Make your margarita the way you like.

If San Antonio had an official cocktail, the margarita would be it, no contest. It flows as freely as iced tea. Just stroll along the River Walk, and you’ll see various shapes of glasses rimmed with salt and filled with lime-, magenta- and mango-colored potions as potent as you want.

The drink’s history is as hazy as the morning after a margarita binge. Some prefer to believe the story that a bartender in Ensenada, Mexico, named it after the first customer who drank it, Margarita Henkel. Others like the story that it was created by Dallas socialite Margarita Sames, who spent her last years in San Antonio. Still more discount both. Yet all raise their glass to the creation, if the creator remains a mystery.

Over the years, the original recipe has evolved. Most cocktail books and even a few cookbooks then and now list only three ingredients in the drink: tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice. The proportions, however, vary from mixer to mixer. For one recipe in “The El Paso Chile Margarita Cookbook,” author W.P. Kerr offers an easy formula to remember: Use a 1:1:1 ratio of tequila to orange liqueur to lime juice. If you can’t remember that, you probably shouldn’t be drinking, he wisely adds.

Use watermelon, prickly pear, even jalapeño to make your margarita.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the cantina. The introduction of the frozen margarita made a sweetener of some sort an essential part of the drink (frozen treats need sugar to help with the concentrated flavors; think of the role sweeteners play in ice cream). And after the rise in popularity of sweet cocktails, such as cosmopolitans and apple-tinis, the margarita became loaded with the likes of Rose’s Lime Juice, simple syrup, sweet-and-sour mix or agave nectar. The refreshing acidity of lime juice, the sweetness of Cointreau or Grand Marnier, and the tang of tequila got candy-coated. And not too many seem to mind.

You can still find a few pristine versions of the margarita out there. Or you may be able to strong-arm a bartender into making the drink the way you want. A couple of examples include Steve’s Margarita, a lime-laden libation at La Fonda on Main, and La Bonita, which is available at both locations of Aldaco’s, where it is billed as being “for aficionados only.” It’s made simply with freshly squeezed lime juice, Don Julio Blanco and Cointreau – and beautiful it is, too.

Aldaco’s also features the avocado margarita, which is part of an age-old practice of incorporating fruits beyond lime and perhaps a kiss of orange into the drink. Versions made with mangoes, watermelon, strawberries, olives and even jalapeños are certainly popular, but perhaps the most exotic, especially for tourists, is the bright magenta of the prickly pear margarita, an excellent example of which can be sipped at Boudro’s on the River Walk.

Upscale margaritas using premium tequilas fill out many a drink menu. At Rosario’s, you’ll find more than three dozen tequilas, which are used to make such concoctions as the Mexican Handshake, a lively balance of sweet to tart, but with an emphasis on freshness. Two Step Restaurant and Cantina is another pleasant stop where you can sip your way through a varied margarita menu.

A more recent trend is the skinny rita, which uses agave nectar, instead of sugar. That means it has fewer calories but is also much sweeter. So, it has become the adult version of Diet Coke for many, especially women. Meanwhile, the Quarry Hofbräu has helped usher in a whole new craze that has caught on like wildfire. The Dos-a-Rita features a schooner of frozen margarita with a bottle of Dos Equis upended in the bowl-shaped glass. The two slowly merge as you drink more and more. .

We keep reinventing the margarita to suit the times, and the drink doesn’t seem to mind it one bit.

Alamo City Classic Margarita

Two Step offers a variety of margaritas.

I’m not a big fan of sweet margaritas, though I have enjoyed more than a few south of the border that were sweetened by Sprite. The following recipe from takes margarita tradition and sweetens it slightly, but keeps the drink solidly on the refreshing side.

You can use your own orange liqueur, but, as I learned from a true San Antonio native, my friend Gail Harwood, the preferred version is Mexican Controy, which you can only get in Mexico and bring back through Customs one green bottle at a time. Controy tastes like fresh oranges, whereas Cointreau and Grand Marnier taste more like marmalade or burnt orange peel. Triple sec is more about the alcohol than the orange flavor, and it can make as fine a margarita as the rest, if used properly.

Another variation would be to include blood oranges, when they are in season, instead of tangelo juice. The color is dramatic, and the juice adds a flavor different from the sweet tangelo.

Just before you are ready to pour your margarita, run a lime wedge around the edge and dip it in what you like. Tradition dictates salt, but you could use sugar, if you like it sweet. Or you could mix either with Lucas powder, a mouth-puckering Mexican treat with lime and chile in it.

