Robb Walsh

Frozen Margaritas This recipe is courtesy of Robb Walsh from his book, The Tex-Mex Cookbook, A History in Recipes and Photos. Here’s the easy way to make frozen margaritas at home. The frozen limeade concentrate makes the drinks extra slushy without the addition of too much ice. Don’t get the limeade concentrate out of the freezer until you need it! 3 shots tequila plata (Herradura Silver recommended) 1 shot triple sec (or Cointreau) 1/4 c (3 heaping tablespoons) frozen limeade concentrate 2 c crushed ice Coarse salt Lime wedge Combine tequila, triple sec, limeade concentrate and crushed ice in a blender and puree until slushy. Put the salt in a saucer. Wet the rim of the glass with the lime wedge. Invert the glass in the saucer and coat the rim with salt. Pour the frozen mixture into the salted glass. Makes one large or two small Margaritas. Variations: Orange Margarita: Pour a “floater shot” of Grand Marinier over top of the drink and garnish with an orange slice. Two-tone Swirled Raspberry Margarita: Pour 1 shot Chambord (raspberry liqueur) into a clear margarita glass then pour the slush over top. Two-tone Swirled Strawberry Margarita: Put 3 tablespoons pureed strawberries in a clear glass and pour the margarita over top. Astroturf Green Margarita: Pour a shot of Midori (melon liqueur) into a clear glass and pour the margarita over top. Keywords: Cocktail, Tex-Mex ( RG1094 )

Frozen Margaritas This recipe is courtesy of Robb Walsh from his book, The Tex-Mex Cookbook, A History in Recipes and Photos. Here’s the easy way to make frozen margaritas at home. The frozen limeade concentrate makes the drinks extra slushy without the addition of too much ice. Don’t get the limeade concentrate out of the freezer until you need it! 3 shots tequila plata (Herradura Silver recommended) 1 shot triple sec (or Cointreau) 1/4 c (3 heaping tablespoons) frozen limeade concentrate 2 c crushed ice Coarse salt Lime wedge Combine tequila, triple sec, limeade concentrate and crushed ice in a blender and puree until slushy. Put the salt in a saucer. Wet the rim of the glass with the lime wedge. Invert the glass in the saucer and coat the rim with salt. Pour the frozen mixture into the salted glass. Makes one large or two small Margaritas. Variations: Orange Margarita: Pour a “floater shot” of Grand Marinier over top of the drink and garnish with an orange slice. Two-tone Swirled Raspberry Margarita: Pour 1 shot Chambord (raspberry liqueur) into a clear margarita glass then pour the slush over top. Two-tone Swirled Strawberry Margarita: Put 3 tablespoons pureed strawberries in a clear glass and pour the margarita over top. Astroturf Green Margarita: Pour a shot of Midori (melon liqueur) into a clear glass and pour the margarita over top. Keywords: Cocktail, Tex-Mex ( RG1094 )

Chili Gravy This recipe is courtesy of Robb Walsh from his book, The Tex-Mex Cookbook, A History in Recipes and Photos. The lifeblood of old-fashioned Tex-Mex, chili gravy is a cross between Anglo brown gravy and Mexican chile sauce. It was invented in Anglo-owned Mexican restaurants like the Original. 1/4 c lard (or vegetable oil) 1/4 c flour 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp powdered garlic 2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp dried oregano 2 T chili powder 2 c chicken broth (or substitute water) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients. Add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness. Makes 2 cups. Keywords: Sauce, Tex-Mex, Easy ( RG1093 )

Chili Gravy This recipe is courtesy of Robb Walsh from his book, The Tex-Mex Cookbook, A History in Recipes and Photos. The lifeblood of old-fashioned Tex-Mex, chili gravy is a cross between Anglo brown gravy and Mexican chile sauce. It was invented in Anglo-owned Mexican restaurants like the Original. 1/4 c lard (or vegetable oil) 1/4 c flour 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp powdered garlic 2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp dried oregano 2 T chili powder 2 c chicken broth (or substitute water) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients. Add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness. Makes 2 cups. Keywords: Sauce, Tex-Mex, Easy ( RG1093 )

Larry’s Cheese Enchiladas This recipe is courtesy of Robb Walsh from his book, The Tex-Mex Cookbook, A History in Recipes and Photos. Larry's Mexican Restaurant is frozen in time, as are many other things about the "Twin Cities" of Richmond and Rosenberg. You can still find Spaghetti Mexicano on the menu at Larry’s and the cheese enchiladas are still made with American cheese, just like in the good old days. But the old-fashioned cheese enchiladas taste as good as, or better than, their modern yuppified counterparts. Be sure and have extra tortillas on hand to mop up the puddle of chili gravy and melted cheese left on the plate by these quintessential Tex-Mex enchiladas. 1/2 c vegetable oil 8 corn tortillas for enchiladas 2 c shredded American or Velveeta cheese 1-1/2 c chopped onions 1-1/2 c Chili Gravy (see link below) 1 c shredded Cheddar cheese Link to Chili Gravy Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Using tongs, place a tortilla in the hot oil for 30 seconds or until soft and lightly brown. Place on absorbent paper and allow to cool before handling. Ladle 1/4 cup of chili gravy onto an ovenproof plate. Place 1/4 cup American cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped onion down the center of a tortilla and roll the tortilla around the fillings. Put the tortilla, seam side down, on the gravy-covered plate. Repeat with another tortilla. Pour another 1/4 cup of chili gravy over top and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Repeat for all 4 plates. Bake each plate in the oven for 10 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and cheese is well melted. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Garnish with remaining chopped onions. Makes 8 enchiladas. Keywords: Cheese, Main Dish, Tex-Mex ( RG1092 )

Larry’s Cheese Enchiladas This recipe is courtesy of Robb Walsh from his book, The Tex-Mex Cookbook, A History in Recipes and Photos. Larry's Mexican Restaurant is frozen in time, as are many other things about the "Twin Cities" of Richmond and Rosenberg. You can still find Spaghetti Mexicano on the menu at Larry’s and the cheese enchiladas are still made with American cheese, just like in the good old days. But the old-fashioned cheese enchiladas taste as good as, or better than, their modern yuppified counterparts. Be sure and have extra tortillas on hand to mop up the puddle of chili gravy and melted cheese left on the plate by these quintessential Tex-Mex enchiladas. 1/2 c vegetable oil 8 corn tortillas for enchiladas 2 c shredded American or Velveeta cheese 1-1/2 c chopped onions 1-1/2 c Chili Gravy (see link below) 1 c shredded Cheddar cheese Link to Chili Gravy Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Using tongs, place a tortilla in the hot oil for 30 seconds or until soft and lightly brown. Place on absorbent paper and allow to cool before handling. Ladle 1/4 cup of chili gravy onto an ovenproof plate. Place 1/4 cup American cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped onion down the center of a tortilla and roll the tortilla around the fillings. Put the tortilla, seam side down, on the gravy-covered plate. Repeat with another tortilla. Pour another 1/4 cup of chili gravy over top and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Repeat for all 4 plates. Bake each plate in the oven for 10 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and cheese is well melted. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Garnish with remaining chopped onions. Makes 8 enchiladas. Keywords: Cheese, Main Dish, Tex-Mex ( RG1092 )

Read the second part of this article--the part about Mexico City tortillas: http://houstonpress.com/issues/2001-01-25/cafe.html

Our intention in doing a seminar on a contentious subject like: America's Barbeculture: Who Owns It? was to stimulate debates like the one taking place here. I though Lolis was pretty funny. He is also one of the smartest people who has ever written about barbecue. He comes from a music background and he was among the first see that the African-American revisionist history of jazz and rock n' roll applied equally to food history and especially barbecue. Like rock n roll, barbecue is essentially a product of black culture that whites repackaged and commericalized. Which isn't to say you shouldn't love rock n roll or white barbecue. But you should know where it came from. For instance, some of the first barbecue restaurants in the South opened during the Jim Crow era when blacks couldn't own businesses that served whites. When whites took over barbecue, they created new forms. There're some great interviews on that subject in Lolis' PBS documentary "Smokestack Lightning." I hope you will read Smokestack Lighting, see the documentary and consider Lolis' comments in the context of his body of work. He has been at this a long time. New York's relationship to barbecue is new and fresh. We hoped to engage New Yorkers in the larger cultural debates that have been going on about barbecue for decades in the South. And based on this thread, I would say we succeeded. It was very brave of Danny Meyers and Company to sponsor such a controversial panel discussion.

