Caldillo, West Texas beef and green chile stew
The first time I heard about caldillo, it was in a comment from a reader. The discussion was on how best to use up an abundance of green chiles, and…
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Ruby Red grapefruit chess bars
The first time I learned about chess bars, I was at the Strand Bookstore in New York City browsing through its collection of regional, community cookbooks. While the Strand does…
Pork shoulder roast with garlic, citrus, and herbs
When reading a Texas community cookbook from the late 1950s, I came across an herbed pork roast studded with garlic, rosemary, and citrus. Often when I go through mid-century cookbooks,…
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…
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…
Jalapeño cheese grits
I did not grow up in a grit-eating family. I’d beg and beg my mother to make grits, but she’d always say, “We don’t eat grits in this family. Now…
Salsa verde chicken tamale pie
A Texan friend of mine who is a private chef in California remarked that she had been introducing her clients to all the Texan classics such as chicken-fried steak, fajitas,…
Tex-Mex beef and bean stew, aka Lakemont chili
My family has a dear friend who moved from Houston to Georgia when she and her husband retired. She’s an excellent cook and from time to time, she and I…
Borracho black-eyed peas
Every December, I begin to think of new ways to prepare my pot of black-eyed peas. For the past few years, the phrase “borracho black-eyed peas” had been running through…
Texas caviar chile con queso
This time last year, I was asking people for black-eyed pea recipe ideas. Most shared with me dishes that involved lots of pork and peas, a common combination as the…
