Horchata, a refreshing rice and almond beverage

I have to admit that the first time I had horchata was not in Texas. Nope, I had it at here in my New York City neighborhood, at a local Mexican-food cart I frequent on Sundays. Now, this cart doesn’t sell it year round—when it’s cold they have champurrado instead. But recently, when the sun was shining and you didn’t need more than a light jacket to keep the breezes at bay, my vendor beckoned to me and said in Spanish, “At last, I have horchata!”

Horchata is one of those drinks I never really thought about making at home. For me, it’s always been a street treat—a refreshment I’ll grab on warm days when I’m shopping for chiles in Queens or the perfect cool chaser to a fiery taco.



But last week I received an email from a reader who had fallen in love with it when they lived in Texas, but were unable to find it where the now lived. They asked if I had a recipe and so I decided to see what I could find.

Have you ever had horchata? It’s what’s known as an aqua fresca, which is a Mexican beverage that is a blend of sweetened water with fruits, seeds, nuts or grains. On the streets in Mexico City every corner has carts selling these refreshing drinks, but you can also find them in restaurants as well. Take the lunch place I ate at a couple of times. When you sat down, the server greeted you with their agua fresca of the day and this glass was never empty as the server was vigilant in keeping it filled. The presentation and ritual reminded me of how Texans drink their iced tea—a bottomless glass of cool, invigorating liquid that goes with everything, especially spicy dishes.

Horchata is very creamy and the first time I drank it I thought it was made with milk. But instead it’s a dairy-free combination of rice, almonds, sugar and water. Most will throw in some cinnamon, vanilla and lime for added depth and flavor as well. When researching recipes, I found that there was little variation in method—you just soak pulverized rice with blanched almonds overnight, blend it with water, strain it and enjoy. Sure, you have to be a little patient, but horchata is well worth the wait.



In the warmer months you’ll always find a pitcher of iced tea in my refrigerator. But I’ll need to make room as I now plan on keeping a pitcher of horchata in there as well. Sure, I won’t stop drinking horchata on the street—I’ll need something to wash down the tacos and tamales—but now that I know how simple it is to make at home there’s no reason why I can’t enjoy it at any time.

Horchata (Adapted from Rick Bayless)
Ingredients:
2/3 cup of uncooked rice
1 1/4 cups of blanched almonds
1 teaspoon of lime juice
Zest from one lime
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup of sugar or brown sugar, depending on how dark you want the drink

Method:
In a blender or spice grinder, grind the rice until it’s powdery. Place ground rice, almonds, lime juice, lime zest and the cinnamon stick in a pot and cover with two cups of warm water. Let stand overnight or for eight hours.

After the mixture has soaked, take out the cinnamon stick and pour contents into a blender with two cups of water and blend until smooth. Take a mesh colander that has been double lined with cheesecloth, and over a bowl or pitcher slowly pour the mixture, wringing the cheesecloth to get every last drop out. You should have a milky, smooth liquid at this point. If there are still rice and almond bits floating around, strain it again.

In a pot, heat up one cup of sugar and one cup of water on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir this sugar water into the horchata, along with the vanilla. Add one more cup of water and serve over ice or chilled.

Keeps for several days in the refrigerator, but I bet it won't last that long! And you might notice some separation after a day, but just stir it and it'll be right again.

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Mexican hot dogs with pineapple salsa and chipotle mayonnaise

When I was a young Texan, all the other kids teased me mercilessly at birthday parties and backyard barbecues because I liked to put mayonnaise on my hot dogs. I know, right—who does that? My family certainly didn’t teach me this as I come from a long line of mustard eaters and obviously, none of my friends put mayonnaise on their hot dogs either. Imagine my shame when I had to ask the hostess for a jar of mayo so I could dress my hot dog. It was terrible. But on my last trip home, however, I finally figured it out. I’m not weird at all—I’ve just been eating Mexican hot dogs my whole life.

To the uninitiated, a Mexican hot dog is a dog that’s been wrapped in bacon and fried. Sometimes it’s served in a split bolillo, but often it’s found in a regular bun as well. Toppings often include pickled jalapeños, guacamole or fresh avocado slices, beans, and generous squirts of mayonnaise, ketchup and salsa, though a dash of mustard isn’t completely unknown.



Mexican hot dogs are popular in the Mexican state of Sonora—and are sometimes called Sonoran hot dogs—though you can certainly find them in other parts of the country. While Arizona has had a thriving Mexican hot dog scene for years, they have recently become quite popular in Houston as well. And that’s where I had my first Mexican hot dog—outside the Fiesta near my mom’s house. The bacon-wrapped dog was a beauty, drenched in mayonnaise and jalapeños—I had at last found my ideal dog.

