theStearns

Chefs Chris Shepherd and Randy Evans at Eastside Farmer's Market (photo by Kenn Stearns)

The community benefits when chefs and farmers connect through locally-produced vegetables, fruits, and farm products. Yesterday I spotted these locavore chefs – Chris Shepherd (chef and managing partner of Catalan Food & Wine) and Randy Evans (executive chef of Haven) – comparing notes in the 90+ degree heat/humidity during a break in their buying activities at the Urban Harvest Farmers Market at Eastside. Farmers appreciate the restaurants’ buying power and restaurant customers enjoy fresh ingredients that taste good. It’s all good!

Laredo Taqueria in Houston, Washington @ Snover St in The Heights, Washington Corridor (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Colorful, hard to miss, best breakfast tacos in town, owner does not like people to take pictures of his bidness

A "frog-strangler" in Northwest Houston (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Last weekend the heavens opened and massive amounts of moisture were released. It was the first measurable precipitation since April 17.

Haven at 2502 Algerian Way in Houston (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Haven is a certified green restaurant in Houston, a city that is not well known for energy conservation. Executive Chef Randy Evans and I recently talked about what it means to be green at Haven.

The restaurant was built from the ground-up to store, prepare, serve, and consume food. The angle of the roof was designed to accommodate solar panels. The dining room color palette includes warm tones of eggplant and artichoke. The vegetables, meats, and fish are all fresh. Chef Evans works with local farmers to not only source fresh food but to recycle waste from the restaurant for compost or other uses. With  10 containers for recycling, the restaurant only needs a 4-foot dumpster.

The dining room at Haven offers warm hues such as eggplant and artichoke (photo by Kenn Stearns)

A new vegetable and herb garden includes the expected basil and cucumbers but also offers surprises such as bronze fennel and edible flowers. Large cedar logs – each one required six men to move and place – line the garden that’s just getting started.

Executive Chef Randy Evans and the new vegetable and herb garden at Haven (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Restaurant grounds are planted with citrus trees, grape vines that thrive in Texas, and berries. Rain chains are selectively used in place of down spouts. A 500-gallon cistern filled with rain water is used to irrigate the vegetable and herb gardens. Chef Evans said two more cisterns will be used to irrigate additional landscaping.

Haven harvests rainwater stored in a 500-gallon cistern for irrigating vegetables and herbs (photo by Kenn Stearns)

As many of us become more aware of how our daily choices affect the environment, Haven demonstrates how a scalable project with a mission can yield real-world results that make a difference. Fresh food from local providers served up in a responsible environment by professionals who are connected to their customers and the community make for a winning combination. (And the food/wine is great too.)

Mary and Sean on the grounds at The Parador (photo by Kenn Stearns)

My friends Mary and Sean were married this evening. The weather cooperated. Friends and family celebrated. The bride was drop-dead gorgeous and beaming. The groom was a masterful host and a consummate gentleman (excruciatingly correct manners and impeccable attire). Food and wine wildly exceeded expectations. Congratulations and WOW!

Mary's father walks her down the aisle, the groom awaits, and the kiss following, "You may kiss the bride." (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Mr. and Mrs. Sean Beck (photo by Kenn Stearns)

First dances (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Returning to their guests (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Hugo's Mexican Restaurant in Houston, TX (photo by Kenn Stearns)

The exciting flavors of Mexico come together at Hugo’s in Houston where fresh tastes, updated interpretations of traditional dishes, complex complementary flavors, and earthy notes combine in a delightful cuisine like no other.

Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs (photo by Kenn Stearns)

I am eternally grateful that my spousal unit of 25+ years enjoys culinary challenges. Mid-week, weekend, family gathering, holidays, or just the two of us are all the same to her and we seldom eat the same thing twice unless it’s a top pick. Trying new dishes is always a treat, so earlier today when she declared it was “test kitchen” night I sorta wagged my tail.

Last month the Houston Chronicle published a recipe from Chef Randy Evans who hails from the very excellent new Houston restaurant Haven. Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs may not be health food, but they are definitely worth making the kitchen look like something detonated. I’ve added the recipe below in case you wanna get adventuresome. And here’s a tip: if a stray oyster gets in the batter let it happen.

Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs
by Chef Randy Evans

• 12 jumbo-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12 6-inch wood skewers
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup flour (for dusting)
• 3 cups cornmeal
• 1½ cups flour
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Texas honey
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 1¼ cups water
• 1 egg
• Oil for frying

Skewer the shrimp lengthwise starting from the tail end. Season the shrimp and dredge in seasoned flour. Roll the shrimp in the batter (make batter by combining cornmeal, 1½ cups flour, baking soda, salt, Texas honey, buttermilk, water, and egg) and fry in 350-degree oil (deep fat fryer if available) until golden brown. Serve with Tabasco Mash dipping sauce.

Houston Astrodome (photo by Kenn Stearns)

When it opened in 1965, the Harris County Domed Stadium was nicknamed the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Today the Houston Astrodome is living on borrowed time, one of many major city stadiums eclipsed by more modern corporate-friendly facilities. As a young boy I recall watching the Houston Colt .45s which were renamed the Houston Astros when the new stadium opened.

Opening with a Bermuda grass field and semitransparent Lucite panes in the domed roof,  players complained about glare so two large sections of panes were painted white which killed the grass. A year later a new type of artificial grass was installed and AtroTurf was born. Of my many visits to the Astrodome over the decades that followed, I most recall the scoreboard. It was four-stories tall and was animated with indoor fireworks and thousands of lights. After every Astros home run, the scoreboard would come alive with a long animated celebration featuring pistols, bulls, and a baseball bursting through the domed ceiling. Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams caused the scoreboard to be removed in September 1988 to make way for renovations.

From Mickey Mantle’s first Astrodome home run in 1965 to the NBA All-Star Game in 1989 and many years of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo performances to Hurricane Katrina relief for 25,000 New Orleans evacuees in 2005, the Astrodome has lived a long and memorable life as a Houston landmark.

Backstreet Café (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Owner Tracy Vaught opened Backstreet Café in 1983. Nestled among majestic oaks in a ’30s-style  home, the restaurant delivers one of Houston’s best fine-dining experiences. Executive chef Hugo Ortega provides a wide assortment of “New American Bistro” fare with an emphasis on freshness and originality.

Bayou City Farmer's Market in Houston (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Fresh, organic,  and especially LOCAL are the rage when it comes to cheese, meat, coffee, produce, seafood, honey, baked goods, candles, and more. Every major city has their farmer’s markets. The fourth largest U.S. city has many but we like the Urban Harvest effort at 3000 Richmond. It’s large enough to offer a selection but small enough to cover in 30 minutes or less – more when running into friends (thankfully there’s fresh coffee).

We think it’s a good sign to often see several of Houston’s top chefs working their way from vendor to vendor negotiating quantities beyond what most of us can pony up. Our favorite vendors are Jennifer and Dimitri Georgantus with Texas Wild for gulf shrimp from Freeport; Christian and Lisa Seger with Blue Heron Farm for family-owned goat dairy (check out their Mexican goat milk caramel called cajeta and try it with fresh apples); and Theresa, Mike and Bobby Atkinson with Atkinson Farms, a family farm north of Houston. If you stop by one of these vendors, tell them we said hello.

Something for everyone at Bayou City Farmer's Market (photos by Kenn Stearns)