Homesick Texan

Crispy dogs with bacon-jalapeño dipping sauce

2012-05-17T12:03:00.000-04:00

“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...

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Peanut butter crisscrosses

2012-05-10T11:33:00.000-04:00

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....

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Tex-Mex hot brown sandwich with green chile Mornay sauce

2012-05-03T12:54:00.003-04:00

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....

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Enchiladas verdes recipe

2012-04-27T12:21:00.001-04:00

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...

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Strawberry spoon bread

2012-04-19T12:20:00.002-04:00

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...

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texas sweet onion casserole with rice, chipotle and Gruyere

2012-04-11T13:41:00.005-04:00

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...

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Texas in the springtime

2012-03-29T07:54:00.019-04:00

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...

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Mollejas tacos (sweetbread tacos)

2012-03-21T16:20:00.004-04:00

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...

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Irish cheddar and bacon soda bread

2012-03-13T13:31:00.006-04:00

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...

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Ruby red grapefruit and pecan sheet cake

2012-03-01T08:18:00.005-05:00

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....

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Creamy chipotle shrimp with mushrooms and wild rice

2012-02-23T15:24:00.009-05:00

“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...

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Pancakes and Louisiana

2012-02-18T13:29:00.030-05:00

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...

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Chocolate-cherry scones with cinnamon-orange butter

2012-02-09T10:56:00.005-05:00

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...

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red chile seafood chowder

2012-02-02T12:43:00.003-05:00

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...

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Tex-Mex sloppy Joe sandwich

2012-01-26T12:00:00.005-05:00

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...

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Dr Pepper oatmeal cake with a coconut and pecan topping

2012-01-19T06:55:00.002-05:00

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...

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Buttermilk potato soup with bacon and roasted jalapeno

2012-01-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

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...

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New Year's Day queso compuesto

2011-12-28T11:59:00.007-05:00

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...

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Complexion candy, a date, fig and pecan confection

2011-12-21T12:22:00.005-05:00

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,...

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Bacon-jalapeño cheese ball

2011-12-14T12:17:00.003-05:00

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...

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Chilaquiles with ancho tomatillo salsa

2011-12-07T11:58:00.010-05:00

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...

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Homesick Texan gift guide 2011

2011-11-30T07:03:00.006-05:00

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...

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Tamale cornbread dressing

2011-11-17T14:28:00.013-05:00

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...

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Sweet potato salad with cranberries and pecans

2011-11-11T10:15:00.012-05:00

“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,...

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Stuffed pumpkin with cheese, bacon and chipotle chiles

2011-11-04T12:04:00.009-04:00

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...

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