New Year's Day Migas with black-eyed peas and bacon

Migas for breakfast are welcome anytime, but I have especially fond memories of eating them with friends in Austin as our first meal of the New Year.

When I was younger, no matter where I happened to be living in Texas, it always seemed that I ended up in Austin for New Year’s Eve. So naturally, on New Year’s Day, my friends and I would go out for breakfast and enjoy big platters of migas along with fluffy flour tortillas and refried beans.

This year, I’ll be in New York and sadly I have to admit I haven’t had migas on New Year’s Day for a long time now. Why is this, I wondered? Even though I’m in a place where I can’t easily go to a restaurant and get my fix, there’s no reason why I can’t whip up a batch of migas at home.



Now, there are as many ways to make migas as there are stars in the sky—the possibilities are almost endless. That said, there are two things that define all migas and this is the presence of scrambled eggs and tortillas. While usually people do add other things to their eggs, such as chile peppers, onions, tomatoes, and cheese, if there are not tortillas in the eggs, then they’re not migas—they’re simply some other type of egg scramble.
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Chipotle lime Texas trash snack mix

A couple of years ago, a reader asked me if I had a recipe for Texas trash that was different from the usual. Now, if you’re not familiar with Texas trash, well, it’s similar to Chex party mix, except—it being Texas and all—we tend to spice it up with chili powder and dashes of hot sauce, like Tabasco. Plus, we often use bacon grease as the fat, along with the usual butter.

At heart, though, Texas trash is your typical addictive snack mix comprised of crunchy things like cereal, crackers, and pretzels, along with a variety of nuts. As for seasonings, besides said chiles and hot sauce, there’s also lots of garlic and Worcestershire. If you’ve been in the United States during the holidays anytime since 1953, when Chex first posted its famous recipe, I’m pretty sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.



Ever since I received that email, I’ve become kind of obsessed with Texas trash. Was it possible to make a different kind of Texas trash? Not that there’s anything wrong with the standard recipe, as I grew up eating it and I have fond memories of poking through the large tin that my mom kept it in, looking for my favorite nuts. But I do like a challenge.
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gift cards for preorders of The Homesick Texan's Family Table

Some of you have been asking if my new book will be ready in time for Christmas. The Homesick Texan’s Family Table will not be published until April 1, 2014, but it is available for preorders.

The Homesick Texan’s Family Table will be available wherever books are sold and if you do preorder, you’ll be one of the first to receive it! You can order it from some of these fine establishments:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indiebound
Powell's
Books-a-Million

If you do choose to order it for someone as a gift, here are some cards you can download to let the recipient know that it’s on its way. Just click on the image and it will take you to a separate page where you can print it or move it to your desktop:








I think it's a mighty fine book but of course, I'm biased. So in case you were wondering, here's what some other folks have had to say:

“Lisa Fain’s new book, The Homesick Texan’s Family Table, takes readers back to the origins of her inspiration—the family celebrations and community gatherings where platters of enchiladas, bowls of ranch-style beans, and great conversations combine to create lasting memories. It’s a magical place that’s changed the way we entertain—bring on the chiles, the masa, the chorizo!”
—Matt Lee and Ted Lee, authors of the Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen

“Who doesn’t want to wake up to chilaquiles, enjoy a spicy soup for lunch, dive into a plate of peppery ribs, and finish up with a delicious, zippy version of cowboy cookies? With Lisa Fain’s recipes, anybody, anytime, anywhere can rustle up down-home Tex-Mex fare— be it for an everyday meal or a special celebration. Now I just need a Texas-sized table to hold it all!”
—David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen and The Sweet Life in Paris

“I’ve always admired Lisa Fain’s remarkable ability to express sentiment through flavor—and with her latest book, this talent is on full display. Her beautifully photographed recipes inspired me to not only revisit some of my own family favorites (which I dressed up with the help of the salsas, jams, and in her ‘Accompaniments’ chapter), but also introduce her family’s classic flavors into my home. Hello, Frito Salad!”
—Martha Foose, author of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea and A Southerly Course

“She had us at potluck! The fact that Lisa Fain says her most memorable meal was a family potluck warms our heart. We share with her a mutual desire to get people back around the table, since enjoying a meal with family and friends really is the best way to create lasting memories. Lisa invites you in with stories of her family and their connection to the recipes, and her warm, personal writing envelops you like a comforting blanket.”
—Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, authors of The Casserole Queens Cookbook

My publisher hasn’t given me any preview page images just yet, but as soon as I have them I’ll post them on the site. That said, I’m real excited about my new book and can’t wait to share more with you!

Pecan date fruitcake

How do you feel about fruitcake? For some, it’s a cherished Christmas tradition but for others it’s more of a joke. We’ve all heard the one about the 20-year-old fruitcake that people keep giving away.

There are several different types of fruitcake. There are those that are so loaded with dried fruit and nuts that you need a tall glass of milk to make it through a slice. Then there are the fruitcakes that that have been soaking in spirits since the summer, and one juicy bite makes you feel crazy and wild. There are sticky fruitcakes and dry fruitcakes, heavy fruitcakes and light fruitcakes. If you think you you’re not a fan of fruitcake, just keep looking, as I’m sure there’s at least one out there that you might like.

In my family, fruitcake doesn’t play too prominent a role, as it’s usually shuffled to the side, hiding behind all the tins and platters filled with cookies, candies, crunchy snacks, and other types of cake. But it wasn’t always this way.



When I was writing my new book and going through my great-grandmother Blanche’s letters, she would mention fruitcake often. She’d either be baking one and then sending it to someone in the mail, or a friend of hers may have dropped by for a visit and brought fruitcake as a gift.

As I was looking through her papers I found a recipe for fruitcake she attributed to her friend Mrs. Ollie Edwards. I never met Mrs. Edwards but I did know her husband, a man I called Mr. Edgar. He was a neighbor who helped my great-grandma plant her crops, and I have fond memories of him driving around her farm on his tractor, always quick to offer a kind word or a big smile.

Now, Mrs. Edwards’ fruitcake was unusual in that there weren’t any eggs, oil, or leavenings. Instead, it was simply dates, pecans, and coconut all held together by a bit of flour and some sweetened condensed milk. When I asked my grandma about it, she said this fruitcake wasn’t my family’s usual one, but as the recipe was in my great-grandmother’s collection, I assumed as some point it had been made. I was curious and decided to try it.

The results were not what I was expecting. Instead of being a soft cake studded with fruit, this pecan date fruitcake was chewy, gooey, and yet a little crisp. Are you a fan of dolly bars? Well, then this is the fruitcake for you. While this dessert is a bit more virtuous as it’s filled with dates instead of chocolate chips, it’s just as good. And while the basic recipe is fine on its own, to make it even more seasonal I added some orange zest, cinnamon, and ginger.

What I like about this pecan date fruitcake is that it tastes decadent but also healthy, the latter enabling you to eat more than one slice without feeling too guilty. For instance, as I baked mine up in a Texas-shaped pan, I soon found that I’d eaten most of the Panhandle and was well on my way to finishing up everything between Lubbock and El Paso, but because it’s full of wholesome ingredients like dates and pecans, I didn’t feel too bad.



This is definitely not a traditional fruitcake, though for some I suppose that will be a virtue not a fault. Though welcoming flavors aside, I believe my favorite thing about this pecan date fruitcake is that it was a recipe shared between two friends, perhaps as they sat at my great-grandmother’s table enjoying a slice or two. And for me, being with those that you love is what truly makes the holidays a delicious time of year.

Pecan date fruitcake

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Ingredients:
4 cups chopped dates
2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour or line with parchment paper a 9-inch baking pan (square, round, or Texas shaped) or a 9x5 loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl together the chopped dates, pecans, coconut, flour, orange zest, salt, cinnamon, and ginger until well combined. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk, and stir until a thick, sticky batter forms.

Spread the fruitcake batter into the baking pan and then bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly brown. Be careful not to over bake it, as it will harden as it cools. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing. The cake can keep in an airtight container for several days. It also freezes well.

Yield:
16 servings

Notes:

Note: I used unsweetened coconut because I didn’t want my fruitcake to be too sweet, but if you prefer a sweeter cake, either use sweetened coconut or perhaps add a little sugar to taste.

Author:
Lisa Fain

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HOMESICKTEXAN.COM

PRINT RECIPE

Turkey gumbo

Like chili, gumbo has many rules, with most folks believing that their way of making this stew is the best. As I’m not a native of Cajun country, I tend to follow my friends’ leads when making gumbo, though even amongst that group I’ll see variations.

For instance, I have one friend who eschews celery in his gumbo, though another friend swears that without it the pot will never be authentic. Though this celery-loving friend can’t abide by okra in his gumbo, even though an African word for that vegetable, ki ngombo, is what some say gives gumbo its name!



Most of my friends do concur that tomatoes have no place in gumbo, though there are still a few who believe pouring in a can of Ro-Tel certainly won’t hurt. Then there are those that believe potato salad instead of rice is the better starch to add to your bowl, an affectation that seems strange at first but after a few bites you might wonder why you haven’t been serving it this way all along.

I could go on about the endless variations, but let’s jump to why I’m here—to talk about turkey gumbo, a time-honored day-after-Thanksgiving dish in East Texas and Louisiana, of course.
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Cauliflower and Gruyere macaroni and cheese

The other day, my cousin who now lives in New York asked if I was available for a quick lunch. I mentioned I was about to test a recipe for cauliflower and Gruyere macaroni and cheese and offered for him to come join me. “That sounds really good,” he said. “I’d love that!” But when I told him the recipe would take a little over an hour, he realized his didn’t have that much time, so we grabbed a quick burger instead.

The burger was satisfying. But a couple of hours later when I pulled out of the oven a bubbling casserole full of tender cauliflower and pasta smothered in nutty Gruyere and parmesan cheese, I found it hard to stop taking bites of this simple and satisfying dish, even though I’d already had a big lunch.

Now, I have to admit, when I first saw the recipe for the cauliflower and Gruyere gratin, as it’s called in the book Melt by Garrett McCord and Stephanie Stiavetti, I didn’t think too much about it. Melt’s subtitle is The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, and indeed the book is full of recipes for this comfort classic.



Yet, at heart, the book is a celebration of cheese, and to showcase a wide range of cheeses the authors have taken liberties with the phrase “macaroni and cheese” and also provided recipes for soups, salads, and even desserts where both cheese and pasta are present. If you love cheese, then it’s definitely a book that you will flip through and keep saying to yourself, “I want to make that!”
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Sweet potato cobbler

This sweet potato cobbler is a little late. My plan had been to write about it back in June, as it’s an adaption of Nathan Jean “Mama Sugar” Sanders’ recipe, a wonderful woman who is renown for her annual Juneteenth celebration where this cobbler is served. But life and stuff got in the way, so I’m sharing it now.

I met Mama Sugar back in March, when Foodways Texas bestowed upon her a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to Texas food. Besides hosting her annual party, Mama Sugar is also a legend in the cowboy world, as she is the leader and cook for her trail-riding group The Sugar Shack Trailblazers. When they’re out on the trail, Mama Sugar and her crew keep the trail riders well fed with her pancakes, stews, and barbecue. But the dish she is probably most famous for her is her sweet potato cobbler.



My first encounter with her version of the recipe was in a 2006 Gourmet article written by Robb Walsh. I wasn’t familiar with the dessert and as a fan of sweet potato pie I was curious how a sweet potato cobbler might taste. That said, I clipped the article, filed it away, and never got around to making it. After the symposium, however, I was reminded that I needed to see what the fuss was about.
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Tex-Mex meatballs in a chipotle-tomato sauce

Sundays in October might be my favorite days of the year. The leaves are starting to put on their annual show, the air is crisp, and there are so many choices on how you can spend your day.

For instance, on Sundays you can be lazy and sit on the couch all day reading the paper and a good book; or you can be busy, and visit flea markets and tag sales. You might choose to go to church in the morning and then come home for a Sunday roast; or you might save your eating for later that day when your football team plays a game.

The latter is how many of my friends spend their Sundays this time of year, and it’s always fun coming up with some good game-day grub. Things that always work for me are dips, chile con queso, and other easy foods that can be eaten with your hands. Of course, Texas chili, stews and soups are also good choices, but the nice thing about finger foods is you don’t have to mess with utensils.



Enter this skillet of Tex-Mex meatballs swimming in a spicy chipotle tomato sauce. This recipe is inspired by recipes from Rick Bayless and Diane Kennedy for Mexican albondigas, which is just the Spanish word for meatball. I’ve taken their lead but goosed up my meatballs with more spices and herbs, along with a bit of chili powder. And in a nod to old-fashioned Texas meatballs, have used crushed saltine crackers as a binder instead of the more traditional rice.
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tarte flambée with bacon and jalapeños

Sometimes I can be reminded of home in the most unlikely places. For instance, last week I visited the Museum of Modern Art’s new Rene Magritte exhibit. Houston’s Menil Collection has a large number of his paintings and had donated some works to the show. As I walked through the galleries, it made me smile to see art I associate with home, and I felt Texas pride to see Houston so well represented in New York City.

After I saw the exhibit, I grabbed a bite to eat at The Modern, a restaurant at the museum. It’s German-inspired cuisine, and on the menu is a tarte flambée, which is an Alsatian baked flatbread that’s been smothered in bacon, onions, and a creamy sauce. It’s basically a bacon and onion pizza. Who wouldn't love that? And while it's not fussy, it’s still incredibly luscious and rich. It's a favorite of mine, and it’s a rare trip to the museum that I don’t make the time to stop into the restaurant and order one.



Now tarte flambée, which in Germany is known as flammkuchen, isn’t obviously Texan, but it also reminded me of home. See, Texas has a rich German legacy, not to mention in Central Texas there is also a community of folks from the Alsace region, an area in Eastern France that falls along the border of Germany and Switzerland. So an Alsatian tart is more connected to Texas than you might originally suppose.
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Apple jalapeño jam

Apple jalapeño jam—what could be better in the fall? Though I have to admit that this jar of spreadable apples made warm and lively with cinnamon and jalapeños only came about due to a bout of laziness. Allow me to explain.

On cool fall mornings, I wake up craving warm slices of crunchy toast, slathered in soft butter and sweet jam. Usually I have plenty of jam on hand, as making it is one of favorite summertime activities. Plus, the jars are fun to give to people at Christmas. Who doesn’t like a jar of something sweet and homemade?

For some reason, however, I didn’t make any jam this summer. I was overwhelmed with work and at the end of the day, the last thing I wanted to do was stand in front of the stove stirring a pot. Though by the time I realized the folly in my thinking, the cherries and berries were long gone. It was now time for fall fruits, such as apples, to shine.

One of my favorite memories is putting up apples with my grandmother. She has a tree that in some years is quite abundant, and she’ll pack jar after jar with fresh sliced fruit. While these apples are delicious, they are not spreadable. But what if I made an apple jam instead?



Now, for some reason, apples are usually transformed into jellies not jams. The difference between the two is that jellies are made from strained juice, whereas jams still contain the fruit. I prefer the chunkier nature of jams, though when I set about making an apple jam as opposed to an apple jelly, it appeared to be not as common.
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Chilorio, Mexican Pulled Pork

“What is that incredible smell?” asked a friend as he walked in the door. I pointed to the stove where shredded pork was simmering in an earthy, spicy sauce made from ancho and guajillo chiles and said, “It’s chilorio. Mexican pulled pork.”

Now, you would think that the first time I would have had chilorio would have been in Texas, but instead it was in Midtown Manhattan. There was a taco stand in the basement of an office building and on its limited menu was chilorio, or Mexican pulled pork, as it was described.

