On Food & Culture
I first ate a tortilla Española on the streets of Madrid, many years ago, at 3 in the morning. The generous, thick tortilla was sandwiched in a 6-inch crusty baguette. I bought it from a guy on the street corner, along with a beer which …
Chiles Toreados are perfect for any Mexican food feast. They can be cooked days ahead of your party, kept in the fridge, and just before serving, add lime juice and salt. Done! The Texas Mexican region has the honor of being considered to be the …
Special shout-out to intrepid, passionate cooks who like a challenge. This salad requires a bit of skill, but it’s really fun. I’ll be serving this ensalada compuesta, a composed smoked trout salad, at a gala dinner in San Antonio next month during which I will …
I love these Roasted Cactus, Chile Ancho Meatballs because they’re perfect for parties. Albóndigas illustrate the dynamism of food pathways, the routes by which foods travel via bird flights, human wars, marriages, and so on. As it travels, food changes, refashioning itself into new cultural …
The cover of my new cookbook admonishes you, “Don’t Count The Tortillas.” My amá, mom, told me this dicho, saying, when I was a small boy, and it refers to “The Art Of Texas Mexican Cooking.” Within a couple of weeks Amazon, Barnes & Noble …
Papas Con Rajas, Poblano Potatoes, are creamy because of the waxy potatoes and lush because, well, roasted chiles Poblanos are always lush. This dish, brings together the traditions of Peru and Mexico, potatoes being native to Peru and the Poblano chile native to Mexico. Early …
Basil Bruschetta normally says “summer,” here in Houston, but when the basil in my little winter green- house surprised me by growing luxuriantly, I had to taste it, so I winter harvested some. The flavor is very mild, but it’s perfect just after the tamales …
Everyone knows that menudo is the official breakfast you have after a long night of revelry, and any will swear that it is the perfect cure for a hangover. For our family it marked the joy of Christmas and New Year, for there was always …
Holiday Mexican sweets are all about memories for me. Whether you bake alone or with your siblings and friends, I recommend that you make at least one of these holiday sweets. It’s a part of life that you’ll enjoy now, and you’ll take those memories …
The Malt House of San Antonio, Texas was demolished in May, 2018, and it’s a sad story, but I find also an optimistic story. The sad part is that we’ve lost an architectural treasure that the grassroots community strove to preserve. The optimistic part is …