On Food & Culture
I presented this talk on October 20, 2023 at the annual symposium of The Southern Foodways Alliance. I spoke about The Art of Texas Mexican cooking and its impact on memory, identity and community. I also shared views about “Cultural Poachers.” It’s 20 minutes and […]
This video was produced by The Southern Foodways Alliance and screened at the annual symposium where I spoke about “The Art of Cooking.” Filmmaker, Ethan Payne, succinctly, visually, shows the differences between tex-mex and the Mexican food of Texas, an important distinction. Making this distinction […]
Sinaloa Chilorio is a unique and famous specialty of the western coastal state. I’m serving it here with Ensalada de Bodas, another specialty of the northern Mexico region. Sinaloa Chilorio is similar to other chile con carne (chile with meat) dishes characteristic of Mexican cuisine […]
Holiday Buñuelos meant delicious excitement when I was growing up and our family celebrated new year’s eve. Amá would celebrate every new year by making buñuelos. They’re crisp and light. I serve them with no-dairy chocolate. I recall having a sense of wonder at how […]
Happy Holidays. How about a smoked guajolote, turkey for Thanksgiving. The guajolote, turkey, is native to Texas and Mexico. Over millenia, it was hunted by Native Americans for feathers, food and fashion. Some of the bones (the hollow ones) were fashioned into necklaces. It was […]
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, […]
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 […]
Fall starts on September 22nd in the northern hemisphere, with darker days and colder nights, while Covid continues its surge of sickness and death. Pieces of advice: 1. Get vaccinated now! 2. Wear a mask at indoor public places! 3. Make and Savor These 4 […]
–(As first published in Atlas Obscura —www.atlasobscura.com) –by Adán Medrano 50 miles north of Austin lie the remains of a gravel floor and wall. While it may seem unassuming, it’s what’s left of the oldest-known house in North America. Just outside the home is a […]
Roasted red bell pepper with anchovies is a delicious appetizer, one of my favorite dishes. I discovered it when I was living in Manhattan, working as a TV producer at CBS news. It was a common appetizer in many Italian-inspired cafes that stay open ’til […]