duck duck...odd duck!

If you were to judge a book by its cover with Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, you would miss out on some world class food from one of the best new chefs in America, Bryce Gilmore. On the outside, Odd Duck isn't much to look at. It's a trailer in a gravel parking lot with a bunch of picnic tables. Food trailers is the new fad in Austin right now. If trailers in Austin were Mean Girls, they would be so fetch. Odd Duck happened to be one of the first food trailers to pop up in Austin, but it remains one of the best.

All kidding aside, Odd Duck Farm to Trailer lives up to its reputation as a world class trailer serving up local and sustainable gourmet food. From the grits to the pork belly slider, everything here is spot-on. Check out the menu. Small menu = quality food.

The great thing about Odd Duck is the 'Small Plate Offerings' mentality. These portions are not meant to get you full. Instead, they are meant to satisfy you and nourish your well-being as a foodie. Trust me when I say some of these small plates will transform you to another place. You could be talking to somebody but once you take your first bite of the pork belly slider, you're a goner.

The tomato and spicy melon 'salad' was deliciously light and fresh, with just a hint of spice from the chili pepper. I want you to look at something though. Look at that bread. Just an ordinary piece of grilled bread, right? Nope. It's grilled perfection. Such a simple product, yet it was transformed into something amazing with great technique.

The cheddar grits were creamy, salty, and delicious. Something took this plate over the top though. The soft boiled egg lent its creamy interior to an already creamy dish. However, the yolk's rich flavor cut through that saltiness and gave the dish a layer of flavor it would have lacked without it.

This next dish was my personal favorite. 1/2 quail over texmati rice with cheddar, julienned apples, and arugula. Let me first start off by saying the quail was cooked to a juicy perfection, and the skin was amazingly crispy and salty. Screw bags of chips, give me a bag of that skin and I'll be a happy man. The texmati rice mix was a light mixture with a lot of flavor, especially with the crisp apple flavor and the peppery arugula. Combine the salty quail and the bright texmati mix and I guarentee you'll have a flavorgasm.

Last, but definitely not least, was the pulled pork on a baguette with pickled onion and a mustard aioli. The pulled pork was perfect, with little bits of charred bark. There was a brightness to the seasoning I couldn't quite pinpoint, but it really did add to the overall flavor profile. The baguette was again crispy and perfectly grilled. The pickled onions were acidic and delicious, and the mustard aioli was tangy, garlic-y and creamy. Add all of those together and you have one hell of a 'sandwich.'

You owe it to yourself to go check out Odd Duck Farm to Trailer. I dare you not to like it.

mushroom risotto

Risotto. Rice cooked in stock to a creamy consistency.

It's one of those dishes that is so simple in concept, yet so difficult in execution. You see it time and time again. If you watched the most recent The Next Food Network Star, you probably saw Jill attempt to make risotto and fail miserably. Through utter embarrassment, Wolfgang Puck gave her a personal demonstration on how to make proper risotto. It's one of those dishes that, if made wrong, can make professional chefs cringe. However, if done right, it can make professional chefs sing your praises.

This was my first attempt at making a risotto, so I know it didn't come out perfect by any means. It did come out really good though, especially for a first attempt. I think I should have cooked it for a little longer with a little more broth to make it creamier, but oh well, can't take it back now!

First, pour yourself a beer. I poured myself a Le Merle saison. Oh, and I used it in the risotto, replacing white wine.

Slice up some portobella mushrooms and saute with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

Bring a small pot of chicken stock to a boil. When it has come to a boil, take that cat off the heat and add some dried mushrooms to re-hydrate. They're dry, they're thirsty, so give 'em some liquid. You could add some beer to this mixture too so the mushrooms soak in some of that beer flavor. Beer soaked mushrooms = happy mushrooms. The package of dried mushrooms I had included portobella, cremini, porcini, and one other I can't remember. I couldn't find a package of JUST porcini, but this worked just fine.

Happy mushrooms

When the mushrooms are almost done, add some onions and garlic. Can you smell the amazing aromas through your computer?? When the onions are translucent, put the mushroom mixture on a plate and let it sit until its later use.

Italian parsley and parmesan cheese

With a non stick skillet, add some onions and beer and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer until the beer has evaporated to about a tablespoon. When that's done, add the arborio rice to the pan.

This is an important step. Over medium heat, stir the rice constantly. Do this for only a couple of minutes. This will prevent the rice from sticking to each other.

Now the fun part. Add a little stock at a time and stir. When the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, add more.

Stir.
Add liquid.
Repeat.

You'll do this for awhile. You'll just have to keep tasting the rice to see when it has gotten to a creamy texture, with a tiny bit of bite to it. Once that has happened, add some of the stock you used for the mushrooms since it has a ton of mushroom flavor at this point.

When you've reached the desired consistency, add all of the mushrooms to the risotto.

Add a couple tablespoons of butter.

Spoon onto a plate and add chopped parsley and shredded parmasen. Prepare for a flavorgasm.

Have you made risotto before? What's your favorite recipe? How does mine look (be honest)?

wholly cow - damn good burger

You want a damn good burger in a damn nice convenience store that caters to offering local organic produce and fruits? Head on over to the Star Grill Food Mart Convenience Store, home of Wholly Cow Burgers. Here, you will be welcomed with friendly owners and friendly cashiers ready to take your order ('Welcome to Good Burger home of the Good Burger can I take your order??'). You'll find no corn fed beef here ladies and gents. No, these locally raised cows are grass fed, the way it should be. Nothing crazy is done here either.

Burger patty.
Hot griddle.
Pickles.
Onions.
Mayo.
Lettuce.
Buns.
Done.

Pair that with a Fredericksburg Peach Tea and you've got yourself a damn good meal. The fries are nothing to write to home about, but oh well. The burgers are a little pricey too, but it's worth it. Go check out Wholly Cow Burgers sometime, you won't regret it!