Shrimp scampi
“Please pick up some linguine,” said my friend Jeff as my friends and I headed to a grocery store in the Florida Panhandle. “And get two pounds of local Gulf…
South Texas
Buñuelos, South Texas style
When I lived in New York, my friends and I would have tamaladas, a tamale-making party. Most of us had grown up eating them in our home states of Texas…
Parisa: Medina County beef tartare
The first time someone told me about parisa, I have to admit that I was dubious. Raw ground beef mixed with cheese, jalapeños, and lime juice? Um, no thank you!…
South Texas potato flautas
South Texas potato flautas are crispy rolled corn tortillas stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese.
Green spaghetti
Green spaghetti gets its namesake color from poblano chiles, which are then blended with sour cream, cilantro, garlic, and spices.
Chilaquiles toluqueños (chilaquiles with chorizo salsa)
The other day I participated in a conversation about the difference between chilaquiles and migas. As I’ve noted before, the two are often conflated because each uses fried corn tortillas….
Salsa tatemada, South Texas roasted red salsa
The salsas you encounter at Tex-Mex restaurants across the state vary by region. For instance, in Dallas, the main salsa is a bright and lively tomato-based condiment, seasoned with cumin,…
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…
South Texas barbacoa
On weekend mornings in South Texas, people stop by their local taqueria or market to pick up a container of beef barbacoa and a stack of warm tortillas. They’ll then…
Tostadas espadas
When I pulled into Rio Grande City, I was hungry. I’d been driving all morning and after a hearty breakfast taco in Laredo, it was time to get some lunch….