Ensalada de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve salad)
A few days ago, I admitted that I hate beets. Now, you’d think I’d announced I hate sunshine or bluebonnets the way people reacted. “How did this happen?” said one….
Side dish recipes
Cactus casserole with rice, ancho chiles and cheese
Every year at this time, I face the same problem. See, I’m a bit lackadaisical when it comes to buying my plane ticket home for Thanksgiving. And now that it’s…
Green chile hominy casserole with chorizo
My grandma thinks I am incapable of making any recipe without chile peppers. And she finds this very amusing. Take our conversation about hominy casserole the other day. As she…
Fried pickles
Last week, everyone was talking about fried pickles. Sure, fried pickles are good but why all the sudden interest? Well, apparently a popular TV show about New Jersey beaches (or…
Purple hull pea salad
I’ve been working on the pickle section of my book, and I’ve concluded that just about anything can be brined and preserved. Fruit, vegetables, meat, and eggs—it’s a rare food…
Ranch style beans recipe
Fifteen years ago, I was on my way to the Austin airport to catch a flight to New York City when the friend I’d be staying with called and said…
Chipotle macaroni and cheese with bacon
I’m roasting chiles and frying up bacon. What am I making, you might ask? What everybody wants to eat after being ill for a few days: chipotle macaroni and cheese….
Ancho chile applesauce
I went apple picking in Connecticut with my mom last weekend. It wasn’t the first time I’d picked apples—we have apple trees at the family farm and every August they…
Hatch chile potato casserole: funeral food
“Pass the chicken, pass the pie. We sure eat good when someone dies. Funeral food, it’s so good for the soul. Funeral food, fills you up down to your toes.”…
Tex-Mex squash casserole
I took a wrong exit on my way to the Birmingham Airport. I don’t usually mind getting lost because this can often lead to discovery. But after meandering endlessly down…