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 in a play. When we stopped in…
Main dish recipes
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 dancing and singing. With an hour before…
Turkey and sausage jambalaya
Last weekend, I saw Willie Nelson for the first time. Considering his legendary status, it’s incredible to me I’d never been to one of his shows. But I wasn’t alone…
Smoky chili beans
A few months ago, I was looking at grocer ads from the late 1800s and early 1900s. As expected, the offerings were provisions such as bacon, flour, butter, and coffee….
Chile relleno casserole, El Paso style
When I first read the recipe for chile relleno casserole I found in my family’s stash of cards, I was struck by the instruction to use a one-inch layer of…
Brisket enchiladas
This summer, after an afternoon of shopping at North Park in Dallas, a friend and I got into her car and realized we were hungry. As we pondered our nearby…
Gochujang-glazed ribs
My friend was shaking his head. “You put cilantro on your ribs?” he said. I replied that I had. “Why would you do that? Koreans hate cilantro!” I explained that…
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 said, “What’s that? Those are enchiladas not…
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, and Christmas, though it’s also been known…
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 comforting. What she served wasn’t complex, but…
