Strawberry spoon bread
Every spring when the wildflowers bloom, Texans will say thank you to Mrs. Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, the former first lady and native Texan who made it her life’s work…
Bread recipes
Irish cheddar and bacon soda bread
When we first moved to Houston from Dallas, one of our new neighbors greeted us with a homemade gift. “Welcome to the neighborhood!” she said. “I made you some Irish…
Chocolate-cherry scones with cinnamon-orange butter
Sometimes you get a craving. For me, it was a slice of chocolate-cherry bread, that sweet yeasty loaf from Central Market riddled with chunks of bittersweet chocolate and tart, juicy…
Sweet potato biscuits with chorizo cream gravy
On Wednesday mornings, I take a tour of Texas’s foodways via its newspapers. I may learn about Mexican cookies being baked in San Antonio; a chile pepper rivalry between El…
Jalapeno cheese bun recipe for a proper Texas burger
When I first moved to New York, I was struck by the presence of what was called a Texas burger. At first I was thrilled, curious as to what it…
Molletes with homemade bolillos
Do you love refried beans and cheese? Do you love a crusty yet soft roll? Then allow me to introduce you to a superb Mexican dish: molletes. Earlier this summer,…
Cemita sandwiches with homemade rolls
Have you ever had a cemita? It’s a sandwich found in the Mexican state of Puebla. At first glance, you may think it looks like a hamburger as it’s housed…
Honey-soaked hot cross buns
The first time I heard of hot cross buns was during a piano lesson. It was early in my (very short) musical career, so I could only play songs that…
Sweet cornmeal biscuits
A few weeks ago, I had a lovely lunch at Dovetail, an Upper West Side restaurant that serves what I would call creative comfort food. The meal was good but…
Cheese straws
Cookie season is in full swing and will be for at least another week (there are, after all, 12 days of Christmas). I enjoy sampling from tins filled with raspberry…