Yes, there is food and drink from dozens of ethnic groups, but also crafts, storytelling, music, dancing, roving performers and more. In fact, the festival has six stages located throughout the UTSA Hemisfare Park Campus at 801 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd.

Here’s the schedule. For complete information, click here.

Friday, June 8
5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Saturday, June 9
11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sunday, June 10
Noon – 7 p.m.

Adult (13 plus): $10 in advance; $12 at the gate
Child (6-12): $5 in advance; $5 at the gate
Children 5 and under are FREE

Group sales: 20 adult tickets, in advance only, for $8 each

(Note: There may be convenience fees for advance purchase at some locations and online. Advance tickets are available online, at HEB Stores, Ft. Sam Houston, Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB and the ITC museum store.)

The San Antonio food truck scene rolls into Culinaria Thursday.

Culinaria, the city’s premier food and spirits festival, gets under way this week with a new event that showcases one of the fastest growing trends in dining today: food trucks.

On Thursday, a number of food trucks will pull into the parking lot in front of the H-E-B Alon Market, 8503 N.W. Military Hwy., for a gathering that runs from 6 to 9 p.m. or until the food and drinks run out.

For $10, guests can get into the gather and enjoy their drinks. Food from the trucks is sold separately.

It’s a causal evening of wine and beer with food that is sure to surprise by its variety, its great flavors and its sophistication.

The lineup of trucks includes KHILL BBQ Co, Guilty Pleasures, Say*She*Ate, Crepe Nation, Saweet Cupcakes, Toastie Buns, MARS Mobile Kitchen, Sabor Colombiano, Flour Power Cafe, 4110 Mobile Kitchen, Rickshaw Stop, Spice Runner, Bistro Six and The DUK Truck.

If you haven’t sampled the great diversity that the San Antonio food truck scene has to offer, this is your chance to catch up.

For a full list of Culinaria events, click here.

Leeks at the Pearl Farmers Market

Leeks are in season at the farmers markets in the area, but people still don’t know what to  do with this wonderful and versatile vegetable.

Sure, you can sauté them, but don’t stop there. I particularly love them in soups, though they are great in salads and as a side dish. Thomas Keller, considered to be the finest chef in America, uses them in a bread pudding.

Here are links to several leek recipes we’ve run in the past as well as new one for Creamy Leek Soup, which is perfect for those of us trying to cut back on carbs without losing any flavor.

The point is, don’t pass those leeks up the next time you’re at a farmers market. They are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol, according to NutritionData.self.com. “They are also  a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, folate, iron and magnesium, and a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.”

And they taste great, with a sweetness that is comes out when you cook them. Look for smaller leeks. Cut only the white part, then peel back the thick, outer green leaves and cut only the tender part of the green beneath. Soak the cut pieces in water; the dirt will sink to the bottom while the leek stays on top.

• Potato Onion Soup
• Leeks with Cream and Mint
• Silky Leek Salad
• Leek Bread Pudding from Thomas Keller

Cream of Leek Soup

2 cups chicken stock  or vegetable stock
1 cup finely cut leeks
2 tablespoons butter
½ medium sized onion, minced or grated
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream

Cream of Leek Soup

Bring the stock to a boil. Add leeks and simmer. While they are cooking, melt butter in a saucepan with the onion. Then add to the leek-stock mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let cook for about 15 minutes or until the leeks soften and cook. Add chopped parsley. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and purée.

Set up a double boiler over low heat. Whisk the egg yolks over the warm water. Slowly stir in heavy cream and whisk until fully incorporated. Slowly add the cream to the soup and stir it with a wooden spoon until it thickens. It is done when the mixture coats the spoon with a slight film. DO NOT let the mixture boil and do not overcook.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Adapted from apinchofhealth.com

Chef Michael Flores

Join chef Michael Flores this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for a ‘guys’ night out’ class. It’s all about ribs, and class attendees will get to learn how to make a slew of them. On the menu are Beer-Braised Ribs in Rum Barbecue Sauce, Spicy Honey Mustard Ribs, Roasted Barbecued Spare Ribs, Roasted Corn with Parmesan-Lemon Topping and Chopped Salad with Tamarind-Tequila Vinaigrette.

You’re also welcome to BYOB to class. The cost of the class is $69 per person.

To sign up for the class, which will be at the La Cantera Sur La Table, go to www.surlatable.com and choose “Cooking Classes”. Enter your zip code and then follow the instructions. Or, call 800-243-0852.

If pork is what you're hankering for, find it at the Fine Swine and Artisanal Food Fest Sunday.

