Articles by Texas Monthly
Is the Texas economy just late to the downturn, or are we insulated from the rest of the country’s woes? To answer this and other pressing pocketbook queries, Texas Monthly sat down with the state comptroller, the chairman of the UT Board of Regents, a legendary community organizer, a distinguished economist, and a state senator with a background in finance, who says we’ve been pretty darn lucky.
Build more schools, clone Willie Nelson, get everyone high-speed Internet, raise chickens, hold nonpartisan primaries, curb sprawl, and 76 other serious, inspiring, far-fetched, and provocative ideas about how to make Texas an even better place from some of the brightest bulbs we know.
Nate Blakeslee “This story was not driven by a bad personal experience. Well, I once had to use a motorized Roto-Rooter at my house, but that had nothing to do with it,” says senior editor Nate Blakeslee about “Everyone’s Poop”, his study of one of the great marvels…
Politically motivated hit job or serious work of art? That’s the looming question about Oliver Stone’s W., his new movie about the life and presidency of George W. Bush. To answer it—or more accurately, to speculate about the answer—we convened a discussion between two Hollywood pros, an eminent historian, an ex-Bushie, and a film critic who learned all he knows about the Kennedy assassination from watching JFK .
It was a year of angry Aggies, Baptist bravado, confused Cheney, death row drollery, enemas in evidence, fetid feet, ghetto gobbledygook, helicopter hunts, insurance idiocy, jerk judges, kin kidnappers, lawbreaking Longhorns, meshuggener misfires, NASA nimrods, Oswald online, pooped-on presidents, quick quarrels, requested roaches, scrotum-scarring Sooners, taped teenagers, unhinged urinators, visible Virgins, weaselly Whole Foods, X-rated x-classmates, yuletide yikes, and zeroed-out zebras.
Reed received her Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy from Texas Woman’s University and has been practicing in Dallas for nearly 25 years. She counsels as many as 25 couples per week. I can’t save a marriage. Only the couple can do that. My job is to help people create…
Recipe from chef Jack Chaplin, Chaplin’s, Dallas. 16 small red new potatoes 2 pounds fresh asparagus spears 1/4 cup olive oil 12 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon each of chopped fresh rosemary, parsley, and garlic In 4-quart pot of boiling water, blanch potatoes for about 15…
Gingerbread Pancakes Ask the folks queued up at the Magnolia Cafe what their favorite breakfast dish is, and nine times out of ten the answer will be gingerbread pancakes. You can put syrup on these fat, fluffy beauties, but they’re great just by themselves. Recipe from Magnolia Cafe, Austin.
Recipe from Bistral, Dallas Dressing 1 cup plain yogurt (low-fat if desired) 1/2 cup sour cream (low-fat if desired) 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon lemon juice Mix all ingredients together. Fresh Fruit 1 cup halved green grapes 1…
Recipe from La Rèserve restaurant, Omni Hotel, Houston 1/2 cup cannellini (white kidney beans) 1/2 large onion, minced 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 clove elephant garlic Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 head radicchio, cut in sixths 1/2 loaf country bread,…
Recipe from La Rèserve restaurant, Omni Hotel, Houston Salad 1/2 ounce white vinegar 1/2 lemon 1 head fennel 6 baby artichokes 1/2 pound cipolline (pearl onions optional) 1 pound small red potatoes 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt 1/4 cup…
Recipe from Randy Evans, Brennan’s of Houston, Houston Peach Filling 3 pounds Texas peaches (about 6 medium peaches), peeled and sliced N-inch thick 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons sugar In a mixing bowl, combine peaches, vinegar, and sugar. Marinate for half an hour, stirring occasionally,…
Recipe from Timothy Byres, Standard 2706, Dallas Marinade for Artichokes and Haricots Verts 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (chervil, parsley, basil, and tarragon, or your choice) 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil pinch kosher salt pinch…
Recipe from David Bull, Driskill Grill, Driskill Hotel, Austin 1 jalapeño, roasted and with stem, skin, and seeds removed 1 poblano, roasted and with stem, skin, and seeds removed 1 pound (4 sticks) butter, cut into small cubes, softened 1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only (reserve a…
Recipe from Randy Evans, Brennan’s of Houston, Houston 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) simple syrup 1/2 lime, quartered 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) pomegranate juice, such as POM brand 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) dark rum sugar (for edge of glass) Make syrup by boiling…
Recipe from Timothy Byres, Standard 2706, Dallas Lemongrass Dressing 2 stalks lemongrass 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup water In a saucepan bring all ingredients to a boil with 1/2 cup water. Strain and refrigerate. Melon Salad 1 cantaloupe 1 honeydew melon…
Recipe from Thai Spice, Houston and Austin. Tenderloin Salad 1 1/4 to 2 pounds whole beef tenderloin (amount depends on whether using as an appetizer or entrée) 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and sliced 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick…
Recipe from John Maxwell, The Mansion at Judges’ Hill, Austin Lemon-Cream Dressing 1 cup heavy cream 6 tablespoons crème fraîche or 3 tablespoons sour cream 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice zest of 1 lemon, minced 1/8 teaspoon salt In a large mixing bowl, stir heavy…
April 30, 1933 Born in Abbott. His mother leaves six months later; his father leaves a few years after that. Willie and his older sister, Bobbie, are raised by their grandparents, Daddy and Mama. 1939 Gets his first guitar, a Sears Stella. 1942 Lands his first paying job, playing with…
The following references were taken from the second edition of Eliot Shapleigh’s “Texas on the Brink.”
