During a summer of misspent youth, I worked in a small café where I was first introduced to Hummingbird Cake. Of course, it was love at first bite. Rich with butter and cream cheese, but tangy with pineapple and bananas, Hummingbird Cake is the perfect blend of salty and sweet. It’s cheerfully decadent. Hummingbird Cake is a Southern Treat I know Hummingbird Cake originated in the Southern US, so I looked for a recipe in an old Southern Living cookbook. I was a little taken aback by how ...
I made some Strawberry Grapefruit Marmalade today. If you aren't the type that usually makes home-made jam, this one is really easy because it is made in the microwave and doesn't need commercial pectin. Strawberry Grapefruit Marmalade is Easy to Make Easter is in two weeks, and as a pleasant distraction, I'm already planning how we will celebrate. I will be posting more recipes that will work for a low-profile home celebration in 2020, and hopefully you will find them easy and ...
My brother called and asked why so many of my recipes were fancy and complicated. He reminded me that most people are looking for simple recipes, to which I replied "Duh..." Well, I forgot. Sorry y'all. I should post easier stuff that is useful, especially in this time of crisis. Not every recipe has to be be complicated to be essential. So much home cooking happening! Here is a quickie for Salsa Verde which can then be converted into guacamole. The first step is to make the salsa. If you ...
If ever there was a comfort food invented, it’s fideo. Easy to make, quick and filling most of us in South Texas have fond memories of fideo. And for those of you that aren’t familiar, the name doesn’t rhyme with video. It’s pronounced fi-DEH-yo. Fideo is a Traditional Comfort Food There are so many different ways to prepare fideo that I had trouble deciding which one I would share. The most typical is with stew meat and potatoes. In my opinion, the stew meat never cooks long enough to ...
If I were allowed to eat one thing without limit in this life, I would choose doughnuts. Soft pillows of freshly fried dough, I could eat them every day. Alas, I don’t eat them as often as I would like, but I eat them as often as I should, which is occasionally. Doughnut dreams are the best dreams and we remember them because they are special events. Honey Dipped Doughnuts are Old Fashioned Treats My favorite cookbooks are the ones that were written before 1975. We forget how few ...
Potato salad is kind of like that great-aunt that you occasionally visit. I mean, you know, we all have those relatives that we don’t visit enough. It’s tough to admit that we don’t slow down enough to enjoy the old-fashioned pleasures in life of chatting, reminiscing, and eating potato salad. But today is a great day to make up for lost time. Potato Salad is for Family Gatherings Most of us grew up eating potato salad at family gatherings. It’s economical and feeds a crowd. I can’t have ...
Fried pies are probably the most nostalgic of Texas desserts. You have to remember that home ovens were not always that reliable until the 1940’s. Before that, it would be a wood stove, or a kerosene stove, according to my grandmother. Regulating the heat in one of those things had to be a royal pain. Can you imagine 100°F (38°C) weather trying to bake a pie? No thank you! Fried Pies are Traditionally Texas! Stove top desserts were the way to go before electric ovens. Fried pies could be ...
Making bread is one of my favorite past-times, but I get stuck in a rut making the same thing. White bread. Wheat bread. Flour tortillas. Corn tortillas. A friend came to visit, so I decided to experiment. Cheddar Pull Apart Loaf in a Dutch Oven Cheddar Olive Pull Apart Loaf is based on an old recipe in my favorite bread book from the 1970's. Easy to make, I baked it in a Dutch oven. The original recipe indicated the bread could be baked in a ring on parchment paper, but the Dutch oven ...
I made some Strawberry Grapefruit Marmalade today. If you aren’t the type that usually makes home-made jam, this one is really easy because it is made in the microwave and doesn’t need commercial pectin. Strawberry Grapefruit Marmalade is Easy to Make Easter is in two weeks, and as a pleasant distraction, I’m already planning how…
My brother called and asked why so many of my recipes were fancy and complicated. He reminded me that most people are looking for simple recipes, to which I replied “Duh…” Well, I forgot. Sorry y’all. I should post easier stuff that is useful, especially in this time of crisis. Not every recipe has to…
Another ridiculous episode where I am sitting in my truck ansering questions about the kitchen. Paula wanted to know how I make coffee at the ranch, and I recommended two different coffee makers…
Melissa Guerra is an 8th generation Texan, born and raised on a working cattle ranch in South Texas. She is a self taught culinary expert and food historian, specializing in the food ways of the American continent, especially Texas regional, Mexican, and Latin American cuisine. Read More…