The secret is to make it taste however you want it to taste.

2 parts silver or blanco tequila
1 part orange liqueur
1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tangelo cut into wedges, with a wedge per cocktail, plus slices slices for garnish
Lime slices for garnish

In an ice-filled shaker, add tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and juice of 1 wedge of tangelo per serving. Shake until icy cold. Pour into a chilled margarita glass or martini glass that has been rimmed with lime and salt. Garnish with a slice of tangelo and a slice of lime.

From John Griffin

Loquats growing at the top of the tree.

Thanks to the rains we had this winter, the loquat trees in the area are covered with juicy, ripe fruit.

Lo-what?

For those who don’t know a loquat from a kumquat, let’s start with what it is not. Loquats are not citrus fruits; kumquats are. So, the two are not related.

The oblong, yellow to orange fruit resembles a small apricot, but those two are not similar, either.

Loquats have a thin skin and a fairly slight amount of meat plus any number of hard stones at the center. They have a short shelf life once they’re picked, and they’re fairly messy to deal with. They turn brown fairly quickly, so if you want them to have that just-picked look, you’ll need to use Fruit-Fresh or lemon juice in a hurry.

So, why would anyone go to the trouble of dealing with them?

Because they taste great.

Their sweet-tart tingle is why I planted my tree 11 years ago. I had had one when I lived in Florida and I grew to look forward to that fruit as much as I looked forward to the tangelos, grapefruits and lemons that also grew in the backyard. Back then, all I did with loquats was make cobblers with plenty of butter and a biscuit-style crust.

Loquats fresh from the tree.

I am no expert on the scientific  nature of loquats. I know they come from Asia, and I know there are several varieties with slight differences in the flavor.

I also knew from research that I would have to wait awhile to get that taste again. It takes at least seven years for a loquat tree to mature. Well, seven years passed and no fruit. Eight, nine, 10 years went by. The last two years, flowers appeared but they either died in a freeze or died in the drought. Thankfully, this year, it exploded with so much fruit that I have had to come up with new ways of preparing it.

One dessert I created mixed strawberries with the loquats in an empanada filling. For a more savory treat, I put up several jars of loquat pickle, one of which I plan to serve on Easter Sunday with ham. Loquat pie and cobbler are on their way.

There are a number of other recipe ideas at LoquatWorld.com, which also has information on the tree itself. Loquat wine? I may have to give it a try.

Do any of you have loquat trees? If so, what do you do with the fruit? Post your answers below.

There is a profusion of premixed herb, spice and seasoning blends out there, and it’s sometimes hard to choose just the blend you want.

We suggest making your own, for several reasons:

Put together your own spice mixes for specific ethnic cuisines, barbecue rubs, salad seasonings and more.

•  The cost will be much less.
•  You can fine-tune the blend to your taste.
•  The blend won’t have any filler in it or a lot of added salt or sugar – which is something you end up paying for with many commercial blends.
•  You can mix in small batches, so that the spices don’t lose flavor by sitting around on your spice shelf for long periods of time.
•  Spice and herb blends are easy to do, and make good gifts. Check out craft stores, art shops, etc., for packaging ideas, or use your imagination and make your own.

With no further ado, here are a few that we like.  Use them as they are, or start customizing!

Lavender, a good addition to a summery herb blend. (Photo courtesy Becker Vineyards)

Herbes de Provence

This is a fine-tuned blend, from the South of France, that alternates stronger herbal flavors with lighter.

It adds a wonderful, summery flavor to casseroles, game or poultry — even steaks. Also, add some fresh parsley to a couple of pinches of this as a dry blend, and whip it into the eggs for an omelet. Fold a little crème fraîche into the omelet just before you serve it.

This blend calls for dried herbs, but not ground (except for bay leaf). If you don’t want to grind the bay leaf, you could put a small, whole leaf into each blend, but not add the whole, dried leaf to food. (The edges are sharp, unless you grind it down some.) You can also make this blend with fresh herbs, if you have the herbs on hand. We don’t suggest mixing fresh and dried, though.

4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2/3 teaspoon culinary lavender flowers
½ teaspoon celery seeds
½ teaspoon lightly ground white pepper
1 crushed bay leaf (take leaves off dried stem, and grind in a mortar)

Mix together the herbs. For using, 2-3 teaspoons is sufficient in a recipe for three-to-four people.

