An Evening with Austin Food Bloggers

I’m a member of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance (see my fancy badge down there on the right sidebar) which means I’m connected with all these cool foodies. Amazing cooks, recipe inventors and fabulous food lovers who will wax poetic for hours on end about the fanciest new restaurant. Or who makes the city’s best taco.

This amazing group is putting out a cookbook. I’ll post updates about that in the future and let you know where you can buy it. Right now, this diverse group contributed recipes in what’s sure to be an eclectic book of delicious treasures. I, myself, submitted two recipes and Mr. Betty was happy to eat the results as I tested ingredients in the kitchen. I’m more of a wing it in the the kitchen type, so measuring ingredients and providing step-by-step instructions was a new challenge for me. A fun challenge.

Anyway, the best part of creating a cookbook is the testing and tasting. The alliance got together on Saturday night for a cookbook potluck. We were given recipes that were not our own to test. I had two fun dishes to make and they were both dynamite. Sadly, I was unable to get decent photos of the gravlax or ancho cherry-raisin glazed pork medallions I made. They were eaten too quickly!

We were hosted by Springdale Farm, a beautiful farm utopia in the middle of East Austin. I couldn’t believe the serenity of this lovely little farm. If you have a chance to go there…go!

I was really impressed by the range of things growing. Herbs, veggies, beautiful wildflowers. The fresh smell of green life was everywhere. Every breath was like inhaling health.

And there were lots of ducks and chickens. The ducks happily swam in their pool while the chickens gossiped in their roomy pen hunting for bugs. I can only imagine how good their farm fresh eggs taste.

The food was incredible. Everything from soups, casseroles, stews, sides of every kind, dips, entrees and more. Just about everything you could think just kept appearing on the endless buffet. And the desserts, OMG THE DESSERTS. As more bloggers arrived the dishes evolved, encouraging us to circle the table for more. Conversation swirled around the recipes, cooking techniques and restaurant openings as we sipped avocado margaritas in the setting sun. The location, the food and the company made for a magical evening.

I have never been so excited for a cookbook. I can’t wait to recreate these dishes at home. Knowing that they were made by these great people who have become my friends will make them all the tastier.