Homesick Texan

Pimento cheese, hold the pimentos

2009-11-23T10:05:00.004-05:00

I’m heading home in a couple of days, and since I won’t arrive to the farm until late Thursday morning, I’ve been trying to figure out dishes I can contribute to the Thanksgiving feast that won’t...

Chipotle sweet potato soup

2009-11-18T10:04:00.012-05:00

Tonight I made one of my favorite soups, a thick sweet potato soup made fiery and smoky with chipotles. I make this soup often in the cold-weather months, but for some reason I’ve never shared it...

Tex-Mex chicken and dumplings recipe

2009-11-11T09:48:00.007-05:00

Is there a cuter word in the English language than dumpling? Nope, I didn’t think so. And when you pair it with chicken to make chicken and dumplings, you have one of my favorite belly-filling,...

Peanut butter pie recipe

2009-11-04T12:14:00.006-05:00

I have a new favorite pie that I will be sharing with my family at Thanksgiving—it’s peanut butter pie. But before I tell you how to make it, first a little background. Two years ago, I received a...

Jalapeno cheese bun recipe for a proper Texas burger

2009-10-29T08:53:00.015-04:00

When I first moved to New York, I was struck by the presence of what was called a Texas burger. At first I was thrilled, curious as to what it could contain—guacamole, jalapenos or salsa all seemed...

Sour cream chicken enchiladas recipe

2009-10-19T09:52:00.002-04:00

When I was in college, on Saturday afternoons a large group of us would celebrate the weekend by going to lunch at the local Tex-Mex restaurant. We’d toast the weekend with tall glasses of iced tea...

Rain makes ancho chile applesauce

2009-10-11T11:03:00.007-04:00

I went apple picking in Connecticut with my mom last weekend. It wasn’t the first time I’d picked apples—we have apple trees at the family farm and every August they need to be harvested. (Though...

Homemade cheese: queso blanco

2009-10-01T11:12:00.009-04:00

What if I told you that making cheese required nothing more than a gallon of milk, a few limes and a cheese-cloth—would you believe me? OK, you might want to use a thermometer if you’re feeling...

Mom's oatmeal cookies

2009-09-25T02:52:00.002-04:00

When I was young, my mom did things differently from the other mothers. When the other kids were eating sugary cereals, I had to eat Uncle Sam. When the other kids were drinking milk shakes, I had to...

Bacon jam recipe: make it at home

2009-09-16T09:19:00.017-04:00

“Bacon jam tastes like the love child of pulled pork and pate!” said one friend. “I am now officially in pig heaven,” said another as I shared tastes from the jar of Skillet’s bacon jam that had just...

Molletes with homemade bolillos

2009-09-07T22:33:00.021-04:00

Do you love refried beans and cheese? Do you love a crusty yet soft roll? Then allow me to introduce you to a superb Mexican dish: molletes. Earlier this summer, I traveled to Mexico City. It was...

Hatch chile potato casserole: funeral food

2009-08-26T15:02:00.006-04:00

“Pass the chicken, pass the pie. We sure eat good when someone dies. Funeral food, it's so good for the soul. Funeral food, fills you up down to your toes.” —Kate Campbell Funeral food was much on...

Spicy pickled okra

2009-08-13T12:07:00.004-04:00

Okra: people either love it or hate it. But okra and I have a more complicated relationship. My head tells me that I don’t like okra—I find it slimy and strange. But if you present me with a plate of...

How to make apricot jam

2009-08-05T15:31:00.006-04:00

They say third time’s the charm and it was for me in my attempt at making jam. And, oh, what a jam! I made possibly the best-ever apricot jam. The first time I tried making jam was last summer. I...

Tex-Mex squash casserole

2009-07-30T08:24:00.010-04:00

I took a wrong exit on my way to the Birmingham Airport. I don’t usually mind getting lost because this can often lead to discovery. But after meandering endlessly down tree-lined country roads I...

How to make cow head barbacoa

2009-07-22T00:07:00.015-04:00

“What do you want with a cow head?” asked the farmer selling beef at the Union Square Greenmarket. “We don’t sell cow heads here in New York—they’re illegal.” Not to be deterred, I got on the phone...

Banana pudding ice cream

2009-07-14T22:23:00.010-04:00

I have a confession. I’ve never had the pleasure of eating Blue Bell’s Banana Pudding ice cream. I’m not sure why. After all, I love banana pudding and I love ice cream. As you probably know, Blue...

How to season a molcajete

2009-07-10T07:50:00.004-04:00

At the delightful bed and breakfast, known as the Red Tree House, that I stayed at on a recent trip to Mexico City, every morning I would see the owner’s aunt use a molcajete to make salsa. I have...

Texas potato salad, what is it?

2009-07-03T10:52:00.015-04:00

Is there such a thing as Texas potato salad? And if so, what is it exactly? When I asked my family how they make their potato salad, they all provided recipes that called for similar ingredients:...

Pickled shrimp with lime

2009-06-30T09:24:00.011-04:00

When the days are hot and muggy, chilled pickled shrimp is a lush and refreshing way to help you forget you’re roasting in a hard, cement-coated city. Pickled shrimp, which in Spanish would be...

Buttermilk dressing

2009-06-23T10:11:00.001-04:00

The first time I ate pizza with my New York friends, I learned that Texans have a special relationship with buttermilk dressing. When the pizza arrived, I pulled a jar out of the refrigerator,...

Guacamole, my way

2009-06-15T19:01:00.011-04:00

I’m often asked why I don’t have a guacamole recipe on my site. I reckon the simplest answer is because I don’t have a recipe for guacamole. Instead, I just add some ingredients to a smashed-up...

Saveur, the Texas issue

2009-06-08T12:53:00.007-04:00

Do you love Texas food as much as I do? Then check out the June issue of Saveur, a special edition devoted to the Lone Star State. You’ll find a beautiful portrait of West Texas border food, a...

Aunt Margaret's strawberry delight

2009-05-28T08:45:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago, before it was strawberry season, my grandma tempted me with a dessert my Aunt Margaret used to make: strawberry delight. Aunt Margaret was one of the fancier members of the family....

Dr Pepper ribs: sticky, spicy and sweet

2009-05-20T11:42:00.006-04:00

I’ve been on a rib kick lately. I usually like my ribs simple—seasoned with nothing but a salt, cayenne and black pepper rub, smoked low and slow over post-oak wood. But when I’m trying to make...