Adapted from “The Spice Bible; A Cook’s Guide” by Ian Hemphill

Fines Herbes

This “delicately balanced bouquet of finely flavored herbs … is found in French cuisine,” writes Ian Hemphill in “The Spice and Herb Bible.” This recipe may be made with fresh or dried herbs.

Flat-leaf parsley

Here’s a sidelight I found amusing. In my vintage (1961) edition of the English translation of the French culinary bible, “Larousse Gastronomique”, the entry for fines herbes is typically terse. However, the writer also allows himself (and, surely, it was a “him”) a little crabby comment to chefs of the time.

“Generally speaking, this term is used not of mixed herbs, but simply of chopped parsley. Therefore an Omelette aux Fines Herbes is an omelette containing only parsley, in addition to the usual seasonings.” (Probably a reference to salt and white pepper.)

The writer goes on: “Actually, fines herbes should be a mixture of herbs, such as parsley, chervil, tarragon and even chives. Indeed, this was the original meaning of the term. In earlier times chopped mushroom and even truffles were added to the list of herbs above.”

We give our firm approval to adding truffles to a fines herbes mix!

Hemphill’s recipe follows. In addition to the herbs mentioned above, he adds green dill tips and lovage. While the Hemphill doesn’t add chives, fresh chives would be fine, and it is included in this slight adaptation. Again, if you wish to make this blend with all dried herbs, it’s fine.

Fines Herbes (for fresh or dried herbs)

2 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon chervil
1 tablespoon lovage
2 teaspoons green dill tips
2 teaspoons French tarragon
2 teaspoons minced chives

This blend goes well with any egg dish, and is also wonderful in a creamy salad dressing, blended with a half cup each of mayonnaise and heavy cream.

Adapted from “The Spice Bible” by Ian Hemphill.

Texas Herb Rub

Lamb, beef, pork -- all will taste better rubbed with spices!

Here’s an herbal rub with a Texas twist, from Tom Perini. Put it on meat (of course).

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Combine all the ingredients and rub over the surface of the meat.

From “Texas Cowboy Cooking” by Tom Perini

Wild Willy’s Number One-derful Rub

This is a good, all-purpose barbecue rub, from Cheryl and Bill Jamison’s “Smoke & Spice.” Use it on ribs, brisket, chicken and more.

¾ cup paprika
¼ cup freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup coarse kosher or sea salt
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons cayenne

Mix spices thoroughly in a bowl. Store covered, in a cool, dark place. Makes about 2 cups.

Tunisian Tabil Rub

This is a spice mix that’s become somewhat trendy in the U.S. in the past few years.  The  aromatic, spicy blend known as tabil is generally used with lamb and imparts a pungency that will give your barbecue an exotic flavor. Tone down the hot spice (hot pepper flakes) if you need to do so.

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 tablespoons hot pepper flakes
2 tablespoons coarse (kosher or sea) salt

Combine the coriander, cumin and caraway seeds in a dry skillet and cook over medium heat, shaking the pan to ensure even cooking, until toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Place the mixture in a mortar and grind to a fine powder with the pestle, or use a spice mill. Store in an airtight jar away from heat and light for up to 6 months. Makes about ½ cup, or enough for 3-4 pounds of meat, poultry or seafood.

From “The Barbecue Bible” by Steven Raichlen

John Griffin contributed to this article.

Saturday’s joyous weather called for a food trek through San Antonio, and the result was a trip of savory indulgences.

Scott Cohen demonstrates how to cook foie gras.

It started at Gaucho Gourmet, the exceptional food warehouse the Ciorciari family operates at 935 Isom Road. The space is only open to the public on Saturdays, and word has certainly gotten out about the place as several dozen people showed up to browse through rows of truffles, fine salami, rare cheeses and a few Asian items that have been added to the mix of European and Argentine favorites.

But the real draw this Saturday was a foie gras cooking demonstration given by Scott Cohen, who used to work with Gaucho Gourmet’s Luciano Ciorciari at Pesca on the River Walk, now Ostra, and the late Brasserie Pavil.

Foie gras

That winning combination was made even more winning when seared samples of the fatty duck liver were served up at the end of session.

Cohen, who is now an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu culinary academy in Austin, brought along his son, Daniel, who is now attending the school as well as two local chefs, Isaac Cantu of the Westin La Cantera and Stephen Paprocki of Eurest Compass Group. Both had worked with Cohen at Las Canarias.

When getting ready to prepare foie gras, make sure it is firm, Cohen said. If you press a finger into it, it should keep the indentation, not spread out.

