Foreign & Domestic [Austin, TX]

When I moved to New York, I was floored by the prices I was forced to pay at restaurants. Everything was at least $5-10 more than what I was used to paying back home in L.A. A bowl of ramen and Japanese fried rice at, say, Hakata Ramen in L.A. cost around $13. I can't even get a regular bowl of ramen for that price at Ippudo in NYC. So going to Austin this past weekend and spending SO MUCH LESS than I would have in New York was quite a trip.

Happy campers

Joyce and Tim took me to Foreign & Domestic on my last night there. Ned and Jody Elliott, the young, hip couple who opened this place, were both formally trained but one could see that traditions were thrown out of the window after one look at the menu (and at our spread). The prices we paid for our dinner (3 main courses, one appetizer) was almost illegal if the menu was shown in New York. Seriously. A waygu beef dish for under $30. What?!

And without further ado, food photos.

Appetizer: Crispy beef tongue ($8)

So tender and juicy on the inside and only mildly crispy on the outside (that's a good thing!). The arugula and horseradish added some interesting flavors but I could happily have just eaten the beef by itself.

Braised waygu beef with potato butter, tomato jam, and poached veggies ($26)

I mean, seriously. What can I say. All the beef, please.

Vital Farms duck fat fried chicken ($18) On top of collard greens, biscuit, carrot slaw and drizzled with goats heart gravy. I could definitely have done without the collard greens (a bit too salty) and the biscuit was just okay but nothing mattered after the chicken. Even the white meat, as Joyce put it, was too good to pass up (the Chinese in us <3 our dark meat, I guess).

3 Cheese raviolo with poached egg, toasted garlic, bread crumbs ($16). This was a good dish, but nothing compared to the beef and chicken dish. I sort of wish we erred on the side of super unhealthy and ordered another meat dish.

There were SO MANY other things I wanted to try (pork brains with huckleberries as another appetizer?) but I was way too full. I didn't even have room for dessert (WORST EVER!). Definitely would go back if I'm ever in town again.

Foreign & Domestic
306 E.53rd St.
Austin, TX 78751
512.459.1010

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

The second installment of Mother's Day dinner: Chicken with White Wine Sauce! I changed the ingredient list from this recipe over at Epicurious. Also, I added the white wine sauce at the same as I added the chicken broth, resulting in MORE sauce than I needed. SO, follow my directions below so that it's the perfect balance of white wine taste and broth!

Here's what you'll need...

• chicken thighs. I used three which was more than enough for 4 people.
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves, halved
• 2 handfuls of asparagus, chopped.
  
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
  

Here's what you'll do...
1. Wash and pat dry chicken. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat oil in heavy 12-inch skillet (medium-high heat) until oil shimmers. Sear chicken until golden brown (only on one side!), then remove from skillet.
3. Keep about 2 tb of fat from skillet and cook garlic and asparagus over medium heat. Stir frequently until veggies are just beginning to soften. Add wine and boil (uncovered) until the liquid is reduced by half. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
4. Return chicken (raw side down) to skillet and simmer (partially covered) until chicken is cooked through. This will take about 25 minutes. Plate.

deliciousness fast and cheap

Partly due to some mislabeled chicken thighs at Ralphs, I was able to buy our groceries this week for 12 dollars. Awesome. This also allowed me to finally try the Rick Bayless creamy salsa chicken recipe I first saw over at Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations.

The dish is as simple as it gets to make. Brush the bottom of a 9x13ish baking pan with oil and line with one layer of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs, in this case). Mix your choice of chunky salsa and heavy whipping cream and spoon mixture over the chicken. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes on the bottom shelf.

The original recipe calls for one 16oz jar of salsa and 1/2 cup cream to make the salsa mixture, but this resulted in quite a bit of extra sauce. Next time I make it, I'll probably make only two-thirds or one half of the suggested amount.

I used about half Pace spicy chunky salsa and half Trader Joe's chipotle salsa. I loved the smokiness and complexity of the end result, but my husband found the chipotle a bit overpowering. Next time I'll likely use a more traditional salsa, but add jalapeños for kick.

For sides, I sauteed some zucchini with garlic and tomatoes, then topped with a little mozzarella cheese. We also had some mushrooms left over so I cooked them, also with garlic, in a little white wine. Finally, we still had some of that corn salad hanging around, and it was a refreshing and colorful addition to the plate.

My favorite thing about this meal is that it took only about 35 minutes to prepare. Yet it was flavorful and balanced. Yum. I am really starting to like this cooking thing.