February 1996 Issue

Congressman Clueless

Steve Stockman was supposed to have been a lethal weapon in the Republicans’ fight to unmake the Great Society. Instead the freshman legislator has been a loose cannon—an outsider in his own party.

By Mimi Swartz

Texas History

State of Mind

On February 19, 1846, the flag was lowered on the Republic of Texas for the last time. Here’s a look back at what was our national interest, and all that it might have been.

By Paul Burka

True Crime

Does DaRoyce Mosley Deserve to Die?

A young black man with a spotless record is facing a controversial death sentence for the murder of four whites. An East Texas town remains divided.

By Skip Hollandsworth

Stephan Pyles, Star Canyon, Dallas

“When people ask what we served in my family’s cafe, I say ‘tacos, enchiladas, and tamales.’ When they ask what I serve today, I say ‘tacos, enchiladas, and tamales.’”I started out busing tables at my family’s restaurant, the Big Spring Truck-Stop Cafe. My first memories are of Tammy Wynette on

Robert Del Grande, Cafe Annie, Houston.

“In the past few years I have tried to simplify what we do and not trump it up too much. I’ve never strained the sauces—I leave bits of chile in there to give a more rustic look.”Food seems magical to me. The idea that you can take flour, eggs, milk,

Food & Drink

Southwestern Ho!

Where to Eat Southwestern in TexasReata Alpine Cowboy cooking rules, but you’ll find city touches like cream of jalapeño and cilantro soup and smoked-cabrito quesadillas in habanero barbecue sauce. After dinner in the simple wood-floored dining room, check out the sprawling mural of the original Reata, from Giant.Brio Austin At

Food & Drink

Texas Food Conquers the World!

How to cook up a culinary craze: Mix talented chefs, native ingredients, classical techniques, and good publicity. Name result “Southwestern.” Let spread across globe.

Food & Drink

Chef’s On The Rise

—David GarridoBefore he became a chef, David Garrido very nearly disappeared into a different profession—a scary thought. He was on a career path in hotel management at the Hilton Hotel University in Houston eleven years ago when friends introduced him to French cooking. From the first minute in the kitchen,

Energy

Oil and Water

Offshore drillers are finding mammoth reservoirs in places that were once considered barren, which is why the Gulf of Mexico is booming again.

By Helen Thorpe

Dean Fearing, Mansion On Turtle Creek, Dallas

“People are fascinated with intricate, exotic preparations, but they love comfort food. What we’re doing is giving homey, Texas food a kick and serving it in our Mansion style.”My dad was an innkeeper, which is how I got into cooking. He was with the parent company of Holiday Inn, and

Reporter

Also-runs

Wacky White House wannabes.

By Andrew Goldman

Star Gazing

Snow business comes to Houston.

By Anne Dingus

Business

Mondo Bondo

Texas’ multimillionaire of the moment.

By Ellise Pierce

Cutthroat Island

Once upon a time, Galveston was an isolated island with few big-city problems. Recent flaps over civic corruption, press bias, and race suggest those days are over.

By Paul Burka

Johnny Angel

His recent performances in Pulp Fiction and Get Shorty have been simply divine, but for his most heavenly role yet, John Travolta heads to Texas—his first time back since Urban Cowboy. In Michael, co-written and directed by Nora Ephron, Travolta plays a real live angel, while William Hurt and Andie

By Anne Dingus

News & Politics

Unreal Estate

Celebrity land deals—not.

By Evan Smith

Music

Hot Box

The best books and CDs from Texas.

Arts & Entertainment

Show Us Your Bits

The Internet gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “getting wired for Mardi Gras”—there are several helpful sites covering New Orleans’ bacchanalian Carnival, which ends with Fat Tuesday on February 20. One of the most festive and informative is the city’s official page (http://www.neosoft.com/citylink/ mardigr/default.html), which offers traditional music

By Josh Daniel

Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson

As befits the creators of a movie called Bottle Rocket, the careers of Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson have taken off with a bang. The twentysomething filmmakers, who met at the University of Texas, first produced a thirteen-minute black and white short of the same name about three bumbling wannabe

By Anne Dingus

Barry Corbin

Barry CorbinGrowing up in Lubbock, I didn’t want to be a real cowboy, because I knew a bunch of them and they didn’t get paid anything and they were hurt all the time. But I wanted to play one in the movies. My favorite early on was Bill Elliott, and

By Evan Smith

Columns

Business

Power to the People

With its cut-rate knockoffs of Apple’s Macintosh line, Austin’s Power Computing hopes to surpass Compaq and Dell as Texas’ top clone shop.

By Alexandra Biesada

News & Politics

Shots in the Dark

Two grim incidents involving guns, three dead teenagers: Reflections on self-defense.

By Gregory Curtis

Business

Trailing the Field

Texas was supposed to be horse racing’s salvation, a Thoroughbred–loving state with money to burn. So why can’t the sport get out of the gate?

By Carol Flake

Travel & Outdoors

Steam Spirit

If you’re heading to New Orleans and you’ve got five days to spare, don’t fly or drive. Take a trip fit for a king—aboard the Delta Queen .

By Gary Cartwright

Music

Little Boy Lost

From the moment he first held a guitar pick, Charlie Sexton was said to be on the road to stardom, but high praise and high cheekbones haven’t kept him from stumbling along the way.

By Helen Thompson

Web

Jalapeño Smoked Shrimp

24 large Gulf shrimp 3 fresh jalapeños, finely chopped 1⁄4 cup finely chopped pickled jalapeños 1⁄4 cup juice from pickled jalapeños 3 shallots, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh epazote 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons unrefined

Cinnamon Roasted Chicken With Poblano Vinaigrette and Corn Pudding

1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon ancho or other pure chile powder 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegarPreheat oven and roasting pan to 400

Wild Mushroom Enchiladas

5 ancho chiles 1 cup heavy cream 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/2 yellow onion, diced 6 ounces wild mushrooms (morels, shiitakes, oysters, portobellos), sliced 1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into quarter-inch cubes 3 ounces queso fresco or feta cheese, crumbled

Vietnamese Fish Tacos

Núóc Mam Dipping Sauce3/4 cup Squid brand fish sauce (núóc mam, available at oriental markets) 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped scallions (green onions)Whisk ingredients together and set aside.Vegetable Platter1 head leaf lettuce 1 bunch fresh mint 8 ounces bean sprouts 8 thin spears fresh pineapple, cut lengthwise

Miscellany

Energy

Oil’s Well That Ends Well

It’s not enough to say that associate editor Helen Thorpe was a fish out of water while reporting her story on the new oil plays in the Gulf of Mexico (“Oil and Water,”). She was really a fish out of water on the water. Three different times, the 31-year-old,

By Evan Smith