Cilantro-lime rice
My favorite way to help someone who isn’t feeling good is to offer them something delicious to eat. When a dear one recently…
Cabbage with bacon
One day while visiting a friend, we sat in her kitchen and discussed the importance of family recipes. Like me, she has a…
Black-eyed peas for New Year’s Day
My first New Year’s Day in New York City, I was panic struck: where was I going to find my annual dose of…
Poblano mashed potatoes
The first Thanksgiving that my brother attended with his new wife was a big occasion. They live in Oregon, and while she’d visited…
Jalapeno corn fritters
On the way to DFW airport a few years ago, I stopped at a restaurant to grab one last bite before I flew…
Macaroni and cheese, Texas cafeteria style
A few years ago, a shop in New York that specializes in vintage restaurant plates had on display white mugs marked with the…
Butter beans
One day my grandma mentioned my uncle was preparing a big pot of butter beans for dinner. She then asked how I liked…
Southeast Texas Italian salad
The first time I saw the phrase, “Wop salad,” I did a double-take. I was reading Texas newspaper articles from the 1950s, and…
Smoky savory collard greens
One cold January day, I asked my brother if he’d enjoyed black-eyed peas and greens for the New Year. He said that he…
