Hannah's Off the Square

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

Just a quick hello and to say Happy Halloween! Some amazing squash and pumpkin carvings from Ray Villafane. See more here after the jump.

For those of you who never got around to carving your pumpkins (ahem...you know who you are)

here is a great recipe for Pumpkin Corn Chowder. Enough to feed a crowd I might add.

Pumpkin Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup skinned pumpkin or hard squash, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
12 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups pumpkin puree (you will need to roast your pumpkin and puree the flesh) or use canned
2 cups corn kernels, cut from the cob
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half (vegans may substitute soy or rice milk or 2 tablespoons nut butter)
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
1. Heat butter or olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and diced pumpkin or squash. Saute, stirring to coat the vegetables with the butter, until onion is translucent, just a few minutes.
2. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, 30 minutes, until pumpkin is tender.
3. Add pumpkin puree, corn, and herbs. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat again and cook over low heat for 20 minutes more. Stir in cream and remove soup from the heat.
4. Puree half the soup in a blender and return it to the pot, stirring well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fall Menu 2011

2011-10-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

A few new dishes happening now in the kitchen.

'Home-style, Old School, Old Fashioned, Southern Style Seafood, Italian Mama' and other heart-warming comfort food epitomes have been used to describe these new items.

We think its just in time for this weather.

A few reasons why I love Denton

2011-10-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Peach jam from the farmers market.

Because every five miles or so, there is a park or trail to get lost in.

Beth Marie's ice cream, yes please.

Because the kids here still know how to play...for real.

Because having the best pie, showing your prized cattle and then getting sick on the Ferris wheel are still possibilities.

A full moon Summer night on our patio.

Because wild edibles are abundant within our proverbial city walls.

If anything stands still for too long, we will eventually paint it!

Don't stop believing. Period.

Because coming home is a great feeling.

Take a ride

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I joined many others from the hospitality industry here in Denton to take a tour of the A-train and travel to Fair park. It was a great opportunity to meet people and to become acquainted with the ins and outs (quite literally) of our new public transportation addition in our lovely city and beyond.

The travel is easy, the views are nice and you can get to SO many places. Lunch at Craft, a hockey game at the Airlines center, the Texas State Fair, the Sixth Floor Museum? No problem, all are easy walks from the platform and not sitting in traffic on 35 is a plus.

Go down and take a ride on the train! Become an Ambassodor for our wonderful city.

Learn more about "I got left in Denton on purpose" here.

Family Meal

2011-10-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

Quite often we have family meal for the employees. Semi busy days, when sustenance is needed for long shifts and anyone who has the time can throw something together for little or no money. Above is one of our managers, Robert, making his specialty...chicken and dumplings. Made in the "Robert" way of course with lots of love and devotion.

One chicken and some flour can feed 20 people and even though the beginnings are meager, the end result taste downright decadent. Sometimes I feel bad for the customers who aren't able to share our humble employee meals. Sometimes.

On Sunday mornings we have begun to transcend this tradition into a new feature on our brunch menu. { Mom's Sunday Dinner}, we are calling it and we always tend towards the home-cooking, Southern style, make our grandma proud dishes. You know this type of food always taste better the next day, so the night before you can find us, braising, roasting, smoking or God love it- frying some of the best local pork, chicken or beef around.

Join us on Sundays, now that the Fall weather is changing our moods. I promise that the Pot Roast, dumplings, collard greens, Chicken with rice or Smoked Pork will seem like just the thing.

A night out just for the Chef's

2011-07-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

On Monday July 25th, area Chefs from Denton, Fort Worth and Dallas came to Hannah's for a night out. A shift away from the kitchen for the evening and a simple meal with great company. Thanks to all who came all the way to Denton and thanks to the local chefs who made us feel so proud to know.

A peek at the menu we served and a few pics from the night. Thanks also to my wonderful staff in the kitchen and front of house. You were perfect!

Amuse~ Watermelon Rum Batidas and Chilled Cucumber soup with Squaw candy

First Course~ Shrimp-n-Grits with Pecan Smoked Bacon Gravy, Pickled Prawns and Shaved Celery

{Ramos Gin Fizz}
Entree~ Grilled Hanger Steak with Summer Pea Cake and Charred Red Onion and Heirloom Tomato

Salsa { Parlay 2009, The Bookmaker}

Intermezzo~ Sweet Tea Granita

Fish~ Halibut with Breadcrumbs, Sauce Gribiche, Watercress & Lemon

{La Folette 2009, Chardonnay Sonoma Coast}

Dessert~Brown Butter Ice Cream with Pork Belly Sandies and Port Poached Peaches

Espresso, Coffee with Chocolate Sausage and Mint Julep Truffles

Thanks to Sysco, Segafreddo, Syosset, Standard Seafood, White Marble Farms and American for all of your support and a special thanks to Domenico for being a superb Sous Chef. What are you doing next week? Can't wait for the next dinner!

Summer 2011

2011-07-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

Whew! Where have I been? Super busy these days with so much local stuff pouring in. Lots of pretty parties at the restaurant this time of year, playing with fig EVERYTHING, copper river salmon are plentiful.

A few new additions to the Cheeseboards, Chocolate Sausage (with hazelnuts, cookie and dried fruits)

Balsamic Jelly and Hot Damn Pepper Jam- All house-made of course :)

Shishito peppers and pastrami Pork belly sliders, now on the bar menu. Come Join us tonight!

100 mile dinner in pictures

2011-04-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

2011-04-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

A little peak into our dining room for tonight~ If you want to join us for our 5th annual 100 mile dinner,

There is still room! Call 940-566-1110 now for your reservation

Hannah’s 2011
100 Mile dinner
Thursday – April 21st

Amuse- French Breakfast Radishes with Chive Butter and Local Salt

Soup du Jour- Bollito Misto with Green Onion and Shiitake mushrooms
(vegetarian option- Warm Green Garlic and Potato Soup)

Salads
Arugula Salad with Rosemary Smoked Pork Belly Lardons, Hard Boiled Egg and Sherry Vinaigrette

Spinach salad with Goat Cheese Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Sunflower Sprouts and Crispy Fried Onions (vegetarian option)

Entrees
Sage Butter Roasted Chicken, Paprika Braised Pork Shoulder, Grilled Lamb and Feta Sausage, Roasted Leg of Lamb with Mint pesto, Asparagus and Cheddar Frittata( vegetarian entree), Garlicky Sauteed Swiss Chard, Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms, Steamed Bok Choy and Baby Beet Greens with Herb Butter

Dessert
Yogurt and Honey Semi-freddo with Drunken Strawberries

Hot Mint Tea

Hunting and Gathering

2011-04-09T17:54:00.000-07:00


	Join me and Sommelier Jeff Solomon as we introduce you to the areas finest local food featured in our 100 mile dinner. All of the food and wine served will be from within 100 Miles of Hannah's Off the Square, even down to the table salt. Two dinners will be served, the first on Monday April 18th and then again on Thursday April 21st. $95 per person with guests arriving at 6:30 with Banquet Table Service that will be served Family Style. Reservations are strongly recommended as space is limited. Our regular dinner menu will be available for guests not participating in the 100 Mile Dinner. The hunting and gathering began this morning, with orders placed at Juha Ranch for leg of lamb, oxtails, ham shanks, ground lamb, ground beef, pork belly etc. Dallas Honey Guild is supplying us with lots of local honey and honey soaked pecans. The eggs, herbs and Spring greens have been coming in for weeks now. A crate of green Spring onions from Lemley of course and a variety of cheeses from Full Quiver Farms. It was a good first gathering of items, with more coming throughout the week. Menu items are beginning to shape up! We are thinking about house-made lamb and feta sausage with sauteed local greens and garlic. Green onion, lemongrass and oxtail soup or maybe a Bollito Misto. Cardo's Spinach salad with bacon roasted onions, shiitake mushrooms and pecans with Sherry vinegar. Sounds good to me! See you in a couple of weeks!~ Chef

Early Spring Pickings ~ a pictorial

2011-02-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

Peacock greens

Arugula

Arrowhead Spinach

Watermelon radishes

Baby Radishes

Fresh picked carrots

Shiitake mushrooms

Tuscan Kale

Komatsuna greens

From the farm to our table. Local and Texas produce starts with the greens. Happening right now at Hannah's. Let Spring begin!

