food Archives

7 Best Meal Subscriptions to Try at Home!

By highocta | 08/05/2017 | Comments 0 Comment

We all know that home-cooked meals are the best. They are often more delicious, and they are usually healthier than take-out or pre-packaged, overly processed meals. We also all know that no matter how true all of this is, it can just be hard to do consistently. Meal planning and shopping for ingredients is half the battle. That’s where meal subscription services come in. They offer all the pre-portioned ingredients needed to make a meal, along with easy-to-follow instructions. Here are the seven best meal subscription services to try.

1. Blue Apron

As one of the original meal subscription services, Blue Apron is a proven winner. They offer a selection of recipes each week to choose from, and there are always vegetarian options. Both a 2-person plan and family plan are available, and their portion size is quite generous. Blue Apron also offers a wine subscription, and the two plans are well integrated with wine pairings for each of the recipes.

2. HelloFresh

This subscription service offers a mix of recipes from chef Jamie Oliver as well as very simple food like burgers, chicken, and pasta dishes. Overall, the recipes from HelloFresh aren’t as unique or as exciting to the foodie, but they might be the most palatable of all to the picky eater. They offer both a 2-person plan and a family plan, available in either classic or vegetarian.

3. Marley Spoon

This service started in Europe but is now available in the US, thanks to a partnership with Martha Stewart. In March of 2017, Amazon latched onto Marley Spoon as well, entering in to a distribution agreement through its Amazon Fresh service. The partnership with Martha means that you get to choose your meals from a library of her recipes, with ten options weekly. They are one of the more affordable meal subscriptions, but the ingredients are similar in quality to what you get from other pricier services.

4. Terra’s Kitchen

The best part of this service is that your ingredients come packed in an adorable little plastic mini fridge that is reusable, so there’s no waste from packaging (similar to the box FreshRealm uses). Unlike most services, the price is different depending on the recipes you choose (aka a la carte). With Terra’s Kitchen, you can choose 2-serving meals, 4-serving meals, sides, desserts, and extra proteins.

5. Home Chef

This is the meal subscription plan that caters the most to dietary restrictions. There are vegetarian, nut-free, low-carb, soy-free, and gluten-free options, among others. Each week, there is a new menu with ten dinner options, breakfasts, a fruit basket, and a fresh smoothie to choose from. Check out Home Chef reviews to decide if this is the service for you.

6. Green Chef

The big thing that makes Green Chef stand out is that they offer mostly organic, non-GMO ingredients and use eco-friendly packaging. This is one of the few vegan meal delivery services, but meals are also available in vegetarian, omnivore, carnivore, gluten-free, and paleo options. There are both 2-person and family plans.

7. Sun Basket

With Sun Basket, you have a choice each week from 3 seasonal dinner recipes or 1 option each for vegetarian, paleo, and gluten-free diets. There are also breakfast options. Sun Basket uses organic, non-GMO, and sustainably sourced ingredients. Each nutritionist-approved meal only takes around 30 minutes to prepare.

There are so many great meal kits on the market today, that you may just have to try them all! For a comprehensive meal kit delivery comparison, check out the review site BoxedMealz. This service aggregates all the meal delivery services in one place, so you can easily compare and find the one that’s right for you!

Most Amazing Eateries in Austin, TX

By highocta | 07/29/2017 | Comments 0 Comment

Uchi Austin – $$$$

801 SOUTH LAMAR BLVD., AUSTIN, TEXAS 78704 – (512) 916-4808

Open for fine dining, daily starting at 5 pm. Uchi ranks consistently as one of Trip Advisor’s top picks for Best Fine Dining Restaurants in the United States. It features beautifully plated menu items and fabulous cocktails. For a more wallet-friendly fare, check out their Sake Social daily from 5:00 – 6:30 pm for some amazing food and drink options. Best of all, there is a complimentary valet to solve all of your parking woes!

Jack Allen’s Kitchen – $$

7720 TX-71, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78735 – (512) 852-8558

Jack Allen’s Kitchen receives consistently high reviews. They offer locally sourced ingredients following the well loved farm-to-table concept and stay inspired by a good dose of Tex-Mex. They offer an excellent happy hour with half-priced appetizers, drink specials and a delightful brunch menu on Sundays.

Truluck’s Seafood, Steak & Crab House – $$$$

400 COLORADO STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 – (512) 482-9000

This joint was voted #1 by OpenTable’s 2016 Diners’ Choice Award as Best Overall Restaurant in Austin and made TripAdvisor’s 2017 list as Best Seafood & American Cuisine. Situated downtown, Truluck’s offers a romantic setting and a nightly entertainment schedule of live musicians.

Moonshine Grill – $$-$$$

303 RED RIVER STREET, AUSTIN, TX 78701 – (512) 236-9599

For a more casual venture, check out Moonshine Grill. It’s a longtime favorite and offers everything from their Jalapeño Hanger Steak to a classic Banana Cream Pudding. It’s a tried-and-true Austin favorite and an absolute must!

Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse – $$$$

309 EAST 3RD STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 – (512) 472-0220

With locations all over the United States, Brazil, and Mexico, Fogo de Chão serves a Southern Brazilian style menu specializing in cuts of meat cooked over an open flame that reaches 800F. Be sure to make reservations in advance.

Ramen Tatsu-ya – $$

8557 RESEARCH BOULEVARD STE. #126, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78758 – (512) 893-5561

This ramen shop brings the soul food of Japan to Austin, Texas. The aromatic flavors and perfectly cooked noodles offer the filling flavor-bomb you’ve been searching for. Reasonable prices and a Japanese inspired ambiance hit the spot. Be sure to check out their rather impressive website.

Lenoir – $$$$

1807 SOUTH FIRST STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78704 – (512) 215-9778

If you are looking for an environment with some romance, this is a great option. Lenoir refers to their menu options as “Hot Weather Food” which is inspired by Mediterranean, Indian and French cuisine. They offer a beautiful environment with excellent choices for both omnivores and vegetarians alike. Diners enjoy a 3-course Prix Fixe menu and select three fabulous courses for $45 with additional course options for another $10. There is a tree shaded wine garden in the back, and a charming vintage feel inside.

Of course, Austin’s great food scene doesn’t just stop at dining out; there are lots of options for eating at home too. Home grown Austin food delivery kits include the likes of Snap Kitchen, Full Fridge, and Lucky Lime. Be sure to check out our write-up on these services as well.

5 Quintessential Texas Recipes Y’all Need to Try

By highocta | 07/19/2017 | Comments 0 Comment

In Texas, everything is big – including the food! You can find a little bit of everything in Texas; our food is influenced by many cultures. While there are dozens of fantastic Texas foods to try, these five are almost always identified as Texas traditions: chili, brisket, pecan pie, queso, and kolaches.

A true Texas chili is made without beans.

1. Texas Chili

A common misconception is that chili was brought to Texas by Mexicans. The “Chili Queens first served chili con carne,” refers a group of ladies who served food in San Antonio in the 1800s. Chili stands were common there as well as in Galveston and Houston. Most likely the spicy seasonings unique to chili con carne came to Texas by way of immigrants from the Canary Islands. A stew common to that area included cumin, garlic, chile peppers, and onions.

About 1900, William Gebhardt invented chili powder, and this made it easier for chili to be prepared anywhere. One distinction of Texas chili is that it is made without beans; using chili over other Texas-inspired dishes such as Frito chili pie and tamales is easier with the original “bean-free” version.

2. Brisket

Considered a staple of the Texas barbecue menu, brisket is a Texas tradition. However, only in the last fifty or so years has the term “brisket” been used. Before the 1970s, the brisket was a cut of beef from the sternum to the shoulder, a fatty piece of meat. It was smoked with the bone in. After the 1970s, boneless briskets became standard, and the term brisket (as a cut of meat) did as well. This is not to say that brisket was not served in restaurants around the state; as early as 1910, Jewish immigrants advertised “smoked brisket” on their deli counter menus. Today, brisket is THE meat for Texas barbecue.

3. Pecan Pie

Pecan is the official state nut of Texas, and the pecan pie is the official dessert of Texas. As far back as 1898, the recipe has made an appearance in national publications. A “Mrs. B.” sent a recipe called “Texas pecan pie” in to the Ladies’ Home Journal. In 1938, The Southern Cook Book of Fine Old Recipes featured a recipe that used no flour or cream (much like the most recognized recipe). While many reports differ on the exact origin of the pie, the state pie is still a staple in kitchens throughout the country.

Pecan pies are made with the official state nut of Texas.

4. Queso

The gooey goodness that is queso was brought to Texas via Mexico. It is a staple in restaurants, homes, tailgating parties, and social events. Jack Allen’s kitchen, named on our list of best eateries in Austin, has some of the best Queso in the Lone Star State!

5. Kolaches

Kolaches were brought to Texas by Czechoslovakian immigrants. Legend has it that a mother was trying to bake bread, but kept being interrupted by her daughter. The mother gave her daughter a piece of dough to occupy her, and the daughter took a plum, placed it in the dough, and snuck it in the oven along with her mother’s bread. The result was the kolache. Some Texans fill the dough with sausages (much like the pig-in-a-blanket); others fill the dough with a sweet fruity concoction.

Tag: food