Caldillo, West Texas beef and green chile stew
The first time I heard about caldillo, it was in a comment from a reader. The discussion was on how best to use…
Ruby Red grapefruit chess bars
The first time I learned about chess bars, I was at the Strand Bookstore in New York City browsing through its collection of…
Pork shoulder roast with garlic, citrus, and herbs
When reading a Texas community cookbook from the late 1950s, I came across an herbed pork roast studded with garlic, rosemary, and citrus.…
Pigs in jalapeño-cheddar pretzel blankets
Many years ago, a friend from Austin and I were taking the train from New York to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to see another friend…
Fried avocado tacos
After a rousing David Byrne set at the Austin City Limits Festival last fall, my friends and I were famished after all the…
Jalapeño cheese grits
I did not grow up in a grit-eating family. I’d beg and beg my mother to make grits, but she’d always say, “We…
Salsa verde chicken tamale pie
A Texan friend of mine who is a private chef in California remarked that she had been introducing her clients to all the…
Tex-Mex beef and bean stew, aka Lakemont chili
My family has a dear friend who moved from Houston to Georgia when she and her husband retired. She’s an excellent cook and…
Borracho black-eyed peas
Every December, I begin to think of new ways to prepare my pot of black-eyed peas. For the past few years, the phrase…