100 mile dinner in Dallas

2011-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

So many lovely memories from this last May forming new friendships with some of the greatest Dallas area chefs and bringing some well deserved recognition to our local foods, farmers and gardens.

I joined Master Chef Sharon Van Meter, Graham Dodds from Bolsa, Times Ten Cellars, Janice Provost from Parigi and Randall Copeland from Restaurant Ava to cook up local ingredients from the likes of Tom Spicer, J.T. Lemley, Windy Meadows, Gnismer Farms, Paula Lambert, Lucky Layla, Neu dairy and others.

The dinner benefited a local community garden and was held at the Filter House at White Rock Lake in Dallas. It was a truly amazing setting and the local band, local wildflower arrangements and locally made art, from the children at the community garden, made it among one of my favorite events to date.

Thanks so much for letting Hannah's be part of your community! We cherish each and every year!

The perfect one

2011-01-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

I love root vegetables, they are of course the best in Winter and their varieties and uses keep expanding, think candy stripe beets for added color in cold weather salads and Jicama in stir fry.

One of the oldest and most common roots is the carrot which gets passed by at your local grocery as merely a component in grander soups, sauces and stews. The lowly carrot takes center stage here at Hannah's as you can imagine. We go through about 50 pounds a week and in addition to our Carrot cake, it becomes our fastest "go to" soup with easy Carrot Ginger Bisque and a great side dish like carrots au gratin for last minute specials.

But my favorite way to eat carrots is to pickle them with a little bit of Jalapeno for a sharp bite. Actually I just love pickled anything. We are kinda known for adding lots of house pickled items to our weekly specials. If something sits still too long, someone in the kitchen is bound to pickle it!

So here is my favorite recipe for pickled carrots which goes great as a side to Winter sandwiches, warm hummus, cheese plates and Charcuterie.

Adapted from Epicurious

1 pound (450 g) carrots, peeled
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) water
1 cup (280 ml) cider vinegar
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
2 garlic cloves, lightly-crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel or dill seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 bay leaves
1 jalapeno cut in half- seeds left intact

1. Cut the carrots into stick approximately the size of your fourth finger. Bring a medium-sized pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. (Use a non-reactive pot.)
2. When the water boils, drop the carrots in and simmer for one minute. Pour into a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain thoroughly.
3. In the same pot, heat the remaining ingredients. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add the carrot sticks. Cool until room temperature, then put into jars and chill.
Carrot sticks should be made at least one day in advance, and will keep for up to four weeks in the refrigerator.

Love on the Patio

2010-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our patio in October is truly romantic, made more so with this lovely wedding party and their guests a few weeks ago. Congratulations Uyen and Colby~ Best wishes in the future!

From your friends at Hannah's

Remembering Summer

2010-10-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

A pictorial from my last visit to Gnismer Farms, the subsequent meal was amazing. Its not often a farmer hands you his knife, point to the asparagus field as says "go for it".

September at the Farmers Market

2010-09-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been to our local Farmer's Market here in Denton at the corner of Carroll and Mulberry, then you have really been missing out! Not just an array of your usual zucchini, tomatoes and such. The hardworking vendors who show up each week have really been putting it all out there and testing new products. Things I am really excited about: Local dates, local garlic, lots of homemade jams and preserves, fresh sprouts of all kinds, lemon cucumbers and the Denton Community Market held once a month on Saturday. Check it out here!

Heineken Tasting at Hannah's

2010-07-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

We were so happy to host the Heineken beer tasting at Hannah's last Tuesday for all of the area reps. If that means you, then here is a peek at what you missed!

First course~ Sol

Second Course~Mini Blue Crab Cakes with Preserved Lemon~Heineken Light

Third Course~Pan Fried Calamari with Jalapeno Honey Sauce and Avocado Relish~Tecate

Fourth Course~Hannah's Tomato Soup with Cracked Pepper and Watercress~Amstel Light

Fifth Course~Crispy Parmesan Caesar with Anchovy Dressing~Dos Equis

Sixth Course~Oven Roasted Sea Bass with Angel Brown Ale Onions and Wilted Spinach~New Castle

Seventh Course~Lager Grilled Grass Fed Tenderloin with Gorganzola Au Gratin Potatoes~Heineken

Eighth Course~Flourless Chocolate Cake with Drunken Berries and Cream~Heineken Dark Lager

Thanks to all!

Chef Sheena

Hello again!

2010-07-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

"My grandma used to plant tomato seedlings in tin cans from tomato sauce & puree & crushed tomatoes she got from the Italian restaurant by her house, but she always soaked the labels off first. I don't want them to be anxious about the future, she said. It's not healthy. "
— Brian Andreas

photos via apartment therapy

Its has been a while since my last post, but I wanted to share this great quote with you and

some ideas for planting using old restaurant tins...If you need some, let me know!

100 mile dinner ~ SPRING menu

2010-04-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

100 mile dinner

Hannah’s off the Square

Amuse- Wood Sorrel and Pork dumplings in Burdock leaves
Tonight’s Featured Cheeses and Dairy
Aged Asadero, Aged Boyaca & Fresh Butter- Lucky Layla Dairy- Garland. Fresh Mozzarella- Full Quiver Farms-Justin. Fresh goat Cheese, fresh Ricotta cheese & Local Pecan Smoked Scamorza- Dallas Mozzarella Company, Fresh Jersey Cow Milk and Cream- Neu Farms Dairy- Gainesville

Family Style Entrees, Salads and Spring Vegetables
Bibb lettuce salad with Goat Milk Ranch Dressing and Crispy Pork Belly, Spicy Greens with Warm Ricotta Pecan Medallions and Sherry Vinaigrette, New Potatoes with Parsley butter, Roasted Shiitake mushrooms, Steamed asparagus with Lemongrass butter, Sauteed Milk Weed Shoots, Salt Roasted Pork Loin with Arugula Pesto and Sno Pea Tendrils, Honey vinegar BBQ Beef Short Ribs, Bay Roasted Dominion Farms Chicken, Asparagus Cheddar Frittata.

Dessert
Gnismer Farms Strawberries and fresh Cream with Warm Rhubarb compote and Grandpa’s Honey

Wines- Thanks to Arche` Winery and Brushy Creek Vineyards for the lovely wines!

If you missed out on last night, don't forget to inquire early about our 100 Mile dinner in the Fall!

Scenes from last night

2010-04-21T10:07:00.001-07:00

Another wonderful 100 mile dinner, apparently you CAN eat too many strawberries, mushrooms and asparagus! Thanks to all who attended our first Spring event...what a memorable evening!

Found Wild- Milkweed Shoots

2010-04-19T21:26:00.001-07:00

photos via Beekman1802.com

I've got a secret. A secret field away from the traffic, but still in the city. In a secret meadow, down a secret trail leading away from a not so secret very public place!

I used to live by this secret field and I know its every curve of wood and every seasonal whim.
I know when the wild jonquils bloom in late winter. I know when the blackberries are ripe in Summer and when the golden rod blooms in Fall. AND I know when the milk weed shoots are up in Spring and that is right NOW!

I have milk-weed shoots for my 100 mile dinner!

I love to forage and there is nothing better than living off of the land around you, but foragers must be mindful of giving away their secret haunts...you will never hear a Morel Mushroom Forager telling tales at the bar after a good day of hunting. Oh, it may have been a Molly Moocher all right, but where he found it, you will never know!