Heat your skillet, but don’t let it get too hot. That could cause the expensive treat to burn. Instead, it should have a pleasant sizzle when you set the slices into the heat. Cohen used a touch of grapeseed oil in the pan beforehand, which has a high smoking point and doesn’t impart a flavor to mask the delicate nature of the foie gras.

Steve White enjoys a sample of foie gras.

The meat is ready when the exterior is seared but the center is warm and will practically melt on the tongue, Cohen said.

To finish of the treat, you could use a sauce made from flavors you enjoy. It could be a balsamic reduction straight from a can, a sauce of brandy-soaked cherries or a more complex creation with a demi-glace base, perhaps with a touch of Saba, a quince glaze.

Gaucho Gourmet sells Hudson Valley Foie Gras in packages of various sizes. It isn’t cheap, but for a special occasion — such as a Saturday morning, Cohen said with a laugh — it’s worth it.

Bonnie and I left Gaucho Gourmet with plans to meet up with several friends at YaYa’s Thai at 8085 Callaghan Road at I-10 for lunch. It was a chance to sample more duck, since the crispy version with red curry was the special. And it was a winner, with a crunchy exterior and moist bits of meat at the center.

YaYa's Fish Cakes

Neither Bonnie nor I wanted much sugar with our food, but we weren’t so lucky with our orders. A shrimp and avocado salad sounded more than good, but the sticky sweet dressing on top did the fresh ingredients in the salad no favors. A beef salad was not quite as bad, but the sugar was there. An order of fish cakes was best with tender egg and fish working together beautifully.

From there, it was on to Rainbow Gardens at 8516 Bandera Road. I had started the day in the garden clearing a spot for cucumbers, but I wanted to plant more. For her garden, Bonnie was looking for a heirloom tomatoes, a couple of okra plants, herbs, African daisies and so forth. Plenty of other gardeners in town had the same ideas, apparently, for the place was bustling.

The herb area at Rainbow Gardens.

Soon our cart was so filled with the likes of purslane, Greek oregano,and Cuban oregano in addition to soil and fertilizer that we had to get a second cart. That prompted even more buying, with zucchini plants, plumbago and more added to the mix. After stopping to pet the nursery’s silky black cat, we headed out and stuffed the trunk and back seat of a small Mazda 3 with purchases.

For me, a trip to that area of Bandera Road is not complete with a stop at Tim’s Oriental & Seafood Market, 7015 Bandera Road. Though most every sweet and starchy snack in the store seemed to call our names, from pastel-colored Piroline-style cookies that would be perfect for Easter to garlicky crackers, we managed to be good and avoid the call of the carbohydrates.

That pork hanging next to the ducks -- that's mine!

But Bonnie saw a thing of beauty at the butcher counter that was beyond resisting. It was roasted pork, actually pork belly, for $6.95 a pound. Hanging next to the marinated roast ducks, which are also a happy bet but perhaps a little too much after all the duck we had had, it sent out Circe’s seductive call. I couldn’t resist. I bought the entire piece, which was chopped up and boxed to go.

The car didn’t make it out of the parking lot before the first pieces of that fat find made it out of the box. The crackling on the outside could not have had more crunch, while the meat and fat, boasting a heady mix of garlic and salt, was practically intoxicating. It was the perfect bookend to the foie gras, and a great way to end the trip before resuming the gardening.

(Photos by Bonnie Walker and John Griffin)

Jimmy Cliff performs at Stubbs BBQ while host Rachael Ray (right) and the crowd look on.

Rachael Ray likes to party — and the food celebrity certainly can throw a good party or two.

Rachael Ray and her husband, John Cusimano, listen to Jimmy Cliff.

Her get-togethers in Austin during South by Southwest, or SXSW, are the best. Plus, she gets a slew of sponsors, so people can mix and mingle with plenty of music, food and spirits to make them feel right at home.

This past week, she had her usual greenhouse party on the city’s east side, and with it, came plenty of chances to enjoy fine weather on top of the treats she had in store.

At the bar, Patrón tequila was pouring a new bittersweet chocolate liquor, Patrón XO Café Dark Cocoa, for those who enjoy drinking cocoa, but with a touch of alcohol instead of milk. Another delicious variation was the coffee-flavored tequila, Patrón XO Café, mixed with San Pellegrino Aranciata, a bitter orange soda; slightly shaken with ice, it was coolly refreshing, like an Italian coffee drink but with extra oomph.

Patrón also offered paletas in a variety of flavors, including a Spiced Orange with perhaps a little too much clove in it, but the frosty nature of the treat made it most welcome on a hot afternoon.