The Bar BQ ranch story appears in the book titled: Finger Lickin' Rib Stickin' Great Tasting Barbecue by Jane Butel, Workman, 1982, New York, page 6. Peter Workman is also responsible for renaming Raichlen's book--It was supposed to be called Global Grilling. Workman coined the title Barbecue Bible, because he used the term barbecue for weenie roasts and didn't see why everyone else shouldn't too. But mainly because he thought it would make him more money. Raichlen objected because he didn't want to come across as somebody who didn't know the difference, but Workman's cynicism prevailed. The publishing industry is located in New York, hence New York tells the rest of the country what barbecue means. (Seen this month's Bon Appetit barbecue issue?) Thanks to all of you who came out to the seminar--I wish we had been given more time--45 minutes barely scratched the surface.

Seems like Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook had something to say about that "Beef is King in Texas" baloney. And I've heard many people say the pork ribs in Texas blow away anything you'll find in Memphis. Anyway, New Yorkers looking for great barbecue from Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and all points south of the Garden State Parkway--mark June 12 and 13 on your calendar. Check out this pitmaster list: http://www.bluesmoke.com/blue/secondary/events.html

Hispanic Times Magazine, March, 2001, by Janey M. Rifkin Since our culture in California is to an important degree Mexican, I would like to clarify some of the traditional Mexican customs which have been loosely interpreted by Norte Americanos. There are several misnomers about our tasty and often delectable Mexican food. The smells, tastes, and textures of foods which originated south-of-the-border are ever increasing in popularity. But of tacos and burritos--the converts to our special dishes often know very little. A taco is a tortilla rolled, or folded, over any kind of food. The burrito is a special type of taco that was invented in Sonora and consists of a rolled flour tortilla...

I was very happy to see my friends Alison Cook and John T. Edge nominated as well. Also great to see my buddy and former Austin Chronicle restaurant reviewer Pableaux Johnson nominated for his wonderful piece in the Gambit (New Orleans) on Anthony Uglesich. He was spending the night at mi casa in Houston on his way to SXSW when he got the news, so we had a toast or two. Former Austinite Conde Cox, who now lives in Oregon, is up for a magazine writing about wine and spirits award.

Attention Texas Tomato Fans Check out this Press Release from A&M March 9, 2004 TOMATO 444 NAMED LATEST TEXAS SUPERSTAR Writer: Jennifer Paul, (972) 952-9232, j-paul@tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Jerry Parsons, (210) 467-6578, jerryparsons@tamu.edu SAN ANTONIO - In springtime vegetable gardeners start dreaming about tomatoes. And this year Texas tomato gardeners might want to consider Tomato 444. It's the latest plant to be designated as a Texas Superstar. "Tomato 444 is one of the few hybrid tomato varieties which has natural plant resistant to tomato spotted wilt virus and the problems it causes," said Dr. Jerry Parsons, horticulture specialist with Texas Cooperative Extension in San Antonio. "The fruit is large and the quality is excellent. To many people, Tomato 444 tastes better than the ever-popular Celebrity tomato. Tomato 444 definitely produces more fruit than Celebrity."

thanks ya'll, it's been a gas.

The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos, will be released by Broadway Books in June. It's kind of like Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook in that it's a cookbook with a lot of historic black and white photos and lore. This one tells the story of Tejano culture and Texas-Mexican cooking going back to the arrival of Juan de Onate in the 1580s up to and including such pop cultural phenomena as the Frito Bandito and Armadillo World Headquarters. There are around 130 photos including a lot of rare archival stuff. And the recipes rock.

My magnum opus, a 600 page tome on breadcrumbs, hasn't found a publisher yet. But I am hopeful.

Anyone who thinks anonymity doesn't matter needs to read Ruth Reichl's 1993 review of Le Cirque in the New York Times. This is the last word on the subject, as far as I am concerned. Reichl got a bad table and rude service when she went to the restaurant anonymously. But on a final visit, she was recognized and suddenly she was fawned over. They seated her ahead of the King of Spain and the chef sent out special dishes for her to taste. Reichl blasted the restaurant for the disparity of treatment and demoted them from four to three stars. Fifi, you may not believe that I dine anonymously, but I do. As Ruth's writing explains, it's easy to tell when you've been recognized. When they seat you behind the door to the kitchen and forget your appetizer, it's a pretty good sign they don't know you are a critic. Come eat dinner with me sometime. You'll see.

