On Food & Culture
Depart from the usual shrimp cocktail sauce and go Texas Mexican. Use Serrano chile, cilantro and fresh lime juice. This delicious Serrano shrimp cocktail is reminiscent of the famous Mexican Campechana cocktails in Veracruz, Yucatán and along the Pacific coast, especially in Sonora. Usually, it’s …
“Chicano 40” is a refreshing watermelon cocktail, the official signature cocktail celebrating the 40th anniversary of the San Antonio CineFestival the nation’s original and longest-running Chicano/Latino film festival. Not your ordinary watermelon cocktail, “Chicano 40” is complex and bright, created by Jeret Peña, acclaimed mixologist …
A BBQ Adobo? Here’s a unique Texas Mexican twist for your smoked ham, bbq ribs or brisket: Chile Ancho Adobo. An adobo is a specific type of puréed chile that is blended with herbs and spices. An acidic ingredient lifts the flavors. All adobos depend …
My garden is sunny and glorious with basil, aromatic and colorful. Besides making bruscheta, try these delicious basil cookies, with a zesty lemon-lime spark. Your morning coffee will thank you. Fair Warning: I shared these with a friend this afternoon. He bit into the cookie …
Bruscheta is a crisp and refreshing appetizer for these hot summers. This morning I pinched off some beautiful plump Basil leaves for some Tomato and Basil Bruscheta I’m serving at lunch. I find that in Houston the basil plant has to be in the shade …
These fish tacos are a variation of the famous Baja California fish taco. I omit the wheat flour batter, thereby focusing exclusively on the flavor and texture of the freshly-made corn tortilla. It also foregrounds the sweet fresh fish. I use tomatillo salsa to continue …
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 …
Perfect for Sunday dinner, this corn squash guisado is totally Native American. Even the technique is native. A “guisado” is a stew you cook stove top (over a fire. It’s something like a sauté but with liquid added and then cooked slowly so that flavors …
“Machacado Con Huevo” uses the basic element, salt (sodium choride), to dry and preserve meat. It’s a traditional breakfast dish based on a technique that we inherited from our native Texas ancestors who handed it down to each subsequent generation. Over thousands of years, a …
Fresh Serrano salsa ranchera has a bright taste and lots of nuance. I make it in a molcajete, but if you want to double or triple the recipe for a party, use a blender. It’s great on tacos, breakfast eggs and on rice and pinto …