On Food & Culture
Here’s a unique, Texas Mexican twist for your New Year Holiday ham (also splendid for a barbecue) using dried Poblano chiles. Traditional adobos use chiles, seasonings and an acid as a base. I’ve added brown sugar and other spices to this Texas Mexican version so …
I was greeted by two long-time, beloved friends, Kees and Pauline. A beautifully cold and drizzly Dutch evening, we walked along the narrow cobbled street to Het Melkmeisje, “The Milkmaid.” We first dined there in 1992 and have loved it ever since. It’s French country …
In Texas gaucamole is omnipresent. There are as many recipes are there are bragging-prone machos. I myself not being one to brag,, Ahem.., my recipe is based on 3 simple rules. 1. Purchase them Green and Hard. Rodolfo Fernandez is the top Avocado expert …
Here’s a recipe that results in a succulent, melt-in-your-mouth pork loin, just in time for this cold weather and friends. By keeping the temperature at 185º F and making sure the smoke does not turn densely white, the smoke flavor is subtle, sweet. I’m feeling …
Karla McLaughlin drove all the way to my home to deliver this 15 pound organic-fed, free-roaming turkey and two pork loins. She generously took the time because I was in a pinch, facing a party deadline. She is a one-of-a-kind farm owner. Knowledgeable, caring and …
Yes, tangerine, ginger and sultanas. A contrast of flavor and color that I think is really amazing with the seasonal cranberries. I urge you to try it at your Thanksgiving meal. I’ve adapted this recipe from one I read many, many years ago in …
For Fall socials, this elegant and earthy local canapéwill please friends. The trout is aromatic and complex. The flavored butter gives a perfect velvety mouth feel companion to the oils and flavor of the fish. After brining and drying the trout, place the fish in …
Smoked trout is a favorite of mine for dinner parties because it brings the outside in. It’s also deeply entrenched in our Texas Mexican culinary tradition of outdoor techniques of salting, drying and smoking. Many techniques (pickling, brining, drying, freezing and smoking), take us back …
This Mexican Salad, Ensalada de Bodas, has the beautiful flavor and aroma of Serrano (probably my favorite chile flavor) enveloping the tang of cabbage and radishes. Surprised that the vinaigrette has rice vinegar? Think about the Asian influence in that region. The Mexican salad is …
Our link to Mexican Independence Day, September 16, is illustrated by this map that I’ve used in a previous blog. This land used to be called Mexico so we celebrate our past. But it also used to be called Spain. It used to be called …