Archive: January, 2010

Gourdoughs Round Deux

January 20th, 2010 · · Austin, savory, still-frames 4 comments - Tags: , , , , , ,

1219 South Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704

One of my close friends, Cindy came up for a visit (first visit to Austin in a very very long time) this weekend. I met her up at Madam Mams for lunch on Saturday and then for a delightful second trip to Gourdoughs on Sunday. She was enamoured with the pictures posted from my first visit and insisted we go. How can I deny my friend?

I got to add 2 more donuts to my list of donuts (now at 9!) tried at Gourdoughs. I’m moving on up their menu.


Cindy, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend’s brother.


Bromance! That’s Cindy’s best friend, Vince and his old roommate, Daniel. I’ve recruited them to be my food buddies.


Mm. Black Out Donut – Brownie batter, chocolate icing, and chocolate covered brownie bites. It was so fricking rich. Pictured next to Son of a Peach.


Bring the Heath: cream cheese icing and Heath chips


I look extra chinky squinting at the sun….

Ten on Tuesday

January 19th, 2010 · · on the nightstand, Ten on Tuesday 19 comments

Inspired by Stephany and this week’s questions, I’m doing my first meme and am participating in Ten on Tuesday today. Today’s questions center around books and it seems to be a theme in my life and on this blog lately. (I have a post scheduled showcasing Martin’s book collection.)

1. Favorite book(s) when you were a child and why?

Little Women. I’m going to count this as one of my favorites in life just because I’ve reread it so many times. I don’t often reread books. I related to and admired Jo the most and go through the same emotions every time that skanky Amy marries Lawrence.

2. First “grown-up” book you remember reading (i.e. written for adolescents or with adult themes, such as The Outsiders or Catcher in the Rye).

If you count The Outsiders as a grownup book, then I guess I was in 6th grade when I read that. I consider Little Women as a children friendly adult book. So Little Women I’ve first read maybe in 4th grade.

3. Favorite movie that came from a book (even if you didn’t read the book and just love the movie).

Usually, if I’ve read the book the movie is usually better with 2 exceptions. Silence of the Lambs was the only book I’ve read that was almost exactly aligned with the movie and I really appreciated that as I’ve never run into a movie as true to the book as Silence of the Lambs. Man, I take that back. I think Shop Girl was pretty aligned. Probably because Steve Martin wrote both the novella and the screenplay so not a lot was lost in translation. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the ONLY movie I enjoyed over the book. I loved all the liberties the movie took (and they took a lot) over the book. If you’ve seen the movie you should definitely read the book just to see all the differences. It’s a short read.

4. Movie that you loved so much that you WISHED there was a book out so that you could find out more about the movie.

I’m at a lost. Hmm. I assume most of the movies I enjoy are already books.

5. Worst book you’ve ever read?

There’s a lot of books I don’t ever finish because it’s too painful. Time Traveler’s Wife was one. The worst Shakespearean play was King John. I hate Milton’s Paradise Lost. I hated My Sister’s Keeper.

6. Book that everyone raves about that you either a) haven’t read and feel slightly dumb for not having read it or b) have tried to read and hated and so feel slightly dumb that everyone is getting something you don’t.

Harry Potter. I haven’t touched a single one. I’m a girl with her feet firmly planted on the ground and have found it extremely difficult to suspend disbelief when it comes to all things fantasy. I’m surprised I took to Twilight!

7. If you were forced to choose only 3 books that you could read for the rest of your life, which ones would they be? (Or if you were stranded on a desert island, which 3 books would you want there with you?).

Little Women, Pride & Prejudice, um and an anthology of sorts to give me variation. Is that cheating?

8. Name one book that if you could recommend that everyone you know read, what is it?

Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck, M.D. He set the foundation for what I believe love is.

9. What is your “guilty pleasure” reading?

Twilight series. Hee.

10. What book (excepting the Bible or other major document of your religion/faith) has changed your outlook on life the most?

Road Less Traveled. See no. 8.