This coming Sunday, from 2-8 p.m., students from the Culinary Institute America- San Antonio and the Art Institute of San Antonio, will be exhibiting their skills in a heritage hog cook-off.

It’s happening at the South Texas Heritage Pork Farm, and there will be live music and a raffle with the top prize of a whole heritage roaster hog. Plus, take part in (or just watch) a pie-eating contest, tastings from local food trucks and vendors (additional items can be purchased from the vendors), cooking demos, and the showing of a food documentary, “Farmageddon.”  Sample tastings from the culinary students and watch the final judging.

Beer and wine will be available for purchase.

Tickets are $35 for general admission and $75 for VIP tickets. The address is 4268 County Road 404, in Floresville.

VIP tickets include all general admission amenities plus additional food and drink pairings, a VIP parking pass and VIP seating in the judging area located on the farms expansive patio. VIP seating while be located in the heart of all the culinary cook-off action. VIP seating is pre-sale only, limited seating available.

Tickets available on line here.

Visit South Texas Heritage Pork at www.southtexasheritagepork.com

Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard has been a long-time feature at the Pearl Farmers Market.

Cora Lamar helps a customer at her produce and flower booth.

As revitalization of the Pearl Brewery began several years ago, the owners of the property, Silver Ventures, knew that a farmers market would be a great way of bringing local people to the site while developing a greater sense of community. Three years ago this weekend, the Pearl Farmers Market began with vendors selling everything from fresh vegetables and meats to olive oil, baked goods, lavender products, and flowers.

The lineup of vendors has grown and changed somewhat in that time. Many of the vendors have become old friends over time — Beaune Farms, Biga on the Banks for their breads, Sandy Oaks Olive Orchards, Al’s Gourmet Nuts, Thunder Heart Bison and Peeler Farms chickens, to name a few — and new ones have been added, including Restaurant Gwendolyn, which offers handmade sausages and bacon. The market has also become more at home in its space at the back of the Pearl Brewery, with hundreds of people milling about and many a dog sniffing out the scene.

On Saturday, the spring harvest after the recent rains brought an abundance of items, including breakfast radishes, kale, arugula, cabbage, onions, spring garlic, fennel, green beans, herbs, leeks, brussels sprouts, new potatoes, beets, varieties of squashes, carrots, cucumbers, shallots, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms and more. Fredericksburg peaches were going quickly, as were blackberries and a few strawberries.

Chef John Brand serves marketgoers a savory treat.

Cora Lamar of Oak Hill Farm drew customers with the vivid lavender-colored artichoke blossoms that she had. She also had a few artichokes with her, but they sold quickly, she said.

Artichoke blossoms

For those who bought an artichoke blossom for the first time, she explained that they should not be placed in water or they’ll rot. Instead, the flowering plant, which is in the same family as the thistle, should be set up without water. As the plant begins to dry, the green leaves should turn brown, but the flower would retain its color, Lamar said.

The morning sun drew a line to the handcrafted ice cream booth, where flavors included Strawberry Basil, Salty Caramel, Orange Lavender, Blackberry Lemon and Peach Pecan Amaretto.

Fennel bulbs

The anniversary celebration also brought out some of the city’s chefs who provided samples of dishes that used ingredients you could find in the market.

.Fresh-picked carrots

Chad Carey of the Monterey was there with his new chef, Coleman Foster, to hand out chicken meatballs with a peach kimchi. John Brand of Las Canarias and Ostra offered braised lamb’s neck, while Ocho chef Jason Garcia served a quinoa salad with seasonal vegetables  and a tamarind vinaigrette.

It’s always fun to stop by Melissa Guerra’s Tienda de Cocina in the neighboring Full Goods building on the brewery campus. In addition to the great kitchen items that the store always features, Guerra was offering a hula hoop demonstration and she was spinning right along to the DJ’s funkadelic sounds.

Customers shop the market for the freshest produce.

Your $20 donation at the door benefits Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international service organization made of of women in a wide range of culinary professions. Money collected goes into scholarship funds for young woman seeking education in culinary careers. In return, you’ll receive:

• A passport to Fête du France

• A commemorative wine glass

• A keepsake tote to begin your journey

Pick up a loaf of French bread while you attend Fete de France at Central Market.

In every department, sample delicious French finds like quiche, cassoulet, wines, Champagne, 18-month aged Comte, Trois Petit Cochon paté and ham, and Brioche Vendéene. Or, create your own crepe in the CM Cooking School

There will be traditional French music, artists to capture your  likeness and street performers who will entertain you along the way.

