I’m keeping my fingers crossed: Texas Monthly’s April 2011 cover story,  “Home Plates,” usually referred to around here as  “how to cook like a Texan,”  has been nominated for a National Magazine Award. That’s like a Pulitzer,  except for magazines, folks. But the people who deserve the most recognition are the ten great cooks who shared their traditional recipes with us,  for everything from brisket to fried catfish to bacon-wrapped dove to ribeye. I especially want to send out love and congrats to Houston restaurateur Sylvia Casares, who gave her super recipe for cheese enchiladas (picture, left, by Jody Horton). As most everybody in Houston already knows, Sylvia is recuperating from a gunshot wound March 12. Winners of all the National Magazine Awards will be announced at a May 3 gala banquet in New York City. For the record, here are the cooks and recipes we featured: Smoked Brisket, Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue, Austin; Cheese Enchiladas, Sylvia Casares, Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, Houston; Bacon-Wrapped Dove, Carter Smith, executive director of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Austin; Fried Catfish, Kathy Wofford, Mrs. Kathy’s Southern Comforts, Snyder; Grilled Ribeye, Lou Lambert, Lambert’s, Fort Worth and Austin; Chili, Christine Knight, Cibolo, winner, Terlingua International Championship Chili Cookoff; Fried Chicken, Tom Perini, Perini Ranch Steakhouse, Buffalo Gap; Migas, Lisa Wong, Rosario’s Cafe y Cantina, San Antonio; Pork Tamales, Melissa Guerra, author of Dishes From the Wild Horse Desert cookbook, McAllen; Chicken-Fried Steak, Grady Spears, now of Grady’s Line Camp Steakhouse, Tolar. Check out the whole story here. (Authors were Kate Rodemann, June Naylor, and yours truly.)