Also, a responsible forager must remember to leave all plants the ability to re-produce...but that's just being a good Girl Scout!

Found Local - Chinese Amaranth

2010-04-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

Being part of a community garden certainly has its perks, the least of which is the wonderful hospitality most gardeners share with their neighbors in spreading around the wealth of fruits and vegetables from one plot to the next!

This Asian green may be the exception however, it seems that every plot in my Community Garden has been blessed with its spreading, sprouting, sort-of-taking-over everything sensibility! Recently my garden plot neighbor asked me if I knew what it was and I did not right away, but he gave me a clue, saying that an Asian lady once had a plot there and ever since this stuff has been growing like wildfire. A little searching on the internet gave me my answer so I quickly removed some of the beautiful purple tinged shoots and brought them home to my personal garden for continued propagation...it seems the Community Gardeners do everything they can to get rid of the "mystery greens", and I am hoping to spread the word.

These are going to be great for my next 100 mile dinner!
Chinese amaranth or Asian Spinach with local butter and dried chili...mmmm!

Outstanding in the field

2010-03-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

{photos via~Andrea Wyner, Outstanding in the field}

I just came across this website via Design Sponge. Isn't it wonderful? Outstanding in the Field is a wonderful group that sets up local dinners all over the US. They bring the farmers, Chefs and guests together for a memorable meal in glorious farm settings!
I think Hannah's should do this move-able feast sometime in the summer, but when is a good time? The Texas weather is so fickle, really, because two days ago I was looking at snow and today will be 75! Any good suggestions for a time and place?

Read full post here after the jump!
Tickets for the Dallas Event go on sale soon!

Reading right now

2010-03-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

We are getting the Spring planting bug all around Hannah's staff right now. Everyone is talking about what they are going to plant and who found what extraordinary seeds. While some things must wait to go into the ground until after the last possible time of frost, these books are helping me curb the cravings!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

Our Next Event

Celebrate with your Valentine at Hannah's!
Hannah's will be offering a special Valentine's themed menu on Saturday, February 13th and Sunday the 14th. In addition to the special menu, we will also be offering a number of our regular dinner menu items. All items will be priced a la carte. Make your reservations quickly as space is limited.

The Valentine's Menu includes:
Sherry and crab bisque- $5.50 Cup/7.50 Bowl

Sweet Gem lettuce with prosciutto rose, Ice wine vinaigrette, House pickled beets and Spicy Toasted Cashew Crunch $8.95

Baked brie in puff pastry with Spiced Chipotle raspberry sauce $9.95 (an old fashioned yearly best seller!)

Lollipop Lamb Chops with Blood orange fennel salad and pommery mustard mint glaze $10.95

Entrees
Country fried Lobster Tail- with creole crawfish gravy, garlic green beans
and pancetta cheddar grits $32.95

White truffle Chicken pot pie with root vegetables and rosemary Biscuit crust $24.95

Parmesan fried oysters with creamed leeks, candied bacon , fingerling potatoes and Pecorino jus $24.95

Roasted Sea bass with lemon caper dill beurre blanc, Jumbo asparagus and blistered Vine tomatoes $31.95

Fresh ricotta and squash Gnocchi with Brown Butter and sage topped with a boursin stuffed artichoke heart$ $21.95

Pork porterhouse Chop with Calvodos reduction, stuffed apple, Braised Fennel $25.95

Grilled 10 oz Tenderloin with red wine and wild mushroom demi, served with sour cream, chive and white truffle twice baked potato $30.95

Sesame Seared ahi tuna with shiitake mushroom smashed potatoes, Baby Carrots and Soy gastrique, avocado wasabi cream and crispy wontons $26.95

Gluten free, vegan and dairy free options upon request, please call ahead for any specific dietary concerns

Dessert Specials
Lover’s Cheese plate with Boschetto al tartuffo, fresh fruits, rosemary toast, honeycomb and shaved pecorino $14.95

Truffle flight- 2 each chocolate truffles in assorted flavors 8.95 earl gray, Pineapple basil, chocolate chili.

Passionfruit mousse in a chocolate cup with raspberry coulis and Almond lace cookie $7.50

Brulee du jour- Baked pears in a Marsala Cream $6

Christmas Gifts

2009-12-28T17:24:00.001-08:00

One of our side dishes at my house for Christmas was these lovely tomatoes, all from my garden, ripening on the window sills and the perfect gift in the middle of a blustery snowy cold Christmas day...A promise kept by Summer...she never lets me down.

Me and Thomas!

2009-12-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

Funny story... though it looks like I am being grabbed by Thomas Keller...well, OK!
If you have the chance , grab the book too!

Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Marmalade

2009-12-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

One of my cooks ( Melody, thanks so much!) recently made me this jam from her mother's Meyer Lemon tree. She said it was sunshine in a jar and well, she wasn't kidding. I really needed this on a gloomy cold Saturday morning. It was in a word...Perfection. Bright and lemony with a hint of Tropical climes and the heady aftertaste of luscious vanilla, in a way that vanilla could never be on its own. It was a very thoughtful gift of homemade love....and its ALL MINE.

I am not sure what recipe Melody used for this but here is one from Epicurious that you might enjoy..

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds Meyer lemons
5 cups water

5 1/2 cups (about) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Pinch of salt
Working on large plate to catch juice, cut lemons in half lengthwise, then very thinly crosswise. Discard seeds. Pack enough lemons and any juice to measure 2 1/2 cups. Transfer to large nonreactive pot. Add 5 cups water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand uncovered overnight.

Measure lemon mixture (there should be about 5 1/2 cups). Return to same pot. Add equal amount of sugar (about 5 1/2 cups). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add pinch of salt. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Attach clip-on candy thermometer. Maintaining active boil and adjusting heat to prevent boiling over, cook until temperature reaches 230°F, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to jars. Cover and chill. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

and here are some more rantings about this lovely confectionery bliss of wonderful breakfast anytime goodness sunshine in a jar! Click here for Food Gal's version of perfection!

Enjoy!
Chef

New Dinner Menu Winter 09

2009-12-12T09:43:00.001-08:00

Come in soon for some hearty and warm new dinner entrees, or if you are a regular come in to see our Winter twist on your menu favorites... Sea bass with orange marmalade gastrique, local garlic greens...

Roasted Chicken Saltimboca with Butternut Squash and sage brown butter...

Linguine with pancetta and clams in a cracked peppercorn broth...

Strip steak with fingerling potatoes, melted leeks and bleu cheese pan sauce...

Quail with barbocoa confit stuffed poblano...

or Dry rubbed rack of lamb with pear balsamic mint compote.

See you soon and Happy Holidays to all!

Tomato Leaf Soap

2009-12-02T08:59:00.001-08:00

As promised and in just enough time (there was snow on the ground this morning!) here is the recipe for tomato leaf soap. I forgot to take photo during the process but here are a few of the finished project!

tomato leaf soap

* Note: do not heat glycerin soap above 160 degrees! or it will sweat once hardened.

Tomato Leaf Soap
Use as a gardeners soap or hand soap in late Winter or early Spring when the urge to grow something in the ground is almost unbearable. The smell of this soap will immediately transport you to a warm hillside in Tuscany.

Makes two bars:

8 ounces unscented clear glycerin soap
8 ounces of fresh tomato leaves and their stems. (this is more than you think)
2 extra ounces tomato leaves, no large stems
2 drops grapefruit essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil.