Plus, take home a bounty of treats such as Mere de Poulard cookies, Michele Cluizel chocolates, Fallot Mustard, traditional French breads and other savory souvenirs in your complimentary tote.

All proceeds benefit the San Antonio chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

Nothing says San Antonio hospitality quite like a freshly made margarita.

San Antonio chef and caterer Johnny Hernandez is inviting people into his home.

Bistec tacos are one dish available at Casa Hernan.

Casa Hernán, just off Southtown at 411 Cevallos, is a catering venue that is now open to the public for private party rentals. The opulent space reflects the hacienda style of interior Mexico, from the koi pond at the front entrance to the colorful dining area with room for several food stations.

The dishes at Casa Hernan.

Hernandez, who also operates La Gloria Ice House at the Pearl Brewery,  has had the place decorated with an elegance mixed with a bold, traditional color scheme that is both energizing and tranquil and makes you feel far from the neighboring railroad tracks and right at home next to La Tuna Grill.

At the opening party, the chef and his catering company, True Flavors, put on a spread that included samples from the various menus clients can choose from. Dishes included fish in an hoja santa sauce, several ceviches, bistec tacos, sopes and cochinita pibil as well as tres leches cake  shooters for dessert.

You don’t have to wait for an invitation to a private party to see Casa Hernán. Come September, Hernandez is opening the space for a monthly Sunday brunch with each focusing on the regional foods of interior Mexico.

For more information, visit trueflavors.com.

The main dining area at Casa Hernan.

What's on tap for San Antonio Beer Week?

Editor’s note: Instead of a Beer of the Week, we offer news of San Antonio Beer Week, which begins Saturday.

The second annual San Antonio Beer Week gets under way Saturday with plenty of chances for beer lovers to try some new brews as well as an array of tasty pairings with food.

Brewers from Blue Star, the Faust and Freetail will be serving up an SA IPA in honor of the event.

Saturday is also the date that Luke, 125 E. Houston St., is hosting its monthly beer dinner. All of the beers will be from Texas breweries, including Ranger Creek, Real Ale, Alamo, 512, Independence, Franconia and No Label.

Steven McHugh’s menu includes first of the season heirloom tomatoes, crabmeat, basil and balsamic vinegar will be followed by BBQ Texas quail and smoked tasso spoonbread. Pork belly and fried pickles with summer succotash will be served before blackberry buckle and root “beer” float.

Grab icy brew or two during San Antonio Beer Week.

The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $65 a person. For reservations, call (210) 227-5853 or email jsolomon@chefjohnbesh.com.

Ranger Creek’s Rob Landerman is partnering with Cruzan Catering at Bake, Boil and Brew, 1508 Guadalupe St., for a beer dinner at 7 p.m. May 19. The dinner will benefit Open The Taps, a grassroots, non-profit consumer advocacy group for craft beer enthusiasts.

The courses include La Bestia Aimable with sausage ravioli with basil pesto and Pecorino Romano;  Strawberry Milk Stout with Seared Salmon with Strawberry glaze;  SA IPA with Cranberry Goat Cheese Salad with an IPA-Orange Vinaigrette;  Lucky Ol’ Sun with Jalapeño Citrus Chicken with a pineapple salsa;  OPA with Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin Roulade;  and Mesquite Smoked Porter with Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake.  Extras include Ranger Creek .36 Texas Bourbon and Special .36 Bourbon Gelato from Brindles with Bourbon Truffle.

Cost is  $50. Click here for reservations.

Other Beer Week events include the Independence Brewing Brewluminati seventh anniversary and the tapping of their latest Brouwers Dubbel on May 17 and a Sierra Nevada party on May 18, both at the Friendly Spot Ice House, 943  S. Alamo St.

For more information on San Antonio Beer Week, click here.

The Pearl Farmers Market turns three on Saturday.

The Pearl Farmers Market, 200 E. Grayson St., celebrates its third birthday this weekend in style.

The fun at the Pearl begins Friday evening with the final Spring Echale! featuring performances from Chico Trujillo, Ana Tijoux and Bombasta. Showtime is 7 p.m.

Then, on Saturday, Pearl marks its birthday with tastings from San Antonio chefs, giveaways and live music for the whole family. It’s a great way to get some last-minute gifts for Mother’s Day.

