Are you headed on a road trip this Spring Break?

Here’s an easy snack to keep the kids happy or the “kid in you” happy!  Pinwheels have been around for quite some time, but we generally think of them as an appetizer.

Throw them into a soft-sider ice chest that you keep handy and they also provide a snack on the road.

In this video, we show you both the protein version using turkey and the veggie version using cucumbers and fresh dill.

How to change it up?  Add arugula, baby spinach leaves, or even shredded carrots.  This is a snack you can truly use your creativity.

“Happy Trails to you!”  

And on that note – did you know Dale Evans was born in Uvalde, Texas on October 31, 1912?

 

 

Celebrating Texas Independence Day

Many people have attempted to identify what exactly makes Texas, well Texas?

At Texicureans, we celebrate all of the unique cultures that contribute to our state’s culinary pallet. We like to say Texas is much more than BBQ and Tex-Mex. But this month, we are going to honor the Texas trait that transcends the differences any of us may have – independence. And how fitting, because this month we celebrate Texas Independence Day.

In search of the origin of that signature Texas independent spirit, we enlisted Justice Ken Wise. As a Judge, Texas historian, and podcast host of “Wise about Texas”, he was the perfect person to make this month’s recipe – Sam Houston’s BBQ sauce. So, tether your horse and come in for a while for a history lesson with Justice Wise as we roll up our sleeves and set about recreating Texas’ Father Sam’s BBQ Sauce.

Texas Independent Spirit

Justice Wise explains, “Texas has the most unique and interesting history of any state in the Union in my judgment and the judgment of many others. Texas has existed in several different conditions. It was unexplored for the longest time, we had a large indigenous population, we have international borderlands and all of that always combines to make the history very interesting.”

“It took a special kind of person to make a life here in Texas. That’s why you get so many fascinating characters and an independent spirit that survives to this day. And that’s why people want to come to Texas.” – Justice Ken Wise

About Sam Houston

Bigger than life, intelligent, adventurous, wild, and a natural-born statesman. Sam Houston is known as the Father of Texas with the distinction of being the first President of the Republic of Texas and the 7th Governor of the State of Texas.

Born in Virginia on March 2nd, 1793 (does that date ring a bell?) he is the only individual to serve as governor of two states – Tennessee and Texas.

As a teenager, he ran away from home to live with the Cherokee for three years. After divorcing his first wife, he moved to Texas in 1832, quickly rising to be a top-ranking official in the Texian Army. He led the Texians to victory at San Jacinto – a decisive win for the Texas war for independence against Mexico in 1836.

Fast forward to 1839 when 46-year-old Houston attended a garden party in Mobile Alabama, meeting 20-year-old Margaret Lea. They were wed a year later, subsequently moving to Galveston. Although the couple was separated for long periods due to Sam’s travel, they wrote frequent letters to show their love and devotion to one another.

Justice Wise and I spent a few minutes chatting about lesser-known facts concerning Sam Houston.

As mentioned above – he was born on Texas Independence Day – March 2nd. “He was a diplomat to the Cherokee and other Native American tribes. He had a wealth of experience as a Statesman before he got to Texas and he was invited to come to Texas by some individuals who recognized that something was going to happen – they weren’t sure what. So, they needed a Statesman – someone with political experience to help guide them through the situation. That’s how he got to Texas.” shares Justice Wise. An interesting side note to this is that “statesmanship or political leadership and the wisdom that comes with the experience was really its own craft and was not very common at the time.”

Justice Wise continues, “Sam Houston liked to party. Period. Yes, he was well known for that. He was a big guy (obviously liked to eat) and the way you would put your best foot forward would be to cook BBQ for people. He married Margaret Lea, First Lady of the Republic of Texas when he was in his late forties and she was 21, from Alabama. She got him to quit drinking, and be baptized in the Baptist church in Independence Texas. Their love for each other is evident in their letters which survived and you can read to this day.”

On that note, we asked Justice Wise about some of the historical factors that set Texas women apart in their strength and character. Justice Wise, “Many of the Texans I talk about on my podcast, are individuals who did heroic things, they just happen to be women. For the longest time, I don’t think that was focused on and I still don’t think it’s focused on as much as it should be.”

“If you think about this, Texas was created out of revolution. And if you have a revolution and the men go off to fight, you had to fight off any hostiles, you had to grow your own food, you had to do all of that. If the men went off to fight, guess who had to do it all? The women. And they did.”

“One interesting fact related to the legal world in Texas, we had an all-female supreme court in 1925. There was a case where pretty much every judge in Texas would be recused from it so the Governor decided to appoint three women to the Texas Supreme Court to hear that case. That had never happened in United States History. There are fascinating stories like that throughout Texas history.”

