Food and Stories of the Texas Hill Country
Mushroom Papadzules
Tuna Ceviche with Salmon Roe
Light Bread with Chicken Fried Steak
Sous Vide “Ro*Tel Dip”
Sourdough Stone Ground Cornbread Sticks
Mushroom Papadzules
Classic papadzules is a dish from the Yucatán area where soft corn tortillas are stuffed with hard boiled eggs and coated in a green sauce colored from pumpkin seeds and epazote and finished with a fresh tomato sauce. That is a mouthful. In my version I substitute mushrooms instead of eggs. Although this dish sounds…
Tuna Ceviche with Salmon Roe
There is probably not a more refreshing appetizer than ceviche. Of course, the key is finding the freshest fish possible – so I prefer to make it as an impromptu appetizer or meal when I see something in the seafood case at the market that looks particularly appetizing. I follow only a few basic rules…
Light Bread with Chicken Fried Steak
Growing up in Central Texas there was really only one type of bread. “Light bread” as my dad called it probably hailed from the famous Pullman Loaf developed for the American passenger railway and evolved into the sandwich bread we know today. Absolutely contrary to every European baking tradition, light bread was, well, “light” and…
Sous Vide “Ro*Tel Dip”
There is no dip in Texas that is synonymous more with New Year’s Eve or the Super Bowl than “RO*TEL Dip”. This gooey, spicy dip is best served with tortilla chips or Fritos – the big dipping kind – and napkins! Although delicious, it is messy but so worth it. There are many variations on…
Sourdough Stone Ground Cornbread Sticks
I always think of cornbread in terms of shape. I grew up with triangles. That was the shape of Grandmama Marie’s pan and for much of my childhood that was the only way I thought you could make cornbread. It was only later that I discovered that you can shape this quick bread into any…
Installing Raised Garden Beds in the Texas Hill Country
For years I have relied on my generous friends and neighbors for herbs and vegetables. I have always wanted to plant a garden, but living and working part of every week in Dallas made this impossible. This winter we installed two large raised garden beds with three different sections. In this video, Rene joins me…
Dan’s House BBQ Seasoning
2 tbsp Smoked Paprika 6 tbsp Chili Powder 1 tbsp Cumin 1 tbsp Salt, I recommend a smoked kosher salt 1 tbsp Sugar 1 tbsp Granulated Garlic 1 tbsp Ancho Chili Pepper 1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper, or to taste but it is a spicy rub 1 tbsp Chipotle Pepper 1/2 tbsp Black Pepper Mix all…
Smoke-Grilled Chicken
I’m not sure I will go quite so far as to call the pellet smoker the “sous vide of smokers”, but it does make smoking and grilling relatively easy. Take chicken. Traditionally because chicken pieces are thicker and contain bones, they usually require a deft hand over a typical charcoal grill. The skin can stick…
Left-Over Turkey and Cabbage Soup
Left-overs are the norm at the holidays. In this video I show you how to make a quick Left-Over Turkey and Cabbage Soup with left over turkey (that I call chicken at least 5 times!) and vegetables. It is also low carb something that I enjoy in between the heavy meals that happen this time…
The Holiday Gimlet
If there was currently a hip cocktail it would have to be The Gimlet. Technically a sour – meaning that it contains a base liquor, lime (or lemon) juice, and a sweetener – the rules are fairly liberal. You can have a lot of fun putting together a recipe. Read: a lot of fun. This…