Brief Hiatus

So, the food truck I work for was invited to the illustrious South By Southwest Festival in Austin a couple weeks back and so it took away from my blogging time.  Slinging sliders and hawking sandwiches at 100 miles per hour was the name of the game.  Tough, hard work but strangely satisfying after it was all said and done.  I'm glad its over but I'm a stronger person for it, I believe!  It was a really warm welcome for our first time in Austin.  Our food was really, really well received and couldn't have asked for more support and kindness from the strong Austin food truck community. 

We shared a gravel parking lot directly adjacent to the Austin Convention Center, the heart of SXSW so the hunger was brought by all of the festival-goers.  Other food trucks who were selling their goods alongside us included The Seedling Truck, Duk Truck, Waffle Bus, East Side Kings, and the oh-so delicious Chi'lantros.

It's so funny because when you're in the food industry, it's strange how little time you actually get to sit and enjoy FOOD!  Sometimes you're just on the go-go-go and you forget to eat because you too busy creating dishes for hungry customers!  But one glorious dish I wanted to brag about while I was at South-By was the Kimchee Yakisoba bowl from East Side Kings.  It consisted of flavorful noodles, spicy kimchee, and crunchy fried chicken all rounded out with fresh cilantro and a spicy mayo.

So if you're in the Austin area, its a must to check out the huge food truck scene in the city.  Click here for a comprehensive site of all of the trucks.

Crispy Radish Chips

Another quick and healthy snack option!

Crispy Radish Chips
Adapted from GroupRecipes.com

Ingredients
About 20 medium-to-large radishes
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice radishes into very thin chips and spread on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  I used my slicer blade in my food processor.  So super fast and quick clean up.

2. Be sure to dry the radishes with paper towels.  (Too much water will make the chips soggy.)

3. Lightly toss the radish slices with the olive oil and seasonings.

4. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until crisp. Time may vary so watch these after flipping.

Mushroom Risotto

When there's a nip in the air, nothings better than something nice, warm, and creamy to comfort your appetite.  The other day at the grocery store, they had some beautiful mushrooms: snow white button mushrooms, large firm portabello mushrooms, and even some fresh shitakes.  So why not make a lovely risotto?

Mushroom Risotto
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients
3 cups vegetable broth
2 TB olive oil
1 lb mixed mushrooms, sliced (portobellos, baby bellas, white, shitake, enoki, etc.)
1 shallot, minced
1 1/4 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 TB butter
1//3 cup grated Parmesan
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
Chopped chives
Julienne basil for garnish

Directions 
1. In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat. 
2. Warm 1 TB olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside. 
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with basil and more Parmesan.