The Food Dude

The Netherlands is my kind of place.  For good luck on New Years, they go with doughnuts over black-eyed peas. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Texas Caviar, but come on. Though a trip to Amsterdam does have its allure, don’t go on account of the free doughnuts. Just go to Krispy...

Earlier this week, I had the great pleasure to cook for some very friendly folks at a party hosted by local homebuilder Caleb McCaleb. We had a great time. I prepared Salpicon, a favorite in El Paso, Brie and chicken quesadillas, guacamole, and two kinds of salsa.

 When we had our tamalada last weekend, besides red chile pork tamales we also filled some with chicken and others with a black bean, corn, green chile and cheese filling. Also, here’s the recipe for the salsa crema: Salsa Crema 1 jar Mexican table cream, or crema fresca 2 green...

Tamales can be procured from a lot of places around town. Heck, even Braum’s sells a pretty salty version in the freezer sections of their markets.  But here are three I particulary like: Pepe Delgados While owner Emilio Salinas doesn’t serve them everyday, what he offers each...

Here’s our podcast of the past two episodes of “Top Chef.” Be sure to check out our old friend ReRe’s recap.

So Tre Wilcox made the trip up from Dallas on Sunday thanks to Cat Taylor’s winning essay entry in a contest sponsored by momtourage.com, the parenting page powered by iVillage.com, only to find he could neither wine on Sunday nor scallops. Sorry, dude, no Central Market or Whole...

Tre Wilcox  First things first.  A local mother of 5 recently won an essay contest through momtourage.com, the parenting page powered by ivillage.com, and part of her prize is a meal prepared by Tre Wilcox of Season 3 fame. Look for more information about the winner in next...

Catch up up on the season premiere of Top Chef fifth season in our latest podcast. Staff writers Bryan Dean and Carrie Coppernoll join in the discussion. For a full recap of the first show, check out this blog from “Top Chef” podcast originator JaRena Lunsford. As promised, here is the...

Stumbled into Perri’s Pizza and Cafe for lunch today. The wife had some shoes to pick up at Zeigler’s Shoe Repair in Casady Square. Perri’s was a couple doors down. It’s in the space previously occupied by Jimmy’s Deli, which was always a cut above, under a nondescript...

When the young, upwardly mobile of the late 19th Century descended upon a young land called Oklahoma, entrepreneurs and industrious service vendors followed.  Snake-oil salesmen, saloon-owners, traveling theater troupes, launderers, clergymen joined food vendors in...

First things first. The chili you order in a restaurant is different than chili you might eat at cookoff. The meat is almost always ground beef and beans are often cooked into the mix. Also, the brew is usually thinner as long cooking times and less spices are usually used....

One of the beauties of chili is its flexibility. It’s great by itself, but you know you love to smother a coney, burger or plate of fries with it. Here’s 8 uses for leftover chili 1. With a healthy dose of water or broth, chili can be converted into a hearty enchilada sauce....

Today’s Red River Chili recipe includes a few dried chiles you might not have seen in the store before.  While the state boast many fine gourmet shops, the biggest boost to finding a greater variety of chiles falls squarely on the rise in the Hispanic population. There...

A little over 24 hours from the return of “Top Chef” on Bravo. It premieres Wednesday night at 9. Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons return as judges. Gone is Ted Allen to the greener pastures of The Food Network, replaced by Toby Young. I’ve always thought Ted was...

  My chief food co-hort, Jesse Olivarez and I happened upon the annual Mediterranean Food Festival at St. Elijah’s Church on Saturday. The event was a fundraiser for the church and included a car raffle, food market, dinner, lunch and dessert. Got myself involved with a...

As a child of the Atari and Intellivision age, and never a favored child, my interest in video games waned sometime after I guided the Warren Moon-led Houston Oilers to Super Tecmo Bowl supremacy. That said, my kids enjoy both Wii and Xbox 360. I have been known to dabble in a little...

Got the wine picked out, purchased and now it’s sitting on the kitchen counter. You’re wondering when you can pour a glass. First, you should know the hubbub over wine temperature is related to aroma. As wine warms, the aroma is released.  With that in mind, here’s...

Once upon a time, you drank white wine with white meats and red wine with meats. Simple, right? Well, now chic sommeliers will tell you that the old ways are, well, old. Mixing whites with a steak is just fine, if you get the right grapes involved. In his new book, “The Complete...