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 collection that she’s gathered from her parents…
Side dish recipes
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 black-eyed peas? Not having any of the…
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 with our immediate family in Houston before,…
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 back to New York City. While ordinarily,…
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 Luby’s logo. Since Luby’s is a Texas…
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 to cook them, but I confessed they…
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 in several of the pieces people stated…
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 hadn’t yet, but there was still plenty…
Texas caviar
Back when I first lived in New York, finding black-eyed peas was a challenge. While I do enjoy them year-round, it was around New Year’s Day that I became most…
Fancy green bean casserole
Earlier this year, I went to a Mexican restaurant that had fried green beans on the menu. The crisp coating was sprinkled with smoky red chiles, and the combination of…