Befriending Your Enemies

January 18th, 2010 · · holidays, love, quotations 3 comments - Tags: ,
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I was surfing around reading MLK quotations to honor his day. I figured reflecting about what he’s done for us was the least I could do out of gratitude for my day off. (I still have my night time job though, so bugger that.) I found this quotation that struck me on a more personal note. The quote suggests that love is the power to transform your enemies into friends. I’m willing to wager that everyone has heard the biblical adage, “Love thy enemies.” I’m also willing to bet that most of us let it go through one ear and the other. I’ve never myself, reflected on the idea of loving my enemies.

Then I read, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

I could count the number of people I have beef with on one hand. As I think about them individually, I cannot say I ever want to be friends with any of them. I have eventually in all cases let go of my desire for retaliation or aggression. I’ve even managed friendly waves from afar. But friendship? I just cannot imagine sitting down for coffee or sharing a donut. At best, I may donate a pint of blood or two if they’re dying but only as a last resort.

For now, due to feasibility and lack of desire, I think I’ll carry on carrying on without them in my corner. But the thought of being a friend to those I’m not fond of did strike a chord.

I’m curious. If you stretch your mind a little, can you imagine yourself being friends with your enemies?

Three Essential Rules of Being a Foodie

January 15th, 2010 · · How to, lists, misadventures, pursuit of happiness, savory 10 comments - Tags:

1. Share your orders

When I went to Gourdough’s last week, I hardly knew 5 of the 6 other people there. One of guys announces that they’re all foodies, so they “know how to eat.” What he’s talking about is sharing and tasting your company’s order. We discussed how some people get a little possessive and snobby about sampling from other people’s order or vice versa. That’s fine and all but to truly be a foodie, you must get down and dirty with your friends. Share! The point is to try as much as you can.

2. Talk to the owner whenever possible

I always try to chat up the owners whenever possible. It’s a treat to see the faces behinds the great ideas. One of Gourdough’s owners (there are two) is Ryan, pictured above in the photo. Commend them if you had a great experience and introduce yourself! We all said hello to Ryan and gave him a few recommendations for new donuts. (We jokingly suggested he make a Papa John’s donut.) There’s no real purpose for this rule except etiquette and gratitude.

3. Roll with the misadventures

If you’re out in the field long enough, you’re bound to get shot by the bad luck sniper every now and again. Restaurants closing down before you get a chance of trying, food poisoning, trying something you don’t really like (for me it was octopus), throwing up because you ate so much (not me, but my opponent in an eating contest, hehehehe), or GETTING FARTED ON! That was such a bizarre moment for Kim and me. We were eating brunch at Backstreet Cafe, when a man (pictured above with his back to us), lifted his butt and let one rip. We were aghast! We could almost taste it!! Ug. I’m gagging as I relive this. The point is though, we didn’t let it ruin our experience at Backstreet. Don’t let the snags deter you from your pursuit of great food experiences.

Yuck. That fart.


Do you have any foodie rules to add?

How do you organize your books?

January 14th, 2010 · · on the nightstand, resolutions 2010 22 comments - Tags: ,

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to be more organized. Last night, after a nice dinner date with my sick boyfriend, I had a glamorous night in where I finally tackled my bookshelf. I bet you could hardly contain your excitement! I stopped buying books for a while now and just utilize the library and do swaps with friends. In fact, if you browse through the book reviews I’ve done in 2009, 9 out of the last 10 were books I borrowed. It was just becoming a pain trying to find space for them and then packing them up to move every year. One day I’ll have the extensive library I’ve always wanted and room to store these books. My childhood room in Houston has an entire wall full of books. I figure that’s a start.

In the meantime, here’s my humble little library here in Austin post organization.

I decided to organize by category. On the very top are my photo albums.

Next, my little collection of nonfiction. I think this is it for now too. My books in Houston are mostly classic novels and um, Babysitters Clubs.


Just a small bit of my fiction. I’ve expanded my horizons. For years in high school and most of college, I liked the older classics. The Jane Austens. Bronte’s, and LOVED Oscar Wilde. I kind of just stuck to those and it would take me forever to go through one book as the language is usually a little more dense. I’ve since expanded to include more chick lit, historical fiction, a tiny little bit fantasy (haha Twilight is as far as I went) Palanuiuk, Alain de Botton, Erica Jong. I learned I enjoy reading outside my comfort level.

