the taiwanese edition

Light and fresh lunches: Tailor-made, wordly recipes from Congress' Chef de Cuisine

Austin Photo Set: News_rebecca meeker_light and fresh_jan 2013_2

HOW TO (EGGS): - In a medium size pot, gently place the eggs inside with enough cold water to cover the eggs completely (one inch of water over the top of the eggs). - Place on the stove on medium to high heat. - Bring to a rapid boil, remove pan from heat and cover egg pan tightly with a lid. Set the timer for 16 minutes. - After 16 minutes, remove lid and drain off water from the eggs. Leave the hard cooked eggs in the pan where they were cooked and add cold water to cool for 10 minutes. - Crack the eggs under cold water and peel. Slice eggs and set aside. ASSEMBLE: - Soak one rice paper wrapper at a time in a shallow dish of very hot water until softened, about 30 seconds. - Lift out and let excess water drip off and lay on a dry cutting board or your kitchen counter surface. - Lay 1 piece of nori centered vertically on top of the rice wrapper. - Center the eggs, tofu, basil, mint, coriander, bean sprouts, cucumber and peanuts in the bottom third of the wrapper on top of the nori. - Drizzle siriracha on top of the ingredients. - Fold the wrapper over the filling. - Start rolling into a tight cylinder. - Stop rolling about half way to fold in both sides. - Continue rolling until the wrap is a tight cylinder. - Assemble the remaining wraps the same way.

Photo by Hayden Spears

Rebecca Meeker is the Chef de Cuisine of Congress, the only restaurant in Austin to receive five-stars from the Austin American Statesman. She has studied and worked in the finest establishments around the world and brings those experiences to her new column, "Light and fresh lunches," in which she instructs the every-man on how to prepare tasty, balanced midday meals.

Several years later and back in Austin, I still enjoy making and eating rice paper-nori wraps. They’re the perfect to-go snack: fast, simple to make and delicious. Pairing it with a berry smoothie made with non-fat Greek yogurt makes for a great, light lunch. As a chef, I tend to have (more than) slightly irregular dining habits. I need my meals quickly and frequently, often at strange times of the day. These three wraps have protein, vigorous vegetables and traditional Asian spices to add delicious flavor and umami. Shopping for Asian goods is made easy with Chong Choe, Austinite and owner of Hana World Market, located on West Parmer Lane. Whether I’m shopping for myself at the market or for Congress through Minamoto Foods (Choe’s wholesale operation), Choe and his team make the difficulty of sourcing Asian goods non-existent. Enjoy the following three recipes and how-to guides!

Austin Photo Set: News_rebecca meeker_light and fresh_jan 2013_8

Photo by Hayden Spears

Several years later and back in Austin, I still enjoy making and eating rice paper-nori wraps. They’re the perfect to-go snack: fast, simple to make and delicious. Pairing it with a berry smoothie made with non-fat Greek yogurt makes for a great, light lunch. As a chef, I tend to have (more than) slightly irregular dining habits. I need my meals quickly and frequently, often at strange times of the day. These three wraps have protein, vigorous vegetables and traditional Asian spices to add delicious flavor and umami. Shopping for Asian goods is made easy with Chong Choe, Austinite and owner of Hana World Market, located on West Parmer Lane. Whether I’m shopping for myself at the market or for Congress through Minamoto Foods (Choe’s wholesale operation), Choe and his team make the difficulty of sourcing Asian goods non-existent. Enjoy the following three recipes and how-to guides!

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End of the Bar

Austin chocolate brand with Indian twist folds under high cacao prices

Madhu Chocolate/Instagram

Madhu Chocolate is closing at the end of April.

An Austin chocolate brand known for adventurous flavor combinations is closing due to high ingredient prices. Madhu Chocolate announced its closure via email and on Instagram in March, setting a date of April 12 for a free goodbye party and April 30 for final sales.

"We wanted to create fun chocolates that rewarded our customers with interesting flavors, and respected the cacao our farmers' grew with great care," a text post says. "Last year, severe weather in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire caused a massive shortage of available cacao. This skyrocketed prices, and more than doubled the cost of ingredients."

According to the post, both cacao and coca butter were affected by the price hikes. After months of searching for a workaround, the team decided to close.

The co-owners, husbands Harshit Gupta and Elliott Curelop, also explained the same information in a more personal and emotional video. They also thanked supporters for keeping the business going for seven years.

See on Instagram

Even Austinites who haven't tried Madhu probably recognize the bars from their unique wrappers, often featuring Indian motifs and inviting colors. Some of the flavor combinations still available on the website are mango lassi white chocolate, saffron milk chocolate, rose pistachio, masala chai, cardamom, vanilla fennel, lemon coriander, and more. Madhu also has a masala chai blend and some hot cocoa mixes, but the latter are sold out.

Madhu was also easy to shop because it was available at various events and through partnerships; it partnered with Lick Honest Ice Creams, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Tinted Heritage, and more, and was stocked at Taste ATX, the airport souvenir store that made it easy to bring bars far and wide outside of Austin. Food & Wine named Madhu one of the finest chocolate shops and makers in the country in 2021.

The goodbye party will be held April 12 from noon to 4 pm at 7701 Metropolis Dr., Bldg. 12, Ste. 400. Antonelli's Cheese donated some goods to pair with Madhu's chocolate and chai. RSVP via Eventbrite.

chocolate desserts