At the back of the house the food truck Mmmpanada pulled up to offer a variety of dough-encrusted treats that ranged from the meaty (prosciutto with asparagus, green chile chicken) to the vegetarian (spinach and mushroom, spicy black bean). The peach cobbler-stuffed treats disappeared quickly, as did the Argentinian, a pocket filled with ground beef, egg, olive and potato. The blueberry was also just right.

Jimmy Cliff in red shirt, yellow shoes and purple socks.

So was the music Ray offered, including the Cringe, featuring her husband, John Cusimano, and the Click Clack Boom. Ray was on hand, talking with guests, posing for photos and rocking out to her husband’s band.

Hey, why throw a party if you can’t enjoy it, right?

Saturday was a big day for her, as she also threw her annual bash at Stubbs BBQ on Red River. This was my favorite event of the few I attended, and it was largely because reggae legend Jimmy Cliff was performing. Ray sat just off the edge of the stage with her husband while Cliff sang a few of his great tunes and even Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now.”

Thousands filled the area out back of the barbecue joint, where two stages were used for the lengthy list of musical acts. Some of the food included miniature corn dogs, brisket sliders, shredded chicken sliders, tacos and vegetarian refrieds. Blue Moon, Honest Tea, Deep Eddy Vodka and Bacardi were among those who provided the drinks.

The Doritos stage stands 56 feet tall.

From there, my friend and I headed south on Red River to the Doritos party, which was built around a 56-foot stage area shaped to look like an inflatable concession machine, pomoting Doritos’ new flavors: Smoky Enchilada, which had a little too much cumin for my tastes, and Smoky Chipotle BBQ, which I found too sweet and my friend found too spicy. The live music was great, however, and Snoop Dogg was among of the featured acts one evening (just not on the night we were there).

Whole Foods got into the act with an earth-friendly area along Red River that let you use solar power to recharge your cell phones and other fun gadgets. Meanwhile, back on the rooftop of the main supermarket on Lamar Street, another musical showcase could be found, yet another place where food and music joined for a lively party. And that’s what makes SXSW so much fun to return to each year.

The vegan diet fascinates me, despite the amount of pork that I consume. But the more I read about it, the less appetizing it appears. That’s because a recent spate of vegan cookbooks are loaded with a combination of all the foods I can’t eat with a few I don’t care to eat all thrown together.

There's nothing like vegetables at their freshest.

The last three or four I’ve picked up have all been carbohydrate heavy, filled with mixtures of flour, rice, potatoes and corn, all foods forbidden to someone trying to keep his diabetes under control. And with all that flour, recipe after recipe sounded drier than the last, until it got to the point where none of it sounded good to me.

Plus, I won’t eat tofu, that inexplicable bastion of vegan living. Outside of the occasional bowl of miso soup or fried tofu at a sushi bar, tofu has a texture so nasty, slimy and phlegm-like that the mere mention of it can prompt a gag reflex.

What happened to the vegetables?

The cookbooks were so concerned with copycat meat-like substances, all of which sounded horrible, that the vegetables in the vegan diet seemed to have disappeared.

The authors were more interested in what I call quote foods, substances like vegan “bacon” and wheat “meat.” Vegan “hot dogs” aren’t even in the ballpark in terms of flavor. Then there’s the nastiest of all, “tofurkey.” Turkey is bad enough, with dessicated breast meat too often akin to sawdust. But it all begs the question: If you are giving up meat because you don’t want animals harmed, why would you want to eat something reminiscent of a slaughtered animal? Why not have the courage of your convictions and give up the thought of meat? Or cheese? Or butter?

Why would I keep reading about this? Because, most days, one or two of the three meals I eat are vegan. Plus, there’s something about the vibrancy and vitality of raw foods that I find irresistible.

And whether raw or cooked, I’m always looking for a new way to prepare whatever is in season, from radishes and red peppers to cauliflower and cabbage.

The raw mushroom avocado burger at Vegeria.

I was hoping to find a few ideas at Vegeria Vegan Tex-Mex and American Cuisine, 8407 Broadway, San Antonio’s only vegan restaurant, which I visited recently. A glance at the menu bore out what the cookbooks made clear. The majority of foods were like flautas and enchiladas with too much corn, nachos, chips, potato cakes, and tofu “egg” salad. Even the salads were carb heavy, laden with the likes of black beans, quinoa and tofu.

But there was also a raw menu, and though it only had three items, each sounded great.

