Carrot skillet cake
One Easter when I was living in New York City, I hosted a brunch for my friends. Since the traditional dessert in my family had been carrot cake, I decided…
Easter recipes
Roast lamb with jalapeño yogurt sauce
It’s said that Texans don’t usually eat lamb. This isn’t true, of course, as the first time I had lamb was in a small East Texas town. I was still…
Brown sugar and coffee glazed ham
Ham has long been a favorite celebration dish in my family. We usually serve it on big feast days such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, though it’s also been known…
Ham and cheese croissant casserole
Croissants, eggs, ham, and cheese are baked together to make a tender, savory casserole. It’s perfect for breakfast, but with a side salad it works well as a lunch or supper, too.
Lemon bread
When I first moved to New York, about once or twice a year my mom would send me a loaf of lemon bread. It was my favorite thing. The bread…
Pimento cheese deviled eggs
A reader recently emailed me, asking for my deviled egg recipe. In her letter, she explained she was at work and had left my book at home. While she had…
Jalapeño egg salad recipe
This week, I’ve been plowing through my book’s page proofs, making corrections and cuts where needed. Unfortunately, I’m a bit of a perfectionist and when I turn in the proofs…
How to cure a ham
A recent trip to the store presented me with a beautiful selection of hams, recently brought in by a local pig farmer. As I picked out the one I wanted,…
Honey-soaked hot cross buns
The first time I heard of hot cross buns was during a piano lesson. It was early in my (very short) musical career, so I could only play songs that…
Lamb barbacoa: a special spring treat
Is there a reason why we Texans don’t eat much lamb? It’s tender, it’s flavorful, it’s not too expensive and yet you seldom see it. Heck, I even heard a…