Pictured above is my collection of books made into movies. I think Portrait of a Lady is a movie right? Next to it is Sense and Sensibility, both nestled next to Twilight. That cracks me up. Next to the movies are the little memoirs, three of which are David Sedaris’s.

My last shelf, I stacked the self help (Um, hello He’s just not that into you and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the references, and the “things to do” books.

P.S. I did some organizing of my journals too. Inspired by Kim’s library also pictured below, I organized my journals by color.

So there you have it. My newly organized bookshelf.

How do you organize your bookshelves?

P.P.S. Yes, those are snowflakes you see hanging around my bookshelf in the first picture. We’ve decorated our entire apartment with snowflakes. They kind of flutter and brush the top of your head sometimes. It’s a poor Texas girl’s way of having snowflakes.

Thoughts on American Idol: When do you give up on a dream?

January 13th, 2010 · · pursuit of happiness, the grind 11 comments - Tags: , ,

Photo credit: My friend, Thomas Chen

I didn’t watch American Idol with much vigor or loyalty through the years, that is, until I started dating Alan (He’s one of those crazy involved viewers who actually votes.) Mostly, I used to watch the bad singers because they were entertaining and then my interest would wane. What always strikes me as puzzling about the bad singers are those who vow to not give up despite how suicidal their ballad just made everyone. Outside looking in, it’s obvious most of these performers should never sing again but the handful that vow never to quit? If they’re true to their word, they could waste even more years towards a craft that may never yield the desired results. May not even come close! We’re a society that teaches and encourages persistence. If first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. Only quitters, quit! I’m sure you can think of a few more cliches. But when does it stop being inspiring and admirable and start being wasteful (of time and resources), sad, and pathetic?

What exactly defines a lost cause? Is it ever admirable to give in to reality and forfeit? There have been some great dreamers out there who’ve made our world a better place due to sheer persistence, but perhaps they’re a different breed? Maybe they’re Outliers? Is it ever time to realize a new dream and put your time and efforts towards something a little more attainable?

I’m quite stuck. Is it ever okay to throw in the towel on your dreams?

Watch this clip of the untalented before answering.

Gourdough’s Big Fat Donuts (A Foodie’s HEAVEN)

January 11th, 2010 · · Austin, new thing(s) of the week, savory 17 comments - Tags: , , , ,

Warning: A lot of food porn ahead.

1219 South Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704

www.gourdoughs.com

I had a dinner date at 7pm with a friend yesterday. It’s 2 pm and I’m about to head out so I decided to eat lunch and try to last til 7 to be able to eat dinner. I usually get hungry about 3-4 hours after eating unless I STUFF myself silly. So I did just that and stuffed myself SILLY at around 2pm.

3pm I get a text message from Liz whom I haven’t caught up with in over a YEAR. “Hi, I’m in Austin. Want to grab a midday snack at Gourdough’s?”

Dammit. I made the decision quickly but my stomach was already starting to hurt knowing what I’m about to do to it. I haven’t chatted with my Liz in over a year AND I’ve never been to Gourdoughs. Easy decision at the expense of my stomach. My poor poor stomach.

I met Liz up with her boyfriend and buddies, a party of 7. I find out later that the more people you bring, the better to Gourdough’s. I’ve met some of her friends a few times through the years but the occasions were pretty unremarkable. After eating here with them, they will always be remembered as the fun-loving, food-loving hilarious group that introduced me to Gourdoughs. (4 were regulars, Me, Liz and her boyfriend were neophytes.)

So what is Gourdough’s?

Gourdough’s Big Fat Donuts is a trailer eatery pretty close to my first trailer-food-love, Flip Happy Crepes. What is it about food trailers in Austin? I haven’t been back to Flip Happy in a while because ever since Bobby Flay did a feature on it, it hasn’t been the same. Gourdough’s (in case you don’t know, “gordo” translates to fat in Spanish. Already, this place has charmed me; I have a strong affinity for puns.) is a gourmet donut eatery. Yes, you’ve read right, gourmet. donut. eatery.

