Pimento cheese stuffed pickled jalapenos
Recently, I’ve been feeling nostalgic for the cafeteria experience. While there are many dishes I’ve enjoyed there over the years, there was always one item I was curious about but…
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Dr Pepper sticky wings
A friend in Houston mentioned he was craving the Dr Pepper sticky wings he’d enjoyed at a local spot. They were savory and sweet, he said, and he’d polished the…
Pecan praline ice cream topping
When I lived in New York, I had a fellow homesick Texan friend who introduced me to the concept of pralines and ice cream. He would take the beloved Tex-Mex…
San Antonio bean burger
The first time I had a San Antonio bean burger was on a hot summer day. I was wandering in my car outside of town and off a quiet road…
Southeast Texas Italian salad
The first time I saw the phrase, “Wop salad,” I did a double-take. I was reading Texas newspaper articles from the 1950s, and in several of the pieces people stated…
Arroz con pollo
A reader once said his favorite comfort food was arroz con pollo. It was a weeknight staple in his home growing up in McAllen, and no matter where he found…
Strawberry skillet cake
When I recently had a craving for something sweet, as I surveyed my kitchen I realized that I was down to my last eggs and had limited amounts of butter….
South Texas baked flautas
One time when I was passing through Del Rio, I spotted a charming restaurant on the outskirts of town. Feeling hungry, I decided to stop for lunch. When I walked…
Crawfish étouffée, Southeast Texas style
A few years ago, a friend of mine from Opelousas, Louisiana made crawfish étouffée for a group of us. He was sharing a piece of his home culture with his…
Chicken sesame noodles
When I first moved to New York City, there was a Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood that offered free sesame noodles with every purchase. For someone young with limited income,…