“Pearl Farmers Market, where each vendor is located within 150 miles of San Antonio, has become a major source of food and fun for our community. For three years, we have connected with the people that grow our food, raised awareness of seasonal eating and the struggles of farming, and brought people together with local food at the center,” said Tatum Evans, Pearl Farmers Market Manager . “We are thankful to the farmers who plant, grow, raise and harvest our food and thankful to the thousands of shoppers who attend market on Saturdays.”

“Going into our third year at Pearl Farmers Market is just as exciting as the very first day we opened. We see new customers every market day who become regular shoppers every Saturday. Local restaurants, individuals, visitors, and families have become part of the Pearl Farmers Market community,” said Cora Lamar, president of the Pearl Farmers Market Association and owner of Oak Hill Farm. “We at Pearl Farmers Market enjoy bringing San Antonio the best LOCAL produce, meats, eggs, and value added foods every Saturday of the year.”

Among the chefs who’ll be on hand are Jeff Balfour (Citrus), John Brand (Las Canarias and Ostra), Chad Carey (The Monterey), Jason Dady (Tre Tratorria, Bin 555, Two Bros. BBQ), Mark Weaver (Tre Trattoria Alamo Heights), Matt Hanck (Tre Tratorria Downtown), PJ Edwards (Bin 555), Jeff Foresman (The Westin), Jason Garcia (Ocho), Steven McHugh (Luke) and Rob Yoas (RoMo’s Café).

Additionally, MesAlegre returns with a complete sensory experience for food enthusiasts with a fantastic lunch prepared by La Gloria’s Johnny Hernandez. There is availability for 40 reservations, please call 210-434-4388 for more information or to make reservations for MesAlegre.

Market hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Two San Antonio food truck parks are planning upcoming events to tempt your taste buds.

The food truck parks in San Antonio area are getting ready for some fun in the next few weeks:

• The Point Park & Eats,24188  Scenic Loop Road, is having a crawfish boil on May 19.

From noon until 11 p.m., crawfish will be served up every two hours or until the little crustaceans run out.

Fat Bellies and Crepe Nation are  the presenters of the feast with Kitchen Fusionz, Takoryia and the Frigid Frog adding support. Abita beer is sponsoring the event.

Live music and beer are on tap for the day.

Call (210) 251-3380 for details.

• Boardwalk on Bulverde, 14832 Bulverde Road, is hosting a three-day Kitchens 4 Cancer fundraiser May 25-27.

The  event benefits Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation that helps people with cancer.

Trucks include Rickshaw Stop, Toastie Buns, KC’s Cones, Guilty Pleasures, Spice Runner, Taco King, Lagniappe Today, Sabor Colombiano, Alex’s BBQ, R&R Chicken Wings, Skinny Cat, Peachwave, Society Bakery and Winner Winner Chicken Dinner are among the participating trucks.

The event begins at noon May 25 and runs through 8 p.m. May 27.

For more information, call (210) 402-2829.

Clams with Spicy Ginger Sauce.

If you know someone who has not tried Vietnamese food because it seems too exotic, then take him or her to Le Bistro Saigon  on TPC Parkway.

Crispy Vietnamese Eggrolls

The ambience of the place is cool and inviting, with granite tabletops and chairs easy to relax in. The food is so visually attractive it will make your mouth water. With each succeeding dish that our waiter brought out of the kitchen, your appetite will grow because everything looks so good.

The flavors are all quite accessible, too, with garlic and chiles (serranos and jalapeños used most) mixing with citrus-y lemon grass and basil in dishes. Plus, who can resist the comfort of noodles mixed with anything?

But the folks at Le Bistro Saigon appear to be content with limiting themselves to be a Vietnamese 101 kind of place. And that timidity is not what we’ve come to expect from many of the other Vietnamese places in town. Nothing we sampled in seven dishes was bad, but nothing was all that bright, bold or, ultimately, memorable, either. Dishes marked with a red chile were rarely hotter than those not marked. Too many sauces were perfunctory, a little on the dull side even. And sugar was a little too prevalent.

Vietnamese Fried Calamari

We started our meal with Vietnamese Fried Calamari ($7.50), which did not have enough seafood flavor so the breading, light as it was, tended  to dominate. But an accompanying carrot sauce, with a good balance of sweet and tart, was so good we kept it to use with other dishes.

Crispy Vietnamese Eggrolls ($4.99) were not as greasy as you’ll find elsewhere, and that’s not a good thing. The pork, vegetables and even the rice paper were all wan, even after dousing them with a touch of fish sauce that we had to ask for (the accompanying dipping sauce was far too sweet and did little but make the eggrolls soggy).

