Aaron Franklin’s pinto beans
A big pot of creamy pinto beans fired up with lots of black pepper, ancho chile, and smoked brisket. Can serve as a side or in a bowl on its own.
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Jalapeño dill potato salad
Last weekend I attended my first outdoor gathering of the season, and I brought one of my usual potluck standbys, my pinto bean…
Soft cheese tacos
My friend was confused. She had heard me order a soft cheese taco plate, but when it arrived, she pointed at it and…
Churro brownies
Often I’ll hear about new restaurants in Texas to try and because I’m thousands of miles away, I can only look at the…
Brown sugar and coffee glazed ham
Ham has long been a favorite celebration dish in my family. We usually serve it on big feast days such as Easter, Thanksgiving,…
Shepherd’s pie with chipotle-Cheddar mashed potatoes
Recently I heard one woman’s cooking described as “mom food.” When asked to explain, it was said that her food was simple and…
Chicken-fried steak with red chile gravy
One summer day, while driving along the Rio Grande from Laredo to McAllen I began to get hungry. As I passed through the…
Roast chicken with bacon, tomatoes, and green chiles
My friends keep telling me I should get an Instant Pot. They sing its praised though I’m still not convinced. This is mainly…
Crazy nachos
Whenever I fly into Dallas, my first stop is Herrera’s on Sylvan. It’s a family-owned Tex-Mex restaurant that I’ve been eating at almost…
Spicy applesauce cake
My great-grandma Blanche loved applesauce cake. In fact, her recipe collection has no less than five versions of this classic snack cake, all…
Nothing finer than a Texas peachAll posts
Peach cobbler
Ripe juicy peaches are nestled in a sweet and tender batter in this classic Texas peach cobbler recipe that came from my great-grandmother. Good all year but especially good in the summer, when peaches are in season.
I love tacos!All posts
Ancho chile and cocoa-rubbed flank steak tacos
A rub of ground ancho chile and cocoa powder brings an earthy, fiery flavor to flank steak tacos, best served in flour tortillas with guacamole and pico de gallo.
Coca-Cola braised carnitas
Coca-Cola and milk, along with warm flavors such as cinnamon, allspice, and chipotle give these carnitas a slight hint of bacon, which is never a bad thing at all.
Summer squash, corn, and chorizo tacos
Summer squash, zucchini, corn, and chorizo are nestled into corn tortillas and topped with avocado for this late summer taco. An excellent way to use up your garden’s bounty.
Pork tinga (tinga de puerco)
If you like the marriage of succulent meat with spicy chipotles, you should try pork tinga, a Pueblan stewed dish of pork and chorizo that makes a fine filling for tacos.