1 large heavy saucepan, 1 wooden spoon, 1 slotted spoon, 1 large bowl with a pour spout side, 1 large strainer, 2 soap molds or other containers. (I used two plastic Glad tupperware containers)

Instructions:
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the glycerin soap until liquefied. Add the 8 ounces of tomato leaves and stems pushing down to submerse all of the leaves. Keep the soap on low and using a wooden spoon press the leaves to extract the chlorophyll and scent. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in both of the essential oils. The soap will be a natural colored green and smell lovely. Place the smaller amount of leaves into a large bowl (I used a bowl with a funnel side for pouring, this will help later). Pour the heated soap mixture into a strainer set over the large pour spout bowl. Press down to remove soap from leaves. Discard original leaves and remove the second set of leaves from strained soap mixture with a slotted spoon. Quickly pour the soap into clean molds. Let harden for three hours and remove by turning the mold upside down and popping out with your fingers. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving at my house

2009-11-30T07:37:00.000-08:00

We like to start the day off early every year. People begin arriving around 10:00 am and this year my good Italian friend Natalie brought this amazing Egg, Spinach and Sausage Calzone...a few pitchers of Thanksgiving morning Salty Dogs and everyone had breakfast together while some of us flitted in and out of the kitchen finishing up last minute items. Warming the stuffing, adding another round of cornish hens to the smoker and putting the cranberries on the stove.

We had smoked Cornish hens for the second year in the row. I find they are trouble free and cook in about one hour. We do brine them overnight for added flavor and they turn out perfect every year. Allot one bird each per person to ensure leftovers to send home with anyone. Instead of Turkey sandwiches or tetrazzine the week after think more along the lines of a smoky infused chicken and rice soup with paprika.

Rounding out the meal, we had Southern style cornbread dressing, an apple walnut stuffing, fresh Orange Cranberry sauce, Locally grown India Mustard greens, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, Baked Scallops with sage and breadcrumbs, Port wine gravy, Cayenne honey glazed Sweet potatoes, Grilled asparagus with pickled shallots, Apple Crisp, Flourless Chocolate cake and Pumpkin Pie with maple whipped cream...

Oh yes, and my husbands Southern Oyster Casserole...all I can say about this is that is does not contain any cheese or cream of mushroom soup, just oysters, butter, Worcestershire and cracker crumbs....and butter. We used enough plugra butter that day to stop a small team of Oxen in its tracks.

It is almost December

2009-11-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

Seriously folks, I picked a cucumber today. It would not win a prize at the county fair or anything but there it was, still in the garden, along with about 40 good looking green tomatoes.

I do believe that cold weather is probably coming but until then, my garden is actually looking better these last few weeks than it did all Summer. Swiss Chard, Ornamental peppers, Flat leaf Italian Parsley, Italian Chicory, Butter crunch Lettuce and Tomato plants that are outrageous for this time of year.

I am not quite sure what I will do with all of those green tomatoes, maybe pickled or tomato chutney, but I do have plans for the leaves.

Did you know that tomato leaves are NOT poisonous. Well, not necessarily. A lot of things in large amounts are poisonous, but even basil leaves in large doses can be symptomatic for some people, and no one thinks anything about Sassafras leaves (Gumbo File) in their Cajun creations which has always been listed as being a carcinogen. I say this because Harold McGee says this, and he is a Food/Scientist authority. I have even found recipes from Mario Batali's father that uses tomato leaves to add a true garden flavor to his tomato sauces and salumi...I do LOVE the smell of tomato leaves.

I will try a few recipes on myself first at home, but actually I plan to make soap. Yes soap, not soup... Soap. I am perfecting a recipe and I better get on it. The Weather channel is telling me that the next few days make start to feel like it is supposed to in late November.

Here are a few pics of my home garden with all of those tomato leaves and one tiny cucumber.

Everything but the Turkey!

2009-11-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

Hannah's is looking forward to being a part of your Thanksgiving Holiday! We are offering "Everything But The Turkey" this year to accompany your special dinner. All items will be available to pick up through November 25th. Call 940-566-1110 to place your order today!

First course:
• Bistro cheese board- assorted cheeses with seasonal accompaniment of bread, cranberry and red onion jam, and tangerine and rosemary olives $5 per person
• Soup-Cauliflower & celery root puree with pancetta $4 per person
• Salad-Beet goat cheese salad with hazelnuts and citrus $4.50 per person

Sides:
• Old fashioned yukon mashed potatoes $3.50 per person
add white truffle oil $1 supplement per person
• Chipotle mashed potatoes $3.75 per person
• Roasted root vegetables with thyme $4.50 per person
• Roasted brussels sprouts with maple bacon $4.50 per person
• Cajun Mirlington cornbread dressing lightly spiced Louisiana
style $4 per person
• Apple sage and walnut stuffing $4.25 per person
• Cranberry kumquat compote $1.75 per person
• Grilled asparagus with shallot sherry vinaigrette
$3.25 per person
• Butternut squash with brown butter and sage $3.50 per person
• Roast chicken port gravy $2 per person
• Roasted garlic bread $5
• Pecorino rolls $.50 per roll
• Sun-dried tomato rosemary rolls $.50 per roll

Dessert:
• Brandied fruit sauce (to go over your own dessert of ice cream)
with sundried apricots, cherries, cranberries and cinger preserved in Brandy $7 per pint
• Hepburns walnut brownies $4 per person

Whole Desserts:
• Hannah's carrot cake $30
• Flourless chocolate cake with strawberries $30
• Coconut custard pie $20
• Mile high apple pie $35
• Pumpkin and white chocolate cheesecake with
gingersnap crust $35

New Lunch Menu Fall 2009

2009-11-04T18:04:00.001-08:00

Stop in for lunch this week and check out our new menu! Chicken Saltimboca with homemade manicotti, Prosciutto and Brie on Baguette with Horseradish Marmalade, Our seasonal Reuben is back and Vegetarian Black Bean Chili....never forget..we are listening...Fresh handmade tortillas for all tacos!

Its that time

2009-10-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

My favorite season to cook!

Fall is the best for so many of my favorite things like soup, stews and braised meats. I know today was super hot after the morning rain but the weather man assures me that a cool front will be coming in later tonight and I cant wait!

Here at Hannah's we are getting a jump-start on the weekend with a few of the following over the next three days:

Mushroom bisque with Smoked paprika creme

Linguine with little-neck clams, pancetta, tomatoes and black pepper broth

Crispy Roman Style Artichokes with Lemon and Garlic Aioli

Gorgonzola and Pear Pasta Purses

Pumpkin, leeks, and Wild mushrooms are sure to make the list.

Buttered Rum Cream Brulee and Bread Pudding are here as well!

Come in to see us and cuddle up with some heart warming food!
Made with love.

The best 24 hours

2009-09-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Exactly 12 hours after having finished the 100 mile dinner I headed up to Dallas for some groceries and a little shopping. Another stop I made was a special treat for me at Williams and Sonoma and a wonderful opportunity to meet and chat with Ruth Reichl from Gourmet Magazine. What a pleasure! My new friend Susie Machemehl sent me this great photo and at the end of her e-mail she wrote...

One shoe can change your life.
~Cinderella

Love it!

3rd Annual 100 mile dinner

2009-09-24T15:27:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful night! We were booked and everything was just beautiful! It is easy to prepare this kind of meal when the freshest of local foods does all the work for you!

The menu included Red wine vinegar pickles with local salt, A tasting of Goat cheeses from Latte da Dairy and Dallas Mozzarella Company, Bibb lettuce salad with sprouts and hard boiled egg, Fresh Tomato Blt Salad with hot bacon dressing, Pineapple sage and Pear roasted Ham, Pork Loin, Sweet Potato fries, Butternut squash with brown butter and sage, Purple Hull peas, Stewed okra and tomatoes, Rosemary Roast Beef and potatoes Lyonnaise, Poblano Roasted Chicken and Blueberry pecan Crisp with Cantaloupe Lavender Sorbet and much, much more!

My goal for next year is to incorporate more wild foods.There are still those elusive morels in Sherman Gainsville area and maybe some more sunchokes and yucca shoots and burdock or poke salad....Maybe the Spring will bring us some luck for these wild foods of North Texas.

If you missed it, be sure to sign up early for the next one, we were booked for this one!

Cheers!

