Businesses like Rios Brazilian are one of the reasons I love writing this blog. Owners Ben Googins and Elias Martins started Rios at the downtown farmer’s market in 2006, after meeting in Brasil, where  Elias grew up and where Ben lived for a handful of years.
I first met Ben when he attended a panel I moderated for Austin food-related small business owners in fall 2009 at Whole Foods Corporate Headquarters. I was immediately taken by his open spirit and passion for making his business succeed. Rio’s products — cheese breads …

After a particularly upsetting sushi lunch experience yesterday, I woke up this morning wanting to know what you guys think is the best affordable sushi in Austin. I wrote about this topic last year but wanted to revisit since more spots have opened and hopefully more people feel comfortable leaving comments.
To answer my own question, my favorites include Sushi A-Go-Go (two trailer locations now — Medical Arts and Barton Springs Road), Whole Foods, and Central Market. Adam mentioned that Mikado on Research Blvd. used to be really good but we …

For my Food Lover’s Book Club discussion of Anthony Bourdain’s Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, I decided to make “Bloody Valentine Plum Tarts.” I found a recipe for “Warm Plum Bleeding Heart Pies,” online and decided to add dripping blood shapes and red sprinkles to the crust to create a more realistic bloody valentine look.
These tarts would be perfect for a Halloween dessert or dinner with an ex-husband or wife.
Bloody Valentine Plum Tarts
Based on Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce …

When my friend Jen mentioned “the coffee guy” in Hyde Park who delivers coffee that he has roasted in his garage by scooter, I knew I had to try it. I love how this guy does his marketing. He showed up in Jen’s backyard offering freshly brewed coffee one day and she’s been ordering ever since.
The Coffee Guy is Robby Jones and his company is Pilot House Coffee. He delivers coffee for free with beans roasted that day to the following Austin zip codes in Central, South, North and East …

Back in June, Adam and I were guests at the Whole Foods flagship store for a wine pairing dinner with Wes Marshall. Marshall has a column for the Austin Chronicle called Liquid Assets and also writes for the Dallas Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle, and various wine publications. He is now also the author of What’s a Wine Lover to Do?
This was our first time meeting Wes and he is as approachable in person as he is in print. Also, he knows a great party trick (that he demonstrates …

I’m part of a potluck group called Supperfly, hosted each month at a different home with a theme decided by the host. For some reason, I decided to try Smith Island Cake for a recent Supperfly where the theme was to make something that’s your favorite color. I’m not exactly sure what my favorite color is but chocolate is one of Adam and my favorite foods so it seemed close enough to the theme.
That same week, a recipe for Smith Island Cake, apparently the “Official Cake of the State of …