December 2004
Table of Contents
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Features
Some Like It PicanteActually, most of us do, which is why we’ve visited Mexican restaurants and taquerías all over the state in search of the best enchiladas, guacamole, cabrito, and other classic dishes; pilfered three great restaurant recipes for you to make in your own cocina; answered every frequently asked question we could think of; collected expert tips and techniques; and compiled a glossary of terms you’re likely to find on a menu. Sound like the last Mexican food story you’ll ever need to read? Cutting DeepA year after state legislators kicked tens of thousands of children off the taxpayer-funded health insurance rolls, our biggest public-policy problem has reached crisis proportions. And the bleeding shows no signs of letting up. |
The Shot Not Heard Round the WorldElmo Henderson’s entire life story can be summed up in a single moment: when he stepped into the ring in San Antonio one night in 1972 and knocked out Muhammad Ali. At least that’s the way he tells it. And tells it. The Good DoctorCan one of the state’s best writers change modern medicine as we know it? Abraham Verghese hopes so—one story at a time. |
Columns
Kinky FriedmanKeep Gomorrah WeirdA passionate, pointed, and in retrospect, pot-induced defense of Austin. |
Gary CartwrightMy ChoiceHow can I be a Christian and support legalized abortion? Tough question, but after weeks of soul- searching, I have an answer. Jason CohenCold PlayThe Astros couldn’t quite make it. The Cowboys have hit the skids. No wonder the state’s attention has turned to . . . hockey? Jan Jarboe RussellThe Old Gray MayorSan Antonio politics, it ain't what it used to be—which is why it could be time for a grown-up at city hall. |
Reporter
ReporterShock TherapyFor several months, TV shrink Dr. Phil McGraw has been picking apart— in full view of his national audience—the life choices made by residents of the Central Texas town of Elgin, who are apparently too fat, too horny, and too domestically violent for their own good. The diagnoses have not been, shall we say, well received. |
The Filter
Pat's PickHector’s on HendersonPat's PickLiquid Assets |
Miscellaneous
Web ExtraSuffer the Little ChildrenSenior editor Pamela Colloff on how cuts in the taxpayer-funded Children’s Health Insurance Program have resulted in a health care crisis. Texas Monthly TalksGordon Bethune“It isn’t about cheap. You can make a pizza so cheap nobody will eat it. You can make an airline so cheap nobody will fly it. It’s about the product.” Web ExtraFind That FoodContributing photographer Wyatt McSpadden on traveling across Texas to capture Mexican food on film. Web ExtraHot PlatesSenior editor Patricia Sharpe, who wrote this month’s cover story, talks about Texans’ love affair with Mexican food. Web ExtraElmo’s WorldAssociate editor John Spong on former boxer Elmo Henderson, who still reminisces about his days in the ring. Web ExtraThe Great DebateSenior editor Gary Cartwright on Norma McCorvey (a.k.a. Jane Roe) and how abortion has divided the country. Web ExtraMore Mexican Food—MigasHappy TrailsA day trip to the little town of Bandera was just what I needed to understand the cowboy spirit. Texas History 101Houston-based Continental Airlines has survived the deregulation of commercial flights, two bankruptcy stints, and 9/11. |
Texas TidbitsHockey’s popularity is growing among pint-size Texans with the help of Stomp, Fang, and friends. RecipePan-seared Diver ScallopsRecipeCilantro-Pesto ShrimpRecipeMole PoblanoRecipeCrepas con CajetaRecipeCaldo TlalpeñoBooks That CookHouston, Culinary Capital: Signature Dishes From America’s Premier Restaurant CityHouston, Culinary Capital: Signature Dishes From America’s Premier Restaurant City (Bright Sky Press, 2004) |
The Republican Convention -- Day 4 (Fri Sep 5 at 8:18 AM)
The Rising (Fri Sep 5 at 1:49 PM)
Charles Dean Hood's Day (Sat Sep 6 at 10:17 AM)
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