On Food & Culture
Chile Con Carne means chile with meat, and the name is often reversed in homes and Texas Mexican menus where it’s listed as Carne Con Chile, meat with chile. It’s one of the oldest and most common Mexican dishes, although recently the word chile has […]
Huachinango a la Veracruzana (Red Snapper, Veracuz Style) is a celebratory and visually beautiful dish, an example of the Moroccan, Arab influence on Mexican cuisine. There is no cilantro in this recipe but rather flat leaf parsley, reminiscent of the Morrocan “Tagine” this dish resembles. […]
Chayote is a single seed squash that is native to Mexico and Central America. Its use in Mexican cooking precedes the arrival of Europeans and is documented by writings of Francisco Hernandez, who lived in Mexico from 1550 to 1560. It’s called mirliton in New […]
Turcos are a vintage, delicious treat, part of the Texas Mexican culinary tradition but almost becoming extinct. Rooted in Texas Pecan and also Arab flavors, it’s still found in San Antonio all the way south to the Rio Grande Valley and del otro lado (on […]
A holiday tamalada is a community, family event where everyone chips in to make a few tamales for the holidays, just a few, about 50 or 60 dozen. It’s always fun to make bean tamales over a weekend and invite family and friends to your […]
FROM MY ARCHIVES: A pecan pie for Thanksgiving. This pecan pie, with piloncillo and a bit of bourbon in it, tastes of celebration and abundance. I wrote about this on Thanksgiving day, and I share the recipe now in preparation for the new year. It’s […]
I love making this queso soufflé for friends. It’s a special recipe that I feature in my new book, “Don’t Count The Tortillas: The Art of Texas Mexican Cooking” published by Texas Tech University Press. Brush aside any fears about making a soufflé and you’ll […]
I first made these chipotle turkey tostadas one fall, with turkey leftover from a Thanksgiving feast. The combination of tomato, onion, garlic and chipotle is the basic flavor profile that is used in the classic dish known as “Tinga,” and is served in Puebla and […]
Ajoblanco is an ice-cold soup from the Andalusía region of Spain. The English translation of ajoblanco is white garlic, and it’s indeed a beautifully white soup made with only four ingredients: almonds, garlic, olive oil, and hearty bread. It’s humble and so delicious. It predates […]
The above photograph of “Quelitre” is by visual artist César Martínez whose work is in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He shared the picture with me, along with this detail of how he reconnected with quelitre. Pulling weeds in his backyard, César […]