On Food & Culture
Mexican gumbo? You be the judge of my twist on the classic Louisiana gumbo dish. Cultural Appropriation? I don’t think so, because I’m naming boundaries and giving them their due. I love exploring new flavors and re-imagining dishes. That’s how cuisine evolves and I think […]
Absolutely awesome grapefruit pie celebrates Texas Ruby Red grapefruits. It’s a recipe that artist Celeste De Luna shared with me during the filming of our award-winning documentary, “Truly Texas Mexican, now streaming on Amazon Prime Movies. Celeste De Luna is a native of the Rio […]
Dispatch from San Antonio, Texas: If you travel to San Antonio, get out your cellphone and safeguard these 3 chef-owned San Antonio restaurants that will give you the rich and vibrant flavors of San Antonio’s native food. You won’t find them on the famous downtown […]
Poetry and food? Absolutely with Huevos Rancheros. I often connect my dishes to music or poetry and when it comes to huevos rancheros it’s easy to do so. Huevos Rancheros is a dish that has inspired poetry from Anthony The Poet (Anthony M. Flores) and […]
Indigenous Foodways: A Call To Writers, Researchers, Cooks (Versión Español) The New Book Series, “Indigenous Foodways of Texas and Northern Mexico,” is a collaboration of Texas Tech University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and Series Editor, Adán Medrano. Launched early this year, the […]
This avocado and kidney bean salad demonstrates the versatility of beans. The adjective, creamy, does not require actual cream from cows, as this recipe clearly demonstrates. White kidney beans have a bite that is naturally smooth and creamy. Together, kidney beans and avocado make a […]
Chef Rico Torres of Mixtli, the famed progressive Mexican cuisine restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, shared his chacales recipe, saying that it evokes memories of his family, and growing up in El Paso, Texas. It is a prized dish of comida casera, home-cooking, along the […]
This New York Times story reports both histories: tex-mex and Texas Mexican. Both foods are good, they are just different, and it always makes sense to document the history of how food evolves. I offer my recipes for 3 that are mentioned in the story […]
I presented this talk on October 20, 2023 at the annual symposium of The Southern Foodways Alliance. I spoke about The Art of Texas Mexican cooking and its impact on memory, identity and community. I also shared views about “Cultural Poachers.” It’s 20 minutes and […]
Guisado de calabacita con maíz makes iconic Mexican tacos that are unbeatable for depth of flavor and texture. No creams or cheesy additions are needed here. Paired with steaming, comal-roasted corn tortillas, this ancient combination makes beautiful tacos. Tatuma is the heirloom squash that’s been […]