Food for Thought

Here's some real food for thought: Brains make a great dish even if you're not azombie

"Growing up, goat was our weekend treat. My father would go to the local butcherand he would get an entire goat, including the brain, and we would have brainfor breakfast," says chef Anita Jaisinghani of Indika and Pondicheri.
Photo by Marene Gustin
Anita Jaisinghani, cooking up some brains
Photo by Marene Gustin
Brain masala from chef Anita Jaisinghani
Photo by Marene Gustin

It’s been a decade since the zombie apocalypse. World War Z is over but the Undead are still among us. In fact, they have assimilated into society and they even have their own cooking column on CultureMap. How cool is that?

Dear Chef Z:

My husband is constantly bitching about eating cold brains for dinner. I mean, seriously, we’ve been eating this way for a decade and I have a fulltime job at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and after a long day of making humans stand in line for hours, I just don’t have the energy to come home and prepare a hot meal of human brains. Do you have any suggestions?

Signed: Dead and Loving It But Ready to Kill my Husband (again)

Dear Dead and Loving It:

Don’t kill him (again!), just try this simple recipe for brain masala from chef Anita Jaisinghani of Indkia and Pondicheri.

Sadly, Jaisinghani isn’t one of us Zed Heads, but for a human with an actual pulse, she’s still pretty cool, and a real aficionado of brains, if you can believe that!

Actually humans in many cultures also eat brains, and I don’t mean just cannibals. Of course most humans eat animal brains. In Mexico, seso (beef brain) tacos are quite popular and some folks in Texas eat pig brains. In Africa and China monkey brains are considered a delicacy but it’s in India and Pakistan that goat brains are an easy to make and yummy treat.

Hmmm, those are the countries where the zombie apocalypse outbreaks first began, I wonder…but I digress.

“Growing up it was our weekend treat. My father would go to the local butcher and he would get an entire goat, including the brain, and we would have brain for breakfast. I love it with a fried egg on a small roti or pan seared flatbread.”

“Goat is the red meat of India,” explains Jaisinghani. “Growing up it was our weekend treat. My father would go to the local butcher and he would get an entire goat, including the brain, and we would have brain for breakfast. I love it with a fried egg on a small roti or pan seared flatbread.”

Jaisinghani admits that she’s mostly vegetarian but she just can’t give up her goat brains (who could give up fresh brains!) at least once or twice a week. She likens goat brain masala to spicier scrambled eggs in taste and texture (although I think they are a little squishier than eggs).

For humans, brain is an acquired taste; they either love it or they don’t. Can you imagine not loving brains? Those humans just kill me. Well, not literally, unless they shoot me in the head.

Anyway, she recently showed us how to make this dish and I must say it really is very simple. Takes about two minutes to prepare so even after a long day of dealing with DMV clients you can whip this out in no time.

Jaisinghani says the hardest part is cleaning the brains to get all the connective tissue off but that’s not really a concern for the Walking Dead. Other than that, just make sure the brains are fresh and keep them refrigerated until ready to cook. I’m printing her recipe below.

Of course, for all us Zed Heads you can substitute one human brain for the two goat brains. I’m betting your husband will really love the flavor of brain mixed with the potatoes and onions and aromatic spices. And if he doesn’t you can still just kill him again and use his brain in the recipe.

Bon appétit!

Jaisinghani's Goat Brain Masala

Goat brains* 2

Clarified butter (or oil) 3 Tbsp
Red onion, fine chopped 1 small
Boiled potato, any kind, fine chopped 1 medium
Garlic, sliced 2 cloves
Chili powder 2 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Cumin, ground 1 tsp
Amchur (dried mango powder) 1 Tbsp
Garam masala 1 tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Water ¼ cup

Garnish: chopped cilantro
Pomegranate seeds

1. Under cold running water, clean out the goat brains to remove the sinewy film. Refrigerate until further use.

2. In a small sauté pan, heat up the clarified butter and cook the onions, potatoes and garlic for 3-4 minutes on high heat or until light golden brown.

3. Add the spices and continue cooking for a few more seconds, taking care not to burn the spices.

4. Add water to deglaze the pan, almost immediately after add the goat brains.

5. Cover the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat. Take the cover off – the mixture should be on the dry side.

6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and fresh pomegranate seeds.

*available at any butcher that carries goat meat – they should be bought fresh and used within 24-48 hours. They also freeze well for up to three months.

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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