Her friend Jon, was giving me the low down on the menu. He said there’s a secret menu that is no longer secret as it’s made it on the paper menu (not pictured). Jon also instructed that once you gain more “experience” you can even order your donut with a side of ice cream (vanilla or chocolate) AND all donuts for an extra dollar you can have meat on it. Otherwise, donuts are just $3.25. He was just there yesterday and said the Porky’s really good. Porky’s is a donut with Canadian bacon, jalapeno jelly, and cream cheese. Did you read that? Go back if you need to. He mentioned a few donuts he’s had. The PB&J one which is donut with grape filling, peanut butter icing with peanut butter morsels sprinkled. The Slowburn with Habanero Pepper jelly with cream cheese. The Flying Pig with bacon and maple syrup.

I cannot wait to try these creative combination of ingredients. For now I will share with you what we’ve shared. We ordered 7 different donuts but I think I left out 2 in my distraction of sheer joy and delight.

Miss Shortcake

Jon’s order. I love the sounds and words that kind of fall out of foodies’ mouths when they eat something SO good. It’s as if they forget they’re not alone and this is truly their most authentic and personal reaction. I believe his reaction was “………God….. this is SO. Freeeesssssshh.” He wasn’t talking to any of us in particular and we all laughed, tickled that we just got a glimpse of a private moment he had to himself. He’s right though. It was pretty damn fresh.

Unknown Donut with Honey Dipping Sauce


Savag (I hope I spelled his name correctly) ordered a donut that came with a honey dipping sauce. I couldn’t find it on the menu. He’s one of the more experienced Gourdoughers, so perhaps he ordered from the formerly secret menu that hasn’t been posted on the website yet.

Mystery donut makes it’s rounds around the table. There he is with my friend, Liz.

Here’s a sexy close up of mystery donut with honey dipping sauce.

Mother Clucker

Liz ordered the Mother Clucker. A donut with honey butter icing topped with FRIED CHICKEN! This was one of my favorites because I love combining savory with sweet. Moreover, the other 6 of us got sweet donuts so this one was a nice little break in comparison. The crispy chicken on the warm doughy donut was truly comforting. This is definitely going to be one of my regulars when I frequent (note I said “when” and not “if”) Gourdough’s.

Son of a Peach

This is Andy’s order which is from the formerly secret menu! Son of a Peach. So fricking GOOD. My friend Dave is in love with peaches. I’ve already mentally bookmarked this donut to share with him in the future.

Funky Monkey

My order! Donut that comes with grilled bananas, cream cheese icing, and brown sugar baste. It tasted like a banana’s foster on crack. I’m smacking my lips right now as I type this which is a feat as I’m still in physical pain from all the eating I’ve done. I was 110 percent pleased with my order.

Granny’s Pie

Granny’s Pie is crowned with caramel, pecans, bananas, and graham crackers. This was pretty good of course. Really rich. It didn’t completely suit my palate but I’m guessing all fans of pecan pies (all the boys that I know) would love this donut.

Closing Thoughts

As often as I rave about food, it is a little rare when I’m completely head over heels with a place. I’m head over heels with this place. What saddens me is we spoke to the nice owner and we learned the Foodnetwork is coming to do a feature and film on the 25th of the month. When Bobby Flay did that to Flip Happy Crepes, the trailer eatery is now OVERRUN with people and can take over an hour to get yourself a delicious crepe. I’m pretty sure the exposure to this modest trailer will do the same. Luckily, Gourdough’s hours are much more accessible (every day 10am- 2am). In the meantime, I can not wait to come back to Gourdough’s Big Fat Donuts!

Making Bánh Cuốn with Mom- Part Two

January 10th, 2010 · · How to, new thing(s) of the week, savory, videos 10 comments - Tags: , , , ,

Here is Part One.

As stated in Part One, Bánh Cuốn (directly translates to “rolled cake”) is rice crepes rolled with minced pork and wood ear mushrooms. Apparently, it’s traditionally eaten as breakfast food but I could eat it any time of day. You dip it in a special dipping sauce and it’s usually garnished with cilantro and sauteed crispy scallions. Part One was my mom making the sauteed scallions. Here is the second and final part. Enjoy the video.

Editing and annotating the video has given me a craving. I guess now that I know how to make these crepes, I can try… OR I can just be a lazy daughter and wait til I go home to Houston next. Hee.

Watching the BCS Bowl Game at Alamo Drafthouse

January 9th, 2010 · · Austin, still-frames 7 comments - Tags: , , ,

I love the Alamo Drafthouse, a movie theatre chain in Austin and now Houston which not only lets you order food and eat and drink as you’re watching your movie but they also host a few fun themed nights. Deesh told me about how he saw the last Rose Bowl when UT played and won the championship at Alamo Drafthouse. It sounded so awesome that Alan rallied a troop to do so this Thursday.

We picked the Ritz location which is downtown with the logic being we’ll be able to just walk out and instantly be able to barhop in celebration or barhop to lick our wounds.

Sadly, we (or they, I was actually designated driver) drank to lick wounds. Such bad luck. Not to be a sore loser at all, but Alabama had an ugly win. They did not have the honor of playing the team that got us to the championship in the first place. Our star QB got injured the first two minutes of the game. I’m still very proud of our football team.

Hook Em!

10 Ways to Live Joyfully

January 8th, 2010 · · How to, lists, pursuit of happiness, quotations 14 comments - Tags: , ,

Another coblog with Mary Ellen. Read her version here.
Last and first coblog we did: 10 more rules to live by (me) | 10 Rules to Live By (her)

1. Have something to wake up for

No matter how old you are, there’s always something good to look forward to.
Lynn Johnston

Having something to look forward to helps with maintaining happiness. Even when you’re in the throes of deadlines and sickness and other life stresses, having a rainbow waiting after the rain will put our problems into perspective, that is, it lets us realize that the bad will pass and something good is coming.

2. Be curious

I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
Albert Einstein

Let your curiosity do some leading and you’ll make wonderful discoveries that are both little and grand. There’s something fun about following your curiosities as there’s no telling where they may lead you.

3. Be hungry

Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.
Thomas A. Edison

Hunger, like curiosity is a force of motion. Having a dangling carrot ahead of you tempting you with desire is quite motivating in terms of setting you into action. It’s not enough to just simply want success, life experiences, happiness; be hungry for it. There is an urgency in hunger that is important not to lose; our time here on earth and with our people is very limited.

4. Have friends

A true friend freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unmanageably.
William Penn


Who else are you to have joyful belly laughs with, if not with your friends? Friends make great partners in crime in your pursuit for joy.

5. Let bygones be bygones

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.
Henry Ellis

This is especially helpful to me in terms of relationships. Most trespasses cannot be taken back so why mull and suffer over something that cannot be undone? Growing up, my dad always asked me whenever I’d cry about a broken friendship or relationship, “Are they crying over you right now? …No? Then why are you crying over them?” In the spirit of Richard Fish from Ally McBeal, “Bygones!”

6. Appreciate the ridiculous

The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject, but man only.
Thomas Hobbes

Another way of putting this, find the humor in life’s absurdities. Something hilarious about life’s difficulties. Sometimes things are so absurd or so bad that it’s just downright funny. A good movie to watch about appreciating the absurdities of life is Little Miss Sunshine.

7. Be present

Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.
Albert Camus

Life happens fast. If you don’t consciously open your eyes and savour it, you might miss out on the joy. An easy way of doing this is concentrate on your body and its five senses. Instead of worrying about your to do list while listening to your child talk about her day in school, focus on the feel of her small hand in yours, the lightness of her voice, the music in her laugh and enjoy how small and innocent she is now. Be present.

8. Be deliberate

I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

This can be achieved simply by being aware of the consequences of your actions.

9. Celebrate

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
Oprah Winfrey

There are infinite things to celebrate: Health, accomplishments, love, youth, wisdom, the color purple. Possibilities are endless. The act of celebrating and honoring something forces us to step back and appreciate. Blowing out the candles, shooting the fireworks, clinking champagne glasses, dancing to a good beat, these actions in themselves are joyful. Make your life a party.

10. Be thankful

In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.
- H. L. Mencken

When we reflect back on what we have as opposed to what we don’t have, it’s really hard not to be happy and see that we’re all very blessed.


So tell me, how do you find joy in your life?