Rice, Pasta

Arroz Con Pollo, A Delicious Tradition

Arroz Con Pollo, A Delicious Tradition

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 […]

Chicken Fricase, A Puerto Rican Cousin Of Arroz Con Pollo!

Chicken Fricase, A Puerto Rican Cousin Of Arroz Con Pollo!

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 […]

Pissaladière, a French onion tart

Pissaladière, a French onion tart

Perfect for Fall, this french onion tart is a must just plain delicious. Though the French lost out to the Spaniards in their efforts of empire-building in Texas, we nonetheless enjoy their lasting influence on our cuisine.  Our traditional wheat roll, bolillo, is French, as […]

The Real Story of Texas Mexican Food

The Real Story of Texas Mexican Food

Texas Mexican Food Event In San Antonio, Texas Texas Mexican food gained fame In 1800s when Texas Mexican business women ran outdoor diners, and their delicious cooking made San Antonio a culinary destination, tourists arriving via railroad.  These entrepreneurial women began to be called “chili […]

Cilantro Rice – Arroz Con Cilantro

Cilantro Rice – Arroz Con Cilantro

Cilantro Rice, Arroz Con Cilantro, is aromatic, light, and it foregrounds cilantro. The story of cilantro is the story of how human beings constantly interact with each other, often in unexpected ways, exchanging ingredients, traditions, and the love of food. Cilantro, also named coriander, is […]

Buñuelos, New Year’s Eve Tradition — “¡Feliz Año Nuevo!”

Buñuelos, New Year’s Eve Tradition — “¡Feliz Año Nuevo!”

Food is an aesthetic practice that injects beauty and relationship into our everyday life, into our “Lo Cotidiano.” New Year’s eve was always festive, exciting, and Amá would mark and celebrate every new year by making buñuelos.  They are delicious, crisp, light. I recall having […]

Flour Tortillas, Tortillas De Harina

Flour Tortillas, Tortillas De Harina

Tortillas de harina, wheat flour tortillas, have many variants along the Rio Grande and the US-Mexico borderlands.  They are fluffy and pliant in the south Texas, northeastern Mexico region, while in Sonora they are super thin, almost translucent. New Mexico has its own delicious tortillas […]

“Fideo” Is A Texas Mexican Classic

“Fideo” Is A Texas Mexican Classic

Fideo is a delicious family favorite and one that emphasizes our native tomato.  I first wrote about this some years ago, but decided to post this recipe again because I suddenly realized that our “Fideo” probably predates the Italian dish,  spaghetti with tomato sauce.This realization […]

Buñuelos For New Year’s Eve

Buñuelos For New Year’s Eve

Amá would make these every New Year’s eve. I recall having a sense of wonder at how she made ribbons out of tortillas. When I make these now I recall happy times with amá, apá and all my brothers and sisters. These are as “party […]

Fricasé De Pollo, con arroz – Fricasé of Chicken

Fricasé De Pollo, con arroz – Fricasé of Chicken

“Fricasé” 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 the […]