A Thai-influenced Beef with Garlic Lime Sauce ($8.99) was not quite as it was advertised on the menu. The beef was raw, not rare, but it was tossed with a lively combination of basil, onion and serrano peppers. The texture of the meat was both mealy and slick from the oil in the dressing, and it almost seemed unnecessary when compared with the freshness of what surrounded it.

Lemongrass Baby Back Ribs

For our entrées, we shared an order of Lemon Grass Baby Back Ribs ($14.99) and all agreed that there was little lemon grass flavor to be had. The rib bites, breaded and deep-fried, had the right amount of salt, but that was about all they had to recommend.

Charbroiled pork ($8.99) with noodles, carrots, cucumber, peanuts, fried shallots and herbs held a lot of promise, until we tasted the pork. Candied might have been a better description than charbroiled, for sugar seems to have been the dominant characteristic of the marinade. Still, a little fish sauce, some sriracha and salt helped matters quite a bit.

We also ordered Buddha Delight ($8.99), one of the vegetarian entrées, so we would have plenty of vegetables to share. A stir-fry of broccoli, carrots, green bell pepper, snow peas, bamboo, water chestnuts, baby corn and not enough  mushrooms was well prepared, but a gloppy and not terribly flavorful brown sauce detracted rather  than added to the vegetables’ effectiveness.

Buddha Delight

The Clams with Spicy Ginger Sauce ($13.99) should have been the highlight of the meal. It arrived in a clay pot straight from the oven, and a cloud of steam arose dramatically when the lid was removed with a flourish. But the clams didn’t seem to cook with the sauce, which tasted more of garlic than ginger.  The little crustaceans appeared on top and, as a result, were on the dry side. Spooning up the sauce did not help.

There weren’t many patrons eating in while we were there, but takeout business was fairly brisk. The wine list was not worth pursuing, so we opted for a pair of refreshing Singha and Kirin Ichiban beers, which are made for both Asian food and days as hot as we get in Texas.

Le Bistro Saigon
3111 TPC Parkway
(210) 481-7400
Open daily for lunch and dinner
www.le-bistrosaigon.com

Veronique Cecilia Barretto at Wine, A Fine Wine Shop.

Ceci Barretto and Melissa Unsell, the wine bloggers of Vinously Speaking, are opening Wine, A Fine Wine Shop, at 7271 Wurzbach Road, Suite 117, with a grand opening this weekend.

The Medical Center wine shop is located where Rio de Vino once was.

“This is an exciting endeavor for us as we strive to ignite the urban wine culture in our great city,” says Unsell.

Their philosophy is to make wine an un-intimidating, fun libation. And so their store has something for all wine lovers and all tastes.

“Our focus is to offer our clients selections from boutique lots of wine that most times are not offered at other high-volume retail locations,” says Barretto.

The owners will mark the store’s opening with a three-day celebration from 2 to 8 p.m. May 10-12. Wine samples will be offered, live music is planned and a food truck could pull up. All guests will receive 30 percent off their wine purchases.

After the opening, the owners plan to offer wine education events for all levels of wine lovers, from novices on up. Tastings will be every Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m.

Barretto has her masters in Wine Business from the Burgundy School of Business and her WSET Level 3 – Advanced Certificate for sommeliers. By day, Unsell is a marketing director for a local litigation technology firm; she has been a wine blogger for over a year and is studying to obtain the WSET Level II certification.

Wine, A Fine Wine Shop, will be open Tuesday-Thursday, 3 – 7 p.m.; Friday, 3 – 8 p.m.; Saturday, noon – 8 p.m.

Call (210) 240-5866.Email: vinouslyspeaking@gmail.com. Web: www.vinouslyspeaking.com.

4.0 Cellars is in the Texas Hill Country.

Three Texas wineries have joined forces to create a new winery and tasting room in the Texas Hill Country. It is called 4.0 Cellars and it showcases the wines of each partner as well as a new lineup under the 4.0 Cellars label.

The wineries are Brennan Vineyards of Comanche, Lost Oak Winery (formerly Lone Oak Winery) of Burleson and McPherson Cellars of Lubbock, and they have built their new home on Highway 290, which is the second most traveled wine trail in the United States.

“Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery and McPherson Cellars have long-established roots in other parts of Texas, but we want to share our wines and passion for Texas wine with travelers and other wine enthusiasts who visit the beautiful Texas Hill Country,” says Pat Brennan of Brennan Vineyards. “We created 4.0 Cellars with a distinctive level of personal service combined with comfort that will give our guests a special Texas wine experience.”

There are plenty of spaces at 4.0 where visitors can enjoy wine.

The new winery and tasting room offers several areas where visitors can relax, enjoy wine and take in the Hill Country scenery, including:

• A 5,000-square-foot tasting room with concrete counter top, stained concrete and bamboo floors to accommodate groups

• A private tasting room that can be reserved for tastings, wine pairings, wine dinners and other events

• An outdoor, covered front porch for enjoying wine and summer breezes

• An outside full-service wine bar to order wines by the glass or bottle to enjoy on the spot, adjacent to the special events pavilion

• A special events pavilion for weddings, receptions, and parties, which has an outdoor fireplace for cool winter days, stained concrete floors, exposed cedar ceilings and steel beams

• Casual seating under a canopy of large oak trees adjacent to the tasting room

The winery also includes a 2,006-square-foot wine storage facility and space for making the 4.0 Cellars wines, the first of which will be a sherry that will be produced in Lubbock by Kim McPherson and bottled at 4.0 Cellars.

The Hill Country landscape provides a beautiful setting.

“Together, we bring more than 50 years of winemaking experience and hospitality to this new venture, which will introduce travelers and wine enthusiasts to our high-quality wines,” says Gene Estes of Lost Oak Winery, which just won a Double Gold Medal for its 2010 Viognier at the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition and Gold (and Texas Champion) at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition.

All three wineries are well-known for their award-winning wines, with the 2010 McPherson Roussanne awarded Best in Class and Gold at the 2011 Pacific Rim Competition and Gold at the Lone Star Wine Competition, and the 2009 Brennan Viognier taking home Gold medals in both the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle International Wine and 2011 Dallas Morning News Competitions.

“Coming together to create 4.0 Cellars grew out of all three of us having a dedication to making the best wine from quality Texas fruit, and making wines from warm-climate varieties, such as Viognier, Roussanne, Albariño, Sangiovese and Tempranillo, that do well in Texas,” says McPherson.

The winery will charge $10 for a tasting of six wines plus a featured wine of the week, which includes a complimentary wine glass. The tasting fee is refunded with a purchase of two or more bottles of wine. A selection of domestic and international cheeses and deli meats will be offered with seasonal fruit and a sampling of Fredericksburg chocolates.

4.0 Cellars is the latest addition to the Highway 290 wine trail.

In the coming months, the winery will host live music and other special events. Its Dean’s List and Honor Society wine clubs offer members discounts on wines, first opportunities to taste and purchase new releases, complimentary tastings and other special benefits.

4.0 Cellars is at 10354 E. U.S. 290, Fredericksburg. Operating hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, go to www.FourPointWine.com or call the winery at (830) 997-7470 or toll free at  1-855-480-WINE (9463).

You can follow 4.0 Cellars on Facebook and Twitter @FourPointWine for news about events and new wine releases.

Red Cabbage Salad with Anchovies

This refreshing salad needs to pickle in a vinegar solution for 24 hours before you add the dressing. The end result is tangy with a rich mouthfeel. It has a very Mediterranean flavor.

It should come as no surprise then that the recipe is from Clifford A. Wright’s wonderful collection “Little Foods of the Mediterranean,” which is sadly out of print though used copies can be found on the Internet.

Wright offers a short history of the salad: “This Catalan recipe, called amanida de col llombarda amb seitons, literally means ‘salad of Lombardy cabbage with anchovies.’ Lombardy cabbage refers to red cabbage. I’ve adapted this recipe from Marimar Torres’ ‘The Catalan Country Kitchen,’ published in 1992. It is best served at room temperature.”

In my haste to get a number of dishes out for a recent party, I forgot the parsley. It didn’t seem to be needed. Leftovers also keep well, though you should bring it up to room temperature after removing it from the refrigerator.

Red Cabbage Salad with Anchovies

1 pound red cabbage, cored and finely shredded
3 tablespoons fine sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
6 salted anchovy fillets, rinsed
1/4 cup extra-virgin  olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped freshly parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, combine the cabbage, vinegar, salt and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until a lavender color, about 15 minutes. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours.

Place the anchovies and olive oil in a small food processor or blender and process until smooth. Drain the cabbage and squeeze out the excess moisture. In a large mixing bowl, toss the cabbage with the anchovy mixture and parsley. Correct the seasonings and toss again with black pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings.

From “Little Foods of the Mediterranean” by Clifford  A. Wright

Fredericksburg peaches are in season now.

Fredericksburg peaches are starting to show up in farmers markets. This recipe, from the new “Gordon Ramsey’s Healthy Appetite” (Sterling Epicure, $24.95), uses no sugar and only a little honey to sweeten it. But the end result will please even the sweetest tooth.

Roasted Peaches with Vanilla, Spice and Honey

4-5 ripe but firm peaches
2 cinnamon sticks
2  star anise
1vanilla bean, split
3-4 teaspoons  runny honey
Generous splash of peach liqueur  or peach  schnapps or brandy (see note)
Plain yogurt, to serve

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the peaches in half and prise out the pits. Slice the peach halves into wedges and arrange on a nonstick baking  sheet. Add the spicesand vanilla bean, then drizzle over the honey and peach liqueur.

Bake the peaches for 10 to 20 minutes until they are just tender and slightly caramelized around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with a generous spoonful of yogurt.

Note: Use apple juice to keep alcohol free.

Makes 4 servings.

From “Gordon Ramsey’s Healthy Appetite”

Derby day calls for mint juleps.

Shortly after I moved into my home, I planted a single mint plant next to the fence. It has since grown into a patch at least 10 feet by 4 feet and is now threatening to surround the roses and come into the rest of the yard.

It’s a good thing, because I love mint.

It’s great to make tea with, to add to green peas and other vegetables, or just to snip so it perfumes the air. But, in my humble opinion, mint is best when served in a julep, the classic cocktail that all of us born in Kentucky know is served on derby day.

The Run for the Roses, as the great race is also called, wouldn’t be the same without this sweet Southern confection. And the following recipe comes from “Cordon Bluegrass,” the cookbook from the Junior League of Louisville, Ky.

So, no matter who wins the race, you’ll be a winner if you serve these. And you’ll keep serving them for as long as the mint lasts.

The Mint Julep

Water
Mint leaves
Bourbon
5-inch silver mint julep cup
Shaved ice
Straw, cut  1/2-inch above the top of the serving glass
Powdered sugar
Mint spring

Prepare  a simple syrup by boiling together 2 parts sugar to 1 part water for 5 minutes.

Prepare a bourbon-mint extract, made by piling mint leaves in a clean white handkerchief, gathering the ends around mint and dipping the leaf end in a small bowl of 3 to 4 ounces of bourbon  and wringing it into the bourbon. Mix the extract, bit by bit,  with the syrup until the first “ping” of bitterness is reached (from the mint, not the bourbon).

Prepare mint julep mix by combining 1 part syrup with 6 1/2 parts bourbon.

Store mint julep mix in glass bottles in refrigerator. (Keeps forever!)

Pack julep cup (at Churchill Downs, chilled souvenir Collins glasses are used) with shaved ice. Pour in 2 1/2-3 ounces of chilled julep mix.

Add straw, a tiny bit of powdered sugar and mint sprig.

From “Cordon Bluegrass” from the Louisville, Ky., Junior League

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

Beer of the Week is sponsored by the Lion & Rose. Each week, we introduce you to a wonderful brew that’s a little bit different and well worth seeking out.

Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale

There are some weeks when nothing but the best will do. When you get  in that frame of mind and you want a brown ale, then reach for Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale. It’s that good.

This British beer from Tadcaster in North Yorkshire has long been a favorite, but I hadn’t tried it for awhile  until recently. The first was so good I couldn’t resist having a second.

The first thing you notice as you pour it into you pint glass is that the color is a little browner than you might except, with the beer giving off more of a tea color than the hints of deep reddish-brown you might have expected. The head certainly rises, a healthy two or three fingers deep and only dissipates slightly in the glass over time.

As the name makes plain, a nutty aroma arises from the beer (think just-roasted hazelnuts), and it is matched by a sweet toffee or caramel scent mixed with yeast.

You’ll pick up on flavors of each of those foods, but this beer doesn’t stop there. There’s a touch of citrus, some roasted malt and a even a hint of something peaty, like scotch, before you notice the great schemes of balance and contrast the brewer seems to having fun with. The nuts and caramel are perfect complements, making you think of an adult candy, while the sweet is met full on by the bitter elements, down to the finish. Complex, rewarding and ultimately refreshing.

This is the kind of brew that loves beef. At the Lion and Rose, that could mean anything from Sidekick Sliders, any of the pub burgers, the sirloin steak sandwich or the Roast Beast with its cheddar and horseradish.

Grab yourself a four-pack and treat yourself to a complex ale that will make the rest of the week fade into a welcome glass of hazelnut and caramel richness.

The Original Baja Fish Taco

Original Baja Fish Tacos

This recipe involves several steps and a merging of a few recipes before you get the final tacos, but the end result is well worth it. One taste will convince you why these are a Baja California favorite.

