And the Winner is.....

It was a busy week, but Sunday I headed to Houston for the Risotto Festival. After all, who could say no to sampling some of the best Italian food this side of Italy? The festival was at the Houston Design Center, so not only did I get to taste some amazing food, but it was a chance to browse the designer showrooms open for the event.


Fifteen chefs competed with their best risotto dishes-a culinary smackdown that left the appreciative crowd going back for seconds. I never knew there were so many different ways to prepare this Italian comfort food, and there wasn't a loser in the bunch.

And the winner is Chef Scotty Campbell who took top honors for his porcini and black truffle risotto with prime rib

Side dishes like this mushroom and olive tapenade salad with fresh basil tasted as good as they looked, and what Italian meal would be complete without Parmesan cheese. 

The smell of butter and seafood kept people lining up for more.  Chef Jon Buchanan dished up a sweet corn and Gulf shrimp risotto with house-made pancetta. 

Second place went to the lobster and white truffle risotto prepared by David Grossman of Branch Water Tavern. 

The chefs were generous in sharing their secrets to a good risotto. The key seems to be stir, stir, stir. A good risotto should be creamy, but not mushy and should puddle on the plate when served. 

A platter of buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes was just the right antidote for all that decadent dining. As much as I love risotto, it might be a long time before I have it again...Ciao  

Real Men Wear Kilts

I couldn't resist the chance to hear bagpipes being played, and what better place than the yearly Gathering of the Scottish Clans. Just 50 miles north of Austin, the historic town of Salado has been hosting this celebration of all things Scottish since 1961. The weekend schedule of activities includes not only piping and drumming, but a "Bonniest Knees" contest, Highland dancing, a Scottish shortbread competition and the Highland Games.

Pipers strolled the grounds warming up for the judges who consider

the timing, tuning, expression and execution of the bagpipes. The

Peobaireachd is the classic music of the great Highlanders.

 

The "Sheaf Toss" requires a 16 pound block to be tossed over the bar.
The bar represents a bale of hay.

          Pipers of all ages from Central Texas perform and compete during the weekend.

The tartan has become the symbol of the Scottish people.

Tartan patterns are called "sett". The variety of tartans

has never stopped growing, and almost every surname

from the British Isles has been associated with a Clan

and their tartan.

A bit of Scottish humor- A Scots boy came home from school and told his mother he had been given a part in the school play."Wonderful," says the mother. "What part is it?" The boy says, "I play the part of the Scottish husband." The mother scowls and says, "Go back and tell your teacher you want a speaking part."

                                                

One Man's Trash.....

Hello, and  yes, you are on the right page.  I am trying out some different blog formats and inevitably there will be some kinks as I navigate my way through these changes.  Unfortunately, I do not have control over every design aspect, so please bear with me as things evolve. 


If you haven't already seen the current El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You About Africa exhibition at the Blanton Museum, then you are in for a treat. The exhibit, a retrospective of the artist's work over the past forty years, is on loan from the Museum for African Art in New York City. It is traveling across the country and The Blanton is the only venue in the Southwest to have this exhibit.

El Anatsui does not dictate the exact way each piece is hung, so the overall configuration can vary with each exhibit

El Anatsui is a West African artist whose luminous work is made of liquor bottle caps,

aluminum cans and found metal objects. He transforms discarded metal into stunning monumental free-standing tapestries. 

Born in Ghana, he now lives in Nigeria where he is a professor of sculpture at the University of Nigeria.

A close up of the intricate work in these metal sculptures

The man standing in front of this piece gives an idea of the large scale
of El Anatsui's work

On close inspection, you can see some of the brand names on the flattened
metal pieces

Before the 1970's, Anatsui worked with wood and ceramics. Included in the exhibit are some of his chain saw sculptures that evoke the changing African culture and experience during colonialism.

* Remember, museum admission is free on Thursdays, and parking is validated.