On Food & Culture
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 …
This pecan pie, with piloncillo and a bit of bourbon in it, tastes of celebration and abundance. I wrote about this on Thanksgiving day, and I share the recipe now in preparation for the new year. It’s delicious, full of memory and fun. Nueces (pecans), …
Poetry and food? Absolutely with Huevos Rancheros. First of all I love Tejano music, Norteño music. It’s just in my blood. Whether I’m driving or at my desk, when I hear a conjunto, a corrido, una polka, I instinctively want to stand up and twist, …
I served this cranberry rosemary cocktail at a party last night…..it was a hit! It’s a very appropriate cocktail because cranberries are Native American. This holiday cocktail combines tart cranberry flavor with the woodsy, herbal, rosemary. Based on last night’s tasting, it’s gives a sparkling …
A holiday gift cookbook is like a delicious taco de picadillo that has clarity and nuance. I use a molcajete for my taco de picadillo family recipe because it gives me control over texture and taste. I use the traditional Texas Mexican triad of spices, …
This Champurrado holiday drink recipe is lush, velvety smooth, and it’s all done with no milk or creams at all. The smoothness comes from the chocolate and nixtamalized corn masa blended together. I adapted this champurrado recipe from my book, Truly Texas Mexican: A Native …