Only the Secret White Sauce recipe is slightly different, because chef Eric Nelson doesn’t really want to see the secret in print. But he will give it to you over the phone. So, give him a call at (210) 241-2006 and ask. Your family will thank you for it.

Nelson, corporate executive chef at Zachry, demonstrated this recently at the Pearl Farmers Market.

Herb Garden Mexican Oregano Beer Batter

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (12-ounce) beer
1/4 cup Mexican oregano
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Water to thin batter

Mix flour, baking powder and sugar with eggs, melted butter, beer and Mexican oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Thin out with water if needed.

Makes 1 quart.

Secret White Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fire-Roasted Texas-Grown Red Tomato Salsa

4 fire-roasted tomatoes, preferably Texas grown
2 white or yellow onions
4 cloves garlic
3 serrano chiles
1/4 bunch cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste

Rough chop tomatoes, onions, garlic, serranos, cilantro, olive oil and salt, and pulse with hand blender.

Makes 1 quart.

Tacos:
1 quart oil for frying (canola, soybean or peanut) or Fry Daddy
8 ounces mahi mahi or cod, cut into strips 2 ounces each
2 ounces flour seasoned with salt and pepper
8 ounces Herb Garden Mexican Oregano Beer Batter
4 white corn tortillas (use 2 per taco if they are thin)
8 ounces Secret White Sauce
4 ounces Fire Roasted Texas Grown Tomato Salsa
4 ounce green cabbage, shredded like coleslaw
1 lime quartered

Eric Nelson demonstrates how to make fish tacos at the Pearl Farmers Market.

Heat oil in a fryer to 350 degrees.

Dredge mahi mahi in seasoned flour.

Dredge fish in beer batter and fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Warm corn tortillas in skillet.

To assemble: Place 1 corn tortilla on a plate with 1 piece of fish in center. 2 ounces Secret White Sauce on fish, 1 ounce salsa on top of white sauce, then 1 ounce shredded cabbage.  Squeeze 1 quarter of lime juice on cabbage.

Makes 4 tacos.

From Eric Nelson

Eric Nelson's herb garden at Zachry.

Eric Nelson knows that the freshest herbs you can cook with are the ones you grow yourself.

Eric Nelson

So, the corporate executive chef for Zachry did what he needed to do to make his job easier: He put in a herb garden in an upraised bed just outside the home office on Logwood.

About two dozen herbs in all were planted, including five types of mint, four types of basil, three oreganos, Provençal lavender, onion chives, two varieties of thyme, two parsleys, two sages, lemon grass, a bay leaf tree, aloe vera and mint marigold.

Now, the herbs are a regular feature at the Crossing Cafe at Zachry, where six food stations offer gourmet treats to employees as well as guests.

The herbs are used as “décor on all catering tables, for buffets, in most all dishes served in the café and catering,” says Nelson. “We have a very wide variety that we can use in any shape or form.”

Nelson's Original Baja Fish Taco

Nelson puts his oregano to good use in his Original Baja Fish Tacos, which he demonstrated recently at the Pearl Farmers Market. The dish originated in California, where the chef grew up before heading to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., where he met his wife, Laura.

He found work in restaurants in La Jolla, Calif., Irving, Texas, and Beaver Creek, Colo., before the couple decided to come to Laura’s hometown of San Antonio in 1996. He became the executive sous chef at La Mansión del Rio under Scott Cohen before beginning to work at Zachry.

At the construction firm, Nelson overseas all of the company’s catering needs, whether in-house or at the company’s two off-premise ranches.

Eric and Laura Nelson serve fish tacos at the Pearl Farmers Market.

Nelson offers some advice for home gardeners who want to put in their own herb beds: “Make sure you have the right soil and proper drainage (rock and sand layers). Make sure it is the size you need, a little herbs go a long way.”

His garden at Zachry is “completely organic,” he says. To help keep the plants healthy, “we use mint marigolds to fend off the bugs (bugs do not like their smell) and nematodes, if you get grub worms.”

Planting an herb garden is not new at restaurants. Nelson had one when he worked at La Mansión. But the chef says he had an inspiration that dates back further: “I remember Bruce (Auden) from the old Biga had herbs growing all around the old house that he used in the restaurant. Sometimes when you drove by in the morning, he would be out there drinking his morning coffee, watering all his herbs.”

Now, most mornings you’re likely to find Nelson doing the same as he tends his own garden before the day’s work in the kitchen begins.

(Photographs provided by Eric Nelson.)