Hear and learn more about Texas History from Ken Wise on his podcast “Wise About Texas” which “presents Texas history in an engaging, scholarly and interesting way. You’ll learn more about the Texas history you know, and a lot of Texas history you don’t know” according to Wise.

We found the recipe for Sam Houston’s BBQ sauce in “Early American Cookbook” by D. Kristie Lynn and Robert W. Pelton. Like many old recipes handed down, we can’t be sure of the exactness, but I think you’ll be very pleased adding this to your BBQ repertoire. You can find the recipe below and on www.texicureans.com. Go to YouTube for a demonstration and join our email list for weekly recipes – historical and otherwise!

March is Texas’ birthday month – and now you know – Sam Houston’s birthday month!

 

Sometimes you just need a good casserole recipe.  Some obvious reasons are to make and take, to make and freeze, or to make and consume the next day with little preparation.

Someone brought this to my bible study and the raves were through the roof!  I’ve modified it to include extra chiles and also to give you the option for self-made hash brown potatoes.

You can increase the heat by adding more jalapeños and simply leaving the seeds and ribs intact.  I love fresh cilantro!  But, I know this is a personal preference as well.

Since this casserole includes your complex carbs (potatoes),  your protein, and a bit of vegetables, you can easily serve it with a side salad for a complete meal.  Add a little chocolate candy for desert and you have it!

Enjoy!

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Sometimes you have to take it up a notch!  And that is exactly what I did with this recipe!

Sweet potatoes are so healthy and work just as well for gnocchi as a white potato.  Factor in a heart shape – and there you have it:  a romantic addition to your valentines celebration.

I used about a 2 ” heart cookie cutter and of course the color of the sweet potatoes adds additional form.  If you can find ruby sweet potatoes, the color will be even deeper.

Toast the gnocchi in a little butter and olive oil with Italian herbs, and you have a tasty side dish meant to WOW.  You can top it with freshly shredded parmesan as well.

Honestly the time factor is minimized  when you present the results – just serve the dish, and wait for the acclamations!

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Sissy Preston – WSET Level 3 Certified Wine Consultant, generously shares her vast knowledge of wine with Texicureans and YOU!  Enjoy and thank you, Sissy!

“Valentine’s day is around the corner and the city will be filled with lover’s holding hands and strolling the streets, sipping wine in corner booths and gifting chocolates. So, when you retire after dinner and open that special bottle of wine, before popping those chocolates in your mouth, there are a few things you should know that will make your wine and chocolate pairing much more enjoyable.

If you plan ahead, there are chocolatiers that make chocolates specifically for pairing with wine. I discovered this when I went to a Scotch tasting and there were chocolates made for each particular scotch. It was nothing short of amazing. When pairing chocolates with wine you must start out with one simple rule, the wine must be at least as sweet as the chocolate. You do not want a sweet milky chocolate with a tannic wine. This combination will make your wine very bitter and unpleasant.

Let’s start with milk chocolate, which is one of the easier chocolates to pair. Milk chocolate is usually very sweet and creamy, so you want a sweet wine. A sweet Riesling or dessert wine, like Eiswein have the right amount of sweetness to balance with the sugar in the milk chocolate.

Eiswein is made in Canada and Germany and is made from grapes which are frozen on the vine, freezing the water in the grape and concentrating the sugars. This wine is a “clean”, lighter wine that pairs beautifully.

For a wine with a little more substance and depth, a Ruby Port from Portugal or some of the new Port “style” wines from the Hill Country, with its fruit flavors compliments the chocolate nicely. Ruby Port is affordable and available and is made to be consumed young.

Dark chocolate and dark chocolate truffles go very well with Merlot and Petite Sirah. I have found that Merlot, with its jammy and chocolate undertones goes particularly well with rich dark chocolate. Girard Petit Syrah, which is on the list at Huisache Grill, has flavors of black currant, jam, cassis and vanilla and would pair nicely with dark chocolate strawberries.

Getting into the semi-sweet dark chocolates, Merlot still pairs nicely, as does Pinot Noir, but my favorite is Syrah with dark chocolate ganache or a dark chocolate with some spice or nuts. In Australia, the Syrah grape is called Shiraz, and although these wines can pair as well, I prefer the more subtle California or Texas version.

Bittersweet chocolate or chocolate with cayenne, peppercorn or ginger requires a warm climate Cabernet, (Texas, Napa, Paso Robles) or a Zinfandel. I prefer a spicy Zinfandel. If the chocolate is over 70% cocoa a vintage Port from Portugal would be bold enough to hold its own with the high cocoa percentages. This dark, bittersweet chocolate is a little more challenging and you will have to use trial and error to find what works for you.