100 mile Food Event

2009-09-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Come join us at 6:30 pm Tuesday night for our 3rd annual 100 mile dinner! This is a special event hosted by Hannah's off the Square celebrating our North Texas abundance of regional foods. Let us show you how easy it is to eat locally and better than you ever thought you could! Everything on the table for this special dinner was GROWN or RAISED within 100 miles of Denton.

What you can expect to see at Tuesday's Dinner includes but is not limited to:
Red wine Braised Beef with chargrilled onions, Smoked Pork Ham with Pineapple sage, Poblano Pesto roasted Chicken, Spaghetti squash and butternut squash gratin, Purple Hull peas with snaps, stewed okra and tomatoes, Bibb lettuce salad with Red wine vinaigrette, Local eggs, pickles, Honey poached pears, Watermelon feta salad, Cool roasted Shiitake mushrooms, Local Cheese Course, Lavender Cantaloupe Sorbet.... and much more!

Space is limited and we will have local wines on hand as well! 75 dollars per person...What a deal!

Many Thanks to this years Farmers and Suppliers...
Dominion Farms
Brushy Creek Winery
Texas Organic Mushrooms
Wolf Creek Farms
Cardo's Sprout Farm
Charlie's of Texas
Susan Hastings and Mike White of Texas Pure Honey
Ken's Produce
Denton County Farmer's Market
Dallas Farmer's Market
Mckinney Farmers Market
Dallas Mozzarrella Company
Latte Da Dairy in Flower Mound
and every small farmer in the city of Denton who has contributed to this lovely dinner...Thank you!
Texas Olive Ranch
Grand Saline Natural salt

Local Fruit

2009-08-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

We have tons of local pears coming in right now and local bay leaves, We use the two together for a classic dish of red wine poached pears with pink peppercorns

I like to use a dry red wine (any variety), because we do add a little bit of sugar in the recipe, so a sweet wine might overpower the subtle flavor of the pears

One hour later, plus 30 minutes resting time to help set the color and let the pears cool off a bit in the poaching liquid before removing...

Beautiful little ruby colored gems, perfect for salads, Pear Belle Helen etc..

What a lovely evening

2009-08-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

If you weren't here on Thursday for our Wine Tasting event, you missed a lovely evening..

Five great wines and wonderful food paired with each, courtesy of Sous Chef Candis Koerner.

Moroccan Lamb with Mint and Raisins on Beet Chips

Sweet Pea Soup Crudo with Celery and Sashimi

Beef Carpaccio with EVOO, Capers and Cracked Pepper

The winemaker Brian was on hand to walk the guests through the Vintner's history of each wine.

Tommy and Pat Caruthers

Duck liver with White Truffle and Shaved Parmesan

Local roasted pear with Candied Horseradish and Buttermilk Baby Bleu

A great event that has us looking forward to our next special evening...The 100 mile dinner in September...Stay tuned! Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for all of the latest news!

2009-08-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Meet winemaker Brian Graham tonight August 20th from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Hannah’s Off the Square. Originally from Denton, Mr. Graham, who now makes wine in Napa Valley, California will be signing bottles and discussing his new projects.

You can enjoy this special event for $30 per person or $50 per couple which includes 5 taster glasses of wine paired with chef selected accompaniments. Any showcased wine may be purchased by the glass for $10. Our regular dinner menu will also be available. Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible as space is limited.

Wine Tasting Menu

2007 Ramian Estate Reserve White

-Cool Sweet Pea and Celery Soup with Ahi Tuna Sashimi

2007 Ramian Estate Grenache Rose

-Morrocan Shredded Lamb on Herbed Taro and Sweet Potato Chips

2006 Ramian Estate Debauchery Petite Sirah, Napa Valley

-White Truffle Duck Liver and Roasted Wild Mushroom Croustade

2006 Ramian Estate Chapter Six Bourdeaux Style Proprietary

-Roasted Pear with Fresh Ginger and Horseradish Syrup and Buttermilk Bleu Cheese

2005 Ramian Estate Parlay Syrah

-Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio and Caper Relish with EVOO Drizzle

A Wine Country theme dinner

2009-08-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

A private setting on Hannah's Patio...beautiful Coffee Berries and Pale Green Orchids
set the stage...linen wrapped ice buckets filled with the couple's favorite wines greet the guests on a warm Summer evening

Locally made and imported cheeses were served with rosemary focaccia, honeycomb, fresh fruit, toasted walnuts, chili oil and basil

Light music and the splash of our fountain drowns out the sounds of the city

The menu included Napa Salad with dried fruits, nuts, a touch of bleu cheese and Pinot dressing, Porcini Chicken, Roasted Salmon and Beef Tenderloin

The party lasted well into the evening as guests nibbled on dessert...shortbread lemon bars, chocolate ganache stuffed strawberries and mini carrot cakes

Hannah's would love to host your themed dinner for friends, family or celebration! Give us a call any time!

Some more goodbyes

2009-08-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

Some of our regulars that visit Grace each week

And our current longest running employee besides Grace...Damian Carlos.
No Mas Baby!

Have you heard?

2009-08-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Have you heard?

I know ...do you know?

Oh, yeah. I love this game!

We know...

We know too!

Our Miss Grace is moving to New York City!

Yeah, I think I heard about that.

Wait. What's happening?

She sure could make a great drink!

Grace is NYC bound! Yeah! and I am going with her!

I don't know. I am pretty upset about this!

Don't be sad!

Be happy!

What do you think she is going to do there?

Model?

Hang out with friends?

Maybe Broadway, she already has the Jazz hands!

We are going to miss you Grace!

Yeah, we love you Grace!

So much!

Ok, but there is time for one last dance ya'll!

Yeah, shake and shimmy girl!

We're not gonna dance!

Grace is the Dance Queen!

Ok... maybe just a little soft shoe!

Oh no!

It's time.

I'm out!

Congratulations Brandon and Sarabeth

2009-08-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

Happening right now at Hannah's...

Hannah's Congratulates Sarabeth and Brandon

The couple chose all of their favorite finger foods...Wasabi Deviled Eggs, Bruschetta, and Ahi Tuna Tartar

Friends and Family

Brandon serenades Sarabeth...

The Bride had a twirl worthy dress...

Mr. And Mrs. Brandon Lacy

Small Plate Thursdays

2009-07-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Coupled up with our Beer Specials on Thursdays I wanted to offer lots of small plates in the dining room tonight...Here is our specials menu for this evening!

White Truffle Kettle Corn

Romaine Heart with Pepperoncini and Feta Vinaigrette with Crispy Fried White Anchovies

Amberjack Crudo with Apricot Soy Sauce, Green Chilies and Micro Cilantro

Duck Liver Ravioili with Blood Orange, Balsamic and Brown Butter

Locally Made Mozzarella Cheese Toast topped with Pasta Pomodori

The Porco- Three Pork Flatbead with Locally made Sausage, Bacon, Fennell Seeds and Crispy Prosciutto

Elderberry Wine marbled Cheddar with Local Blueberries and Honeycomb

Chocolate Mousse topped with Espresso Granita and Giant Almond Biscotti

Come by and enjoy!

Sharp Chef Competition

2009-07-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

I had some great fun last Saturday afternoon judging the Sharp Chef Semi-finals Mystery Box Competition. The event was held at Dogwood Estates at Unicorn Lake. 5 Chefs from the Around the US competed against each other and the clock to see who would go on to the finals in Colorado!

My fellow Judges...

Monte came all the way from Oregon to officiate the competition. It was such a pleasure to have all of the Chefs in the restaurant on Friday night!

A "pantry" was selected for all of the contestants to choose from, they could use any of these ingredients along with their choice of one or both of the "mystery box" proteins.

The competing chefs are revealed. Three from Texas, one from Florida and one from Colorado.

and the mystery proteins are.....

Tofu and Pork Collars!

The Chefs had 45 minutes to prepare their dish before presenting it to the judges.

A huge crowd of over 400 waited for the results!

The winner is Jason Swab from Colorado Springs! His winning dish was Spice Crusted Pork Collar with Sweet Potato Mash, Flat-bread and Spaghetti Vegetables. It was delicious!

Click (here) to visit Holiday Sharp Chef and to see Jason's Winning Dish!

What a great way to spend a Saturday!

Farmers Market and Denton Community Market

2009-07-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

There was a very productive meeting tonight about the Denton Community Farmers Market held in the basement planning room of City Hall. I arrived shortly after the meeting had begun to a great surprise of standing room only! I will try to post updates on where the planning stages are for this new endeavor as things progress. Tonight was mostly about introductions, gauging interest and floating ideas.

Before I got away from the kitchen though, I did manage to put a totally local salad together...We featured 5- 6 tomato varieties from the Farmers Market, locally grown basil and locally made fresh mozzarella cheese for a really tasty Caprese. MMMMM!

Varieties included; Pink Cherries, Celebrity, Fourth of July's and Yellow Pears.

Chef

Fourth of July Weekend Specials

2009-07-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

We got our first crate of sweet corn in today for the season, along with 30 pounds of snow crab legs, a bag of little neck clams and a crate of Candy cots (these are the smallest, sweetest apricots on planet Earth!).

Come in Friday and Saturday dinner for a few of our dinner specials including:

Roasted Salmon with Sweet Corn and Littleneck Clam Chowder Sauce...

Steamed Snow Crab Legs with Parsley butter Yukon Potatoes and all the fixins'...

Chilled Candy Cots with Ice Wine Granita.

We will have drink specials all weekend. Try a Texas Tea Sparkler with Bergamot Infused Iced Tea, a scoop of Lemon Sorbet and a splash of Tito's Texas Vodka.

See you there!
Chef Sheena

What a Chef does on her day off

2009-07-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

I am pretty much jaded by food shows. I have been going to them since I was young and in Culinary School in Florida. After so many years, there just isn't enough "new" product out there to make me want to see 40 different ways to bread chicken fried steak and eat all day from one color group....shades of brown.

Yesterday however was the Southwest Food Expo and it is better than average.It only comes around every three years. I don't expect much and the day did not start off well, but I did find a few things I wanted to share.
First let me say, I love driving into downtown Dallas. I get excited coming over the last curve by the W Hotel and seeing the skyline spread out before me. It feels like the beginning of a fish out of water movie. You know the kind, where the country girl makes good in the big city!

Anyway,the food was ok. A few surprises, like truffle infused salt and Thai ginger salt...must have those. Also, Katz's was there with some really spicy tuna rolls with all kinds of caviar. They had huge fish on ice and were cutting it up in the booth! Pretty great for a food show. But I have to say that the biggest finds were in the alcohol section of the convention center called Cafe 21.

A few of my favorites were mostly Texas spirits. I spent some time talking with Mrs. Kelleher. She and her husband Gary make Dripping Springs Vodka. A truly great spirit with a sweet corn flavor that really imparts some nuance that you just can't find with traditional vodkas. I am not a huge fan of vodka cocktails. I think a great cocktail should showcase and enhance the flavor of the spirit, and most vodkas taste like nothing to me, so why am I drinking it? I usually stick to gin or rum, but this one tasted wonderful, subtle and substantial at the same time. Mrs. Kelleher also told me about Paula's Texas Spirits. Paula and her crew make some of the best lemoncello and orangecello out there. They have such a dedication to quality, all of their fruit is hand zested for the liqours!

She cited her favorite Sunday Brunch Drink for me...Texas Rio Ruby Grapefruit Juice, fresh squeezed of course, with Dripping Springs Vodka and a splash of Paula's Texas Orangecello! Where is my glass?

Another booth where I spent a good bit of time was Treaty Oak Platinum Rum. The owner was there to talk up his great product and to hand out quite a few samples... a couple for me! Wow, what a wonderful flavor, earthy and sweet on the nose, "like gingerbread" I said. That's when he told me that they use molasses for the alcohol base. Actually they use only local products, incorporating molasses from the last operating sugar mill in Texas.

I really hope to have some of these products at Hannah's soon, make sure to ask the next time you are in and tell me what you think!

Well after a trip through Cafe 21, I went round again to hit up some more of those tuna rolls, some more focaccia with olive oil and truffle salt, and a kobe burger with gorganzola from the Sysco booth. Not a bad day afterall.

Chef Sheena

New Dinner Menu

2009-06-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Come in and see what's cooking on our new dinner menu!

Dry Rubbed Rack of Lamb
Blueberry Sea Bass
Porcini Pork Chop
Duck with Balsamic Roasted Grapes
Orange Tarragon Grilled Trout
Two minute Calamari and Seafood Stew
Southern Fried Quail and Farm Fresh Scrambled Egg Salad.... and lots more!

Chef Sheena

Voted Best Neighborhood Gem

2009-06-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in Open Table's voting in the DFW Metroplex!
We appreciate all of your feedback!

We were voted Best Neighborhood Gem in our area. Other categories where we placed in the top ten of DFW include: Best patio, and Best Overall Dallas Suburbs. Click on the link above to visit Open Table's Diner's Choice Winners!

Denton Community Market

2009-06-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon... Let us all do what we can to support our community!

One story of a Chef, living off the land

2009-06-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

I call it my old youth. When I tell these stories to people who have grown up in the city or more suburban areas they always say that these are the stories that their grandmothers use to tell them. That it doesn't seem like the youth of someone who is in her 30's, but where I grew up, time runs a little slower and people move a little differently than the way they do in Dallas. The only things to rush to are church and school.

Hunting and gathering for me as a child seemed natural. I had no concept that every child in the world was not doing the same and even though all of my friends and their families may not do it the same as my family, they certainly understood it and had their own family traditions of living better off the land around them.

Living in Florida, even as rural as where I grew up, you are only ever two hours away from a coastline. We went deep sea fishing, snorkeling for scallops in Steinhatchee, flounder in Suwanee and redfish in Horseshoe . The sight of sting rays and hammer heads flipping around in the bottom of my dad's boat is still a fresh memory. Fried squares of shark tail, snapping turtle and stingray were my chicken nuggets. I don't think I even ate at a fast food place or had even seen one until my cousin had a birthday party at Burger King in the next County over. Paper crowns and everything.

Gathering sassafras with my grandmother for gumbo seasoning, marking the Florida Bays in blossom in the summer so that we could find them all year round, squirrel hunting, digging for fresh water mussels; all of this seemed natural.

Once when visiting my friend at her family's deer camp (hunting camp ) we were riding in the back of an old pick-up truck when her father suddenly slammed on the brakes. He grabbed a shovel and an axe out of the truck bed and marched about twenty yards into the woods. He started to cut down what looked to me like an overgrown Palmetto bush and dug up the root. He said "this is good eatin" as he threw it in the back with us.
Later I watched carefully as he cleaned the layers and chopped them up with bacon and onion and boiled it. He called it swamp cabbage and so my love was born for hearts of palm.

That same family introduced many wonderful foods to me over the years including blue crab fingers and homemade wine. They grew the best cantaloupe I've ever tasted and showed me how to harvest and spin honey. After 30 some odd years the oldest daughter and I are still the best of friends and we enjoy many culinary traditions each time we are together. It is how we celebrate, how we mourn and how we mark the passage of the years. Our traditions allow food to transport us to memories long forgotten, until by some magic, a whiff of the once familiar can take us back in time.

Chef

P.S. The above image is the Telford Hotel in White Springs Florida, my hometown.

