Lemon yogurt poppy seed muffins
In 1975, my grandma baked a loaf of poppy seed bread. While this may not seem worthy of mention, it was an unusual act in that she never repeated this…

In 1975, my grandma baked a loaf of poppy seed bread. While this may not seem worthy of mention, it was an unusual act in that she never repeated this…

The last dinner my grandma made for me was in November 2017. I was in town for a book signing, and while she hadn’t felt energetic enough to attend the…

Every Christmas, my Uncle Austin gives the family homemade granola. During a recent survey of my refrigerator, I found a bag from the previous year. Because his ingredients are all…

When I was young, my mom introduced the family to a new cheese spread. It was a foil-wrapped puck of white cheese that was laced with garlic and herbs. The…

For years, I’ve had the notion of chicken-fried catfish on my mind. While typically, I eat my fried catfish dredged in a cornmeal coating, I wondered if treating the fish…

When I was making plans to visit Lubbock, a friend gave me some advice. “Go to Orlando’s Italian restaurant, and order the mafia queso,” she said. “It’s outstanding.” Lubbock, Texas…

A few years ago, Deb Perelman of the Smitten Kitchen blog introduced the world to a dish she called pizza beans. It was a pan of beans baked with tomato…

Every Sunday afternoon, I make a pot of pinto beans. They’re nothing special, I just like to keep beans on hand for when I get a craving during the week….

At the Indianapolis 500 race in 1970, Texas and New Mexico were pitted against each other, both on the track and off. In the lineup of drivers was Lloyd Ruby…

When my uncle gave me a bag of dried black-eyed peas he’d grown this summer, I mentioned that last year I’d made black-eyed pea tamales. Intrigued, he peppered me with…