Community Date Night

Gabriel Massey, tattoo artist and Battle Royale Tattoo owner, shows us a mandala from start-to-finish.

Gardening guru, Gena Scurry, shares her green thumb.

Litigation consultant, Alison Wong, debunks the myths around jury selection.

James Winslow, BC Music Specialist, brings his music stylings.

Vareen Cunningham, a krav maga practitioner, brings us her self defense tips.

Reena Jogi, a dermatologist with Village Dermatology, teaches skincare tips⁠.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup warm water (or as needed)

Directions

Mix all dry ingredients together.
Cut in shortening.
Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour water a little at a time until well mixed.
Knead mixture well into a ball and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Make into small balls (golf ball sized) and roll out.
Heat over Med-Hot skillet / griddle 2-4 min each side.

Saida Fagala is Post Oak's Art Specialist. At our October 28 gathering, she shared her hand-building clay techniques and artistic passion with us.

We invite you to watch her video and further explore her work!

• View Saida's profile
• Follow Saida's work on Instagram

A note from Saida: "The chance to combine sculpting and painting sparks my creativity every time I touch the clay, it tells me a new story. I collect all the memories and depict the faces of the people that I have met. I love working with porcelain and cobalt blue; for many years, it was my trademark. I am also attracted to terracotta clay for its rich color and smooth texture. One of my most favorite techniques is a hand-building, and that’s the technique I will be using in my video."

Gabriel Loperena shared his love of Spanish wines, family history and recommendations for fellow wine drinkers!

Best paired with Spanish foods, Gabriel recommends the following:

1. Marques de Riscal, Rioja (at Spec's & Total Wine)
2. Marque de Murrieta, Rioja (at Spec's & Total Wine)
3. Martin Codax, Albariño (at Spec's & Total Wine)
4. Pesquera, Ribera del Duero (at Spec's & Total Wine)

The varying climates of Spain produce a wide variety of grapes such as the Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Palomino to name a few. 

We learned some phone photography and cheese board prep tips from husband-and-wife team, Jess and Bobby Matos.

Jess is a lifestyle photographer who captures all of life's moments, from newborn, kids, family, weddings and more.

Jessica Matos Photography 

Chef Bobby knows his oysters and Tex Mex! Check out his local Houston restaurants:

• State of Grace
• Superica
• La Lucha

By Delish US

Ingredients

• 6 c. ice
• 1/2 gal. apple cider
• 1 (750 mL) bottle Prosecco, chilled 
• 1 c. vodka
• 2 (12-oz.) can ginger beer
• 3 apples, sliced
• 2 oranges, sliced into triangles, plus more for rimming
• 8 cinnamon sticks
• Cinnamon sugar, for rimming

Directions

• In a large punch bowl, add ice. Pour in apple cider, Prosecco, vodka, and ginger beer. Add apples, oranges, and cinnamon sticks. 
• Using an orange slice, wet rim of glasses, then dip into cinnamon sugar, turning to coat. Serve punch in rimmed glasses. 

(No measurements included)

• Preheat oven to 385° F
• Get one large pan, cast iron works best
• Begin the choppy, choppy of aromatics: dice onions, garlic, carrot, poblano, sweet pepper, and more!
• Start by browning some sausage
• Add the diced vegetables (not the garlic yet because it burns!)
• Add your favorite spices and tomato sauce (chopped, canned tomatoes, whatever)
• Add red wine and let it cook down
• Add fresh beans
• Add brown or white rice (white if you are in a hurry)
  • Brown rice 1:3 cups liquid
  • White rice 1:2 cups liquid
• Add liquid: water, chicken stock is better, he used stock made from dried mushrooms
• Then cover with foil and put into the oven
  • Brown rice cook for 45 minutes
  • White rice cook for 20 minutes
• Take it out of the oven and leave it covered for 5 to 10 minutes.

That’s it! Hundreds of variations from this pattern.
Last step is to share it with someone you love.
 

Rob Johnson, Associate Principal Horn, shared his musical talents with us. Here is a recording of Rob and his children performing from their living room in April 2020: