Originally from Mexico City, Chef Alma Alcocer came to Austin in 1989 by way of Le Cordon Bleu culinary academy in Paris. After lending her skills to a brief stint in catering, Alcocer found herself working at Austin's nationally-recognized fine dining restaurant, Jeffrey’s. Under celebrated Chef David Garrido’s skillful hand, Alcocer thrived in his collaborative environment that encouraged team input on the regularly evolving menu.
In 2009, Chef Alma left Jeffrey’s to work as Chef de Cuisine for Chef Miguel Ravago of famed interior Mexican restaurant, Fonda San Miguel. She enjoyed showcasing the flavors of Mexican cuisine with fresh produce from the restaurant garden as well as other local ingredients. Alcocer also facilitated the opening of Austin’s Tacos-N-Tequila, a concept from Dallas-based Blue Mesa Grill.
When longtime friend, Carlos Rivero, asked Chef Alma in the team of Austin Tex-Mex favorite, El Chile, it quickly became clear that a restaurant of Alcocer’s own was long overdue. That collaboration led to El Alma where her classical training blends with her Mexico City roots for a homespun take on authentic Mexican dishes. Visit her at El Alma to enjoy the embrace of her delicious fare and warm hospitality.
Chef Elias Serda, a native of McAllen, Texas, brings over 10 years of professional experience in kitchens from coast to coast. This young chef has worked with some of the world’s top chefs, notably José Andres of the Think Food Group at restaurants Oyamel, Jaleo, and The Bazaar (Think Group’s 2 Michelin star Mini Bar).
Before cooking this special meal for the Paulists at St. Austin, Chef Elias prepared meals for top chefs including Ferran Adria, Rene Redzepi, Anthony Bourdain as well as former Presidents and their First Ladies, Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton and Barack and Michelle Obama.
Chef Elias strongly believes that food has the power to bring people together, spreading joy to stomachs, one at a time. His borderland roots inform his perspective that lines on a map create artificial barriers when families and friends are found on either side. He offers this hopeful wisdom gleaned from working with Chef José Andres: “In tough times like those we’re in today, we shouldn't worry about building higher walls, instead, let’s focus on building longer tables.”
Today, Chef Elias expands his skills and hones his craft at the long table of the highly-acclaimed sushi Omakase “Otoko” here in Austin.
Chef Alma's Recipes - Served with Mango Limonada
Squash, Spinach &
Jalapeño Tostadas
Ingredients:
2 - 1 ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, cubed and roasted soft ½ red onion, cut into thin strips 3 tablespoons olive oil ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder or chipotle puree ½ teaspoon thyme, fresh or dry 1 tablespoon minced garlic ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup fresh baby spinach, cleaned 8 crispy tostadas ½ cup queso fresco ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, roasted 2 cups purple cabbage, very thinly sliced, washed and strained dry 3 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, small dice 3 tablespoons pickling juice, vinegar from the jalapeños
The juice of ½ a lime
To prepare:
In a nonreactive (glass or ceramic) bowl, mix the purple cabbage with the pickled jalapeños, pickling juice, lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Heat up the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion until soft 1-2 minutes, and add the roasted squash and garlic. Season with salt, thyme, and chili powder. Remove from the heat and mix in the spinach. On a large platter arrange the tostadas, top with the squash mix evenly divided. Top with queso fresco and the toasted pumpkin seeds. Top with jalapeño slaw.
Serve with a side of rice and refried beans.
Serves 4 - 6
Refried Black Beans
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked black beans, reserve 1 ½ cups of their cooking liquid and discard the rest 2/3 cup olive oil 2 cups white onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves, about 3 tablespoons chopped 2 tablespoons epazote or cilantro ½ teaspoon of ground coriander ½ teaspoon kosher salt
To prepare: In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, carefully add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat and let them cook until golden brown 4-5 minutes. Add the epazote and coriander cook just enough to make them fragrant. Add the cooked black beans and 1 cup of the reserved bean liquid. Let them boil for 5-6 minutes until the liquid has become thick and the beans very soft. Remove from the heat, let them cool down, and puree with an immersion blender or by hand with a potato masher.
Serve with Queso Fresco or Cotija as a complement to any meal.
Makes 8 - 10 servings
Alma's Quick Guacamole
Ingredients:
3 large tomatillos washed and husk removed, cut in half 3 large avocados, ripe 1 serrano, chopped; one more if you like spicy 1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped with large stems removed 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste Juice of 1 lime, about 3 tablespoons ¼ cup white onion, small dice and rinsed out
To prepare: When cleaning and chopping the cilantro reserve, a ¼ cup of chopped leaves and set aside.
Place the tomatillos, serrano, lime juice, salt, and cilantro in the bowl of your food processor, blend until smooth then add the avocados and blend until you have a smooth puree, season with more salt if necessary. With a spatula transfer to a bowl, mix in the onions and reserved cilantro. Serve with crispy totopos (corn tortilla chips) or on top of your favorite taco.
Makes 2 cups
Chef Elias' Recipes - Served with Micheladas
Gazpacho de Morelia
(A Regional Fruit Salad)
Ingredients:
Melons: Watermelon, Cantaloupe, and Honey Dew Pineapple Orange (supreme) Jicama Radish (sliced thinly on a mandolin) Cotija Cheese (1 tablespoon) Tajin (1 teaspoon) Orange Juice (freshly squeezed, 1 tablespoon)
To prepare:
Medium dice all fruit
Place fruit in a bowl
Drizzle orange juice over the top
Place radishes over fruit
Sprinkle with cotija cheese and Tajin
Mexican Street Corn
(Elote)
Ingredients:
Fresh ears of corn in husks Butter Mayonnaise Cotija Cheese Paprika
To prepare:
With the husks attached, cut the corn in pieces small enough to fit your pan or leave whole if you are preparing them on a grill or griddle
Cook corn in a sauté pan, grill, or griddle on medium-low heat for 3 – 5 minutes on each side
Carefully peel husks, removing as much corn silk as possible then return to the pan (grill or griddle) for another 3 – 5 minutes on each side
Once fully cooked, rub with butter and sprinkle with salt
Cover with mayonnaise, cotija cheese, and paprika
Steak with Chimichurri
New York Strip Steak Chef’s tips:
Allow steak to reach room temperature before cooking (about 30 minutes)
Cook in a hot pan – the pan’s ready when the oil begins to smoke
Use canola oil – olive oil is best for salads and finishing
Season from a point high above the food, as if from the heavens to season evenly
Sear the fat cap first, cook to desired wellness – 5 to 8 minutes per side
Chimichurri Ingredients: Parsley (1 cup) Cilantro (1 cup) Mint (1 cup) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3/4 cup) Lemon Juice (1/4 cup) Red Onion (3 tablespoons) Dried Oregano (2 teaspoons) Red Pepper Flakes (1/2 teaspoon) Black Pepper (1/2 teaspoon) To prepare:
Place all ingredients in a food processor
Process to desired consistency
Plantains with Fresh Strawberries,
Sweetened Condensed Milk & Crema
Ingredients:
Plantains (ripe, two per serving)
Strawberries (sliced, two per serving) Sweetened Condensed Milk (2 tablespoons per serving) Mexican Crema Fresca (2 tablespoons per serving) Toasted sesame seeds (1 teaspoon per serving)
Canola Oil (1 quart)
To prepare:
Cut plantains into bite sized pieces, removing peel
Heat a pot of canola oil to approximately 350 degrees (we used a quart of Canola oil)
Fry the plantains until a golden brown
Carefully remove the plantains from the oil, allow to drain on paper towels and pat dry to remove excess oil
Place plantains and fresh strawberry slices in a bowl
Drizzle with Sweetened Condensed Milk and Crema Fresca over the top them finish with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds