Black-eyed pea and chorizo soup

It’s good to be back in New York. See, like so many others (and perhaps even yourself) I was affected by the East Coast blizzard and spent a few unexpected days in Pittsburgh, PA on my way back to the city.

Passing time in an airport is never fun, especially when you’re in a strange town where you don’t know anyone. But I have to say, if you’re going to be stranded somewhere, Pittsburgh is not so bad. The people are friendly, the city is beautiful and the food is hearty. Not to mention the airport has free Wi-Fi so you could stay connected to the world without paying an exorbitant fee.

When I told my mom about my flight’s diversion, she advised me to take it easy and that everything occurs for a reason. Her Christmas Eve sermon had been about how life happens when you have other plans, so I took these words to heart.



I’m still not certain what this experience was supposed to teach me, but I think it may have to do with being able to give up control. Sure, I was powerless but screaming and yelling wouldn’t get me home any faster. So I remained calm, as did my fellow passengers.

Once I surrendered to the situation, I decided to make the most of it. I grabbed an airport café table and fashioned it into a desk so I could work on my book. There were two friends on the flight I hadn’t seen in a while so it was a pleasure catching up with them. I also became unusually outgoing and shared stories with my fellow passengers and gave those visiting New York tips on things to do when they’re in the city. Likewise, there were travelers from parts of Texas I wasn’t familiar with and I learned about a host of new places to try next time I’m home. Some guys started tossing a football while another group started singing carols. If you have to be stranded, I was so thankful to be in a group that was collectively in good spirits. It could have been far worse.

After a few too many overstuffed sandwiches and baskets of cheese fries, however, I had a strong urge to return to my kitchen and cook. So when I finally did land in New York, the first thing I did was fire up my stove and make some soup.

While I was in Houston, my mom had made a white chili recipe she’d been given by our family friend Mary Jo. It was full of chicken, salsa, cheese and beans and was just the thing you needed on a cold night. Back in my kitchen in New York, I thought about recreating it but I opted to make it with the ingredients that I had on hand. So instead of chicken, I used Mexican chorizo. And since New Year’s Day is approaching I used black-eyed peas instead of beans.

The soup takes little time to come together but is full of flavor and warmth. Mary Jo had told my mom, “Make this soup and your kids will thank you.” And while I may have changed the original recipe a bit, this adaption has made me pretty thankful as well.



So it’s time to say farewell to 2010, which was an interesting year. And yes, like all of you I certainly have high hopes for 2011. There are lots of trips to Texas planned and my book will be published. But whatever happens, after my time in Pittsburgh I’ve decided that if life steers me onto an unexpected road I’ll accept and perhaps even enjoy the strange new journey. Who knows, it could be even better than the one I had in mind.

Happy New Year!

Black-eyed-pea and Mexican chorizo soup

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casing and crumbled
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
15 oz. canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
1 or 2 canned chipotle chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 cups cooked black-eyed peas in liquid or three 15-ounce cans of black-eyed peas
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnishing
2 cups pepper Jack, shredded (8 ounces)
1/2 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
2 tablespoon lime juice plus lime wedges for garnishing
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream for garnishing

Method:
On medium-low, heat the oil in a skillet and add the chorizo. Cook for 10 minutes or until browned, breaking up any large pieces. With a slotted spatula, remove the cooked chorizo from the skillet and place in a large pot. Leaving the oil in the skillet, add the onions and cook on medium-low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

Transfer the onions and garlic to a blender and add the tomatoes, chipotle chiles, cumin, oregano and allspice. Blend until smooth and pour the blender contents into the pot that holds the chorizo. Add to the pot the black-eyed peas and their liquid, the chicken broth and the cilantro. Bring the pot to a boil and then turn down the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the shredded cheese and while occasionally stirring, continue to cook until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed tortilla chips and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add the lime juice and then taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and black pepper.

Serve with sour cream, cilantro and lime wedges.

Yield: 8 servings

Note: If you’re not a fan of black-eyed-peas, you can certainly substitute another type of bean.

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Ensalada de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve salad)

A few days ago, I admitted that I hate beets. Now, you’d think I’d announced I hate sunshine or bluebonnets the way people reacted. “How did this happen?” said one. “I don’t understand,” said another.

Finally, however, a few stood with me in solidarity. And we all agreed that beets taste like dirt.

But then I kept running into a recipe that appealed to me: ensalada de Noche Buena or Christmas Eve salad. It’s a colorful mix of oranges, jicama, apples, pomegranate seeds, peanuts and yes, beets.

As the name implies, this salad is traditionally served on Christmas Eve in Mexico and the Southwest. I’d never heard of it, but I read about it in Texas Highways magazine and learned that it’s also quite popular in West Texas along the Texas-Mexico border.



I began to research this salad and found that no two recipes are alike. I love this in a dish as it means that people will be very opinionated about it and yet there’s no right or wrong way to create it. For instance, I learned that some people add bananas and pineapple to their salad, which makes it feel more tropical. Others add crushed peppermint candy to their salad, playing up the holiday aspect of the dish. There were countless other variations that I saw but the one thing that they all had in common was that they all called for, yes, beets.

Well then. It soon became clear to me that if I wanted to eat ensalada de Noche Buena I’d have to get over my aversion. So I went to the farmers market and bought a beet. Assuming bigger is better, I bought one that was the size of a bowling ball and then spent the rest of the day roasting the darn thing. (Please note, if you’ve never cooked beets before, smaller is definitely better.)

Hours later when the beet was finally cooked, I tossed it with sliced oranges, jicama, apples, peanuts, cilantro, pomegranate seeds and lettuce and then dressed it with a tangy mix of mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and chipotle chiles. With an all-star roster of ingredients like that, how could it not be great? Crunchy, tangy, sweet and fiery—ensalada de Noche Buena is indeed a stupendous dish.



So if you think you don’t like beets, consider this a wonderful introduction to their charms. And if you’re already a fan, you should definitely add this dish to your repertoire. And yes, I am now a fan of beets—consider me a changed woman.

Ensalada de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve salad)
For the salad:
1 pound beets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
2 pounds navel oranges, peeled and diced
1 pound jicama, peeled and diced
1/2 pound apples, cored and diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Seeds from 1 pomegrante
6 cups torn Romaine lettuce leaves

For the dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream or Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 canned chipotle chile, minced
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Clean the beets and remove any leafy stems, reserving for another use. Place the beets on a sheet of foil and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and then wrap the beets in the foil. Place foil-wrapped beets on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes or until you can easily stick a fork into the beets. Once cool, rub the beets with a paper towel to remove the skin. Slice the beets into half-moon shapes and place the sliced beets into a large bowl.

Add to the beet bowl the diced oranges, jicama, apples, cilantro, peanuts, pomegranate seeds and Romaine lettuce. Toss until well combined.

To make the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, orange juice and chipotle chile. Taste and add salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Yield: 8 servings

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Gifts for your favorite Texans

I'm an awful procrastinator when it comes to holiday shopping. I’m lucky if I get it all done by February. This year, however, I’ve resolved to be on time. As I’ve been wending my way across the Internet looking for fun things to send my friends and family, I’ve discovered some wonderful gifts perfect for that homesick Texan on your list. I thought that I’d share them with you.

Barbecue:
Unless you smoke it yourself, it’s pretty darn difficult hard to find Texas-style barbecue outside the state. So why not order some from the source? Houston’s Goode Company, which has long shipped its decadent pecan pies, is also now shipping smoked meat, such as brisket and turkeys. There is also Snow’s in Lexington has been judged to be the best barbecue in Texas by Texas Monthly. Unfortunately, it’s only open for a few hours on Saturdays, but they will their award-winning brisket if you can't make the trip. And if you live in New York, why not consider a Hill Country gift certificate for your favorite Tex-Pat? No meat-eating Texan in New York would refuse the chance to eat their moist brisket and Kreuz hot links.

Texas teething ring:
I have a new nephew named Austin Jack. He may live in Oregon but he’s half Texan by way of his daddy. Even though he’s growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I aim to keep him connected with his heritage. I think that this Texas-shaped teething ring will be a good start.



Jellies and jams:
There are a plethora of Texans selling jellies and jams, but some of my favorites come from Austin-based Confituras. With creative flavors such as cranberry jalapeño, salted caramel pear butter and pear jam with sage and honey, I think that you’ll agree.

Sorghum syrup:
When I wrote about making sorghum pecan cobbler, many of you asked where to find this old-fashioned sweetener. A little research led me to Fain’s Honey (no relation), based in Llano. They also offer cane syrup and a variety of honeys such as jalapeño.

Texas-shaped cake pan:
My grandma sent me my first Texas-shaped pan when I lived in Iowa and it’s a treasure. This pan is a must for any homesick Texan.



Cheese:
Earlier this year, I wanted to make a recipe with asadero, that wonderful tangy Mexican melting cheese. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find in New York City. Enter Lincon Dairy, a family-owned cheese maker based outside of El Paso that produces wonderful cheeses and ships all over the United States. My favorite is the queso jalapeño, a decadent cheese that’s creamy and spicy—perfect for queso flameado!

Mexican cookware:
From molcajetes to molinillos, whenever I visit Melissa Guerra’s site I want to buy one of everything. She has an excellent selection of Tex-Mex cookware, ingredients and dishware. Her flour tortilla kit makes an especially fine gift

Fruit cake:
I know, I know, fruit cake gets a bad rap. But have you ever had the fruit cake from Corsicana’s Collin Street Bakery? When I was growing up, on trips from Houston to Dallas we always used to make a stop. It’s a Texan classic!



