On Food & Culture
The traditional “A La Mexicana” style is the tricolored combination of tomatoes, onions, and chiles—the colors of the Mexican flag. Straightforward and nutritious. Papas A La Mexicana is a staple in south Texas and northeastern Mexico, the Texas Mexican region. I adapted this recipe from […]
Verdolaga, purslane in English, is the indigenous Texas Mexican herb that I love to serve for company. It is my “go to” recipe for a delicious green side dish that goes with absolutely anything. Verdolaga grows wild and is plentiful for most of the year […]
Look at Mexican restaurants all across Texas and you’ll find burgers on many of their menus, Doña María in Houston and Los Barrios in San Antonio being two examples. My Picadillo Burger takes the beloved burger to its natural Mexican culinary conclusion. It is, after […]
Someone always brings cactus salad to my potluck parties. Robust and earthy is how I would describe the flavor of cactus, and in this salad the bright colors make it an inviting buffet dish. Did you know that the cactus is also an enduring, elemental […]
Texas Mexican potatoes, Papas A La Mexicana, are delicious and ubiquitous. From Houston to San Antonio, and all the way from Brownsville to Del Río and El Paso, home kitchens are always stirring up sizzling skillets of Papas A La Mexicana, a Texas Mexican family […]
Acorn squash is zesty, and versatile; can become a lush party dessert or a festive savory buffet feature. Try this recipe for your next dinner party, and serve it with a Texas sauvignon blanc. All winter squashes are perfect for stuffing. Here the sweet pumpkin […]
I call this dish, Chile Serrano Scallops, although the inspiration comes from the French, Coquilles St. Jacques à La Provençale. Because I fiddled and deviated from the traditional recipe, I don’t use the traditional name. I like to keeps things clear. It’s not that I […]
Green Salsa, Serrano chile, is a classic Texas Mexican table salsa. If you’re from this region, send me an email or comment about how you’ve savored this in your home. Amá (we did not use the Spanish word, mamá) always had this salsa on the […]
Depart from the usual shrimp cocktail sauce and go Texas Mexican. Use Serrano chile, cilantro and fresh lime juice. This delicious Serrano shrimp cocktail is reminiscent of the famous Mexican Campechana cocktails in Veracruz, Yucatán and along the Pacific coast, especially in Sonora. Usually, it’s […]
“Machacado Con Huevo” uses the basic element, salt (sodium choride), to dry and preserve meat. It’s a traditional breakfast dish based on a technique that we inherited from our native Texas ancestors who handed it down to each subsequent generation. Over thousands of years, a […]