Texas meets Montana Wedding

2009-06-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

It's June, and along with the Copper River Salmon and Texas Blueberries, it is the season for Weddings! Just last night we had a rehearsal dinner for a Garden themed wedding here in our private dining room, complete with lots of candlelight, bright pink vincas and maiden hair ferns, just lovely.
I wanted to share with you a past wedding that I have done, for a Denton regular (also mother of a previous employee at Hannah's). She and her soon to be husband loved Hannah's so much, that they honored us with a trip to their Montana home to cater their wedding. Texas style I guess you could say with a shared Cowboy theme and a little bit of Scotland Heritage thrown in for good luck!
The Setting: a large cabin on the Blackfoot River just outside of Missoula, Montana

The Couple's lovely home on 9 mile road...Triple Rock Ranch

Deborah and Jerry O'Connell

A little bit of Texas...Cactus Pear and Lime Margaritas...

A little bit of Scotland...The Bride and Groom were serenaded by bagpipes over the hills...

A little bit of Montana....nothing in Montana is little!

The Groom hand painted river rocks gathered from the property in lieu of place-cards

The Couple requested a Crudite and bread table to go along with a large wheel of "Roaring Forties" bleu cheese that was given to them as a last minute wedding gift.

This was the main stove in the cabin, where me and my "sous" chef cooked through the week, however the garage was turned into a main staging and cooking area on the big day, with rented stoves, six foot tables, coolers and Missoula's six best waiters!

Watching the Big Blackfoot go by...

All dressed up for the occasion.

New Brunch Menu

2009-06-11T17:30:00.001-07:00

These were our best sellers this past Sunday as we introduced a new Brunch Menu! Honeycomb Banana Pancakes, these beautiful Texas Blueberries in Buttermilk Pancakes, and Hermalinda's Chicken Tamales topped with Locally pastured Scrambled eggs from Dominion Farms, Cotija Cheese and Two Salsas! See you Next Sunday!

Farmer's Market Bounty

2009-06-06T09:13:00.001-07:00

I just could not wait to write about the wonderful things I found at the Denton Farmer's Market today. When I see the first table, or in this case tailgate of a beat up pickup, I get so excited, and worried that someone might buy things that I want for the restaurant. I become very protective of every squash and onion I see. Looking quickly down the row to gauge what is available, I can then take my time to pick out the best of what there is to offer. Scooping up the last of the early summer cucumbers and late spring garlic,before anyone else even has a chance, thank you. Those are mine! It is a full on contact sport, don't be fooled, I go knowing full well that I might come back with an empty wallet, a market bag overflowing and perhaps a bloody knee!

However, there are some things you don't do at the farmers market. You don't try to pay with a debit card. Come on people! You don't haggle over prices. These guys work hard for what they offer and they are probably already underpricing what they have, and you don't buy from those guys with tons of boxes of tomatoes from Chile in the back of their U-Haul! Those tomatoes are not local!

Some polite do's..... You can ask where their farm is, they are only too happy to tell you. Sometimes this may take more than a few minutes, location, acreage, what is coming out of the ground soon, but it is part of the charm of our little farmer's market.
Do bring your own market bag, or at least use one bag from a vender to fill up from everyone else, do try to buy at least one thing from every local vender, and if the beet greens look a little wilted it is OK to ask if they have anymore in the back (i.e, the floorboard of the truck, under the table or coming tomorrow).

Today's Treasures are leeks, onions, garlic ( I am thinking of a totally local three onion soup!)
Daikon radishes, yellow squash and cucumbers ( Roasted Daikon Scallops with squash frittata and curry cucumber yogurt ) and
Round Zucchini- sliced thin and fried , layered with cheese and bacon ( we are in Texas, it will sell). Enjoy!

Chef Sheena

June already!

2009-06-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

We are in Texas and it was Spring for about a week, but with our first forecast of temperatures in the 100's looming over the next couple of days, it may not be officially Summer, but it already feels like it here in the Lonestar State!

For Hannah's, June signifies the beginning of a few things other that hot weather, first of which is Texas local blueberries! Expect to see these blue beauties on the menu for the next month.
Come in this Sunday for our new Brunch Menu where you will find Buttermilk Texas Blueberry Pancakes!

Also coming in right now is Copper River Salmon. These guys only run for a few weeks every year, so enjoy them now! This weekend we featured Crispy Skin Grilled Copper River Salmon with Cherry Tomato and Baby Spinach Risotto and Apricot Lemon Buerre Blanc. Sad to say that this feature sold out on Thursday and Friday night, but we look forward to getting it in again this next Thursday the 11th.

See you soon, and don't forget to have an Iced Tea Sparkler, made with ice cold Lemon Sorbet, perfect for what's ahead!

Chef Sheena

New Lunch Menu

2009-05-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from yesterday's launch of our new Lunch Menu. It was such an exciting day for me and the daytime Sous Chef James Grandfield, and everyone's feedback was wonderful. Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy these seasonal offerings , come back soon to see photos of our new dinner menu! Pictured above in descending order are our Grilled Fish sandwich with Chili spiked mayo, jalapeno slaw with red onion and tomato....Our Version of Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise with Green Bean, Red Onion and Tomato salad, Mixed Olive relish and Crispy Potato.....Skirt Steak Sandwich on French Baguette with Balsamic Mayo, arugula, grilled onion, avocado and tomato..... and lastly, House smoked duck Crepes with locally grown wild mushroom Marsala sauce and Zucchini batonnets.

See you soon!
Chef Sheena

Congratulations Jeff and Meagan

2009-05-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our General Manager Jeff and his wife Meagan on their first baby!

Ella Marie Solomon was born on Tuesday, May 26.

Jeff will be out for a few days, but come in soon to wish him well!

New Tapas and Bar Menu

2009-05-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

Over the next few weeks, Hannah's will be introducing our new menus one at a time. We have a lot going on and we have really appreciated your feedback about your favorite dishes and your ideas about things you would like to see for Brunch, Lunch and Dinner.

Come in now to enjoy our new Tapas and Bar Menu!

Chilled Red Crab Claws
Salad Shirazi with Mint and Cucumber & Lemon
Flatbread Caprese with Locally made Mozzarella
Prosciutto and Fresh Melon
Crispy Local Mushrooms with Five Spice Mustard
Locally Made Sausage and Potato Pinxtos with Smoked Paprika
Vanilla Poached Cherry Tomato and Local Goat Cheese Crustade

and so much more.....
Our new cheese for the weekend will be a Red Windsor Derby with Elderberry Wine

stop by and have some!

Celebrate Memorial Day and remember our veterans!

2009-05-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

I know most people will be going to the lake, grilling outside or visiting family, but just in case you don't yet have plans, I wanted to invite you to join Hannah's this Memorial Day Weekend for some great American Classics....with a Hannah's twist of course!

St. Louis Style BBQ Pork ribs with Jalapeno Slaw and Espresso BBQ Sauce

Rosemary Smoked Beef Tenderloin with Zucchini Ribbon Salad, Boursin Cheese and Rosemary Potato Chips

Maine Lobster with Blue Crab Breadcrumbs and Baby Spinach Risotto in Beurre Fondue

Texas Big Hair Meringue Lemon Bars with Fresh Blueberries

See you this weekend and remember Hannah's is closed this Monday to observe the holiday.

Best Fine Dining 2009

2009-05-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you Denton for voting us Best Fine Dining 2009! We appreciate each and every vote!
What an honor it is to serve this wonderful community for so many years. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Chef Sheena

Congratulations Grace!

2009-05-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

Next time you stop in for a martini or cocktail, congratulate our new UNT graduate Grace Stevens, a long time employee for Hannah's. Grace will be in Italy for a week or so, but she is the current Denton Iron Bartender Champion, so she is worth the wait!

Congratulations Grace! We are so proud of you for all of your hard work and dedication!
Enjoy Italy!

Hannah's Crew

Congratulations Graduates!

2009-05-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Congrats to all TWU and UNT Graduates! Hannah's salutes you! In honor of our special guests on this day, we offered one of our staple desserts....Katherine Hepburn's Brownie, we serve it a la mode of course, but here is the recipe with a creme fraiche topping!