Raw brownie

I ended up with a raw burger with portobello mushrooms taking the place of bread, and the interior was filled with flavor-packed guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion and, yes, raw cashew “cheese,” which really wasn’t bad.

I also had a cup of an excellent spicy lentil soup and a raw brownie, made with plenty of coconut for dessert. (There were carbs in the latter because dried dates were used, but the natural flavor of the fruit was apparent.)

Lentil soup and salad at Vegeria.

I would hope Vegeria’s talented cooking staff would delve more into the realm of vegetables without all the unnecessary additions. What can you do with braised radishes? Or a mix of spinach, mustard greens and collards? Where are the beets and the cauliflower? Or whatever else is fresh at the farmers markets?

San Antonio is hungry for a greater variety, but with more than 10 percent of the population suffering from diabetes, we need some choices that are healthful for us, too.

Music is a big part of South by Southwest, but food is gaining ground. This is Quiet Company.

For many tech fans, there’s nothing like the annual South by Southwest gathering that takes place in Austin each spring. The exchange of information about the latest and greatest gadgets, as well as seminars on what’s happening in the cloud that encompasses the world of digital information, is akin to geek nirvana.

Ultra miniature cupcakes are becoming popular.

And it doesn’t stop there. There’s the film festival, and the music that Austin is known for filling the air on both sides of the lake.

But something else is happening in Austin that is making the SXSW scene all the more exciting this year. It seems as if food wants to join the party. In a big way.

Food and drink is a part of every party, to be sure. And last year, food celebrity Rachael Ray threw several shindigs that showcased local producers as well as sponsoring food companies, distillers and more.

It's easy to make pancakes with Batter Blaster.

But this year Cooking Channel set up what it calls Beer Garden at Easy Tiger, offering a dual menu of house favorites and recipes from the network’s stars, including Nadia G from Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen. The party may be over, but Easy Tiger is open, offering an excellent coffee-rubbed pastrami sandwich with house-cured sauerkraut and a nutmeg- and ginger-laced bratwurst. The beer cheese with the pretzel is also a winner, with that pretzel a star among the exceptional breads baked in house.

BakeSpace.com hosted a gathering with numerous local and state producers, including Driscoll’s berries, tea merchants, bakers with ultra-miniature cupcakes (most likely to replace last year’s cake balls, a dessert trend that just never became trendy), chocolatiers and paleta producers. Perhaps the most attention-getting product of the event was Batter Blaster, which puts pancake and waffle batter in a whipped cream-style canister. Now you can make your own pancakes in minutes and without a lot of mess. The cakes were good and buttery, though the appeal may have been jacked up a bit by the lox, sour cream and fresh dill that were served on the side.

Try the coffee-rubbed pastrami at Easy Tiger.

The party was held in Hickory Street, a new restaurant serving up American fare with a modern Texas twist. Samples were passed of several signature items. Charred sweet corn guacamole wasn’t bad, but it was a little busy, with too many textural bumps for guac. Braised short rib with macaroni and cheese really hit the spot.

There was a food truck showcase that we missed because we went instead to a private party hosted by digital communications company Waggener Edstrom. The company was featuring an up-and-coming six-piece band called Quiet Company, which rocked the block. Unfortunately for the band, the sound system was erratic, to say the least. The tacos, however, were quite good, especially with rings of pickled onion on top. There were also gorgeous cocktails with fake ice cubes that lit up a sparkly emerald green. You had to know the wizard to get one of the shiny cubes, which let us out of the loop but it certainly didn’t stop us from enjoying the sight of them.

This coming weekend, it’s back to Rachael Ray’s parties, where she’s laying down the music while hopefully showcasing some new food trends. Last year, the headliner was Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly, who once toured with Elvis and still knows how to how a crowd in the palm of her hand. This year, Train captured top billing, but I’m more interested in reggae great Jimmy Cliff, whose soundtrack for “The Harder They Come” was a part of my teen years.

There will be more, including some great music at the Baker St. Pub for a free show Friday night that the Austin Music Journal is sponsoring. Free is always a good word, especially when it applies to the parking, too. Parking downtown during SXSW can be aggravating to one’s wallet. We saw garages and lots charging $20 and $30 a day. You could always park south of the bridge and catch either one of the free Chevys around town (free during the fest) or the bus, which is only $2 for a one-day pass.

When Foodista on Twitter sent out the question “what is your favorite kitchen tool” I thought about it for a moment. My first response is somewhat obvious — my hands — and the next obvious answer, my chef’s knife, aren’t particularly original answers.

