♥ happy birthday Julia Child! + Lemon Bars

Today would be the iconic culinary pioneer and influential woman to boot, Julia Child's 100th birthday.

In honor of her birthday celebration, I would like to share with you my attempt at making Lemon Bars.

Though Lemon Bars may not be the first thing you think of when you think of this wonderful woman (ehem...French cuisine.. duh!) To me it makes perfect sense. Because Lemon Bars were the figurative limb that I climbed out on, from my diminutive baking 'tree'. The tree has since sprouted a few new blooms. :)

Not to toot my own horn, but I think they came out amazingly! I took them to work and shared them with the office and everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you Julia Child and all of the amazing chefs/home cooks that inspire me to try new things in the Tastytown Kitchen.

My pet beta fish, Gary the Targaryen (for all you Game of Throne fans out there),
 seems mildly impressed with my amateur baking skills.



I searched for this recipe via Pinterest and also, happily stumbled upon this fantastic blog Kitchen Corners who suggested Ina Garten's recipe!

♥ Happy Baking!

-Mel

 

Ina Garten's Lemon Bars

|ingredients|

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

|directions|

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the crust: cream the butter and sugar. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Gather the dough into a ball then flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides.
3. Bake the crust until very lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
4. Leave the oven on. While the crust is cooling start making the filling.
5. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set.
6. Let cool to room temperature then cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

♥ Chen Z Hot Pot + Noodle Bar

Chen Z Hot Pot + Noodle Bar

2700 W. Anderson Lane

Suite 212

Austin, Texas 78757 

Recently, I saw the movie, The Avengers, at the Alamo Drafthouse. I'm a bit of a superhero fan, and to see them all come together in classic superhero form, kept me at the edge of my seat. Personally,  I thought it was pretty stellar in 3D.

Anyway, typically I'm an Alamo Drafthouse food fanatic, despite the fact that it turns into a caloric crunch! They have the best fried pickles, spicy mac-n-cheese and potato skins around!

Thinking with our waistlines in mind, we opted to hop next door to try the new restaurant, Chen Z Hot Pot +Noodle Bar.

We were floored with the impeccable interior design that was put into this new spot. With clean, warm wood panneling surrounding, accented by a natural, limestome wall, the place gave off an elegant and chic design. It always lifts the spirit and the appetite to walk into a restaurant with such amazing lighting as well.

Now, before I go on, I must preface this post with the fact that we did not actually order a hot pot. I know, I'm ashamed to not have even tried their namesake, but we were in a bit of a hurry and the waitress kindly suggested they take a bit longer to come out.

We started off with the Sesame Pockets which is a toasted sesame bun stuffed with soy caramelized pork, tossed with cilantro. They were deliciously sweet and juicy and perfect for sharing! This was probably our favorite part of the meal!

The pork mini sammies were probably the most 'Westernized' dish on the menu, and we were craving the Far East, so we ventured to order the "Noodles in Broth" Jumbo Shrimp style. Self-proclaimed, home-style Chinese cooking, Chen Z is proud of their Pan-Asian noodles, made fresh and in-house daily, so we had to give it a try.

Sad to say, the bland description of the dish, unfortunately matched the flavor. We found ourselves scouring the pot to find the few shrimp that were in the bowl. The broth was a bit watery, and I may have had to sprinkle some spicy red pepper oil, for flavor. I must say that the noodles were thick and delicious and probably the best part of the soup dish.

I have a little sad part in my heart as I write this review, because I havent written a single bad review since I started this blog. I am a foodie at heart and I enjoy trying new things. My palate is always open for exotic and interesting flavors. I am not necessarily giving Chen Z a failing grade, I was simply disappointed. I havent given up hope, Chen Z! I will be back to try your Hot Pots in hopes for redemption.

I want to hear about your experience at Chen Z. Tell me whether or not you liked their cuisine.

 

♥ Ciao!

Melissa

♥ Takoba- East 7th

TAKOBA
1411 East 7th Street
Austin, Texas 78702

Takoba has the best Spicy-Mango Margaritas in town!

Hands down.


These tasty toddies are what brought me back to Takoba for a second time (and will probably be what brings me back a third time--very soon), but they aren’t the only thing.

The food is fantastic and during SXSW (especially), the location couldn't have been better. We sat outside on the patio under pecan trees, and caught New Orleans jazz music floating on the breeze from the bar next door.

On my first trip I ordered the baja ceviche and couldn't stop dipping my house-made tortilla chips into the tangy mixture of fresh shrimp, avocado, lime and cilantro; all while Mike chomped down on a juicy pork torta.

Walking away stuffed, we couldn’t believe we didn't even bite into a single taco.