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt together 1 stick butter and 2 squares unsweetened chocolate and take the saucepan off the heat.

2. Stir in 1 cup sugar, add 2 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and beat the mixture well.

3. Stir in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. (In the original recipe, 1 cup chopped walnuts is added here as well.)

4. Bake the brownies in a buttered and floured 8-inch-square pan at 325°F for about 40 minutes.

You can cut these brownies into squares, once they have cooled, and eat them out of the pan, but it is so much nicer to pile them on a fancy plate, from which people are going to eat them with their hands anyway. If you want to smarten up your act you can put a square of brownie on a plate with a little blob of créme fraîche and a scattering of shaved chocolate.

Local right now

2009-05-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

As we get closer and closer to June, things are beginning to look up in the area of local harvest. Already we are seeing herbs, greens and lettuces. As the Spring eases into Summer or in the case of North Texas I should say BLASTS into Summer, our lists of what we can get locally becomes increasingly varied. It is wonderful to feel good in your heart and in your tummy! Hannah's lists its local ingredients within 150 miles. Here is a list of what we have this week.

Local right now

Watercress
Oregano
Sno pea shoots
Swiss Chard
Dominion Farms Chicken
Fresh Eggs
Shiitake mushrooms
Rosemary
Sage
Fresh Basil
Fresh thyme
Salad Burnett
Mozzarella
Parsley
Micro greens
Mint
Fresh Goat Cheese.....We can't wait for June!

Chef Sheena

Katherine Hepburn's Brownie Recipe

2009-05-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is not a closely guarded recipe for our restaurant, but it is one we use any time we want the moistest richest brownies ever! We get nothing but compliments. They have that shiny brownie crackle top with a perfect combination of fudge like cake middle. View blog post above to see recipe!

Mother's Day

2009-05-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

It's finally here and for once in Denton, Mother's Day is not celebrated the day after UNT and TWU Graduation. Moms, you have the whole weekend to yourselves!
Given this golden opportunity to focus just on the wonderful mothers in our community, Hannah's is offering a special menu in addition to our regular Sunday Brunch selections.

Tuscan White Bean and Rosemary Soup

Spiced Cheddar and Chive Biscuits, Fresh Banana Bread, French Baguette with Strawberry Butter

Avocado and Shrimp Cocktail with Lemon Artichoke Remoulade

Strawberry and Baby Organic Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Broccoli and Vermont Cheddar Quiche with Country Ham, Red Pepper Cream and Ritz Cracker Crust

Rosemary Breakfast Potatoes

Lobster Pasta with Dill Orange Butter Sauce, Sweet English Peas and Local Pea Shoot Salad

Champagne Curry Chicken Salad, Flaky Croissant and Poppy-seed Fruit Melange

Apricot Stuffed Pork Loin with Bacon Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes and Caramelized Onion Green Beans

Coconut Custard Pie with Berry Coulis

Katherine Hepburn's Walnut Brownie a la Mode

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing

We hope to see you there!
Open for Brunch and Dinner ( dinner specials will vary)

Chef Sheena

Local Inspiration

2009-04-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Denton, in Spring, is a visual blessing. I kow we have a Redbud festival, but personally I think we should have an Iris festival. A walk around town to visit the most beautiful specimens. A slow drive up and down Elm and Locusts streets would do it, although every once in a while, out of the corner of my eye, I will see the most beautiful stand of Iris' in the middle of the woods. A fleating bright reminder of a forgotten home foundation that has long since expired. I think about the Iris' in Denton and the folks who 30, 40 and 50 years ago must have shared their abundance in bulbs, creating the patchwork of color we see here today.

The abundance and sharing of North Texas has a two-fold blessing for us at Hannahs. Our loyal customers bring their over wintered collard greens in for us to use on our local menu. Thank you Barry! They bring in hard to find seeds for our own urban garden. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Norgaard, (I will make that poke weed for you!) They provide us with baby Lolla Rossa lettuces and fresh herbs for weeks... arugula, lemongrass you name it. Thank you Rodney!

Times are tough and it means everything when our locally raised chicken and egg supplier, Taylor from Dominion Farms, tells us that each time we recycle his egg cartons he will give us a free carton of eggs in return! Oh, and thanks for those free pork leg osso buccos...YUM!

These are just a few of the wonderful blessings that we receive at Hannahs every day. I doubt these kinds of things happens at corporate restaurants. In the months ahead the economy will struggle to find its bearings, and we realize that you may be eating out less, so I only ask that when you do go out, please think about where your money is going.

Consider eating at an independant restaurant that sources local ingredients, invests in its community and truly cares about its employees and customers.

Chef Sheena

Mulberry Street

2009-04-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, Hannah's off the Square is located at 111 W. Mulberry Street, just a stones throw from the Downtown borders of Elm, Oak, Hickory and Locust streets. I have to guess that there are obvious reasons why the city's founders named these streets after certain trees, even if those reasons sadly no longer exist.
However I am happy to say that there are three Mulberry trees on the grounds of Hannah's off the Square, one of them being very old with gnarled twisted branches, defying new developement
and currently host to thousands of mulberries.

Over the years, I have made jam, tarts, ice cream and muffins for Sunday brunch from these mulberries, and they never dissapoint. I am looking forward to some rustic mulberry galettes this year, with good weather and a bit of generousity from the birds, we should be eating mulberries after a long day at the Jazz Festival.

Chef Sheena

What to do with Peeps?

2009-04-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Of course we were extremely busy this last Sunday. Easter Brunch of course, and sometimes on special days such as this, people don't have time for dessert. What I mean to say is that with all of the sweets that usually accompany Holidays, another dessert just cannot be had. But with every Holiday menu, I try make a few special items that reflect the season, and this year I made a Mile High Pineapple Coconut Hummingbird Cake, a Lemon Bar Raspberry Fool Parfait, and for the kids a Homemade Graham Cracker Burnt Peep S'more.

I know, I know. Peeps! Those gooey sugar coated marshmallow things in colors that should never be served as food, probably still tons left on supermarket shelves, waiting for the reduced section of your supermarket!
But let me tell you something, even though you may have thought about it but never done it...taking a blowtorch to a Peep transcends those little creatures into pure s'more heaven! Instead of burning like a regular campfire marshmallow, the sugar coating on the outside gets really crispy, like a marshmallow creme brulee. Add your favorite chocolate and graham crackers and i promise you wont be dissapointed!

To my surprise, the Peep s'mores were by far the best seller. Turns out, everyone is a kid on Easter. If you hurry, you might still find some leftover Peeps at you local grocer or you might have to wait until next Easter. The Peep Company only makes the chicks and bunnies once a year, but this dessert will be on my Easter menu for years to come!

Chef Sheena

Welcome

2009-04-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to introduce Hannah's to all of you who aren't familiar with the restaurant. Some of you may follow this Blog from afar or just haven't had time to stop by. There are so many stories to tell from the almost 8 years of business, and you will find some of those stories here from time to time, but the quickest way to see what we are about is though photos. Insert cliche here. So Hello, we are Hannah's. It is great to meet you! If you are in the DFW area, stop by, we would love to meet you in person.

Don't forget to click on our logo above for more information.

A beginning

2009-04-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

"In the Spring, at the end of the day,
you should smell like dirt"
Margaret Atwood

What better time to begin something new and exciting, than Spring? Join me Chef Sheena Croft and the Staff at Hannah's Off the Square at a behind the scenes look, in our kitchen, in our garden, in our cookbook and in our hearts. We will follow through the Seasons and introduce you to some of our local gardeners and purveyors. We will tour farms and markets and maybe bring you along on a tasty vacation to some far away place or maybe to someone who lives just down the street, and of course we will be posting some of our favorite recipes and cooking tips. What a pleasure it has been serving our community for the last 8 years, and we are so eternally grateful for your support.

April is a promise that May is bound to keep~ Hal Borland

Happy Easter everyone!
Chef