Whisks, in many shapes and sizes, are must-have kitchen tools.

In short succession, I thought of the rest of my must-have items: kitchen tongs (and plenty of them), heatproof spatulas, steel bowls from huge to small, whips and various spoons. The other knives I keep close are the thin-tipped boning knife, a paring knife (expensive) and knife with a serrated blade (cheap).

There were things I used as a working cook, years ago, that I learned to love – then learned to live without when my cooking was confined to my home kitchen. A huge, copper pot that had its bottom replaced several times was my love in an Italian kitchen I worked in. I loved the heavy, workhorse buffalo choppers and stacks of indestructible sauté pans we’d fling around on the line each night.

As a home cook, I’ve found that more of interest now are the unlikely things that have found their way into my kitchen — some almost by accident.

I’d never seen much use for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, for instance. If I wanted to whip up eggs or knead pasta dough I could jolly well do it on my own power, I told myself.  Then, early one December, I started making biscotti and could not stop. I was obsessed. As the days went by I went from chocolate hazelnut to almond to dried cranberry orange peel –  it suddenly occurred to me that I could make so many more versions if I just had a stand mixer. Suddenly, there it was. I am happy I have it still, though the biscotti frenzy did come to an end.

The world’s smallest melon scoop is in the kitchen drawer full of other small, specialty tools. I rarely use it, but would never get rid of it. First of all, I bought it in a famous chef’s shop in Paris. My one and only trip to Paris.  The inspiration for buying it was a salad I’d had that consisted of a bowl full of cool, fresh watercress garnished with caramelized onions and tiny rounds of cucumber, all perfectly dressed with a Champagne vinaigrette. I had to recreate it, and I did. And, found out how long it took to scoop out all of those little tiny pearls of cucumber. It is a special-occasion salad for sure.

Tongs, for cooking and serving, are tops on many cooks' lists.

I recently realized that I’ve been using another unlikely item almost daily — to the point that I’m wondering how I’d gotten along so many years without it.  I don’t even remember how I came to have it.

This is a battered but sturdy, 16-inch pizza pan. I’ve used it for making pizza, of course. But it’s come to play a larger role. It is perfect for ferrying prepped food from counter to stove, or meat from kitchen to outdoor grill; for holding  pecan halves or slivered almonds, spread out for toasting in the oven. It’s handy for taking food from the freezer to counter, and holding it while it defrosts. It is there when I need a flat, heat-proof surface on top of the stove to hold foods I’m frying or sautéing in batches, like a stack of softened tortillas for enchiladas.

It’s more versatile and useful, easy to clean and is pretty much indestructible. It will probably stay close at hand in the kitchen for the duration, while shinier, more expensive implements sit unused in a back drawer.  Utility, in the end, is what it’s all about.

Cauliflower is versatile.

Cauliflower is in season, and it’s cheap. So, I’ve been eating a lot of it.

I’m almost always surprised, though, at how versatile it is.

When I was growing up, cauliflower was only served two ways: raw with other vegetables or steamed with a little butter or cheese on it. Both are great, but why stop there?

For those of us watching our carbohydrate intake, mashed cauliflower is a great alternative to mashed potatoes, with only 5 grams per serving and 3 grams of dietary fiber. Steam the cauliflower until it’s soft, then add it to a mixer with butter, salt, milk or whatever you like in your mashed potatoes — outside of the potatoes, that is. Don’t forget some roasted garlic or Parmesan cheese for added flavor.

Then there are Cauliflower Steaks that you can flavor how you choose, including your favorite steak seasoning. It’s an excellent vegan main course, if you’re looking to give up meat during a meal or two. All you have to do is cut the head in half, then cut your steaks from the center of each half. Use the rest of the head in a soup or roast it in the oven.

One option for the latter comes from Michael Schwartz’s new cookbook, “Michael’s Genuine Food: Down-to-Earth Cooking for People Who Love to Eat” (Clarkson Potter, $35), written with Joann Cianciulli: Roasted Cauliflower with Parsley Sauce.

Cauliflower Popcorn

“Cauliflower can be a little bland on its own,” Schwartz writes, “but blasting the florets in a hot oven concentrates their natural sweetness and transforms the lily-white vegetable to a crisp caramel-brown. Tossing the roasted cauliflower with emerald green parsley sauce brightens the charred flavor. This is a universal side that goes with everything.”