Beef jerky:
When I visited Texas A&M this summer for Foodways Texas’ inaugural meeting, the first thing I was offered was a couple of slabs of smoky, peppery beef jerky made right on campus. As I gnawed on it, I thought to myself that you just don’t anywhere else beef jerky like its made in Texas. Texas A&M Beef Jerky is a welcome gift, especially for your favorite Aggie. Of course, if you’re inclined to root for another team, fine beef jerky can be found also at Praseks, Woody’s and Opa’s. And Pop’s of Bishop offers South Texas flavors such as chile limon and mesquite.

Charitable giving:
Every day, I’m thankful for how fortunate I am and helping others is the best gift that I can give. I always have plenty to eat but there are many who do not. Because of this, I like to make a donation in someone's name to two of my favorite charities, Share Our Strength and Feeding America, both of which work hard to fight hunger

Looking for tamales, citrus, Dublin Dr Pepper and more? Check out this gift guide and this gift guide from past years.

What Texan gifts do you like to give?

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Pepita-lime crescent cookies

I had a design meeting with my book editors recently. My contribution? I brought cookies. They enjoyed the cookies but then I felt guilty. See, I made them cookies but I hadn’t made anything for the blog. And since the cookies I took to the meeting will be in the book, I can’t share them with you until next fall. So I decided to bake another batch of cookies just for you. Yes, I made you pepita-lime crescent cookies.

But before I go into details about these cookies, please let me give you an update on my book. Many of you have been asking about it and I realize that I haven’t said too much since announcing that I was writing one. My apologies—it’s been a hectic few months. Though with my December 31 deadline soon approaching, I can happily say that it’s almost complete.

I’m currently revising the second draft of the manuscript and will return to Texas soon for a final burst of inspiration. But for the most part, I’m pleased with the manuscript and even though the testing was completed two months ago, I’m still cooking from it just because I’m in love with the new recipes. I know, I’m being a tease. My apologies. But when the book is finally published, I believe that you’ll enjoy them, too.



I don’t have a release date yet but I’m pretty sure we’re still on track for next fall. They’re going to start working on the cover soon and I think once that’s finalized it’ll be available for pre-ordering. You can bet that I’ll certainly holler when this happens.

Now that you've been updated about the book, let’s talk about the important stuff—cookies. December is the time for holiday baking, with cookies being the most popular thing to make as they can feed many and are highly portable. Not to mention that cookies can keep for a while, which makes them perfect for both giving as gifts and for sharing with loved ones that drop in to spread holiday cheer.

One of my favorite cookies is a classic almond crescent. If you’ve never had the pleasure, it’s a simple shortbread made rich with ground almonds and a shower of powdered sugar. They’re a cinch to make and yet taste elegant and look festive—just what you want this time of year.



When I set out to make a batch recently, I realized I was out of almonds. I did, however, have a huge bag of pepitas—which are hulled pumpkin seeds—so instead of going to the store for almonds, I decided to see how these crescent cookies would taste with pepitas. I’m glad that I did.

Besides swapping the nuts, I made some other changes to the basic dough as well. For instance, pepitas are often paired with the bright flavor of lime, so I bound my dough with lime juice instead of the usual water. A sprinkle of sea salt, a dash of vanilla and a bit of lime zest also added new life to these crescents. I then got really wild and added a pinch of ground cumin. I have to admit, however, that last flourish wasn’t as well received. No matter, these cookies are darn good and I didn’t miss the almonds at all. And if you’re a fan of pepitas, I think that you’ll like this variation as well.



Now please excuse me, but I need to return to my manuscript. Fortunately, I’ll have a plate of these pepita-lime crescents and a glass of milk to keep me energized. But enough about me—now that we’re into the season of cookie exchanges and holiday visitations, what are you baking?

Pepita-lime crescents

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups raw pepita seeds
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Method:
In an ungreased skillet, on medium heat cook the pepita seeds while occasionally stirring for 5 minutes until slightly darker and fragrant. (If your pepitas are salted and roasted, skip this step.) Place the pepitas in a blender or food processor and pulse until ground to the texture of rough cornmeal (be careful when doing this, if you grind them for too long it will turn into pepita butter).

Cream together the butter and the sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, 1 teaspoon of lime zest, vanilla, flour, sea salt and the ground pepitas. Mix until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Once the dough has cooled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. To form the cookies, take 1 tablespoon’s worth of dough, form it into a ball and then roll it into a 3-inch-long log. Bend it in the center to form a crescent. The cookies don’t spread much, so you only need 1/2 an inch or so between them on the sheet. Bake the crescents for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. They will still be soft when they come out of the oven but will harden as they cool.

While the cookies are baking, combine the powdered sugar with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of lime zest. You can do this in a food processor if you want the lime zest extra fine or just stir the zest into the sugar. Once the cookies are done, cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then roll the crescents in the powdered sugar.

Cookies will keep in an airtight container for a week. They can be delicate, so handle with a bit of care.

Yield: 32 cookies

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