Here in Austin, the weather has been bright and ...]]> Yes folks, everyone’s favorite weekday has arrived. Which means its time to take a break from the computer, stretch our legs a bit, and mix up the Friday afternoon cocktail. Today, my friends, I present to you the Ginger Smash!

Here in Austin, the weather has been bright and glorious. Birds chirp, and the sun shines through my home office window beckoning me to “come outside,” “relax on the patio,” “have a drink.” If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, then this is the cocktail you’ll want to make. Blue agave tequila mixed with the sweetness of kumquats and the bite of ginger. It’s refreshing, smooth, and way too easy to drink.

If you’ve never had a kumquat, it’s like packing all the flavor of an orange into a small bite-size orb. Then it finishes with a potent sour zing that’ll make your lips pucker. So delish. If eating them straight up, you’ll want to remove the outer skin – which like an orange is a bit bitter. When mixing with this drink, however, we leave the skin on because that bitterness adds complexity and balance.

Here’s the recipe, adapted from the Speakeasy cocktail book.

Ingredients (makes 1 good sized drink or 2 smaller ones)

• 4 thin slices of peeled ginger root
• 4 whole kumquats (I took care to slice off the little stem)
• 2 tsp superfine sugar
• 2.5 oz Silver Tequila
• 2 oz Gran Marnier (or if you can find it, use the more complex Rhum Clemente Creole Shrubb)
• 1.5-2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)

Directions:

Muddle the ginger, kumquats, and sugar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Make sure you’re doing a good job on the smashing part of this recipe, releasing the juices and oils of the kumquat and ginger. It’ll look marvelous, but don’t sip just yet…ok, I won’t tell anyone if you lick the muddler.

Then add in your spirits (tequila, gran marnier (or Shrubb)) and lime juice. Top that shaker with ice, and give it a good rigorous shake down until it’s nice and cold.

Pour unstrained into a glass and enjoy it outside under the sun. Want a little fizz too? Then top off with a touch of Topo Chico. It’s your drink and your life, make it grand.

Like a good movie, a great party is pulled together by a great cast. The directors behind this good food initiative were Ed and Kerri Hughey ...]]> I had such a great time at yesterday’s Real Food Social I just had to blog about it like…NOW. So here we go…

Like a good movie, a great party is pulled together by a great cast. The directors behind this good food initiative were Ed and Kerri Hughey (who ARE the Well Gro Co.) , with help and support offered by cast members such as Jess Simpson (who offers yummy tidbits on ForgivingMartha.com) and Paige Newton (who shares beautiful imagery on Paige Newton Photography).

What I’m sure was weeks, if not months, of planning and prep culminated into the big event held at Contigo restaurant in Austin – yesterday May 16th.

I got there early, as per my usual, to snap up some setup photos as well as to just get settled into the atmosphere. I’ve had the pleasure of interacting quite a bit with the cast members through the blog-o-sphere and twitter-planes, so I was really excited to meet this array of creative folks face-to-face. Ed and Kerri pulled up calm and composed – unlike the frazzled bundle of nerves I’d be the moments leading up to my own event – and we talked about the circus our lives have been experiencing the past few months. They began unloading plants from JBGOrganic that attendees would get to take home, as well as setup the stage with REAL FOOD posters and Hip-Pop cool buttons that designated you were getting free food and drinks tonight (btw…I wore the carrot one).

Shortly after, Jess Simpson and Paige Newton stroll in nonchalantly (no big deal, we just have like 500 more followers than you and your Metropo-what blog). We talked a bit as well, and by now the beer or two of Alt-eration (I’m just now getting the irony of that), probably got me rambling along a bit too much….sorry guys, I’m a little excitable. People started rolling in, and the event was getting underway. So I pulled out Robin (the name of my camera) and starting taking some shots (not the alcoholic ones)…

The event was a blast. I nommed on some fantastic Contigo fare like Beet Salad, Pickled Veggies, Crispy Green Beans, and their daily fresh Sausage in a tiny baguette. And since this was a social, I did chatter a bit about the great food scene in Austin, favorite restaurants, drinks, and of course desserts (Spicy Boca Negra, you’re going down!). Such a great event! I met a lot of great like-minded people all gathered together for an even greater cause. Which we should talk about for a bit…

Thanks to Contigo, JBG Organic, and I’m sure several others The Well Gro Co. brand has been kickstarted. The Well Gro Co. plans to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by bringing fresh vegetables and fruits to the cafeteria and providing lessons on how to prepare and appreciate real foods in the classroom. It’s time to make some radical changes to who can and who knows how to prepare a good healthy meal. What better time then now and what better place than Austin. Go Well Gro Co.!

Francisco Arredondo is the architect and homeowner of this residence that was also featured in ...]]> It’s Tuesday! Which means its time for another Tourismo – a more personal featurette of an Apartment Therapy Tour photo shoot. This week Francisco opens the doors and welcomes us inside his amazing home.

Francisco Arredondo is the architect and homeowner of this residence that was also featured in Austin’s Smarter Spaces tour. Before you walk in you’ll notice a wooden framed letter ‘C’ made out of sharpened graphite pencils along with a weathered metal letter ‘C’ leaned against the front door – itself unique with resin-filled circle cutouts. You get the sense this place is going to be special. Then you walk in…

and it’s more amazing than you imagined. A row of skylights lead your eye from the entryway toward the backyard – beautifully framed with steel beams. The place is perfectly decorated and contains the right mix of concrete, wood, and soft materials for a comfortable, relaxed feel.

Francisco popped open a couple Topo Chico’s and we chatted a bit about the wonderful city of Austin. Francisco went to school here and fell in love with the food, culture, and nearby spots where he picks up his vintage finds. We talked about some of his past projects as well as some upcoming ones, including a container bar - which as you may have guessed is going to be made from a shipping container. I’ve been totally in love with the shipping container concept since I saw this home office featured in Dwell magazine. The bar-take on this idea sounds totally Austin and I’m excited to see the finished space sometime this year.

Feeling refreshed from the Topo, I began snapping up photos of the space. The sun was radiant with scattered rays shimmering through the foliage of the backyard trees. It was gorgeous and the lens loved it! This was one of my favorite tours, and afterwards I was so excited to edit through the photos I went straight to my new favorite coffee shop in Austin – Cenote. I ordered a glass of white wine, and pored through photos for about an hour before packing up and returning home. The tour posted the following week, and it was received very well by the AT readers – something I’m always a little nervous of. Check out the full post here, and whet your appetite with some outtakes below.

Hope you enjoy and I’m excited about bringing more spaces your way!

You see, outside right now are A/C repair technicians installing a new A/C unit to the above-garage studio ...]]> It’s Friday! Which means it’s time for another afternoon cocktail recipe. I’m looking forward to this particular one because of the pretty stressful and expensive week this turned out to be.

You see, outside right now are A/C repair technicians installing a new A/C unit to the above-garage studio apartment. The unit stopped blowing cold air Monday, and two separate service technicians agreed that the compressor was fried and the best thing to do was replace the 16 year old unit with a brand new one. Ouch!

That’s why today’s featured cocktail is meant to pack a whallop of flavor – to balance the whallop dealt to my wallet. This recipe comes from my good Peruvian friend who knows authentic Pisco Sour’s are made with egg whites for a frothy top. Yum!

Pisco is a peruvian type of brandy that has pear and herbal flavors. The lemon juice adds the acidity, and sour, while some agave nectar sweetens things up a touch so its easy on the palate. If you haven’t tried one before, you’re in for a treat.

This recipe is simple to make too – allowing you to whip one up quickly during downtown for lunch (like myself) or just as easily whip up a few batches for friends at this weekend’s gathering. It’s sure to be a hit.

Ingredients (Makes two) :

• 3 oz Pisco
• 1 oz Agave Nectar
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 1 egg white
• 2-3 drops of Angosturo Bitters

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all ingredients.
Shake vigorously until the shaker is almost too cold to hold (like the Ghostbusters).

Strain into glass and enjoy! Cheers!

I did this tour a day after the first annual Smarter Spaces tour in Austin (Jeffrey and I actually tried to set something up before the tour, but ...]]> This Tuesday, we’re going to look more in-depth at a tour I did a few weeks back with homeowner Jeffrey Lamb…

I did this tour a day after the first annual Smarter Spaces tour in Austin (Jeffrey and I actually tried to set something up before the tour, but our schedules didn’t match up and he wanted to finish his DIY bench project on the outdoor patio). The fun thing about the self-guided home tours, is you get to see all the fun neighborhoods in Austin you probably wouldn’t come across otherwise. Jeffrey’s home is no different – nestled away in an unassuming neighborhood in south Austin. The home’s lime green Crestview front-door lets passers-by know that this space is hiding some midcentury-inspired style. What you see when you walk in, though, is likely more than you expected.

Like myself, Jeffrey grew up in the Dallas area and we talked a little about the roads that led us to Austin – or as in Jeffrey’s case, the one still leading him to Austin. Jeffrey is still a resident of New York, but fell in love with Austin for its music and food scene, and of course its proximity to his immediate family. Following the “If you build it, they will come” accord, he purchased and began renovation on this home while still being a resident of his current state, New York. The abode is now the impressive, completed vision he had in mind for his growing family…he now just needs to get everything in line for them to finally come and enjoy it together.

I always learn something from home tours, and Jeffrey taught me to not be so quick to overlook store closeout sales. The distinct, aluminum mirrors in the hallway and bathrooms were picked up from such a sale, and they look great in the home. He also shared some of his experiences in New Zealand with me, and the stories and pictures of the culture and city he showed me definitely have me interested in visiting sometime.

For more on Jeffrey’s home, you can read the published tour on Apartment Therapy here. Before you go there, enjoy some of my favorite outtakes from the shoot below…