Cauliflower belongs the vegetable family that includes cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli and greens, such as kale and collards. In addition to its lively flavor, cauliflower is also good for you. According to nutritiondata.self.com, a single serving has only 25 calories and is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. “It is also a good source of protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium and phosphorus, and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium and manganese.”

By the way, don’t throw away those leaves that enfold themselves about the cauliflower head, like some sort of natural Caesar’s wreath. They can be used in soup stocks.

SavorSA has run several cauliflower recipes in the past, from soup to snacks. Here are two worth cooking up, depending on how you want to use this wonderful vegetable:

• Cream of Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup
• Cauliflower Popcorn

Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

Who doesn’t love a good casserole? Layers of noodles or potatoes alternating with meat and a creamy soup holding the two together, all under a thick, gooey, crusty layer of cheese on top. I can remember my mom making them all bubbly and hot under that protective layer of Cheddar.

Texas is famous for King Ranch Casserole, with corn tortillas mixed with chicken, Ro-Tel, onion and soup blended together as well as plenty of enchilada-based casseroles with cheese melting everything into a unified whole.

The average homemaker loves the ease of assembling a casserole, and you’ll still find more than a few dotting church potlucks and parties.

But there are some who refuse to leave well enough alone, meaning casseroles are constantly getting transformed by those who refuse to use a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup because of the added sodium and other questionable ingredients. They prefer to make their own from scratch.

That’s the basis of two new cookbooks, “The Casserole Queens Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter, $17.99) by two Austinites, Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, and “Not Your Mother’s Casseroles” (The Harvard Common Press, $16.95) by Faith Durand.

Both give casseroles a bit of a facelift, offering such one-dish wonders as Turkey Enchiladas with Spinach and Cheese, Tender Turkey with Sausage and Mushrooms, and Lobster Boy Casserole. You can make your own soups, noodles or what you need for these recipes or you can used already-prepared versions.

The breakfast casseroles, including Whole-Grain Almond-Apricot Bread Pudding and Bacon and Lentils with Egg, sound particularly good, especially for a holiday meal or a brunch.

And both sets of authors offer tips on preparing, keeping the pantry stocked and doing things ahead of time.

“Some casseroles can be prepared and then frozen before baking,” Durand writes. “The more moisture a casserole has, the better it will freeze. The rule of thumb says to avoid freezing potatoes, rice and pasta, although I have frozen and then baked some pasta dishes (especially lasagna) with particular success. Other things to avoid freezing are milk, tofu and all-vegetable dishes. The best casseroles to freeze are stews and meat dishes, as well as some fruit desserts. To bake, thaw an unbaked casserole in the refrigerator overnight, let it come to room temperature, then bake as directed in the oven.”

Layer sauerkraut, bacon, tomatoes and more with pork chops in this casserole.

Trouble is, casseroles are not diabetic friendly. All those noodles, potatoes, bread crumbs, flour-thickened sauces, corn and rice are all worse than sugar to my system, so I have to avoid them or get creative. That’s why I won’t be using either book as extensively as I would like. (World’s Greatest Chicken Pot Pie, which Cook and Pollock made on an episode of “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” sounds incredible and I may just have to give in to temptation.)

But I did find the following recipe in “The Casserole Queens Cookbook,” which I modified by using apples instead of potatoes. And for the first time, I made my own sauerkraut, which was easier than I thought — and incredibly delicious.

Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

Cooking spray
10 slices bacon
2 (14-ounce) cans sauerkraut or homemade (recipe follows)
6 (1/2-inch thick) pork chops
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 medium onions, sliced
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

Bake this casserole so the various layers of flavor blend together.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

Line the bottom of the casserole dish with bacon. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then lay them on top. Later the potato and onion slices over the pork, then scatter the tomatoes over the top. Bake the casserole for 2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.

Makes 6 servings.

From “The Casserole Queens Cookbook” by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock

Sauerkraut

1 head cabbage, shredded
4 to 6 teaspoons pickling salt (non-iodized)

Pack the cabbage into 4-6 sterilized quart jars. Add 1 teaspoon of pickling salt to each jar and cover with water. Place the lid and bands on the jars and close as tightly as you can by hand. you might want to place your jars on a baking sheet or in a shallow dish, because during the fermenting process the lids will loosen and juice will run down the sides of the jars. this is why you don’t seal them completely airtight as you do when you are canning. Store in a dry dark place to ferment for 3 weeks. If you do not have a basement, use a pantry or cover them with a towel.

Makes 4-6 quarts.

From “The Casserole Queens Cookbook” by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock