Table Talk

A beautiful dinner with a special menu lovingly prepared and served at home certainly has its charms when it comes to a romantic St. Valentine’s Day celebration. But, let’s be honest. On this occasion, most women I know would much prefer the charm of dining out in a fine restaurant (actually, come to think of it, on almost any occasion).

This January has been one of the busiest months I can remember. Every organization I am involved with started out at a sprinter’s pace this year and I have been huffing and puffing to keep up. In addition to attending meetings and other events during the day, I have been rehearsing at the Hill Country Community Theatre at night to prepare for the upcoming production of Clue, The Musical.

I found a lovely quotation online from a 1949 cookbook called The Soup Book, by Louis P. De Gouy: “Soup is cuisine’s kindest course. It breathes reassurance; it steams consolation; after a weary day it promotes sociality, as the five o’clock cup of tea or the cocktail hour.” I like soup at just about any time of year, but now that our brief winter is upon us, a kind and hearty soup sounds particularly appealing. One of the best things about homemade soups is th ...

It was exactly 50 years ago this fall that I spent a semester abroad as an American Field Service exchange student to Austria. Among the many highlights of that remarkable and wonderful five months, during which I lived with a family in a small town in Styria, was the opportunity for me to experience first-hand a tradition that was quite different from what I knew at home. Some of our typical American traditions, such as the Christmas tree, have their origins in the German-speaking co ...

Congratulations, first of all, to Rhonda Boram! It was five years ago this week that she opened A TASTE OF THYME. On Friday she will be celebrating the anniversary with the many friends she has made through her restaurant and her involvement in the Horseshoe Bay community. As she describes her experience as the chef-owner of her popular tea room and catering business, “challenging” is the word that she relies on most.

The annual Bayside Bazaar is scheduled for this next Saturday, November 14, at Quail Point. It is an event that has been staged for the last several years by the Helping Hands Craft Guild to benefit The Marble Falls Helping Center (MFHC). The membership of the Guild is relatively small, but they make a huge effort and their annual fundraiser always draws a crowd. There are a lot of reasons for that.

On October 17 Julie Ribera quietly opened her new restaurant in Cottonwood Shores. There may not have been a lot of fanfare at the time – she’s planning on a grand opening in a couple of weeks after she completes some more staff training and takes care of a few other finishing touches – but she already has some loyal clientele.

What’s your favorite part of the chicken? Over the years, I have come to prefer the white meat, but as a kid, I definitely liked the drumsticks. Maybe it was the idea that the drumstick comes in such a neat little package, just perfect for a child’s grasp. But, there’s a lot to be said for the stronger flavor and moistness of the meat and I am rethinking the entire proposition. Drumsticks were just one of the many ingredients in the magnificent paella that Chef Rafael Garcia served up Su ...

By Maris Lynne Long A few weeks ago at a Bunco gathering, Barbara Collins announced that she and her husband, Andy, were looking forward to a visit from their grandson, Tanner O’Dell, from Lincoln, Nebraska. She proudly showed us a copy of a magazine, Mixing Bowl.com, in which Tanner was featured with a recipe for butternut squash soup.

If you have not been in the TALL TEXAN lately, you are in for a very pleasant surprise. After closing for several weeks for some major remodeling, this long-established local eatery reopened under new management in mid-July. The whole establishment looks bright and clean. There’s a new big screen television on the back porch, as well as misters and fans to keep the customers cool.