After we put away the Christmas decorations, we prepare ourselves for the seasonal avalanche of grapefruit. We have a small orchard here on the ranch, and every year we pick hundreds of pounds of fruit. We give some of it away, but we also eat tons of the buttery sweet citrus, and drink gallons of juice. Fresh grapefruit is one of the loveliest perks of living in South Texas. Grapefruit Shortcake is Fresh and Light Another favorite is shortcake of any kind, so I thought I would try ...
When the wind begins to blow in South Texas, and the temperature drops a few degrees (from Hell Hot to just Hot,) every menu, every Tweet, every FB post, every flashing outdoor sign declares “It’s time for a bowl of caldo de res.” And yes folks, it is. Caldo de Res on a Cold Day... Caldo de Res is a very basic country beef vegetable soup, but the clamor and fame that precedes this dish lets you know that in reality, this soup is very special. Grandmother’s serve caldo de res by the ...
Ranch Christmas is not like other Christmases. We don’t have pine trees. We don’t wear fur trimmed hats. The country road to the ranch next door is too dang long to go a’caroling. Forget all that snow culture...like snowball battles, making snowmen, snow angels, or snowflakes in your eyelashes…we don’t have any of that poetic snow-related jazz. We never have sleigh rides with jinglebells, but I can say we are familiar with the aroma of sitting upwind from a horse’s behind. Key Lime Icebox ...
On one of my visits to the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley Humanitarian Respite Center, I took a huge pan of arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) to the volunteers, as well as a pot of beans. At that moment, the Humanitarian Respite Center was at its old location, a small former evangelical church in a strip mall on the west side of downtown. The kitchen was cramped and crazy, and people were running in and out of the kitchen with Styrofoam bowls of soup for the migrants. I knew ...
Sitting on the couch doing nothing is my Sunday ritual. After church, after cooking lunch and after the dishes, I turn three circles around the velvet cushions of my sofa and curl up for some dream time. I don’t necessarily nap, but I put my mind in a snoozy mode, to think, to imagine and to follow rabbit trails of new ideas. Sundays are sacred like that. One of my standard Sunday meditations is how to improve myself as a food writer, and what it means to be at the top of one’s game ...
Making the dough for the crust... When the weather turns cool, pumpkin empanadas are a tradition around these parts. I love pumpkin flavor, and dulce de leche, so I thought I would put them together for a sweet holiday treat. Roasted Apple and Pumpkin Empanadas are great for Fall What I changed was taking out the sugar from the empanada, which actually allowed the delicate pumpkin flavor to shine through in this recipe. So, if you are cutting back the sugar this holiday, you might want ...
Isn't it funny how we eat bananas every day, we see them everywhere in the convenience stores and coffee shops, but we really can't grow them here in the United States? Just like coffee or tea, bananas are something that we can't live without. Banana Walnut Tea Cake is Better than Banana Bread But at the intersection of "Eating what I Love" and my chronic "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Syndrome," I am always attracted to those little bananas that no one seems to buy at the super market. ...
Pan de Campo (Country or camp bread) is one of my most requested recipes, so finally, here it is! We make it all the time here at the ranch, and even though it seems like just another biscuit, it is a tricky bread to make! Pan de Campo is a Ranch Tradition The way that you choose to bake it will change your experience entirely. Some people simply want to make pan de campo in their home oven, which is fine. The convenience of turning an oven on and off should never be forgotten by modern ...
Ranch Christmas is not like other Christmases. We don’t have pine trees. We don’t wear fur trimmed hats. The country road to the ranch next door is too dang long to go a’caroling. Forget all that snow culture…like snowball battles, making snowmen, snow angels, or snowflakes in your eyelashes…we don’t have any of that poetic…
On one of my visits to the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley Humanitarian Respite Center, I took a huge pan of arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) to the volunteers, as well as a pot of beans. At that moment, the Humanitarian Respite Center was at its old location, a small former evangelical…
Sitting on the couch doing nothing is my Sunday ritual. After church, after cooking lunch and after the dishes, I turn three circles around the velvet cushions of my sofa and curl up for some dream time. I don’t necessarily nap, but I put my mind in a snoozy mode, to think, to imagine and…
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…
