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If your mom is anything like my mom, then she probably loves avocadoes. While everyone in my family enjoys this tropical fruit, I most identify it with my mom, as when I was growing up it seemed that... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Last week I began the writing phase of my book, which means every morning I get up early and begin working. Because I like to write without any distractions, I don’t talk to anyone or go online until... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The other night I dreamt that I was in Texas. It was the end of my visit, and I hadn’t seen many wildflowers while I was there, but as we pulled into the Austin airport, suddenly the surrounding... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
A reader recently emailed me, asking for my deviled egg recipe. In her letter, she explained she was at work and had left my book at home. While she had hoped to find the recipe on my site, after... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
When I lived in Austin, I worked with a woman who loved to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. She was a quiet lady and I was a little surprised at her enthusiasm. But she explained that her husband, a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
In my kitchen, I have one drawer. Clearly, this greatly limits the amount of stuff I can possess, unless I want my kitchen to creep into other parts of my apartment. (Actually, it already does, as my... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
There are many ways to say I love you, and in my family, some folks have decided that pancakes are the way to show they care. First there was my grandfather, who you’d find every Saturday... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
There’s that big game happening this week, and in honor of the host city New Orleans, I thought that it would be a fun idea to make a Cajun-inspired chile con queso. Shrimp, andouille sausage, melted... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
For the past few weeks, like many folks this time of year, I’ve been sneezing, coughing and feeling wretched. But while this year may be off to a slow start, I ended last year in the best way... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
This week I’ve been baking batch after batch of cookies as we head towards Christmas. I’m not sure why cookies are the sweet treat most associated with the season, but perhaps it has something to do... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
While I love spending time in the kitchen, I’d have to say I’m happiest when I’m driving around Texas, enjoying our state’s rich and gracious bounty. No matter where I go, there’s always something... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Three weeks ago on a Friday, I found myself back in Texas so I could give my talk at the University of Texas at Arlington. It went well and the students seemed to enjoy the subject matter—though who... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
In a couple of weeks, I’ll be giving a talk on the theme of “The Place of Memory” at the University of Texas at Arlington. While I’m not sure what I will say just yet, on my recent trip home I looked... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
About this time eleven years ago, I took a plane trip to Texas. It was my first flight after 9-11 and everyone was still shaky about air travel. Many of my friends advised me to postpone my trip, as... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
On my refrigerator is a photo my mom sent me from last Thanksgiving. It’s a shot of a long wooden table that’s been topped with an array of pies. There are cream pies, pecan pies, fruit pies and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The song of the cicadas, the beginning of football and the arrival of Hatch green chiles always signal the end of summer for me. While I usually try to make it home every August so I can enjoy these... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The other day my grandma asked me, “What have you been doing with yourself lately?” She had noticed it’s been quiet on the blog this summer and I told her I’d been taking it easy—it’s summertime... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Texans love their peaches. I’d say that this love ranks right up there along with bluebonnets, barbecue, cheese enchiladas and football. And for good reason, as Texan peaches are the best. I’ve... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The other day, a friend of mine commented about how hard it was to recreate barbecue without a yard. She’s a recent arrival to New York City from Texas and like many of us, she was shocked by the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
One of the toughest things about living in New York City is the lack of any outdoor space. During the winter when the city is cold and wet, you don’t miss it so much. But now that it’s summer,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
There’s a scene in the movie “Hud” where Patricia Neal’s character offers an orange to Paul Newman. As she’s about to hand it to him she says, “Look it says ‘Florida’ on it. We grow ’em right here in... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
What's your favorite ice cream? For most of my life, mine's been coffee. But when I was a teenager, two flavors—mint chocolate chip and cookies and cream—fought for my attention, with both of them... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
“How you feel about crispy dogs?” asked a friend from San Antonio. We were discussing regional variations of hot dogs, with my favorite being the bacon-wrapped Mexican hot dogs I enjoy at the Fiesta... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
At a recent Hill Country church bake sale, I was faced with a difficult decision—which dessert to try? There were pies, cakes, and cookies, and while they all looked good I was limited to just one.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
