Catching AirWhether you call it kiteboarding or kitesurfing, riding a surfboard while strapped to a kite is not for the timid. As Jeff Chilcoat, of Corpus Christi Kitesurfing, told us, “On a good day, my kite can pull a car.” We recommend proper instruction. AIR PADRE KITEBOARDING, South Padre Island;
Read passages from letters written by Texas soldiers who died in Iraq.
What are the farms in The Hill Country like? After visiting three on a recent Sunday, I discovered they're anything but ordinary.
Scott Cohen, the executive chef at La Mansion del Rio Hotel, in San Antonio, puts a Texas twist on Provençal cooking.
Garza High School principal Vicki Baldwin talks about the daily assault on public education, President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind policy, and what a non- traditional school like Garza has to offer kids.
Executive editor Mimi Swartz on Texas bashing and the return of the cowboy stereotype.
From World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Fort Hood has remained a stalwart structure in U.S. military history.
Seventy-five Texans—sons and daughters, brothers and sisters—have died in Iraq since last March. Here are some of their final words.
As Natural Bridge Caverns celebrates forty years since its dedication, its patron family looks back on three generations of cave life.
Associate editor Katy Vine on Houston businessman Tilman Fertitta and his impact on Galveston's tourism revival.
Photographer Michael O'Brien, who took portraits of Olympic hopefuls for "The Magnificent Seven," discusses how to get the perfect pose.
Executive editor S.C. Gwynne on the controversy among Episcopal leaders and the future of the Anglican Church.
Writer-at-large Cecilia Ballí, who wrote this month’s feature “The Unknown Soldier”, discusses reporting a story about death and the need for media sensitivity.
The Olympics bring fame to medal winners, but sometimes the luster fades and names are forgotten. Here's a list of a few Texas-born sports heroes who may not have made it on your radar screen.
Members of the Houston Astros Wives Organization know that peanuts and Cracker Jacks are likely to strike out at the dinner table, so they’ve put together a playbook for cooking called From Home Plate to Your Plate! Even if you’re prone to major-league errors, you’ll be batting one thousand with
“Billy can go to a 7-Eleven and buy a soft drink and must pay sales tax, but Billy goes to school, buys a soft drink, and pays no sales tax.”
Greg Ott, the philosophy graduate student who was convicted of killing a Texas Ranger in 1978, has finally been released and is getting on with his life.
How high may our flag fly?
Restaurant mogul Tilman Fertitta means to redevelop Galveston into what some say will be a Gulf Coast version of Atlantic City. No wonder he's making waves.
Use local ingredients to make this summertime treat.
1 white onion, diced 1/2 cup Texas extra-virgin olive oil 6 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into batons (sticks) 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch by 2 inches 1 small zucchini, cut into batons (as above) 1 small yellow squash, cut into batons (as above) 1
LEMON-BASIL DRESSING1 bunch fresh basil 1 shallot, coarsely chopped 6 tablespoons champagne vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 eggs 3/4 cup salad oil 1/4 cup Texas extra-virgin olive oil salt and white pepper to tasteIn a food processor, purée first 5 ingredients. Slowly add oils and process until incorporated.
2 cups pitted niçoise olives or other French black olives 1/4 cup Texas extra-virgin olive oil 1 anchovy filet 1 teaspoon capers 1 teaspoon pickled nopalitos, available at many supermarkets, including H-E-B and Central Market (or omit and double amount of capers) 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves only, chopped 1
Forget sorbetto, gelato, and ice cream. Our new favorite summer cool-me-down is the paleta, Mexico’s answer to the Popsicle. It’s frosty and fruity and comes in dozens of flavors both familiar and exotic. Little known north of the border until fairly recently, the paleta was invented—according to legend—sometime in the
On the outside, this Houston newcomer is black and white. Inside—no joke—it’s red all over: cherry, fire-engine, magenta, crimson, electric pink, and burnt orange. If that caffeinated color scheme doesn’t wake you up, the menu will: With stops in Latin America, Asia, the Mediterranean, and other culinary ports of call,
I never thought about saving my skin, until things got as serious as cancer.
