IRISH AYES When it comes to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Texas, most people don’t go much further than drinking way too much green beer or listening to some Celtic music. But there’s another way to get in touch with your inner leprechaun: Eat some Blarney cheese. No kidding. Blarney
WELL SEASONED Maybe it’s just me, but when I hear that a restaurant has spent $3 million on a face lift, I immediately whip out my magnifying glass. At Quattro, in Houston’s Four Seasons Hotel, the makeover and the menu can withstand the scrutiny. Not to be catty, but as
This fabulous dessert uses Meyer lemons and blood oranges, but regular lemons and oranges may be substituted.
Special Equipment4 four-inch ring molds approximately 2 inches tallChampagne Vinaigrette1/4 cup champagne vinegar 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons creole mustard 2/3 cup canola oil salt and freshly ground pepper to tasteIn a bowl whisk together the vinegar, egg yolk, and mustard. Then slowly pour in the oil, whisking to emulsify.
Want to know where to find remarkable roast chicken? Terrific shrimp tacos? Cloudlike chèvre cheesecake? Having munched my way across the state, I have the answers. Chow, Baby.
York Street had me at hello. The minute my friend and I sat down, a waitress appeared bearing complimentary glasses of fino sherry and small bowls of almonds and herbed olives. In chef-owner Sharon Hage’s Dallas domain, “attention to detail” is the byword. The dining room sparkles in crisp grays
When I discovered that a Texas company makes the portable meals our soldiers carry into battle, I got my orders to eat up. I knew I would complete my missionor get indigestion trying.
In this recipe, three ingredients—celery, fennel, and beets—that are usually minor parts of a salad take center stage.
Count me among those who are smitten with the fantastic regional Italian food at Da Marco. The little central Houston cottage—with its white tablecloths and walls painted in tones of sunflower and daffodil—is enchanting, and chef-owner Marco Wiles is practiced in the art of seduction. His rustic cauliflower soup leads
This is Ferré’s version of the classic Italian recipe for spaghetti with clams in white-wine-and-garlic sauce.
Looking at the notes I took at Ferré in Dallas, I seem to have written the word “cool” a lot. The decor at this new uptown spot mixes a cool, contemporary loft look and angular motifs from the thirties through the fifties (the light fixtures look as if they came
The Thomas Avenue Beverage Company in Dallas is a slam dunk.
Airy breads with sweet or savory fillings, kolaches are the Czechs’ best-known contribution to Texas cooking. We show how to make them with three different fillings.
Fresh rosemary gives this recipe for baked chicken a wonderfully pungent aroma.
In 1985 Georgette Mosbacher appeared on the radar screen of Texas high society like some dazzling UFO. But the flame-haired beauty and cosmetics entrepreneur—who was then the new wife of Houston oilman Robert Mosbacher—didn’t remain unidentified for long. Together the couple pursued their respective careers and their mutual avocation,
From the pulpit to the chile patch, the career path of Joel Gregory has been a singular one. Between 1990 and 1992 he was one of the best-known Baptist preachers in Texas. Possessed of an incisive intellect and a deeply resonant voice that could arouse a sleepy Sunday morning
If there was ever a person with a reason to hold a grudge, that person is Stephen J. “Tio” Kleberg. Three years ago the man who was the living, breathing embodiment of the King Ranch found his world upended. He had clashed with other descendants of Richard King, the
The Fredericksburg Herb Farm branches out.
Chicken tikka masala is one of the most popular dishes in Indian restaurants in this country. This version, adapted from a recipe supplied by Pasand restaurant in Irving and Richardson, uses much less butter than some. The rice is especially tasty.
Texas is changing before our eyes, but fried pies, drive-in movie theaters, and other vestiges of earlier days are all around. To find these treasures, we risked life, limb, and cholesterol count-and had a blast from the past.
Get a dose of Indian cusine in Irving.
Houston's queen of Mexican cuisine remembered.
Why did we take away our restaurant guide's highest rating for the Mansion on Turtle Creek? Let's dish.
Like Saint-Tropez and Mykonos, the tiny Spanish island of Ibiza suggests high times, sun-drenched beaches, and hordes of international lollygaggers. That whiff of cosmopolitan style was exactly what Grant Cooper and Charles Clark were seeking in the name of their new restaurant (at 2450 Louisiana) in Houston’s hot midtown area.
There is more to do with escargots than serve them in garlic butter, as this delicious recipe proves. Incidentally, one of these large pasta packets is plenty for an appetizer portion. If you wish, you can substitute portobello or other mushrooms, briefly sautéed in butter, for the snails.
What's it like to be the chef at one of the state's top restaurants? The words "pressure cooker" come to mind
Raise your glass to Dallas' Mariano Martinez, Jr., whose frozen margarita machine changed happy hour forever.
Chef Paul Clark’s sea bass basks in barbecue sauce with a luxurious accompaniment of crawfish tails.
It sounded like the perfect assignment: Find the state's best tortillas. But was it? A Q&A with senior editor Patricia Sharp.
Brandishing its tongue-in-chic Western style—cowboy hats are displayed like fine art—Star Canyon has hit Austin with a resounding bang. Diners there are embracing the food and the mood as wholeheartedly as those in Dallas and Las Vegas, particularly flashier dishes such as the Texas-size Cowboy Ribeye and the hot-pink prickly-pear
Noah's Landan exotic-animal park and petting zoo near Bastropis underfinanced, and its staff is overwhelmed. As if that weren't enough, it's also under investigation for possible animal neglect.
Think cozy neighborhood restaurants are a thing of the past? Here are four places that will serve you well.
Restaurant raja.
1/2 cup good quality oyster sauce 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil (for frying) 3/4 pound squid, either cut in half-inch rings or cut in half lengthwise and scored vertically 2 Thai chiles or 1 serrano chile, minced 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 shallots, thinly sliced 1/2 pound
You get a spicy stir-fry; Dallas' Abacus gets your gratitude. Call it a squid pro quo.
Supermarketer.
After years of not much brewing, Houston’s Duncan Coffee Company is piping hot all over again.
Why a Seguin writer is all fired up.
Where to see the painted bunting, the summer tanager, and other feathered friends: A guide to the best birding spots in Texas.
Equipment1 turkey cooker with a propane burner (also called a catfish cooker or crawfish boiler) 1 36- to 40-quart stockpot and basket 1 large turkey injector with needle 1 deep-fryer thermometer or candy thermometer elbow-length oven mittsCinnamon-Chile Rub1/2 cup cinnamon 1/2 cup pasilla or other red chile powder 1/2 cup
1 pot hot coffee1 1/4 cups heavy cream2 tablespoons powdered sugar2 tablespoons Kahlua liqueur8 teaspoons shaved chocolateMake a pot of good strong coffee. In a bowl whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the powdered sugar and Kahlua. Put a dollop on each cup of coffee and garnish
A Houston company’s breakthrough burn treatment.
A recipe for success.
