Texas may be known for Friday night lights, country music, and wide-open skies, but Texas State University is proving the state’s thriving arts scene deserves just as much attention. The university is the first and only school in the nation with Top 20 national rankings in Art, Dance, Music, Theatre, Musical Theatre, and Mass Communication — a distinction many outside the university still do not realize.

While preparing a perfect “Pre-Matinee” lunch of Tuna, Kale, and Curry Frittata with Mustard Roasted Potatoes alongside Vee Volpe, president of the Friends of the Fine Arts and Communication at Texas State University, our conversation centered on the organization’s growing role in supporting students through scholarships, travel opportunities, guest artists, and community engagement. “Friends helps create opportunities that might not otherwise happen,” Volpe explained, noting that many students balance demanding rehearsal schedules, academics, and jobs while pursuing their degrees.

Volpe described the College of Fine Arts and Communication as far more than a theatre program. The nationally recognized college spans theatre, dance, opera, mariachi, film, journalism, communications, galleries, music ensembles, and visual arts. “The breadth and the caliber are what make Texas State distinctive,” she said.

That excellence was especially visible in the university’s recent production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, which I had the absolute pleasure of attending.   Rehearsals began in February, with students dedicating up to 40 hours a week during technical rehearsals. More than 125 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the production, many while carrying full course loads and jobs.

“The polish and confidence impressed me most,” Volpe said. “What audiences don’t always realize is how much of the work is student-driven.”

Beyond performance experience, students gain professional skills in collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and leadership. Volpe believes those experiences are especially valuable in today’s world. “People are craving real experiences more than ever,” she said. “There’s something about sitting together for live theatre, music, dance, or art that still feels very human.”

As Friends of the Fine Arts and Communication continues to grow — now more than 300 members strong with its Take a Seat endowment nearing $600,000 — Volpe hopes more people will discover the level of creativity and talent thriving at Texas State. “Once people experience it for themselves,” she said, “they usually understand pretty quickly why so many of us are passionate about it.”  Vee encourages people to simply give it a try,.  Memberships to Friends of the Fine Arts and Communication begin at $100 and include tickets and invitations to events throughout the year.  “It’s the best deal around,” Volpe laughed.  “You get to have alot of fun and help students at the same time.”

Box Office:  https://txstatepresents.universitytickets.com/

Friends: https://www.finearts.txst.edu/friends.html

Follow Friends of Fine Arts and Communication at TXST on FB!

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Tuna, Kale & Curry Frittata with Roasted Mustard Potatoes

Perfect Pre-Matinee Lunch

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course brunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Equipment

• 1 Saute or Stir Fry Pan Medium

Ingredients

  

• 1 clove shallot chopped
• 2-3 handfuls kale well massaged
• 2 cans Calipo Tuna plus 1/2 tsp of the oil
• 6 eggs
• 2 tsp curry powder, or more if desired
• small spash of water while cooking

Oven-Roasted Mustard Potatoes

• 1 package red baby potatoes
• 1 tbsp tuna oil or olive oil
• 1/4 tsp fine salt or more to taste
• 1 tbsp brown mustard or old fashioned mustard
• thyme or Italian seasoning

Instructions

 

• In a medium sauté or stir-fry pan, heat 1–2 teaspoons of the tuna oil over medium heat.
• Add the shallot and cook slowly until softened and lightly caramelized. Add a splash of water as needed to keep it from drying out while reducing the amount of oil used.
•  Add the well-massaged kale and cook until fully softened.
• Add the tuna and stir for another minute or two so the flavors amalgamate.
• In a bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and 2 teaspoons curry powder. Pour into the pan.
•  Cook gently until the outer edges become browned and caramelized. A clear lid can be placed on top to help the upper portion cook through evenly.
• 7.     The frittata is done when the edges are browned and caramelized, the center has puffed slightly, and the eggs are fully set.

Oven Roasted Mustard Potatoes

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Chop potatoes into roughly 1-inch pieces

Video

Keyword Frittata, Tuna, Kale, Roasted Mustard Potatoes

Before it became one of the most grueling endurance races in the country, the Texas Water Safari began as a bold, slightly wild idea. In 1962, Frank Brown and Bill “Big Willie” George set out to drift from San Marcos to Corpus Christi in a motorless V-bottom boat—an adventure that took them roughly thirty days to complete. What might have remained a one-off feat instead sparked something bigger: the belief that others should test themselves against the same winding rivers, unpredictable currents, and sheer distance. By the following year, that idea took shape as the first official Texas Water Safari.