Round two was in order. And boy did we order! :)

Sharing amongst my boyfriend and my sister, we each sampled most of the taco choices and came up with two unanimous favorites:

El taco al pastor: it's a good thing I love cilantro and keep hearing about its many amazing health benefits. And this taco's got it! Pineapple marinated pork, cilantro and onion... It gets a little messy too, so be sure to have a few napkins.

y

El taco de verduras: zucchini, sweet potatoes (Mmm!), roasted corn, green chilies, queso fresco, chipotle mayo and quac! Amazing!



Another one of the many reasons to venture to Austin's eclectic east side. The cuisine never ceases to impress a foodie like me and the atmosphere is always lively and spontaneous.

The chocolate truffle cake was delightfully whipped and melted in your mouth!

♥ Love,

Mel

♥ All Quiet on the TastyTown Front and 24th Birthday

Though my posts have been hushed recently, my life has been everything but. Some exciting things have happened that have caused me to be distant from you, oh Tastytown.

We hired a new employee at my company and she has been such a big help to me so far! The assistance is much appreciated, but I am also enjoying the opportunity to see my company grow.

During the first week of February, I moved into my very own apartment! This is something I've been waiting for and saving up for, for quite some time. So lately I have been taking the time to decorate it and make it into my own paradise, which has been a lot of fun.

I also celebrated my 24th birthday with a wonderful group of all my friends. We all met at my *new* apartment to make cocktails and mingle, before we ventured off to a small comedy club in my neighborhood called Coldtowne Theater. On Friday nights they do stand up comedy, where a series of beginner comedians do 3-5 minute sets. The show was only 5 bucks and the club is BYOB, which was a huge plus considering my party shenanigans consisted of a very large cooler filled with liquor, mixers and beer. The theater was small, so needless to say, my birthday group made up the majority of the crowd. The comedians were hilarious and allowed all of us interact with their routines! It was a really fun and different activity to do in Austin and I think we all got a kick out of it!

Here are some #Instagram shots to fill you in:

beautiful pale yellow roses my boyfriend gave me for my birthday

another amazing arrangement of flowers from my good friends.
My friends brought me so many beautiful flowers for my birthday
and also some gorgeous champagne glasses for future tastings :)

the most delicious, pillowy, coconut cream cake from my friend.
I single handedly ate the entire thing over the course of a week. easily.

my mom brought this cute vanilla strawberry cake, decorated with
big yellow sunflowers! there's never *too* much cake :)

Raevan came in town for my birthday festivities,
we are waiting for the comedy to start

Coldtowne Theater

 Fat Tuesday celebration in San Marcos



Tiffany, me, Carly

♥ Much Love,

Mel



♥ Year of the Dragon!

Monday was the Chinese New Year, so a few friends and I decided to go out and celebrate. Since it is the Year of the Dragon, our year, we thought it would be apropriate to ring it in properly with Kung Pao and Saki.

Happy Year of the Dragon! The Year of the Dragon is one of the most revered years of the Chinese New Year calendar, and those born under the sign are regarded as innovative, passionate people who are colorful, confident and fearless.

Here is the astrological predictions for the Year of the Dragon in 2012:

Double your efforts in whatever you do - work, education and other projects. Your natural talent and abilities should stand out with great results. However, watch out for that temper! Keep it in check and do not spoil your good work.The person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be quite a confronting person but if you can reach their "soft heart" they are worthwhile allies.

♥ Happy New Year

Melissa

♥ The Fat Hen :: New Orleans, Louisianna

THE FAT HEN
7457 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70118

On a recent trip to the funky city of New Orleans, I had the tasty opportunity to stop at a quaint little brunch spot, right near Tulane University. While the trip's original purpose was not of the culinary route, knowing me, I couldn't help but keep my eyes and stomach wide open to taste some unique and authentic NOLA cuisine.

We had the pleasure of staying with a friend in a beautiful area of town. The french colonial homes stood strong and vast, with exquisite old trimmings and beautiful iron fences. As we headed out on foot in search of some Cajun delicacies, we happened upon The Fat Hen, nestled within the rich culture and southern charm.

Despite the batch of homemade boiled crawfish and Cajun corn we gobbled down the previous night, our seafood cravings were not yet satiated. I was enamored as we entered the restaurant with their creative paintings on the wall. I knew if they took this much time on the decor then the food would have to be just as creative.

The breakfast special was just that! A giant, fluffy Belgian waffle covered by a decadent ham, apple wood bacon, and cheddar cheese omelet. Once the syrup was poured all over that bad boy it was over!

In front of my chompers was this delicious Cajun Crawfish Eggs Benedict, three poached eggs on top of spicy and extra crispy crawfish cakes, drizzled with Fat Hen's specialty hollandaise sauce.

The Fat Hen took the cake on some of the best southern cookin' I tasted on my trip to New Orleans and getting on the flight back to Austin, was a bittersweet moment. I absolutely love NOLA cuisine and wish we had more of it in Austin.

...Until next time Mr. Crawdaddy...

More to come on the rest of NOLA adventure! Stay posted!

♥ Ciao!

Mel