing

skeletal dancing, originally uploaded by .solo..

one of the better dancing 'puppets'

a photo to complement the video

2010 carnival brasileiro

2010_carnivalbrasileiro
Originally uploaded by .solo.

the rhythm of drums mandates dance. costumed masked happy painted people mingle freely and happily. a night of performance and community; brazilian sourced

By morning

By morning, originally uploaded by .solo..

the oddities of sporadic visits of favorite things savored. one of the first places I visited upon moving to this fare city. The others are the Ritz, Lovejoys & Deville; two of which are both surprisingly still here; mostly because of the loyal niche market they serve and despite the demands that come with the high rent of their prime locations.

nevertheless: almost decade old wandering memories and appreciation of things progressed and slowly dynamic things that can still be appreciated.

which brings us to the Amarillo burger at Casino el Camino. still hand-formed and cooked to order (they do properly prepare medium rare). no longer the hand cut fries as the popularity and demand along with the small staff & kitchen make such volume inefficient & not quite affordable. the same staff: kind & talkative if properly related; surly and curt if pressed durning typical rush times or by drunkenly disorganized & demanding customers.

relax with a cold bottle and burger and peruse the excellent jukebox or take in whatever dark movie is showing on one of the two TVs above the bar.

Hens up

Hens up, originally uploaded by .solo..

boggy creek coop & morning chicken waking

relaxed farming conversation regarding various plantings, pickings & tabled diners in the field by local food folks.

frosted morn warmed yet again by barrie's excellent chocolate croissant & local coffee in conjunction with this week's colorful tasty beet & carrot resupply.

stay tuned

Horrible no good productive day (opposite

Horrible no good productive day (opposite, originally uploaded by .solo..

a productive happy yet semi-solitary weekend of enjoyment. the usual of new exploratory things mixed with friend adventures & relaxing. overall sun, warmth & a bit of accomplishment.

this would be the summit of weekend fare: friday was a mix of cheese acquisitions & trailered lingua specials; saturday bought morning market acquisitions; tea resupply & brazilian tastings. greenbelt & siesta adventures. sunday was enjoyed with marathoning misty sunrise excursions correlated with brunching rewards and half-day sun outdoor wanderings. siesta sojourns and lazy nights of valentine still motivated culinary creativity. morning monday routines prefaces nights of finery shown:

cheeses: four & cured meats: two by antonelli's (specific available - excellent
countryside duck egg & boggy creek chervil with seasoned seaweed
sautéed yellow boggy beets & beet greens
walton's rye bread
full quiver kimchi
loire tabled white

Steam spring

Steam spring, originally uploaded by .solo..

in summer: frigid relaxed cooling.

in winter: temperate soothing comfort.

Cheese!

Cheese!, originally uploaded by .solo..

Antonelli's Cheese Shop

second day of operation: inaugural visit.

loved.

following a passion of artisan cheeses, meats, vino, beer & other fineries. great neighborhood setting. amazing staff ecstatic about sharing tasteful worlds through samples & conversation.

colliding colors

colliding colors, originally uploaded by .solo..

my favorite new tradition.

relaxed sleeping in (as much as 7 am with lola allotments); meandering neighborhood morning constitutional that reminisce of happy places wandered: eastern european city walls; canal towpath & english/welsh gardens; tide-swept sun rising beaches; silent ancient forest & conversing bubbling rivers.

rested & happy self prepared; setting off with music / news eastward; lazily weaving through neighborhoods and arriving to final pickings & tabled placements with fresh dewed produce. fully awaked cheerful farmer greetings & affirming morning welcoming rooster solos.

fresh coffee mug filled leads to growing conversations and reviews of the mini-seasons that encompass a week. favorites fondled & nibbled; choice pieces picked.

weighed & counted tallies allow monetary exchanges to complete; fresh morning pastry treats selected for immediate reward. circuitous recessional route back to auto allows fields & coop perimeter appreciation. produce stowed and the merging back into a regular morning commute schedule.

all with a comprehensive smile and cycled life affirmations

a few of my favorite things

breakfast.desk, originally uploaded by .solo..

an odd way to start the day?

oothu white - zhi tea
green onion, carrot - boggy creek
raw milk colby - full quiver farms
duck egg - countryside farm
chicken egg & wheat - richardson farms

smoke kiss

smoke kiss, originally uploaded by .solo..

super bowl gastronomic day of food and excess:

finally a perfect time to experiment with a whole rabbit. typically quartered and sauteed / oven finished the opportunity now presents itself for a long slow oak smoke.

marinade of mustard seeds (black & yellow), calvados, dandelion greens, sorrel, pepper & coriander.
three hours between 230-250 (windy day of damp wood) followed by a tight wrap oven finish to bring to temp (155) yielded a beautiful sweet yet smokey moist meat.

reward

reward, originally uploaded by .solo..

2010 Austin January apples to complement. countryside rio grande valley heritage turkey rilletts by dai due. homemade fresh bread from richardson wheat flour.  happy taste

couldn't decide on a cheese to accompany.

likely an aged goat.

a goal

a bus I'd take

a bus I'd take, originally uploaded by .solo..

how to describe?!

a day:
begin with relaxed sloped lawn mid morn (post farmers market) coffee and delicate pastry conversations and shared tastings. add slaloming cross town smiling week hiding sun biking. new passionate indian trailer crushed glass patio feet-on-chair indian food sampling. affirmations and smiled welcomes of future patronage. headphone insertion & friend-meet-up; sampling plate of shared entrepreneurial culinary excellence. discussions of ideas & possibilities. taped exchanges. neighborhood full rollings to things yet unseen. magical school bbq stories of beginning and introductions of possibilities & sharing of local meat purveyors. unanticipated success & meat congregation. favorite patio rio relaxing with books & surprise friend transitional making; a town loved. cozy storied familiar finish: knowing that all days are new & offer endless opportunities of happy life experience

siesta (dual

siesta (dual, originally uploaded by .solo..

pack perfection

injera mix

injera mix, originally uploaded by .solo..

Karibu Ethiopian: finally visited as promised

standard lunch plate fare (reduced menu options): excellent veg options; tasty meats. typically order off the expanded menu for more in depth options so dinner explorations definitely on the horizon. coffee perfection though I must find a way to have the entire fancy pot remain tableside.

Bath time

Bath time, originally uploaded by .solo..

cozy cleaning trust. confused reassured bonding.

entertaining. humorous. rewarding.

prelude

plan view chop

plan view chop, originally uploaded by .solo..

fresh favorite:
chopped boggy creek sorrel along with thick cut richardson pork chop.

salt, white & black pepper. seared simple prep. happily rested. meat tells its own tale

stocking

stocking, originally uploaded by .solo..

fresh free grouper heads & bodies. morning stock making.

san miguel seafood: downtown farmers market sourced

bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice berries; pinch o salt

one recipe:
bring stock to temperature and add quality rice noodles; simmer for ~20 minutes until all stock is absorbed.
sauce of sliced serranos sautéed with fresh garlic (bulb & shoot), small bit of peanut butter, thai chili sauce & coconut milk.