Chili Queens chili
The first time I heard about the San Antonio Chili Queens, I was on a plane. A friend wanted to make a documentary about Tex-Mex, and she showed me her…

The first time I heard about the San Antonio Chili Queens, I was on a plane. A friend wanted to make a documentary about Tex-Mex, and she showed me her…

When a friend set out some snacks for us to enjoy, she pointed to a bowl loaded with chopped pickles and speckled with dill. “This is pickle dip,” she said….

In Mary Koock Faulk’s The Texas Cookbook, I came across a side dish that cooked rice with the juice and zest from an orange. Since both are key Texan crops,…

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…

Last week, I lost my sense of smell. Thankfully, my sense of taste was still functioning, so eating wasn’t completely strange. But everything had only the basic essence of salt,…

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…

The other day, a friend and I were discussing Texan holiday traditions. We agreed that fruit cake, cookies, party mix, and homemade candies were always around. And for the main…

When it comes to holiday treats, the ones I look forward to the most are those on the salty and savory side. Whether it’s sausage balls, cheese balls, cheese straws,…

From Thanksgiving to Christmas, it’s officially sausage ball season at my house. These savory snacks made from a blend of breakfast sausage, cheese, and biscuit mix are what would happen…

At the grocery store the other day, I saw a woman in a shirt that said, “Follow the joy.” A timely message, I thought. As we navigate our way through…