Today, the race has evolved into a 260-mile, nonstop marathon through rivers and coastal waters, widely regarded as one of the toughest canoe races in the world. While a handful of elite competitors aim for the podium, many entrants are driven by something less tangible but equally powerful—the chance to finish. Earning the coveted finisher’s patch means joining a small, respected fraternity of paddlers who have endured the heat, fatigue, and relentless pace required to reach the end.

What sets the Texas Water Safari apart is not just the distance, but the discipline it demands. Racers must be entirely self-sufficient from the start, carrying all necessary gear, food, and repair supplies with them. Outside assistance is strictly limited—only water, ice, and shouted encouragement from a designated team captain tracking their progress along the route. Teams push forward day and night, often with little sleep, navigating both physical exhaustion and mental strain in a race against the clock to meet checkpoint deadlines and finish within 100 hours.

That same spirit of endurance and curiosity is what draws modern racers to the starting line—people like Shannon Issendorf, an experienced paddler with a long-held ambition to pursue a mixed men-and-women team.  After convincing her husband of this dream’s viability,  they recruited a mixed team that included her husband and close friends. Once the idea took hold, hesitation gave way to commitment, and the group plunged into months of focused, demanding training.

By last June, Issendorf and her teammates—Chris Issendorf, Dodd Yeager, Kyle and Kaitlin Mynar, and William Russell—arrived at the start line not just prepared, but equipped with a finely tuned racing machine. Their canoe, stretching 42 feet and barely wider than their hips, was engineered for speed and efficiency, paired with specialized paddles designed to maximize every stroke. It was a setup built for performance—but the real test, as always in the Safari, would be endurance.

What followed was more than a strong finish; it was a breakthrough moment. The team didn’t just win—they claimed victory by more than a full hour. In doing so, the women on the team became the first female Texan paddlers to win the race, and Issendorf herself the first mother to stand atop the podium. This was a result that reflected not only preparation and teamwork, but a shifting narrative in a race long defined by sheer grit.

I sat down with Shannon to talk about the race, the physical and mental challenges along the way, and what it takes to push through 260 miles of relentless conditions. She also shared a small but meaningful piece of her preparation: a protein-packed banana bread recipe that helped sustain her through training and beyond.

1.     Tell me about how you formed the winning team that resulted in the first time a Texas woman won the race?

For years, I’ve wanted to form a mixed team of men and women, and I’ve discussed this with my husband. We knew our competition was an all-male team.  We trained hard every day, particularly focusing on learning to portage faster. – a bit challenging for women.  My husband was not worried about us as far as longevity.  It was a hard and exhausting training, but we needed every ounce of it.

2.     Tell me about your boat

My husband and friend built a 42’ boat specifically for the race, using innovative new technology – it was lighter, faster, had sliding seats, and it had a water bailer.  It was slightly wider than hip width.

3.     Can you give us a snapshot of what the first part of the race looked like:

The first 20 miles or so involve a lot of portaging – over obstacles like dams and trees. We decided to use canoe paddles instead of kayak paddles at the beginning of the race, and because of the boat’s size, we were able to maneuver it better.

Then we got to Gonzales, and a storm had dumped a lot of floodwater.  We turned on Metallica and flew through those waters – now using kayak paddles and hitting about 12 mph.

4.     How were you doing in relation to your competition at this point?

We really didn’t know because we couldn’t see anyone.  We got to Hocheim in the middle of the night and realized we had put about an hour ahead of the competition.  We had been working at our pace, which was our plan the whole time – we needed to work within our abilities.

5.     What was the most tenuous part of the trip?

We are pulling up to the swamps around Dupont in Victoria. When we pulled up to it, the water looked weird – we could see it was peeling off into the trees.  We actually asked the race point officials if the race had been called off due to the flood waters.  The swamps can be tricky because you can go into the swamps ahead, but get lost and move down several slots. Swamps are a major obstacle.

What we didn’t know is that the San Antonio River, as well as the Guadalupe River, were flooding, and it was hitting at the same time, which is what caused the water to peel into the trees.  At this point, my teammate Kaitlyn, who has been paddling longer than I have, says, “We need to put on life jackets”.  We typically never paddle with life jackets – it has to be bad for us to do so.  We look around and realize that we are actually in the treetops. When the water rises, all the critters do as well.   For instance, fire ants create these balls.  You’ll have an entire sleeve of fire ants on you.  The water was rushing so much that we literally had to back paddle because the obstacles were coming at us so fast.

So we are trying to find a path through the treetops to get to the other side.  It took all our effort and concentration to keep from wrapping the canoe around a tree, because if we did, everyone would be dumped, and there would be no way to get back to the boat to call for help.

So, we make it through there, and we get to what we call the confluence – you can turn right, you will go into Alligator Lake, if you turn left, you will go into the slough and back into the river.  We are exhausted at this point and done with rushing water, so we go into the slough.