Curious about what constituted Mexican pulled pork, I ordered one of the chilorio tacos and discovered that it was tender strands of pork that were a little spicy and a little sweet. It was rich and flavorful and went quite nicely with a creamy green salsa.



A little research lead me to discover that chilorio is from the Mexican state of Sinaloa, which is in the Northern part of the country. After trying it in New York, I occasionally started seeing it offered on Mex-Mex menus back home in Texas, and all reports were that it was a fine dish worthy of being included on the Texas table.
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Peach and bacon guacamole

This last week of August is confusing. For me, Labor Day marks the end of summer, but with the return to school, the beginning of football season, and the first pumpkins spotted at the farmers market, I could swear it’s already fall.

No matter, as long as I’m wearing white pants and cranking the air conditioning I know it’s not autumn just yet. I also know it’s still summer because there are still plenty of ripe, juicy peaches next to those early pumpkins. In order to savor the end of the season, I’ve entered that time of year when I eat peaches all day—morning, noon, and night. (I have to confess I’m eating New York peaches, which are not Texas peaches but they’re still pretty good).

Back in June, on my way to the farm to visit my grandma, I stopped and picked up a bag of Fairfield peaches, a longstanding summertime tradition if you're traveling between Houston and North Texas. After dinner that night, we sliced the peaches and topped them with dollops of whipped cream. It was simple yet elegant and maybe the finest thing I ate my entire trip.



All summer, I’ve been revisiting that dish (though sometimes I substitute yogurt for whipped cream) and it makes for either a fine dessert or a refreshing breakfast. One morning, however, I was out of both cream and yogurt. At first, I was going to eat my peach on its own, but after I spied an avocado on the counter I decided to see now the peach would fare in a batch of guacamole. I also had some bacon frying, so I decided to throw that into the bowl, as well.
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Hatch chile flour tortillas recipe

This time of year, I start to go chile pepper mad. Okay, I admit that I’m always cooking with chiles, but in August and September they are at their absolute best. Their flavor is so much brighter and livelier when you bite into one that’s just been picked.

Of course, if you’re in Texas or New Mexico, there’s one chile pepper in particular that’s garners the most attention this time of year—the Hatch chile. As I’ve written before, the Hatch chile doesn’t refer to a type of chile, instead the term “Hatch” is where these chiles are from, which is the Hatch Valley in New Mexico, about an hour away from El Paso.

Hatch chiles, which come from the same stock as Anaheim chiles, are a dagger-shaped light green chile (though as they mature they will turn red, which is why some Hatch chiles will have red patches on them), which ranges in heat from mild to hot. By looks alone, you can’t tell what you’re getting so hopefully the vendor will let you know.



Because their season is brief—from August until mid-September—many grocery stores in Texas have festivals celebrating the harvest. One particular store, Central Market, goes especially wild for Hatch chiles, with chile roasters out in front of the stores and a host of fun products made with the chiles on the shelves inside.

One thing Central Market offers is their limited edition Hatch chile flour tortillas. I love these and if I’m in Texas when they’re available, I always stock up and then keep them in my freezer so I can enjoy them long after the season has passed.
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Shiner Bock ice cream

New York has changed a lot since I moved here. While the city will always have its challenges, the living has become a bit easier in the past year with a surge in the availability of certain favorites.

For instance, when I visit the grocery store I can now add a few bottles of Topo Chico to my cart. If I have a craving for tender smoked brisket, there are several places within walking distance to find it. While breakfast tacos and pillow-soft kolaches may still be a train ride away for me, just the fact that they now exist in New York is cause for celebration. And for many, perhaps the most welcome addition has been Shiner Bock.

Shiner’s ubiquity in Texas reflects just how beloved it is, and it’s the rare place that doesn’t offer it. So it was always something of a shock to Texans who’d just moved to New York to discover it wasn’t here. “Where is the Shiner?” they’d often ask. Because of this, its arrival a couple of months ago was met with much fanfare and excitement. Not only did the news make headlines but also when you’d go to the grocery store, you’d see Texans taking pictures of the bottles just because it was so novel to see it on shelves.



Its appearance couldn’t have come at a better time, as nothing beats a cold beverage during the hot summer. Though I’m also partial to frozen treats to help me stay cool, which is why I took a bottle of Shiner and instead of drinking it, made a batch of ice cream with it instead.
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Chipotle shrimp coleslaw

Well, my plan had been to tell you about the epic road trip I just took, where I spent almost two weeks driving around West and South Texas (with a quick detour to North Texas), and did nothing but look at the sky, read books, and eat whatever I wanted. I also turned off my computer, stayed away from social media, and refused to check my email.

As I visited with friends in San Antonio, one was incredulous I’d stayed away from the Internet for so long. She then filled me in on all that had happened on social media and a host of other places online. “It’s been so exciting,” she said. “You’ve missed everything!” But I didn’t mind a bit. My time away was glorious and I highly recommend it.



That said, the other night as I was making my new summertime staple—a chipotle shrimp coleslaw that requires little effort, save for a quick boil on the shrimp and some chopping of cabbage and such—I remembered I’d been silent on the blog for a while.
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Barbecue baked black-eyed peas

Last Monday, which was also my birthday, I finished my second cookbook. It was the best present I could ever give myself. After I sent my manuscript to my editor, I then spent a week being lazy. With little rest and relaxation the past six months as I’ve raced towards my deadline, it felt good to have other people cook for me and do absolutely nothing. After a few days of this, however, I became restless and missed hanging out in my tiny kitchen. So back I went.

As I started poking around my shelves to see what I had left over after the recipe testing, I didn’t find much, though there was a bag of dried black-eyed peas. At first, I thought to myself, “I can’t do anything with these, they’re a January food.” But then I realized this was foolish thinking, as like most Texans I grew up eating black-eyed peas all year round.

When I was young, we ate black-eyed peas several times a week. Whether it was the summertime and they were freshly picked from my grandmother’s garden and needed nothing more than a dash of salt to shine, or whether it was the colder months and we took our dried black-eyed peas and slowly stewed them with aromatics and bacon—black-eyed peas were often on the table. And they were always good.



That said, for some reason when I moved to New York, I got it into my head that they should only be served on New Year’s Day, as that was the only time I could find them at the stores. Of course, they’re popular on January 1 as they’re one of those foods that’s supposed to bring you good fortune in the New Year. But their good flavor certainly shouldn’t be limited to this one day. A return to serving black-eyed peas year round was long overdue.

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Carne asada stuffed potatoes

In Southern California, there’s a dish called carne asada fries. It’s a pile of French fries topped with carne asada, cheese, and a variety of other toppings, such as sour cream and salsa. While I’ve sadly not had the pleasure of eating these, my friends who live in Southern California tell me that they’re good. Very, very good in fact. I’ve been eager to try them.

That said, since I have no immediate plans to travel to Southern California but do plan to visit Texas this summer, I began asking around to see if these fries were offered in our great state. Unfortunately, however, my search only turned up one place that had them—a California-style Mexican restaurant in Arlington. After that, I came up with nothing.

To me this seemed a little strange. Texans love meat and Texans love potatoes—why wasn’t this combination more common? Sure, in Texas you’ll often find chili cheese fries, of which I am a fan. But I had a craving for the combination of steak with guacamole, cheese, with potatoes, not chili and cheese.

Then, as I was trying to figure out why I couldn’t find the fries in Texas, I came across something even better: baked potatoes stuffed with carne asada. And this dish, often called simply papa asada, is found all over the state—from El Paso to the Valley, from San Antonio to Dallas.

The most common spots offering the carne asada stuffed baked potato are taquerias that specialize in grilled meats, such as the pollo asado joints like El Pollo Regio and/or taquerias that have roots in Northern Mexico, such as Taco Tote or Taco Palenque. Though the more I searched, the more I found it on a host of menus—clearly I just hadn’t been looking for the right dish.
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Avocado-coconut ice cream

If your mom is anything like my mom, then she probably loves avocadoes. While everyone in my family enjoys this tropical fruit, I most identify it with my mom, as when I was growing up it seemed that she ate an avocado every single day.

Her favorite lunch was a batch of nachos, and with these nachos she’d mash an avocado with hot sauce and lemon juice for a quick and easy guacamole. When she wasn’t making nachos, she’d also dice avocadoes and then toss them into salads, or slice them into thin slivers and then serve them with fish or tacos.

Of course, my recollections may be hazy and perhaps she didn’t eat them every day, but it sure does seem like there was always a bowl of ripe avocados sitting out on the counter, waiting to be peeled, pitted, sliced, and served.

Now here’s the sad thing. I didn’t like avocadoes when I was a kid. I’m not sure if it was the soft texture or if it was because they were green, but it wasn’t until I fell in love with Ninfa’s green sauce that I became a fan.



Apparently, I’m not alone. When I was reading Gabi Dalkin’s new book Absolutely Avocadoes, she also admits she thought she wasn’t a fan of avocadoes, at least until she, too, had a transformative moment with avocadoes at a Mexican restaurant in Arizona.

She’s since made up for any lost time, and is now very passionate about the fruit. As she says in her intro, writing this book was a dream assignment since she loves avocadoes so much, and you can feel that love as she shares all that she knows.(It's also a beautiful book as fellow Texan Matt Armendariz took the photos.)
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Strawberry cream cheese kolaches

Last week I began the writing phase of my book, which means every morning I get up early and begin working. Because I like to write without any distractions, I don’t talk to anyone or go online until I’ve met my daily word count. And every day last week, there was some new terrible news waiting for me when I finally plugged back into the world. What a week it was.

While there was no shortage of people to be praying for, I have to say that my heart was most heavy for the Texas town of West. A fertilizer plant there exploded late Wednesday and the impact was so extreme that it was felt over 50 miles away. Not to mention, when you saw images of the blast, the mushroom cloud reminded you of a war bomb. To date, 14 people have been reported dead with many still missing and injured. What an awful, horrible event.

The town is a few miles from Waco, almost at the halfway point of the route between Dallas and Austin, so people making that journey have long stopped in West to rest, fill up the tank, and grab something to eat. West has a large Czech population and it’s famous for offering Czech sausages and pastries, such as kolaches. And as Texans love their kolaches, it’s for this reason this tiny Texas town has such a large hold on so many Texans’ hearts.



If you’re not familiar with a kolache (pronounced koe-lah-chay), it’s a Czech pastry that’s typically filled with fruit, cheese, poppy seeds, sausage, or eggs. If it’s a sweet filling, the roll will be round or square with an indention at the top that’s been stuffed. If it’s made with sausage or something else savory, then the filling is completely encased in the dough and a mystery until you take that first wonderful bite.
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Spring break in Texas

The other night I dreamt that I was in Texas. It was the end of my visit, and I hadn’t seen many wildflowers while I was there, but as we pulled into the Austin airport, suddenly the surrounding fields were blanketed with our beautiful state flower. I gasped and then I cried.

In real life, my recent trip home wasn’t much different. It was cold, rainy and grey most of the time, and the bluebonnets I did see were few and far between. But if you looked, there were still signs that it was springtime in Texas and plenty of reminders that I was indeed back home.

My first order of business was a book signing at the Texas State Capitol, where I looked up and saw this:
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Pimento cheese deviled eggs

A reader recently emailed me, asking for my deviled egg recipe. In her letter, she explained she was at work and had left my book at home. While she had hoped to find the recipe on my site, after poking around she noticed it wasn’t there.

In my reply, I said that to keep the books interesting, I include plenty of recipes that aren’t on my site. She said she understood, but added: “It doesn’t have to be the same recipe—there are many ways to make deviled eggs.” And this is very true.

Deviled eggs are one of those foods that you’ll see at most Texan gatherings—from birthdays to funerals, from Christmas Eve dinners to Fourth of July picnics. They are timeless.

