On Food & Culture
In our south Texas and northeastern Mexico culinary region, pinto beans are the staple in native Mexican-American homes. No exceptions, not ever. I was amazed when, working in Chiapas, Mexico during my sophomore year of college, I encountered black beans. They were such a radical, […]
Mexican rice is loved in every Texas Mexican American home, from Houston, to San Antonio, to McAllen, to Monterrey. Each family has its own special and cherished recipe that evokes memories of childhood, family, celebrative moments, and times that were not so good. I’d like […]
This southern fish fry menu includes a rich sauce and a salad. Fish fry is traditional in the southern US, although the actual frying technique, well, not so recent. The fish fry is born of the African American enslaved communities who spent Saturdays, once the […]
“Chorizo Country” and egg is a hearty and traditional Texas Mexican breakfast taco. Just ask anyone in central or south Texas. Add some freshly made tomato and Serrano chile salsa and you’ll be ready to save the world! The best breakfast tacos are made with […]
Mexican Lenten dishes celebrate the enthusiasm and imagination of culinary artists intent on designing pleasure within the confines of proscribed public penance. Abstaining from meat during the fridays of Lent, avid cooks could return to the indigenous Texas and Mexican traditions of plant-based cooking. Nopalitios, […]
Caesar Salad always reminds of of César Chavez and Dolores Huerta because Romaine was our lettuce of choice during the 1970 United Farm Workers lettuce boycott. On August 24, 1970, César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, leaders of the eventual United Farm Workers Union, called for […]
Chorizo bean dip is tangy, and the minced pickled Jalapeños enhance the tang with that necessary Mexican bite. This recipe tastes great with canned pinto beans that are sold as “refried” but with no fat. You can also use a good-quality store-bought chorizo. However, I […]
You can honestly call this famous Mexican candy iconic. Pumpkins are native to Mexico, and the oldest domesticated pumpkin seeds were discovered by archaeologists in the Oaxaca Highlands of Mexico and dated to over 7,500 years ago. Sweetened and served either syrupy or crystalized, dulce […]
The mesquite tree has been part of the Texas landscape for at least seven thousand years. The technique for making the candy balls is the same grinding of mesquite that Cabeza de Vaca chronicles in his 1542 journal about Texas, where he describes our Texas […]
FOCUS ON HOUSTON: El Tiempo Cantina is the final feature in this 5-part series for diners who are looking for a unique Mexican dining experience. Houston is home to many fine Mexican restaurants, gracing every neighborhood of the city, but in this series I focus […]