So the night before, I had pulled a track on a small GPS watch – just in case…  I pull it out and tell the rest of our team where to go – it got us through the trees, and then we find the swamps.  So when we did get back in the river, we literally cheered!

We keep paddling, we get to the Bay, and the wind is blowing into the river, creating waves that crash onto the boat.  We had never seen anything like this before.  We finally flipped from these waves, and we are all out in the water.  The guys literally pushed the boat to shore, and we are swimming against the floodwaters to reach land.

We get to shore, and we dump the boat’s water.  We all six load back up and Kyle grabs Chris and says, “Hey dude, I‘m still having fun!”

So we set out to paddle across the bay and get to the finish line.  It’s dark.  Our spot tracker had died, so no one knew where we were.  No one is visibly there.  So we yell out, and they all come running and saying, “You won!”

I didn’t realize at the time how impactful that was going to be on the other female paddlers who were out there.  We have a banquet at the end, and I gave a little speech that this could be you if you train hard enough, you too can do this! A couple of teenage girls came up to me and said, “I didn’t think it was possible, but now I’m going to train to win!”

And now about that healthy protein-packed banana bread!

Protein Banana Bread

Grit, determination and a protein packed snack

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Equipment

• 1 Loaf Pan

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cup White, spelt, or oat flour
• 1/2 cup protein powder (60 g)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 3)
• 1/2 cup yogurt or additional banana
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey or agave syrup 
• 1/3 cup oil or water
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Optional chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut, etc

Instructions

 

• Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• Stir all ingredients together, smooth the batter into the pan, and bake 40 minutes. 
• Turn the oven off, but do not open the door even a crack.  Leave in oven for 5 minutes.  (Mine is always done after this time.  If yours is still soft in the center for some reason-climate, altitude, etc)

Video

Keyword Banana Bread, Protein

Sometimes the very best recipes quietly slip into the background, tucked away in old notebooks or fading memory—until something brings them back to life again. That was exactly the case for Rebecca Rather’s Coconut Snowballs.

When she was asked to cater a ladies’ gathering in Horseshoe Bay, Rebecca decided to include these nostalgic treats among the dessert offerings. What happened next was nothing short of delightful—they vanished within minutes. Plates were left empty, guests were asking for seconds, and more than a few were eager to leave with the recipe in hand.

It didn’t take long to understand why. From the very first bite, these little snowballs work their magic. Lightly sweet with just the right touch of texture from puffed rice cereal, they strike that perfect balance of soft and crisp. Each bite feels like a small indulgence—simple, satisfying, and just a bit irresistible.

Some recipes fade, but the truly special ones always find their way back.

Coconut Snowballs

Lightly sweet with just the right touch of texture

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 4 dozen

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
• 2 egg yolks large
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 pound chopped dates
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 cups puffed rice cereal
• 1 cup pecans chopped
• sweetened shredded coconut for coating

Instructions

 

•  In a large saucepan, combine the butter, egg yolks, and sugar.  Stir over medium-low heat until the butter melts.  Add the dates and continue cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes.  (The dough will be difficult to stir, but persevere as best you can.)
• Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, puffed rice, and pecans
• Roll the dough into bite-sized balls (about 1 inch in diameter).  Roll the balls in the shredded coconut to coat.  The cookies will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container or up to 1 month well wrapped and frozen. 

Video

Keyword Dates, coconut, rice krispies

The Pastry Queen – Rebecca Rather

I have long admired Rebecca Rather — her grit, her grace, the way she built beloved restaurants and still talks about baking like it’s the greatest joy on earth. So to spend an afternoon in the kitchen with her felt a little like stepping into a dream. We moved easily between conversation and confection, whipping cream for a strawberry ricotta cake while stories from Beaumont and Fredericksburg drifted across the counter. Later, we rolled Snowballs in sweet coconut, laughing as it stuck to our fingers. It was the kind of afternoon that lingers — warm, generous, and deeply rooted in the simple act of making something sweet together.

Rooted in Texas

You have deep Texas roots. How did growing up in Texas shape your palate and your approach to cooking?

I grew up in Beaumont, so Cajun influence was everywhere. But more than that, my childhood shaped my relationship with cooking in a very personal way. My mother was sick most of my life, so I was raised largely by two sweet Black women who helped care for our family. Because my mom was in and out of the hospital, I started cooking dinner at a very early age. It wasn’t necessarily a romantic beginning — I was simply thrown into it.

When my mother was home and feeling well, we would go to the farmers’ markets together. She loved fresh vegetables — especially fresh cream peas and purple hull peas. Those trips are some of my best memories of her. I don’t know if Texas shaped my cooking directly, but it certainly shaped my heart around food.

