My dad has been known to steal an entire pecan pie while it is cooling and hide it in his nightstand. However, when required, the family joins forces to sleuth out the location of any and all missing pecan pies, and ceremoniously return them to the family table where they belong. Since we only make this dessert in November and December, we take our annual pecan pie feast seriously. A Texas Favorite Purchase store bought pecan pies so we have more on the table? Pshaw. We only eat homemade ...
Eggplant may not seem like an obvious choice when looking for the right taco filling, but with the summer explosion of vegetables, eggplant is perfect for a filling summer supper. And with all the delicious toppings in this recipe, everyone can customize their eggplant tacos to their liking. Eggplant Tacos are Delicious in the Summer Even though summertime is tomato time, I used canned tomatoes for this recipe. The other summer factor is stove time, and most folks want to get out of the ...
This recipe for Chocolate Bread is from a book that Doris gave me. Doris was my first boss, and she hired me to be the greeter at her restaurant on South Padre Island back in the summer of 1983. She was kind, generous, and always had a sparkle in her eye. Trying to impress her, I greeted everyone with efficient gusto as they walked through the door. "Hello! Welcome! How many in your party?" I chirped to the bearded man that silently pushed through the restaurant. "Uh, I work here." he responded ...
Super delicious on a steak and egg sandwich A summer of salad doesn’t necessarily mean a big bowl of green leaves and starving to death ten minutes after a meal. Hot weather foods can be cool, crisp and keep you satisfied when you are rolling in the waves at the beach or hopping on a plane after lunch to visit relatives. Hearty doesn’t have to mean weighty. Catalina Dressing is an Oldie but Goody I whipped up an old-fashioned batch of Catalina Dressing after sampling a few dishes at the ...
There is no way to know how many pots of pinto beans I have boiled over the years. Well, let me think. If I multiply once a week for 30 years, that would be well over 1,500 pots. I can’t even imagine how many individual pinto beans that is. As infinite as the stars in the sky... Occasionally people will ask me how I make pinto beans, which I would compare to asking me advice on how to walk. I forgot when I learned, and the process is so automatic now that I simply perform the routine out of ...
Substitute to make this your dish Cooking tip: Just because a recipe uses conventional ingredients doesn't mean you are obligated to use them. Granted, substituting ingredients when baking a cake or bread doesn't work out that well. There is some science-y stuff that happens with the leaveners like yeast and baking soda that can fail when you substitute. But making a down-to-earth pasta dish is a kinder, gentler experience. You can substitute to your heart's content in this recipe for Creamy ...
May is such a lovely month. School graduations are happening soon, and the young people are getting restless. Slow down kids, adulting can wait. You will be doing mature stuff for the rest of your life. Focus on doing as little as possible, and that's about the right speed for May. Just enjoy the ride. If you are wondering what I will be doing this summer, it will be be loads of writing. I might travel, but only so I can write in a different location. I am starting to see the world through ...
Chicken and noodles go together like peas and carrots, gin and tonic, cheese and crackers. But warm weather is coming up and this is no time to be making a kettle of soup. Its salad time folks, so I started dreaming of a chicken and noodle salad. Chicken and Noodles are a Classic Combination Speaking of charming classic couples, me and the hubs are going on thirty years of marriage this June. I do more cooking; he does more washing. Neither of us does ironing. We have our routines, ...
Writing your own podcast is an effort of trial and error. I think this episode floated into a nerdy-licious wonderland that I couldn’t edit back to center. Not everything is fixable in post. Talking Pinto Beans with the Kitchen Wrangler And apologies for the weird color shifting in the lighting – apparently auto-settings are as…
Making ceviche seems like an easy recipe, but when working with raw fish, lots of home cooks have doubts about the food safety requirements. Mimi from Chapel Hill, North Carolina wanted to know “How long does is take in order for ceviche to “cook?” How to “Cook” Ceviche Ceviche is a cold dish made from…
This recipe for Chocolate Bread is from a book that Doris gave me. Doris was my first boss, and she hired me to be the greeter at her restaurant on South Padre Island back in the summer of 1983. She was kind, generous, and always had a sparkle in her eye. Trying to impress her,…
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…
