The Original Texas Tastemaker Sweet and tangy poppy seed dressing has certainly had a long run in the spotlight. Made popular by Helen Corbitt back in the 1950’s, poppy seed dressing is still a regular offering on most summer fruit salads. (FYI inasmuch as I could have googled this Helen Corbitt factoid, I knew this […]
A Signature Regional Dessert One of the glories of our Rio Grande Valley autumns is the harvest of the Ruby Red grapefruit. They are what every little grapefruit should aspire to be. Sweet, juicy and deep red on the inside, blushing like a peach on the outside. Use them for your pie if you can […]
Better than Any Powdered Mix Mexican hot chocolate is different than the powdered cocoa mixes we consume here in the U.S. In chocolate growing countries, many communities have a molino or mill that will grind the chocolate nibs into your house recipe, including the spices and amount of sugar that you like. Out of the […]
Celery Can Make A Refreshing Beverage Celery Lemonade is an incredibly refreshing beverage on hot, dry summer days. I served this recipe to some visiting chefs from the Culinary Institute of America, and they were quite impressed! If you don’t care for celery, try substituting cucumber for an equally thirst quenching drink. And really, you only […]
Pork Carnitas are a Traditional Weekend Treat Lots of little mom and pop taco stands serve carnitas on the weekends. The name simply means “little meats” and they are considered an affordable indulgence. The milk added in the last stage of cooking gives each piece of meat a scrumptiously crisp crust. Carnitas can be enjoyed […]
Lazy Days of Summer Lord, how long is summer going to be? I mean, I love the slow, lazy days, don’t get me wrong. But a girl can be lazy and cool, right? What good is being lazy if I can’t even think the thoughts I had set aside to think about later? My brains […]
Sopapillas are pretty much the state bird of New Mexico, and occasionally you will see them in Texas restaurants, although it’s pretty rare. I have never seen sopapillas anywhere in Latin America, but I hear they are made in Sonora, the northernmost Mexican state that borders New Mexico. There is also fry bread, which is […]
Hot, Hot, Hot! It’s averaging 99°F (37°C) here in Texas, and I simply do not want to cook. At all. Which is like saying I don’t want to breathe. In fact, filling my lungs with hot summer air doesn’t even sound refreshing. Developing a pair of gills sounds nice, doesn’t it? Cool water flowing through […]