Meet a diver, a high-jumper, and five other Texas athletes who hope to put the pedal to the medal at the 2004 Olympics.
All over the world, and all over this country, the Texas stereotype is mocked and maligned (so what else is new?). Does it matter, really, if everyone thinks we're fat, violent, prudish yahoos?
What sets Dallas apart from other sophisticated American cities? Its unique end-of-the-world industry.
Austin's Garza High is a rescuer of lost souls. Too bad President Bush's education-reform law considers it a failure.
We need an energy policy. Now.
Did Mexican authorities find the man who killed a crusading Nuevo Laredo editor? Or have they taken the easy way out (again)?
What was your first act like? I did my first act the night of my high school graduation. I was embarking on a profession where you had to be entertaining and charming, and I wasn’t equipped to take it all in. I couldn’t take compliments. I was negative. I read
Go FishIf you’ve ever tried to reel one in, then you know the struggle between fish and fisherman can be quite a challenge and a thrill. From July 8 through 11, some seven hundred people will test their strength, know-how, and guesswork (you gotta figure out where the fish will
In 1960 four students from St. Mary’s University, in San Antonio, were caving in Comal County when one of the boys felt an unexpected draft. A crawl through a narrow corridor led them to a network of caverns filled with breathtaking formations, and four years later, NATURAL BRIDGE CAVERNS—named for
Cebu, Houston 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into strips 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium yellow onion 1 medium green bell pepper 2 medium carrots cut into 1-inch strips 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small cabbage 1 pack Philippine vermicelli noodles from Asian
Over the years, filmmakers have tried to capture the essence of Texas athletics through comedy and drama. These movies tackle the deep-seated sports culture of the state.
Writer-at-large Suzy Banks talks about tourism in Galveston, moray eels in Kemah, and war stories in Port Isabel.
Associate editor John Spong on his twelve-step program for former congressman and wild man Charlie Wilson.
Senior editor Pamela Colloff on methamphetamine's grip on East Texas, talking to addicts, and what it's like to follow around narcotics investigators.
Sul Ross State University may be small in size, but its commitment to education has been grand.
A drive through the Hill Country and a brush with Texas's mystic side gave my world-weary self a breath of fresh air.
Americans devour about 38 billion burgers every year. Seymour, Wisconsin, hosts an annual Burger Fest with a bun toss, a ketchup slide, and a hamburger-eating contest. Daytona Beach, Florida, boasts the International Hamburger Hall of Fame. But these tidbits are merely condiments in The Great Big Burger Book, by Jane
Wanted: Earthy, complex, full-bodied dinner companion with good legs and a long finish. Does that describe what you’ve been seeking in a wine? Then you should find plenty to interest you on the upcoming California junket of Foodtravels.com. From September 15 to 19—coinciding with the annual grape crush—the new Austin-based
San Antonio’s most exotic new dining venue, Cebu looks utterly American, with sponge-painted walls and Ella and Louis on the sound system. But open the menu, and you’re in a whole other country: the Philippines, to be precise. Are you ready for kinilaw na manga? I was, especially when the
Animal Magnetism When was the last time the kids got to feed a giraffe? See a wildebeest? These are just a few of our favorite things to do at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, in Glen Rose. Explore at your own pace along the ten-mile scenic drive (don’t be surprised
Greatest Hits On June 27 the line to get in the Kimbell Art Museum, in Fort Worth, will probably resemble more closely that of a megaplex theater, and for good reason. It’s the opening day of the summer blockbuster exhibit, “Caravaggio to Dali: One Hundred Masterpieces from the Wadsworth Atheneum
Dallas in the summertime has been called a lot of things—”heaven” has never been one of them. Of course, what isn’t written in stone may be disproved this month when guitar enthusiasts flock to Fair Park for the Crossroads Guitar Festival. The three-day, charity-benefiting rapture masterminded by Eric Clapton—go ahead,
“War is always a great reinforcer of secrecy, but a war on terror is the most insidious threat to opennessyou can always claim, without having to explain why, that something can't be public.”
A Harvard know-it-all predicts that the emerging Hispanic majority will be a drag on America. Tell it to your friends in Cambridge, bub.