Now, Texas isn’t really regarded as a hot-dog state; wrapping a slice of soft white bread around a spicy jalapeño beef sausage is more our style. But we definitely eat hot dogs, so if you’re selling them or making them, why not top them with the flavors that we love? Mexican hot dogs are perfect for Texans! They haven’t really taken New York City by storm yet—there’s only one place that I know of that serves a close approximation, so if I really want one I have to make it myself. I don’t mind, however, as what could be more simple and satisfying than a hot dog? Plus, it allows me to get a little creative with my toppings.

One of my deviations from the typical Mexican hot-dog script is I like to add a pineapple salsa on top of mine. Pork and pineapple are a classic Mexican combination and I feel the bright sweetness helps balance some of the heaviness. I also make a quick, homemade chipotle mayonnaise. This recipe is adapted from David Leite’s brilliant milk mayonnaise recipe—which uses milk instead of egg yolks to create the emulsion with oil. It’s a little softer and lighter than regular mayonnaise, which also makes an ideal companion to the richness of a bacon-wrapped hot dog.



Warm days definitely signal that it’s hot-dog season. And if you haven’t had a Mexican hot dog yet, I know that you’ll love it. And heck, even if you find mayonnaise on a hot dog bizarre, when you’re eating a Mexican hot dog you just might change your mind.

What are your favorite hot-dog toppings?

Mexican hot dogs
Ingredients:
8 hot dog buns or bolillos
8 hot dogs
8 slices of bacon
1 cup of refried or ranch-style beans
Mustard
Ketchup
Chipotle mayonnaise (recipe follows)
Pineapple salsa (recipe follows)
Jalapeño pickles
1 avocado, cut into wedges

Method:
With a fork, poke a few holes into each hot dog and then wrap each hot dog in a slice of bacon. On a medium-hot griddle, cook each side of the hot dogs until bacon is crisp.

In each bun, spoon in some beans and avocado. Place bacon-wrapped hot dog in bun and then top with condiments.

Chipotle mayonnaise (adapted from David Leite)
Ingredients:
1/3 cup cold whole milk
1 teaspoon of lime juice
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 to 1 whole chipotle chile from a can of chipotles en adobo
3/4 cup of canola oil
Pinch of salt

Method:
In a blender, mix together the milk, lime juice, garlic and chipotle chile for 30 seconds or until well blended—it will be a light pink color. With the blender on high, slowly drizzle in the oil a tablespoon at a time. The mixture should begin to thicken. Continue adding oil until it’s thick and custard like. Salt to taste. Will keep for five days in the refrigerator.

Note: It’s important to use whole milk. I tried it with buttermilk, goat’s milk and low-fat milk and it didn’t work as well as it should. Also, I found that olive oil imparted a bitter flavor, so it’s best to stick with neutral-flavored oil such as canola.

Pineapple salsa
Ingredients:
1 whole pineapple, peeled and cored and diced (2 cups of pineapple)
1 jalapeño chile, diced
1/4 of a red onion, diced (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup cilantro, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
Mix together all ingredients. Refrigerate for a couple of hours then serve.

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Cowboy cookies

My plan had been to write about baseball this week. But then the Astros didn’t do so well on Opening Day and I got word about an award this blog won so, well, I decided to bake cowboy cookies instead. I hope you don’t mind.

Cowboy cookies probably have very little to do with cowboys, but this doesn’t mean they’re not good. Typically, a cowboy cookie is defined by the presence of brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, chocolate and nuts. And some people doll them up even more by throwing in some coconut and raisins as well.



My assumption is that the recipe for cowboy cookies was probably originally found on a package of oatmeal or brown sugar. I couldn’t find proof of this, but a little digging did reveal that the recipe has probably been around for at least 60 years as I read a document written in the early 1980s that said one woman's recipe had been in her family for over 40 years. And yep, it was the same one we all use today.

I also found a recipe for cowboy cookies in a 1959 edition of the Toledo Blade, though this one was completely different. This cowboy cookie called for molasses, coffee and boiling water, along with eggs, butter and flour. Perhaps there’s a hint of authenticity to that recipe as those ingredients are more likely to be found on a chuck wagon than chocolate chips and oatmeal. I didn’t make those cookies, however, as I wasn’t in the mood for a cookie made with coffee—I wanted the cowboy cookie I’d grown up with, full of oats, chocolate and nuts. And my, these did not disappoint.

Now, about that award. Well, I don’t want to sound boastful, but I have to say that I am over the moon that Homesick Texan was recognized in the First Annual Saveur Food Blog Awards as best regional cuisine blog. A Texas-sized congratulations to all the winners and nominees. And also, many thanks to both Saveur and you for your support. Now go enjoy these cookies—I baked them for you!



Cowboy cookies, adapted from Saveur
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup pecans, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3⁄4 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating, place the pecans in an oven-safe skillet and roast in the oven for five minutes. Remove from oven.

Cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and add to butter, sugar and egg mixture. Beat until well incorporated, and then stir in oats, chocolate chips and roasted pecans.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, place on parchment-sheet lined cookie sheets and bake for 14-17 minutes. Should make about 24 cookies.

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