Save Sagra!

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Stella

Friends,

This afternoon, the Judges’ Hill / Arts District community received terrible news: Sagra Trattoria and Bar will be closing on November 18th, due to the failure of their landlord, Granite Properties of Texas, to renew their lease after five successful years.

Here’s what Sagra owner and chef Gabriel Pellegrini said today on the restaurant’s Facebook page:

See the restaurant’s full statement here.

This is ridiculous, and sad news for not only the hardworking and talented staff of Sagra or for those of us who are neighborhood regulars, but also for the entire Austin foodie community. Sagra has been a leader in Austin’s farm-to-table and local food movement. They have their own greenhouse, supplying a large proportion of their vegetables and herbs, and an in-house horticulturist. And their food is among the freshest and best in Austin; they have a casual yet elegant dining room, a cozy and romantic bar, and two patios (one in the front, on San Antonio street, and one in the back).

As residents of the neighborhood (I’ve lived on the next block over for six and a half years), my partner and I are regulars at Sagra, both for weeknight happy hours and for special occasions (in fact, I’ve spent two of my own birthdays there, as well as that of my best friend). Contrary to what their landlord seems to think, Sagra’s presence in the Judges’ Hill neighborhood is warmly welcome, including their wonderful, European-style sidewalk patio. There are not even any residential units near Sagra—in fact, the view from their front door is of a multi-story UT parking garage. Far from being a nuisance, the Sagra patios provide a beautiful oasis in the middle of a heavily used pedestrian and cyclist route between campus and downtown. As residents, we had hoped that Sagra’s success would lure more, similar outdoor establishments to our little corner of town.

I have written to Sagra’s landlord, Granite Properties of Texas, who are already listing the property for lease, to share my opinion as a Judges’ Hill resident and Sagra regular.

Please join me in contacting them and asking them to renew Sagra’s lease.

Company Principal
Bill Roland, CPM, CCIM
(512) 469-0925
billr@graniteproperties.com

Commercial Property Management
Kim McGregor
(512) 469-0925
kimm@graniteproperties.com

Commercial/Residential Management
Lisa Bowers
(512) 469-0925
lisab@graniteproperties.com

SAVE SAGRA!

Join the Save Sagra Facebook page.

Sagra – Gabriel Pellegrini, Chef & Owner from Christian Remde on Vimeo.

This Week’s Eats: 10/12/12

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Stella

I made these delicious turkey tacos this week! Y’all should try them! I simply substituted ground turkey ($2.81 per pound at Wheatsville!) for the beef in my dad’s taco recipe, and topped them with shredded pepper jack cheese, salsa roja, homegrown jalapeños, and sour cream! I fried these El Milagro tortillas blancas in a small pan with a little butter until just crispy, but still foldable, but you could use flour tortillas, or make tostadas.

In addition to the Creamy Jalapeño Rice I posted yesterday, I also made some baked chicken and sautéed squash. For the chicken, I used four bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which I rubbed with bacon fat, olive oil, salt, pepper, and heaps and heaps of homegrown thyme (picture). It smelled so good in the oven! For the squash, I simply sautéed roughly chopped summer squash and half a red bell pepper in butter with a little salt and pepper until bright colored and cooked through. This was a hearty meal. But let’s take a closer look at that squash.

Doesn’t that look amazing?

And here’s what I did with the leftover rice! I fried up some bacon, then deglazed the pan and reserved about a half teaspoon of bacon grease to sautée, along with a tablespoon of butter, the roughly chopped cremini mushrooms. I also threw in a little splash of dark rum for good measure, and the taste (and smell) was divine!

Another typical breakfast chez Stella! Bacon (YES I EAT A LOT OF BACON BECAUSE BACON), chicken and maple breakfast sausage (both from Applegate Farms, via Wheatsville), and my Perfect Scrambled Eggs.

Eric turned the debate on last night. So this happened.

It’s actually Slieve Foy 8 Year Old Irish Single Malt Whiskey, from Northern Ireland. It smells like ripe bananas and tastes like heaven.

Well, we started with a taco, so let’s end with a taco! This was a quick lunch—my usual at Burrito Factory: the taco al pastor on corn tortillas, with salsa verde and sour cream. Perfection!

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be in Atlanta, Georgia, where I’m visiting my amazing and talented friend Morgan for a few days.

I’ve never been; but I read Gone with the Wind when I was ten and decided to do a Rhett/Scarlett scene in the elementary school talent show. I was half Rhett and half Scarlett, and turned to and fro to carry on a conversation with myself: a modified version of the stable scene.

I became obsessed with the film. I’ve seen it many, many times (I lost count around 100, when I was 17). So I’m excited to finally visit the Margaret Mitchell House on Peachtree Street. I re-read the book when I was in college, and I was shocked by the both the realism and the racism. I have decidedly mixed feelings about it now, and am very curious to see how I feel about Mitchell’s canonization in Atlanta. I’ll probably write about it when I get back.

I also plan to go to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, Martin Luther King National Historic Site, Atlanta History Center, and the Breman Museum. It’s also Texas-OU, but I don’t even know if I’m going to watch it, which will be a first!

