On Food & Culture
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 […]
This avocado salsa is made with roasted Serrano chile and tomatillos. I make it for Tacos Al Pastor, a tradition that is now being freshened up and re-introduced to Texas via Dallas’ new Trompo taco culinary spot by chef/owner, Luis Olvera. Before I describe the […]
I’m going French today, making a traditional French vinaigrette salad dressing. It’ great on sturdy greens like Romaine lettuce, and it’s straightforward enough that famous Chef Jacques Pepin makes it in a jar, shaking it to emulsify the oil with the vinegar. In this recipe […]
Someone always brings cactus salad to my potluck parties. Robust and earthy is how I would describe the flavor of cactus, and in this salad the bright colors make it an inviting buffet dish. Did you know that the cactus is also an enduring, elemental […]
Texas Mexican potatoes, Papas A La Mexicana, are delicious and ubiquitous. From Houston to San Antonio, and all the way from Brownsville to Del Río and El Paso, home kitchens are always stirring up sizzling skillets of Papas A La Mexicana, a Texas Mexican family […]
I was 10 years old when I first tasted a quesadilla, cheese melted inside crisp wheat flour tortillas. It’s a cliché to say so, but it was love at first bite. In the more southern regions of Mexican cuisines they use corn tortillas, but here […]
My mom Dominga, regularly made dulce de leche quemada (aka Texas pecan caramel) for us kids. We had four pecan trees in our backyard, so the lush candy was laden with plenty of roasted pecans. The trick is to roast the pecans before adding them […]
Acorn squash is zesty, and versatile; can become a lush party dessert or a festive savory buffet feature. Try this recipe for your next dinner party, and serve it with a Texas sauvignon blanc. All winter squashes are perfect for stuffing. Here the sweet pumpkin […]
I call this dish, Chile Serrano Scallops, although the inspiration comes from the French, Coquilles St. Jacques à La Provençale. Because I fiddled and deviated from the traditional recipe, I don’t use the traditional name. I like to keeps things clear. It’s not that I […]
Roasted red chile dulce (bell pepper) is delicious with anchovies. It’s one of my favorite dishes. I discovered it when I was living in Manhattan, working at CBS news. It was a common appetizer in many Italian-inspired cafes that stay open ’til 3 am. In […]