On Food & Culture
Chilaquiles verdes are the proof that making something fast doesn’t mean it must be crass or gross, tasteless or dumb. It’s actually exquisite. Poor people’s food always lays the culinary groundwork for great dishes in a cuisine. The secret to superb chilaquiles is twofold: texture […]
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 […]
Enchiladas Rojas are delicious, delicate and they are traditional. You can buy red tortillas at the grocery store, but I suggest you make some. You can make the red tortillas several days before and keep them in the fridge until you make the enchiladas. I’ve […]
This pozole, posole, is a vegan delicacy and one of my favorite dishes to serve at dinner parties. Most recipes make pozole with pork, but this is more traditional, because pork arrived in Mexico only about 500 years ago, so before that, we were pork-less […]
In our central, south Texas and northeastern Mexico culinary region, pinto beans are the staple in native Mexican-American homes. No exceptions, not ever. I was amazed when, working in Chiapas, Mexico during my sophomore year of college, I encountered black beans. They were such a […]
I grew up with my ama’s (mom) Texas Mexican cooking. Texas Mexican cooking just like Oaxaca Mexican, Puebla Mexican and all the other regional styles of Mexican cooking, is best described as comida casera home-style-cooking. Enjoyed by Mexican American families today, this unique cuisine has […]
Enchiladas Rojas are delicious and delicate. This red enchilada is perfect for romance and to say I love you. You can make the red tortillas several days before St. Valentine’s Day and keep them in the fridge until you make the enchiladas. I’ve said many […]
This cornbread recipe was the Thanksgiving feature in the online magazine, Lone Star Literary Life. It’s my mom’s family recipe. Amá made this cornbread dressing every Thanksgiving. It’s different from other cornbread dressing recipes because there’s no sage in it, and it combines pecans, raisins […]
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 […]
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 […]