How Texas compares with the other 49 states in everything from the percentage of low-income children with health insurance (we’re dead last) to the number of executions (we’re first!).
“I didn’t want this tragedy to get lost among all the daily news stories,” says Univision anchorman Jorge Ramos, referring to the ill-fated attempt to smuggle at least 74 illegal immigrants into Texas two years ago. So, to bring attention to the incident as well as to larger immigration issues,…
Although illustrator Steve Brodner did some preliminary research before leaving New York for the colonias of South Texas, he was thoroughly unprepared for what he encountered. “The books I had read were about ten years old, and they focused on the horrific living conditions in the colonias,” he says. “But…
If anyone knows about following a dream it’s Jeff Lipsky, who photographed American Idol queen Kelly Clarkson for this month’s cover. “I was a fly-fishing guide and snowboarder in Colorado for eleven years,” he says. “And then one day I decided to move to L.A. and become a photographer. I…
Nineteen joints we couldn’t countenance not noting at all. AMARILLO Beans N Things A cozy country cafe plunked down on a busy city street. 806-373-7383 BRADY Hard Eight Pit Bar-B-Que Meats are cooked cowboy style directly over hot mesquite coals.
Ode To Brisket When you’re a food writer, people are always asking about the best meal you’ve ever eaten. I know they’re expecting tales of an unforgettable lunch at Michel Bras or a poetic kaiseki meal in Kyoto or a beluga extravaganza on the banks of the Volga, but what…
The best barbecue in Texas is currently being served at Snow’s BBQ, in Lexington, a small restaurant open only on Saturdays and only from eight in the morning until whenever the meat runs out, usually around noon. Snow’s is remarkable not only for the quality of its meat but…
You’ve come for wholeness, for satisfaction deep within your soul. Your searching has brought you here, to the company of fellow pilgrims in the snaking line. Slowly, you advance across the tile floor, past the knotty-pine walls, and up to the inner sanctum: a glass-enclosed chamber where a host of…
1 1/2 ounces Cadenhead’s Old Raj Dry Gin 1/2 ounce Paula’s Texas Lemon 1/4 ounce Pagès Parfait Amour Crème de Violette liberal splash of Fever-Tree Bitter Lemon Luxardo maraschino cherries (garnish) lemon peel, long and twisted (garnish) edible orchid (garnish, optional) Combine gin, Paula’s…
Recipes from Conservatory at Dallas’ Hotel Crescent Court, Dallas. Tart Shells 2 frozen filo sheets (18 by 14 inches) Pam or other vegetable oil spray 4 tart pans (4 inches in diameter) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each sheet of filo into six 6- by 7-inch…
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 3/4 cups warm water 1/2 cup active sourdough starter (see recipe, below) 5 scant cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour 1/2 cup powdered milk 2 teaspoons sea salt or plain salt 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder…
4 1015 onions (any large onion may be substituted) 2 cups chicken stock 4 cups bread crumbs 1 cup coarse cracker meal 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper 1/2 tablespoon cayenne 4 eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk…
Marinade 4 game hens 1 tablespoon achiote seeds 2 cups oil 46 ounces tomato juice 3 bay leaves 1 tablespoon granulated garlic 1 tablespoon oregano leaves 1 teaspoon each of dark chile powder, ground cumin, and salt 2 ounces lime juice…
Basic Dough 1/4 cup warm water (about 105 degrees) 2 tablespoons honey 1 package dry yeast 2 cups high-gluten flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 3/4 cup water In a cup stir together warm water and honey, and mix in dry…
Blueberry Sauce 1 1/2 cups port 1/2 cup sugar juice of 1 lime 8 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries Place port, sugar, and lime juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 8 minutes. Stir in blueberries and, if using frozen ones,…
12 shallots, uniform size 6 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel shallots, leaving on the top end and barely trimming the root end. Lightly sauté in olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for 2…
Fruit Compote 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup red wine 2 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon orange zest 2 pints fresh or frozen berries of your choice Combine sugar, wine, cinnamon, and orange zest, bring to a boil, and pour over berries. Refrigerate overnight. Royal Icing 2 egg…
Recipe from Ruth Carter, soups-and-specials cook at Austin’s Eastside Cafe. Dewberry-Orange 4 cups dewberries or blackberries, rinsed 2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 4 ounces cream cheese 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4 cups fresh orange juice mint leaves for garnish (optional) Combine berries…
Recipe from Lisa Biggerstaff, pastry chef, Dacapo’s on the Parkway, Houston. Mousse 9 ounces semisweet chocolate 1 ounces butter, melted 1 pint whipping cream 3 medium eggs 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dark rum 1 tablespoon espresso or strong coffee Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Melt…
Recipe from Pastry chef Doug Wilson, Mesteña’s, San Antonio. Sorbet 1 cup water 1 1/2 cups sugar 8 Braeburn apples, peeled and cored Boil water and sugar for 5 minutes to make a simple syrup. Make fresh apple juice by puréeing apples thoroughly in a food processor and…