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Mac Attack! Tex-Mex Macaroni and Cheese
I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Tex-Mex is one of my favorite cuisines of all time, my top dish pick being chili con queso with Ro-Tel. Naturally, when I came across a Tex-Mex mac and cheese with green chilies, I knew I had to make it.
The recipe comes from Robert Del Grande, one of the Lone Star State's best-known chefs and restaurateurs, and the roasted poblanos give the melted cheese dish an addictive kick.
Kolaches Are a Taste of Central Europe in Texas
If you're not from Texas — or a few other choice towns across America — you may have never had the pleasure of eating a kolache. A Central European pastry iconic across the Lone Star State, the kolache is prized for its soft, pillowy dough and its versatility: kolache fillings range from the sweet (apricot, prunes, and poppy seeds) to the savory (sausages). And some fillings, like cheese, even possess qualities of both.
A Colorful Midday Meal at Feast
On a recent trip to Texas, Reef wasn't the only provocative meal that I had. I also ate an unorthodox lunch at Feast, a restaurant that was opened by three British ex-pats, James Silk, Meagan Silk, and Richard Knight, in Houston last year. The eatery, which has earned accolades from the New York Times as well as a James Beard Best New Restaurant nomination, focuses on adventurous and gourmet nose-to-tail dining.
Chef Tim Love Loves His Animals
After falling in love with his Texas accent and cowboyish ways on the first episode of Top Chef Masters, I was more than happy to RSVP to a special luncheon hosted by chef Tim Love at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Love spent the entire night before the lunch slow-roasting three whole animals — goat, lamb, and venison — over a mesquite wood grill. He applied a different technique and application to each one.
Houston's Reef Restaurant Makes a Splash
I've got roots in Houston, TX, home of some of the world's best steak and Tex-Mex. But on a recent return to Bayou City, I was eager to check out some dramatically different local fare that's garnered a lot of national attention. That would be the refined Gulf Coast seafood served at Reef, the brainchild of 2009 Food & Wine Best New Chef Bryan Caswell.
Test Your Tex-Mex Fun Facts!
One of my favorite cuisines of all time is Tex-Mex, and I'm sad to report that Matt Martinez, Jr., the "King of Tex-Mex," died last Friday. Martinez, owner of several notable Texas Tex-Mex restaurants, was one of the first pioneers to embrace the term. Insulted by critics who denounced Americanized Mexican food, Martinez abandoned claim to anything Mexican, calling it Tex-Mex instead.
Happy Hour: Tito's Vodka
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of meeting Tito Beveridge, the creator of Tito's vodka. Before meeting Tito, I'd never heard of the Texas-based American vodka company. However, I was impressed with Tito's ambition — before getting into the spirits business, he was a geophysicist, oil driller, and mortgage broker — and pleasantly surprised by his vodka's pure, bite-free flavor.
Cooks Arrested For Tainting Food
Two short order cooks were put behind bars yesterday for intentionally contaminating food.
Jaime Perez and James Ledesma of Andy's Landing restaurant in Burnet, TX, were arrested on felony counts of tampering with a consumer product. According to a former co-worker, Perez put bodily secretions into Burnet Police Chief Paul Nelson's food.
Happy Hour: Shiner Bock
Last night I had a horrible, incurable hot flash. I opened the fridge to cool down and — to my glee — found Shiner Bock staring back at me.
If you aren't from Texas, you may not know Shiner, but if you are, then it's a household name.
Name That Dish!
I recently whipped up the fair favorite pictured below. It's so bad for you, it's good! Can you identify this southwestern delight?
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