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July 2009

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January 2, 2009

Local contrarian chili has roots in caldo de res (Mexican beef soup)
	12:12 PM Fri, Jan 02, 2009 \| Permalink \| Kim Pierce E-mail \| News tips

Renaissance chili man Peter Schaar's chili is not your average Texas bowl of red. The Dallas garden designer and retired mathematician decided to research chili's roots and from that developed his own interpretation of authentic chili, which is more like a caldo de res (Mexican beef soup). Not only that, he uses piquin chiles and Mexican oregano from his garden.

Luckily, you can find those ingredients and the others in local stores. Plus, the video with the story shows step-by-step how easy his chili is to make.

When I wrote the story, the Sig-O and I got to taste Schaar's final version, which just knocks you back with layers of beef-and-chile flavor. (Check out the story here.) We also made our own, which is pictured above cooking on the stove, using lean, velvet-textured elk meat from a friend who is a hunter. After giving the chili the requisite 24 hours in the fridge, we're going to break it out tonight. Talk about anticipation.

Photo by Italian Wine Guy

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The entry "Local contrarian chili has roots in caldo de res (Mexican beef soup)" is tagged: bowl of red , chili

Categories: Cooking, Texas Foods

Local Italian New Year means zampone (stuffed pigs' feet)
	10:25 AM Fri, Jan 02, 2009 \| Permalink \| Kim Pierce E-mail \| News tips

Paul DiCarlo, co-owner of Jimmy's Food Store, traded his professional apron for his entertaining apron (they look suspiciously similar to me) to ring in the new year with friends and wife Annette at their East Dallas home. Besides antipasti, lasagna, spaghetti, wine and noshes galore, the day wouldn't have been complete without zampone and lenticchie.

Zampone is boned, sausage-stuffed pig's trotter, which Paul made (above) from scratch. Slices were served with bowls from a big pot of lenticchie - lentils - the Italian equivalent of black-eyed peas, eaten by Italians for prosperity in the new year. If you're squeamish, you just have to forget what you're eating and enjoy the umami-rich, ambrosial flavor zampone imparts to the legumes.

This year, guests included Adelmo Banchetti (Adelmo's), Kobrand rep Beat Kotoun, York Street owner Sharon Hage, Italian Wine Guy (the Sig-O) and Alessio Franceschetti, among others. Meanwhile, Paul was getting a kick out of using his new Oster Electric Wine Opener, a cylinder you slip over a wine bottle that extracts the cork and spits it back out at you. Kids, don't stick you finger in this.

Photo by Tricana Imports rep Jeff Miller

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The entry "Local Italian New Year means zampone (stuffed pigs' feet) " is tagged: Adelmo , Adelmo Banchetti , Alessio Franceschetti , Italian , Jimmy's , Paul DiCarlo , Sharon Hage , York Street

Categories: Dining Talk

Two more restaurants close - first in 2009
	9:52 AM Fri, Jan 02, 2009 \| Permalink \| Kim Pierce E-mail \| News tips

Teresa Gubbins reports on Pegasus that ~~Pescobar~~ Pescabar, Alberto Lombardi's Italian seafood restaurant in the West Village, pulled up its last catch (read here). Ditto Mainstream Fish House in Preston Forest (read here). (Nancy Nichols got the Pescabar item up, too.) I never got to Pescabar, but I'll miss Mainstream and those bread bowls.

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The entry "Two more restaurants close - first in 2009" is tagged: Alberto Lombardi

Categories: Restaurant News

Savoring the Best of Dining, Drinking and Shopping

January 2, 2009

Local contrarian chili has roots in caldo de res (Mexican beef soup)

Local Italian New Year means zampone (stuffed pigs' feet)

Two more restaurants close - first in 2009