Bacon-jalapeño cheese ball
While I was home for Thanksgiving, I found in my grandma’s cabinet a North Texas community cookbook from the 1970s. It was a fairly typical cookbook, with chapters on appetizers,…
Appetizer recipes
Stuffed pumpkin with cheese, bacon and chipotle chiles
The day before I left for my Texas tour, I made an incredible dish. It was a baked pumpkin stuffed with bread, Gruyere, sharp white cheddar, bacon, chipotle chiles, cream…
Tex-Mex fried pies
Spicy, savory fried pies stuffed with chorizo, jalapeños, cheese, and refried beans.
Tomato and cucumber salad with cornbread croutons
My first experience with panzanella, or bread salad, was at a late summer outdoor gathering many years ago in Texas. At the time, I was a little suspicious of the…
Corn and black bean salsa recipe
Goodness! Where has this week gone? I can’t believe it’s already Saturday! I reckon this is what happens when you have a book coming out almost a month—your life starts…
Red chile hot wings
These days, when you say you’re serving wings, most people assume it’s the spicy variety that were made popular in the far upstate New York city of Buffalo. In a…
BLT wedge salad with chipotle blue cheese dressing
This time of year, when most days it’s too darn hot to stand in front of the stove, let alone turn on the oven, I start eating a lot of…
Spicy buttermilk onion rings
There was a lot of chatter last week about a certain California hamburger chain that opened in the Dallas area. Apparently, people were so excited they camped out all night…
Jalapeño egg salad recipe
This week, I’ve been plowing through my book’s page proofs, making corrections and cuts where needed. Unfortunately, I’m a bit of a perfectionist and when I turn in the proofs…
Ninfa’s spicy pickled carrots recipe
Spring in New York City can be tough. One day it will be bright and shiny weather, no jacket required. But just when you’re packing away your heavy coat, the…