Stash Studios

When Pigs Fly

“Dai due regni di natura, piglia il cibo con misura” ~ “From the two kingdoms of nature, choose food with care.” An Italian adage that frames the philosophy behind Dai Due (Austin) and was the underlying theme for a weekend of hog hunting in the Hill Country.

A dear friend who eats meat but calls herself "city" was slightly squeamish to hear that I was rendering lard and cracklings  last night while Mr. Stash was breaking down a boar on our kitchen counter with a alarmingly large saw. I have to be honest with you. We've never done this in our lives. Both of us are at least one, possibly two generations away from having the need to butcher for survival.

Though I lived for several years as a vegetarian, I eat meat now and I'm completely disillusioned with the industrial factory farm system through which most of what we consume gets passed. So when Jesse (Dai Due) offered us the chance to join him and Tink (Off the Fly) and the guys at Madroño Ranch (Medina), we jumped at the chance. I had just read the article in Texas Monthly and found the idea that I didn't know something as elemental as this irritatingly bourgeois.

A force of gravity
drawn to the other end
of experience
so that I could more thoroughly honor
the honest fact
that
I cut
skin
for art
and
a living

Friday evening was my first time to sit in a blind and wait. I told my daughter later that this was much like sitting on an airplane for a long flight watching a silent foreign movie. The space was compact. No cell phone service. We had to be remain still, quiet, and fairly scent free. Four hours passed with nothing more than a few cardinals in range. Then two large hogs wandered into our line of sight. I pointed. He shot. The guys ran out to track and I paused. I despise gratuitous gore but there is nothing inessential about this moment. It was our solemn duty to see this through. An honor really.

I can best equate this experience to childbirth
it is a messy threshold of sorts
a transformational crossing
and to those on the other side
no bridge can be built
one must cross it on their own
or remain on
the other
side

Moments later the sun started to sink beyond the hills and the truck full of hunters came to retrieve us. We hopped on back with our hog and bounced down the steep mountain absorbing all the stories of what had passed for each of the men in the last four hours. Tires crunched over limestone and splashed through dark creekbeds as we headed to the gambrel.

I really thought this was going to be the hard part. It had been at least 30 years since I'd seen game hanging in a tree waiting to be dressed. But my husband said before we left that I'm a gauntlet girl. Throw one down. Tell me I can't do it. And I proceed. Full tilt. Words echoing in my wake. Just watch me.

This was
no
red
neck
blood
letting

There
is a beautiful
reverence for
honest wildness of
the animals
here

No hormones
no industrial farms
my food has soul
I saw it

And at the moment it slipped away
it became our responsibility
to retain
its
soul

Tired but satisfied, we headed home for dinner and rest. Just before I fell asleep, I pulled out the one book I brought with me, The Dirty Life and couldn't believe the serendipity when on page ten, this citified, vegetarian writer was helping slaughter a hog, something that ended up being her first step into a new life.

On Saturday morning, the guys all went out on a dawn hunt. It was 20 degrees and my very experienced counterpart was going solo into a solitary stand. Following the morning hunt, the afternoon was consumed with detailed demonstration of butchery, curing, and sausage-making. All the while, Jesse broke down the fresh boars, his chefs swirled around him working on dinner. Never before has a farm-to-table dinner been so utterly close to the farm for me. What was described as a traditional Italian four course meal included no less than twelve unique dishes that utilized the hog from start to finish.

Sunday night we were bone tired from a long drive and little sleep but we broke out a bottle of wine, joked about branding this sWine night, and worked late into the night showing our kitchen more action than it has likely ever seen.

Now
my freezer is full
free range, organic, prime cut meat
bacon, chops, roast, ham, and the beginnings of pancetta, proscuitto, and sausage
the fridge has 16 pints of rich broth that smells like butter
and two pints of lard that incidentally
is healthier than
butter

Refreshing and rare
this weekend was not about who you know
or what you can afford
or what you drive
or where you live
it was about
survival and
choices

Jesse's cookbook arrives this September. Tink is available as your guide to all things wild. The guys run weekend classes on all sorts of wild game. You can find Dai Due at the farmer's market in Austin. And Madroño Ranch is a great source for organic bison as well as a center for writing, art, and the environment.

Outstanding.

This strikes my heart on so many levels. Bringing real food, to real people, in a real place. Funny that this would be considered a novelty rather than a way of life. Outstanding indeed.

Sig, Uncle Charlie, and Natachee

There are a few more Midtown characters I want to cover with you.  Sig's Lagoon is not exactly a new scene in Midtown, it has just relocated to the 3622 Main block I've been covering this week. Sig's is the go-to place for your rare vinyl and novelty goods, Continental Club tix, and assorted music junkie fix in Midtown.

The owner, Thomas Escalante, is a fantastic, funny, and knowledgeable guy. I always learn something when I stop in for a visit. I recently read that his shop is named in part after Sig Byrd, a local Houston columnist for all the major papers back in the 50s. This I learned from the "Record Store of the Week" feature at Light in the Attic Records. Cool interview and a good blog for music lovers.

Now there is Uncle Charlie. Sig's Lagoon has a killer collection of Uncle Charlie's (Charlie Hardwick) rock posters. Last time I was in the shop, I was drawn to the work of Uncle Charlie and Thomas told me his story. I've long wanted to do a feature on him but hadn't made the time. Charlie has been creating rock posters and packaging design for two decades. In 2003, he experienced a severe vision loss which left him legally blind. He continues to produce amazing artwork, some of which I captured in an earlier photo (top) this year outside Sig's new location.

