Texas chili powder cheese ball
The first time I wrote about cheese balls on this site, I featured a character named Aunt Betty. She was a fancy relation who impressed everyone with her culinary prowess,…
Cheese
Green chile turkey spaghetti
When I was setting up my first apartment after college, I went to an antique store to look at furniture. Sitting by the register was a large cast-iron skillet. The…
Cheddar pecan biscuits
My uncle has said that if I feel joy when cooking then the food I make will always taste good. And whenever I think about my recipe failures, I sit…
Fritoque, bean and corn chip casserole
My first encounter with fritoque was in Robb Walsh’s “The Tex-Mex Cookbook.” He described it as a bean and corn chip casserole that was popular in San Antonio in the…
Soft cheese tacos, El Paso style
For a recent project, I was tasked to do taco research. While for some, reading old books, magazines, and newspapers may feel like work, for me it was a joyful…
Smoky macaroni and cheese
When I pulled up to the barbecue cart, I was dismayed to see it shuttered. The posted hours had assured me that it would be open through the afternoon but…
Migas breakfast casserole
When my Oregon family of homesick Texans gets together for a festive weekend brunch, often my dad will make a big batch of migas. For those who may not be…
Chili cheese enchilada casserole
My uncle Austin has recently moved to the family farm to assist my grandma, who’s now 93 and prefers not to cook nor clear brush down by the lake (though…
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…
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…