White chocolate, which is not really a true chocolate, is very sweet and can pair with Moscato d’Asti, Tokaji, or fruitier Pinot Noir. As a general rule, Champagne or Sparkling wine does not pair well with Chocolate unless it is a demi-sec or sweeter champagne and usually only with the white chocolate.

Rose’ champagne or rose’ sparkling can pair with a raspberry or cherry cream filled chocolate.

To get the most out of your tasting, bite the chocolate first and rather than chewing it, let it melt on your tongue, then take a quick sniff of the wine and a sip. Enjoy the lingering flavors and see if you like the flavor and feel. Take your time to savor and appreciate the nuances. To make it extra fun with your partner, have one of you taste the chocolate, the other take a sip of wine and KISS!

Make your tasting fun and if you find a pairing you love, e-mail us at sispreston@aol.com or Cindy at cindy@texicureans.com.

Cindy and I found that a soft Garagiste’ Bordeaux paired nicely with Comal Pecan Farms Semisweet dark chocolate covered pecans. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today, I’m going to ask you think “bright orange”.  (Aggies – stay with me!)

When it comes to food preparation, simple can be amazing.  Today’s recipe fits that mode, while being packed with nutrition.

Acorn squash is a beautiful, nutritious complex carbohydrate.  That bright orange meat is full of vitamins C, A, B, potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese.

They take about an hour to bake, but your “hands on” time is very minimal.

Another reason I like this squash so much is that you can purchase it, place it in a bowl on our counter, and you have quite a bit of time to decide when you would like to include it as part of your meal.

A note:  Fresh sage is awesome, but don’t be hindered if you didn’t snag some, since dried sage is quite tasty as well.

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Who doesn’t love a drink that is tasty, makes you feel good, and can kick a cold to the curb!

Emily brings us this citrus immune booster cocktail full of orange, lemon, ginger, turmeric, and mint.  Easy to make in your blender, It also has the added benefit of pulp which you can throw in Asian dishes or a soup.

Beware – it has a kick!  You can control much of this with the amount of cayenne you apply to the rim of your glass.

In Emily’s words, “I hope this drink makes you feel good inside and out.  And that you can go into 2024 feeling healthy, and ready to conquer each and every day!  Cheers!”

Chinese New Year

Sui Mai Recipe 

It’s January in Texas. By now, you’ve probably stored away your twinkle lights and New Years hats. Not so fast, a dragon is approaching February 10, 2024 to herald the Chinese New Year! Specifically, the first day of the Chinese lunisolar calendar is also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.

If learning something new is one of your resolutions, we’ve got you covered. Soon, Chinese Texans across the state will be welcoming the Year of the Dragon with fireworks, red paper lanterns with accents of gold. And of course, food and dancing. To join in on the food, Texicureans is sharing a Dim Sum recipe from Austinite, Queenar Zhang. Make this traditional Cantonese dish at home and then plan to experience the beauty of Shen Yun in San Antonio and Austin.

Chinese Texans keep their traditions alive in a big way during the 15 day celebration full of gatherings and endless favorite foods, many with meaning.  Long noodles symbolize long life and dumplings shaped like the full moon represent family and perfection.

Mostly immigrating from western United States, Chinese Texans date back to the post-civil war era.  A ready job market to rebuild infrastructure – particularly the building of railroads provided the main attraction.

More recently, our Universities have attracted highly talented Chinese citizens such as Simon Zhang.  Continuing his studies at the University of Texas, he brought Queenar, his wife to join him in Austin..  I met Queenar at a Shen Yun production in Austin, and she graciously agreed to share her Cantonese customs and favorite dish – Dim Sum which is  a mixture of shrimp served in beautifully crafted wrappers and steamed.

Queenar shares her typical Cantonese custom surrounding this historical dish: “On weekends and holidays Cantonese people would  go to tea houses or traditional Cantonese restaurants that serve Dim Sum and tea. Tea houses are open everyday in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening.

It is a good way for people to get together enjoying delicious food and quality time with family and friends. Unlike going to restaurants where people would usually have a big meal because food is served on regular dishes, tea houses are more casual and flexible, providing more diversity in food. Sui Mai is always served on smaller dishes so people can try a lot of different dishes in one meal without being too full.  It is the most popular way of getting together and having some good food and good chat. Usually people would spend at least one hour in the tea house every time they go.

Tea is another highlight because in many tea houses Kungfu tea is served. Kungfu tea is tea freshly brewed on the table in delicate tea sets using premium tea leaves.   People can choose their favorite tea leaves, brew and serve the tea by themselves with the Kungfu tea set and enjoy the best of the tea when it is hot and fresh. Tea helps to reduce greasiness of the food and plays an important role in keeping the meal balanced and healthy. Personally I prefer having tea before and at least 15 minutes after the meal when I am having green tea or black tea. For flower tea anytime is good.”