While I'm on the topic, I want to share a video of Uncle Charlie's work being printed by Black Swan Screen Printing from Brenda Cruz.

Last but not least, there is Natachee. I heard a rumor that the name - Natachee's Supper 'n Punch - comes from a fiddle player who was a whiz with a skillet.  I haven't been to this Midtown eatery yet but the menu is making me hungry and I've heard that the burgers have some foodies buzzing. The establishment is said to have the same "eclectic, down-home Texas vibe" of many of its neighbors per CultureMap.

So, last plug for this weekend. Go visit the kids at 3622 Main. 

Have a great weekend,

Rockaway Baby

This gem came in from Selby this morning and despite the early hour, it is stoking my hunger pangs. Loving the rustic simplicity and lovely food from Andrew and Rockaway Taco.

 

 

Perhaps most entertaining is Andrew's concept for a Rockaway strip mall. [above as illustrated by Andrew]

And the best lesson learned, "It's all hard work, but being by the beach makes it all seem better." Amen, Andrew. Amen.

 [all photos: Todd Selby]

Land to Hand, Vineyard to Bottle

Charles Smith arrived in the Walla Walla Valley following eleven years in Scandinavia managing rock bands. Originally hailing from northern California, he has been involved with wine personally and professionally his entire life.   

He has big hair, kick ass attitude and bold packaging. But this is not just hype and I am nearly loathe to share because if you discover Charles Smith and realize what a gift the wild-haired man has for crafting a beverage from a grape, it is just going to make it even more difficult for me to find a bottle. However, I honor any sort of craftsman who takes their talent seriously and puts it to good, in this case, transcendent use. 

 
 

 

moonshine + chocolate

 

Wish you were here. I'm on the road. Delivering Stash Studios well-wishes in the form of a Double Chocolate Cake soaked in moonshine. 

100% pure hand-crafted 124 proof Wasmund's Rye Spirit from Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, Virginia. I'm carrying bite-sizes as well, so if you see me today, you are getting a taste of this cake.

I really wish I could tell you that this cake originated in my own kitchen but alas, it did not. It came from Red Truck Rural Bakery  in Warrenton, Virginia. 

Yes, Virginia, there is another Warrenton. Red Truck first garnered attention from the NYT as it made their roundup of 15 favorite food purveyors in the US two years in a row.

 

This farmhouse kitchen is run by Brian Noyes, former art director for several national magazines, including Smithsonian, Preservation, and House & Garden. Their bakery is not located in a renovated 1921 Esso filling station where they are close to area farmers and organic and naturally-grown produce and dairy products. And the company is right in line with my own belief, quality vs quantity. 

Customer service rocked my world. The pristine packaging and flawless delivery exceeded my expectations. Then there was a personal, hand-written note from Brian, someone who clearly understands the value of incredible customer service. 

And finally the cake. It is decadent and delicious in a way that satisfies without making your teeth ache. Delicious! Congratulations Brian, you've earned another satisfied and committed customer. Worth every penny.  

Have a sweet weekend,

 

Root

Here is a bit of Americana for you. Art in the Age has brought back ROOT. A truly American liqueur. I am fascinated and looking to acquire some for a little tasting. I love the fact that they have taken something with deep American roots and revived it and maintained an organic base. Read more below.

“At 80 proof, ROOT is unlike anything else on the market today and is the first true American liqueur since the Pre-Prohibition Era.

It is lively, and rose gold in color, this rustic spirit has a full, rich smoky flavor, inspired by an 18th century Pennsylvania folk recipe, which eventually evolved into Birch or Root Beer. The recipe stems from Root Tea, which goes back to the 1700s, when Native Americans taught the recipe to settlers. Over generations, Root Tea grew in potency, particularly in Pennsylvania, where the ingredients grew in abundance. During the Temperance Movement, a Philadelphia pharmacist removed the alcohol and ironically rechristened it Root Beer. This is our creation and interpretation of a genuine potent, Root Tea.

ROOT is a certified organic spirit made with North American herbs and pure cane sugar. All botanicals are painstakingly selected and tested for purity. Using all natural, organic ingredients, like anise, birch bark, cloves and cardamom, with hints of spearmint and citrus, the sugarcane based liquor is distilled in limited batches to ensure maximum quality.”

Let the games begin

Time for the cow pastures in central Texas, halfway between Austin and Houston to transform into a mecca for collectors who don't mind the fickle Texas weather, walking a few miles for a good deal, and a fair amount of dust and sweat.

I've been accumulating for the studio stash in these parts for nearly 20 years now. For the past four years I've been toting a camera to take pictures from some of my favorite vendors. 

As the dealers are beginning to set up the fields, I'd like to take some time to feature retrospectives of some of the dealers I've met through the years and some of my favorite places to shop.

Dealers come and go. Venue amenities change but where applicable, I'll share my favorite tips. Shown above are photos from the Excess Field and Clutter. These are both located on the corner of FM 159 and FM 237 at the edge of Warrenton. Clutter kicks off Friday evening with their opening party at which you can save 20% (don't quote me on that). Excess Field open this week. 

Right next to Clutter, you will find Sack Lunch, a great little airstream cafe run by my friend Sharon Bright. Whether you need a sandwich or coffee or snack, rest you weary dogs with Sharon.

The Tipsy Texan

God bless the Tipsy Texan and her Cucumber Margaritas and Tito's Muskmelon Punch. I feel a crisp refreshing weekend coming on.

Cooking Therapy

Tonight we cook with local food advocate, Monica Pope at t'afia.