On Food & Culture
This stuffed squash blossoms recipe is a sure “wow” factor at parties. Guests swear that the rich texture comes from cream or cheese, but it doesn’t. The sumptuous texture derives from the beans, slowly and properly cooked. Another reason these are a party hit is …
Mexican queso is chile con queso, and it 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 …
Nopalitos shrimp gorditas evoke two very different landscapes of the Texas-Mexico food region: the Gulf coast and the semi-dessert. The map shows the region of south Texas/northern Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas sharing the Gulf of Mexico. It remains a cohesive culinary region, sharing the same …
Perusing my archives for quick big batch recipes, found this perfect Mexican Rajas Poblanas dish. In the hurricane Harvey aftermath, you gotta have both “delicious” and “big batch” for guests. When you volunteer to help in your church kitchen or shelter, get your hands on …
In the Texas Mexico region, (central, south Texas and northeastern Mexico) ,wheat flour tortillas are fluffy and pliant. They are all-purpose (AP) wheat flour delicacies, and we switch back and forth between these and corn tortillas, depending on the dish we’re enjoying. We always use …
A whole chicken, cut up into parts, was what went into arroz con pollo, this iconic dish that is traditional for us Texas Mexicans, Mexicanos, Mexican Americans, Chicanos. I prefer to call myself a Chicano. We were also called pochos by some, and “greasers” by …
Mazapan Mexican peanut candy is lush and delicious, and it’s the perfect weekend recipe because it requires no cooking. I suggest you call up some friends and have fun making Mexican mazapán. Make a big batch, like I did, and you will also make memories. …
Cornbread is among my formative childhood memories. Amá made it especially for family celebrations, and to make cornbread dressing with pecans and raisins. Corn arrived in Texas around 700 AD, and it was the Caddo civilization in East Texas that cultivated and developed the grain …
Here’s my twist on the classic Louisiana Gumbo dish. “Cultural Appropriation” this is not. Why? Because I’m naming boundaries and giving them their due. Also, because cooks are always exploring, always re-imagining dishes, and that’s how cuisine evolves. This recipe is long on technique, so …
Puerco En Chile Colorado is one of the iconic Texas Mexican dishes that is shared with other regions, especially the northern regions of Mexico, each region of course having its slight variations. I grew up with this on our table, whenever we could afford meat, …