It’s not often that you have two special occasions fall on the same day but every once in a while worlds collide. Like this year—with both Derby Day and Cinco de Mayo occurring on the fifth of May.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
When I used to go home to Houston, my first stop after I got off the plane was a restaurant called Amalia’s. It was a Tex-Mex joint and on the menu there was one of my favorite dishes—enchiladas... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Every spring when the wildflowers bloom, Texans will say thank you to Mrs. Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, the former first lady and native Texan who made it her life’s work to protect and preserve... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
In New York City, certain Texan foods can be scarce. So whenever I do see them, I buy up the whole lot in fear I won’t have the opportunity again. For instance, if I see ruby red grapefruit in the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Is there anything more magnificent than Texas in the springtime? Each day, there’s something new to see as the state awakens and begins to bloom. Like many homesick Texans, I don’t get home in the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Mom asked me what I’d eaten that day. I was visiting her in Houston, and she’s always amused by how much I pack into my belly in such a short amount of time. As I ran down my list, which included... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
When we first moved to Houston from Dallas, one of our new neighbors greeted us with a homemade gift. “Welcome to the neighborhood!” she said. “I made you some Irish soda bread—it’s my favorite!” She... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
March 2 is Texas Independence Day. On this day 176 years ago, a group convened at Washington-on-the-Brazos (back then simply known as Washington) to craft a declaration of independence from Mexico.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
“It’s time to be good,” said the menu, which was showcasing a special section of seafood dishes. It was carnitas that had lured me to this West Texan Mexican restaurant but I’m always a fool for good... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
This past week, I was on the road working on a freelance project. And while the job involved two of my favorite things—Texas and food—it prevented me from spending any time in the kitchen... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Sometimes you get a craving. For me, it was a slice of chocolate-cherry bread, that sweet yeasty loaf from Central Market riddled with chunks of bittersweet chocolate and tart, juicy berries. When I... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
For the Super Bowl, my friends and I usually serve food that represents the teams. And with Boston and New York playing this year, clam chowder seemed like the perfect fit. But since I’m not... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The other day, I was in a taqueria eating a sandwich stuffed with a spicy, saucy picadillo that was rich with tomatoes and chiles. It was delicious, but it was also a bit of a mess as the meat kept... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Isn’t January supposed to be a healthy month, a time when you renew your gym membership, eat soups and salads and have a piece of fruit for dessert? That’s what I always thought, but since New Year’s... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
My grandma calls me her good cook. She’ll say to her friends when I visit, “I don’t have to be in the kitchen because my good cook is here!” Usually, she lets me cook whatever I want. But the last... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
A year or so ago, I was visiting Texas in August and stopped by my grandma’s farm to say howdy. She asked if I was hungry, as she’d just cooked up a pot of black-eyed peas. How could I refuse? We... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The other day I found myself in a cookie coma. After eating nothing but cookies and homemade candy for several hours straight, my belly hurt and I could barely keep my eyes open. It was a sugar,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
While I was home for Thanksgiving, I found in my grandma’s cabinet a North Texas community cookbook from the 1970s. It was a fairly typical cookbook, with chapters on appetizers, soups, main courses... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
When I first moved to New York, one of the dishes that was lacking was migas. That Texan breakfast staple of eggs scrambled with fried tortillas, along with a host of other good things such as cheese... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Doing things for others is said to be a path to happiness and that may be why this time of year is filled with so much joy. While I’ve been searching for gifts for my family and friends, I’ve come... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The first time I heard of tamales used as a stuffing was in Mary Faulk Koock’s The Texas Cookbook, where she tells a story about a friend of hers in Amarillo who packs his turkey with dozens of... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
“What are you cooking this week?” asked my grandma. I told her I was making sweet potatoes. “They’re good for your eyes!” she said. My grandma loves her sweet potatoes, as does most of my family. I,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The day before I left for my Texas tour, I made an incredible dish. It was a baked pumpkin stuffed with bread, Gruyere, sharp white cheddar, bacon, chipotle chiles, cream and garlic. After spending... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
When I was eight, my dad drove us from Carrollton to Arlington to see the Texas Rangers. It was my first baseball game. While my previous sporting experience had only been football, I soon fell in... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
“I have four words for you,” said a friend. “Tex-Mex fried pie!” “Isn’t that three words?” I said. “Whatever,” he said. “But have you had one?” I replied that I had not. “You should,” he said. He... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
