On Food & Culture
Chile Con Queso is often misunderstood, confused with the so-called tex-mex dip that’s made by combining canned tomatoes, canned chiles, and Velveeta brand cheese. Even the much quoted Diana Southwood Kennedy admits that she thought Chile Con Queso was not Mexican but from Texas. In …
Cazuelitas or Sopes are a part of the Texas Mexican cuisine that exists in the region outlined in yellow (Map of the 1984 Republic of Mexico). Not to be confused with Tex-Mex, Texas Mexican is one of at least 12 related regional cuisines in the …
“Chorizo Country” and egg is a hearty and traditional Texas Mexican breakfast taco. Just ask anyone in central or south Texas. Add some freshly made tomato and Serrano chile salsa and you’ll be ready to save the world! The best breakfast tacos are made with …
These Chile Meatballs are perfect for large parties. Serve them in a crock-pot to keep them warm, and have plenty of toothpicks on hand. Meatballs or Albóndigas, illustrate the dynamism of food pathways, the routes by which foods travel via bird flights, human wars, marriages, …
In this wonderfully creamy dish, Papas Con Rajas (Poblano Chile Potatoes), the traditions of Peru and Mexico are brought together, potatoes being native to Peru and the poblano chile native to Mexico. Early archaeological evidence of the potato is found in excavations near the town …
Delicious and nutritious, Nopales or nopalitos are one of the most important Texas Mexican indigenous foods. This nopales recipe is one that I recall my mother making time and time again. It’s straightforward and foregrounds the green herbal flavor of the cactus.Nopal cactus, Opuntia ficus–indica, is …
Pecan makes these stuffed mushrooms a crunchy treat. Pecan stuffed mushrooms are a favorite for parties and, yes, football games. Both the nut and the word, “pecan,” are Native American. European immigrants were not familiar with the pecans, which reminded them of walnuts. In fact, …
The cod that we have in the Texas Mexico Gulf is “Southern Hake” (Urophycis floridana). It doesn’t have the large, firm flakes of Atlantic cod but rather has a tighter texture, and it is fairly soft and delicate. When fried with this featherlight beer batter, …
Food is an aesthetic practice that injects beauty and relationship into our everyday life, into our “Lo Cotidiano.” New Year’s eve was always festive, exciting, and Amá would mark and celebrate every new year by making buñuelos. They are delicious, crisp, light. I recall having …
Make some “Chocolate Caliente” the way that the original inventors of this beverage enjoyed it, with absolutely no lactose. There were no cows roaming about in the Aztec and Mayan empires of Mesoamerica, where chocolate has its origins and was first enjoyed. The earliest use …