Amy Ferguson, who has lived in Hawaii for decades now but was instrumental in the development of the Southwestern cuisine culinary movement, talks about reading "Larousse Gastronomique" as a kid, encountering celebrity at a young age, and that time Julia Child kindly told her "you don't know anything."
Thirty years ago, Texans who equated fine dining with chicken cordon bleu and trout meunière suddenly found themselves eating barbecued Gulf shrimp and goat cheese quesadillas. An oral history of the Southwestern cuisine revolution.
“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.”
Up-and-coming Southwestern chefs.
How to cook up a culinary craze: Mix talented chefs, native ingredients, classical techniques, and good publicity. Name result “Southwestern.” Let spread across globe.
A guide to hot spots in Texas and around the country.
“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.”
Tacos go uptown in the hands of Dean Fearing. All it takes is a little lobster, jalapeño-spiked cheese, fresh spinach, and Fearing’s snappy yellow-tomato salsa. This new, beautifully photographed compendium by Arlene Feltman-Sailhac focuses on nine masters of Southwestern cuisine. Other Texas chefs spotlighted are Robert Del Grande of Houston’s
Autumn along San Antonio’s Paseo del Rio is truly a season of change—especially at the Zuni Grill (511 River Walk), where chef David James’s revamped menu creates a casual and innovative bill of fare with an intentional nod to the Southwest. But don’t expect a run-of-the-mill chile relleno at Zuni.
“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.’ ”
The latest culinary crazy, Cowboy Cuisine has put a new spin on traditional Texas cooking.