Check back next week for a run-down of my food adventures in Atlanta!

And if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments!

Sunday Morning Migas

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Stella

I throw some migas together at least once a week, usually for a weekend brunch. Since I don’t like tomatoes, I usually don’t have any on hand, but you might want to include some diced tomatoes for a more standard result. Instead, I focus on an assortment of peppers and making the scrambled eggs perfect.

Traditional Tex-Mex migas not only include diced tomatoes, but also strips of corn tortilla, diced chiles, onion, cheese, and salsa. They’re usually served with refried beans and warm tortillas on the side. Sometimes, they’re served with fried potatoes.

I serve mine with whatever I have on hand. I try to make my Frijoles Negros Refritos at least twice a month, and they’re a perfect complement. If you eat meat, you can also throw in some sausage, bacon, or chorizo!

Without further ado, here’s the easy recipe!

1 heaping tsp bacon fat (or butter)
4 regular-sized corn tortillas, cut intro 1/4″ strips
6 large eggs
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 finely diced chiles (hot or sweet or a mix, to taste!)
1/2 white onion, finely diced (sometimes I use red)
1/2 tomato, seeded and diced (optional)
1 cup grated cheese (Monterey Jack is best, or try Pepper Jack)
jar of salsa, to garnish
sour cream (optional)

1. Melt bacon fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortilla strips and fry until just crispy, stirring occasionally (about 8 minutes). Remove strips to a paper towel to drain. Turn stovetop heat to low.

2. Meanwhile, crack eggs into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk lightly until yolks are broken, then drizzle in cream, continuing to whisk. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin, and whisk lightly to mix. Then add chiles, onions, and tomatoes (if using). Stir lightly and set aside.

3. Using the leftover bacon grease still in the pan, you will now scramble the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Allow to sit for just about one minute, then begin to stir. The mixture will quickly begin to firm up. Continue to lightly fold the eggs over repeatedly until they reach the perfect consistency (about three minutes).

4. Here, you can either add the tortilla strips back into the pan and mix them in with the eggs (traditional), or you can plate the strips and serve the eggs on top (deconstructed). I usually do the latter, because I like really crispy tortilla strips, but you may prefer them mixed. Try both and see!

5. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the eggs. Then add a generous dollop of salsa to the top of the migas (and sour cream, if using). Serve immediately, while still hot.

Serves 2.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you these migas are also great for dinner.

Pecan-Stuffed Delicata Squash

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Stella

It’s decorative-gourd-eating season!

So, I had these two Delicata squash. I had a bag full of pecans. I had a handful of freshly-picked sage from our garden. And I had a little sour cream that was about to go off (do we say that in America, or is that a Britishism I’m still saying, to everyone’s bemusement?).

Lucky for you, I created this recipe, which I’m earmarking for re-use at Thanksgiving. It would make an excellent main for vegetarian guests, and could be easily veganized by substitution tofu-based faux sour cream for the real thing and skipping the egg. I might add some breadcrumbs if I was making it vegan, too.

This dish is rich enough for an entrée, but would also make a delightful surprise served alongside a plainer chicken or turkey main. It’s hard to beat the combination of parmesan, sage, and nuts!

So autumnal, y’all. It was 63 degrees this morning (when I had to go for a walk instead of a swim!), so this recipe was perfect for dinner. I hope you like it as much as we did.

2 Delicata squash
2 Tbsp butter
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
~1 Tbsp fresh sage, roughly chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 black pepper
1/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook for about five minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Add sage, salt, and pepper. Stir, and cook for about one minute. Add pecans, stir again, and remove from heat.

2. Slice each squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Delicata squash are some of the easiest to work with, and the pulpy center is perfectly sized for a tablespoon! Place each of the four halves, skin-down, on a cookie sheet or shallow roasting tin lined with foil. Set aside.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, mix beaten eggs, sour cream, pecan mixture, and Parmesan, reserving a little of the cheese for garnish. Spoon into each of the squash halves, so that each has about the same amount of stuffing. Sprinkle with a tad more Parmesan.

4. Bake for 45 minutes (or until squash is soft and easily pierced with a fork). The cheese should be slightly browned when done.

Serve immediately, either as a main or a side dish (one squash half per person should be enough as a side).

Serves 2-4.

Paleo Pumpkin Pudding

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Stella

While browsing the Paleo in Portland blog, I came across this tempting butternut squash pudding, which she, in turn, had adapted from paleOMG’s Sugar Detox Carrot Cake Pudding.

Having neither carrots nor butternut squash on hand, I decided to take it up another notch and make pumpkin pudding. This recipe is adapted from both Paleo in Portland and paleOMG.

15 oz. puréed pumpkin (1 can) – or use fresh!
2 Tbsp coconut milk
2 Tbsp almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp honey (optional*)

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and purée to desired smoothness. For a silkier finish, drizzle in more coconut milk, a tiny bit at a time.

That’s it! Enjoy!

Serves 2-4.

Of course, I made this non-paleo by adding whipped cream to the top! But it’s pretty wonderful on its own, too. If I’d had any grated coconut, I would’ve used it.