Food as Gathering

Texas food culture is so tied to hospitality — church suppers, family tables, big gatherings. When did you first understand food as a way of bringing people together?

My mother’s family is from East Texas — Longview and Henderson — and every June, we had a big family homecoming. We still do. It’s a huge potluck, and my great-aunts and grandmother were all incredible bakers. They would arrive with beautiful cakes and pies, and those tables felt endless.

That’s really where my love of baking began. It wasn’t just about dessert — it was about showing up for one another.

A Life in Restaurants

Before restaurants and cookbooks, what did cooking look like in your everyday life?

I’ve been in the restaurant industry since about 1986, so I’m not sure I know what “normal” looks like without it. Cooking has always been central to my life.

Now, in Fredericksburg, I cook with friends. We rotate homes and take turns making dinner for one another. That feels like a full-circle moment.

Becoming “The Pastry Queen”

The name “The Pastry Queen” became both a nickname and the title of one of your cookbooks. How did that identity come to define you — and did it surprise you?

The name came from Virginia Wood at the Austin Chronicle. She started calling me that during my Austin years, when I was doing a lot of pastry work, and it stuck.

I’ve always loved baking — even in high school, I was making chocolate cakes for my math class. Cookies, brownies, layer cakes — I never get tired of it. Pastry has always felt natural to me.

Lessons From the Table

Looking back on owning three restaurants, what did restaurant life teach you that you couldn’t have learned any other way?

I opened Rather Sweet in 1999 with my partner, Dan. In the beginning, it was just the two of us — no employees. We started small and built it slowly. It became a gathering place in town. We were known for chicken salad, homemade bread, and pink pig cookies. My Great Pyrenees sat outside the bakery, and people loved him as much as the food. Teenagers worked the front counter — one of them just wrote a Lifetime movie. I’m so proud of him.

Rebecca’s Table came next — a dinner restaurant that was farm-to-table before that was even a phrase. We made everything from scratch — even the ketchup and mayonnaise. It was beautiful, with a large wine list. But when the economy shifted in 2008, people stopped spending money on fine dining.

Pink Pig followed — lunch and dinner in an old building at the edge of town, with a lively patio and a fun atmosphere.

Then came Emma + Ollie, in a renovated old house. Breakfast, lunch, brunch — all scratch-made. We baked our own bread and English muffins. We used local peaches, heritage pork, and goat cheese. I served food on enamelware plates with mismatched silverware. Local artists hung their work on the walls. It was everything I had dreamed of in a restaurant. When it closed suddenly, people were heartbroken. I was, too. It was probably my favorite.

Restaurant life teaches you resilience. It teaches you to reinvent yourself, to stand your ground, and to make payroll when margins are tight. You don’t survive decades in this business without a strong backbone.

Entertaining, Texas-Style

You’re known for entertaining friends with a full, thoughtful meal. What does a perfect dinner party look like in your home?

To me, a perfect dinner party doesn’t look perfect. It feels easy — warm, thoughtful, unrushed.

The menu should be cohesive but not complicated: a simple starter, a beautiful main course, and a memorable dessert. The host should be present — not frantic in the kitchen. Most of the food should be prepared ahead of time. What people remember is how they feel when they leave.

If you were cooking a “welcome to Texas” dinner for someone new to the state, what would be on the table?

Classic Hill Country barbecue. Or Tex-Mex fajitas. Or Southern comfort — chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, and biscuits. That’s Texas to me.

Strength and Staying Power

Texas women are often described as both strong and gracious. Do you see that duality reflected in your career?

Strength meant standing my ground in male-dominated kitchens. Working long hours. Reinventing when necessary. Making payroll when the numbers were tight. You don’t last in this business without grit.

Joy Now

Finally, what’s bringing you the most joy in the kitchen right now?

Cooking for my family. Making cookies with my granddaughter — it’s a big mess, but it’s worth it. Having grandchildren is the best.

After decades of feeding strangers who became regulars and readers who became confident home cooks, her definition of success has shifted from accolades to connection. It’s found in the small, joyful moments — a perfectly flaky crust, a peach at its peak, a table full of conversation that lingers long after dessert. In the end, her story circles back to where it began: Texas hospitality, equal parts strength and grace, expressed through food that welcomes, comforts, and gathers us in. And if there’s one thing she continues to prove, it’s that the most meaningful meals aren’t just cooked — they’re shared.

Rebecca Rather's Strawberry Ricotta Cake

Creamy ricotta, sweet strawberries, and a slice of pure spring.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

• purchased 10" premade angel food cake

Filling

• 4 cups whole or part-skin ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt

Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream chilled
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 25 fresh strawberries, sliced medium-sized
• powdered sugar for garnish

Video

Keyword strawberries, ricotta, cream, Angel food cake