They are also easy to prepare, as evidenced by the fact they were one of the first things that I cooked on a regular basis. When I was young, I’d come home from school, boil an egg or two, scoop out the yolk, mash it with lots of mustard, a little bit of mayonnaise, a dash of Worcestershire, and then go to town with the spice cabinet. Deviled eggs made for a very fine (and fun) snack.



It’s probably their simplicity and ubiquity that made me ignore them for so long in this space. And yet, even though I have a recipe in my first book (and there will be another in my second book), as my reader noted, there is no shortage of good ways to make a deviled egg.
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Corned beef hash with chipotle chiles and Irish bacon

When I lived in Austin, I worked with a woman who loved to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. She was a quiet lady and I was a little surprised at her enthusiasm. But she explained that her husband, a doctor with Irish roots, was continuing his family’s long tradition of having a corned beef supper.

As she described her gathering, it sounded so genteel and elegant—the opposite of what I had come to expect from St. Patrick’s Day. But as lovely as that evening was, she said her favorite part was the morning after. “We take the leftovers and make corned beef hash,” she said. “It makes for a fine breakfast.”

Now, corned beef hash wasn’t in my regular rotation. Matter of fact, I didn’t even try it for the first time until I was an adult. Growing up I’d been familiar with the dish, but my impression was that it was a strange canned food and something to be avoided.



Soon after my conversation with my co-worker, I found myself visiting an old Texan friend in Northern California. We went out for breakfast one morning and she ordered the corned beef hash. As I was mulling over the menu she suggested I follow her lead. When I expressed my doubts she said, “It’s brisket and potatoes. You’ll like it.”
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Ruby Red grapefruit cookies

In my kitchen, I have one drawer. Clearly, this greatly limits the amount of stuff I can possess, unless I want my kitchen to creep into other parts of my apartment. (Actually, it already does, as my stand mixer lives on my dining table/desk.) But I’m not complaining, as I like to keep my tool kit efficient. That said, sometimes I fail to add something that could make my life a little bit easier, like a cookie scoop, for example.

Making cookies is fun for me. And apparently it’s something that I’ve done all my life, as there are pictures of as a toddler me standing on a chair helping my mom roll out balls of dough. The family tradition of young people baking with older ones is timeless. How many of you recall baking cookies as a child with your mother or grandmother? For many, it’s their first introduction to the kitchen.

My mom was recently visiting my brother and his family, which includes my two nephews—one who is two months old and the other who is two years old. The baby is very cute and likes to smile a lot, but he’s not quite ready to make cookies just yet. But my toddler nephew loves to spend time in the kitchen, and had been asking her since she arrived: “Grandma, when are we going to bake cookies?” The tradition continues.



She then turned to me for help. I had promised to send her a recipe, and my new purchase had prompted me to spend the better part of the past few days testing batch after batch after batch. Thankfully, the scoop made things a little easier, though it didn’t prevent me from eating half the cookie dough, which I’m sure many of you can agree is perhaps the best part.
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Banana, bacon, and pecan pancakes

There are many ways to say I love you, and in my family, some folks have decided that pancakes are the way to show they care.

First there was my grandfather, who you’d find every Saturday flipping fat fluffy pancakes stuffed with blueberries and pecans. Then there’s my uncle and his famous Mexican pancakes, a concoction so outrageous that he’s been known to travel with a special skillet that’s used especially for these large pancakes loaded with pineapple and coconut. My brother has also taken to making pancakes, and on Christmas morning the family visited in the kitchen as he made stack after stack after stack.

Pancakes and love have been on my mind this week, as it’s not only the first week of Lent but Valentine’s Day is happening, too.



Shrove Tuesday, which in England is known as Pancake Tuesday, is that last hurrah before Lent begins. Of course, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Mardi Gras. And growing up in Houston, which is close to Galveston and New Orleans, two places rich with Mardi Gras traditions, I always felt a little strange spending that particular Tuesday hanging out in my church’s parish hall eating pancakes instead.
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