On Food & Culture
Barbacoa was originally cooked in earth ovens, a culinary technique that is ancient and found all over the globe. In San Antonio, where there is evidence of human habitation dating back 13,000 years, archaeologists have found layers of heated rocks suggesting that it was part […]
Smoked pork is the perfect party buffet dish, served with a finger-licking sauce, Chile Ancho Adobo. Here’s a smoked pork loin recipe with pecan wood that results in a succulent, melt-in-your-mouth dish, just in time for this cold weather and friends. I suggest you make […]
Caldo de res is a dish that brings warmth, on many levels, such as appreciation for the bounty of the land, because this beef soup has so many delicious vegetables. For the Medrano household, it was also a catalyst for intimate family dissension. Some of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Chilorio is a specialty of Sinaloa, Mexico. I’m serving it here with Ensalada de Bodas, another specialty of the northern Mexico region. Chilorio is like other carne con chile dishes characteristic of Mexican cuisine in Texas. The Texas Mexican region shares many similar food types […]
Chicken Fricase is a Boricua dish and also a Plato Cubano. I first learned to make fricasé from a Chicano friend in college who learned it from a Puerto Rican classmate. There are various Cubano and Puertorriqueño versions, but they all have green olives, and […]
Queso Fundido is sometimes called choriqueso (chorizo-cheese). It’s a favorite throughout the Texas Mexican food region, which includes central and south Texas and northeastern Mexico. I make it regularly, especially when unexpected company drops in. Just pop it in the oven and wait for it […]
Happy Holidays. How about a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving. The turkey, guajolote, is native to Texas and Mexico. Over millenia, it was hunted by Native Americans for feathers, food and fashion. Some of the bones (the hollow ones) were fashioned into necklaces. It was also […]