I love Rio Ranch, which attempts to recreate an eccentric Hill Country limestone cottage in a Houston shopping center. And I like the chicken-fried steak there too! I have lived in SF, Houston and Ft. Worth and spent a lot of time in Chicago. When it comes to restaurants, San Francisco and Chicago are in my opinion, just as provincial as Houston or Dallas. But I mean that in a good way. They shine as regional capitals. The French Laundry and Charlie Trotter's are as good or better than anything in New York. But that's just one or two restaurants. Think of all the places that open in New York in a single year! (And I hear the French Laundry's New York restaurant will open this year.) New York and Paris are international cities where the competition among high dollar restaurants is on another level. Maybe LA and London are up there too, I don't know.

This minute, I am proofreading the Chili chapter in The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos, which comes out in June. There is a lot of chili history and some wild speculation. I will keep the cat in the bag until then.

There is some incredible restaurant architecture in Texas. Check out Artista, the new restaurant in the Hobby Center in downtown Houston. Three story glass windows on the Houston skyline, towering bar, white oversize modern furniture, very bold, very unique--and great Nuevo Latino food. La Rev in San Antonio has a simple elegant interior, and serves probably the best French food in Texas. I think its a matter of being confident.

Yes Texas has great museums, yes Texas has great classical music. Van Cliburn is one of the greatest pianists of all time. He lives in Fort Worth. And his favorite restaurant is the Old South, a 24 hour pancake house. Forget the music metaphor, try this one: You don't go to London for the pizza. When food writers visit me, they usually aren't interested in "fine dining" restaurants. They want to go to barbecue joints, hamburger shacks, oyster bars, Mexican restaurants, and other "only in Texas" places. These places ooze character. That's not to say we don't have any fine dining. I think Houston has one of the best innovative Indian restaurants in the country in Indika, I think Hugo's will give Rick Bayless's places in Chicago a run for their money in the Mexican department some day. But we also have a lot of fine dining places in Texas that feel like theme restaurants. As if upscale dining were a concept so foreign to Texas that you have to make the restaurant look like its somewhere else. Take the interior of the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. English men's club? Connecticut country club? Do they still have fox hunting scenes on the walls? Or was it ducks? What's up with that? I understand that Dallas prides itself on being cosmopolitan. And if you buy into all that, it's okay by me. But as I explained in the Houston Fine Dining thread, I like Texas because it excels at being provincial. I would rather live in provincial Edinburgh than cosmopolitan London, I'll take sleepy Lyon over go-go Paris, and roughhewn Texas suits me better than slick "Where to Eat Now" New York.

I have to keep eating at different restaurants, but that's not really such a hardship. I do have a few regular stops. I hit Droubi's on Hillcroft at least once a week for fresh out of the oven pita and homemade lebni, although I usually get the food to go. (They sell Italian mortadella for $3.99 a pound, it's $6.99 at Central Market.) I like to take out of town visitors to Hong Kong City Mall. After a tour of the food court and Hong Kong supermarket, we go to Ocean Palace for dim sum. They serve it everyday and its very good. I go to A Dong on Bellaire in the summer for the cuttlefish and the jellyfish salad--great hot weather food. By the way, I suspect at 75,000 square feet, Hong Kong supermarket may be the largest Asian grocery in the United States. Anyone know of anything bigger?

No thanks. Like I said in the introduction to Are You Really Going to Eat That?, eating weird food is not all that interesting except as a part of somebody's culture.

I think James Beard's Amercian Cookery did a splended job of putting all the historical recipes out there for you to see and then suggesting a few ways to use them. Sort of like what Thorne did with the rice and peas. And, of course, Julia Child's, The Way to Cook, which gives you "master recipes" to depart from offers another paradigm. In a way, she was following Escoffier's "master sauces" concept. In Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook, I put contradictory recipes side by side so people could see the range of possibilities. Some people got it, and some felt it was confusing. As John has noted, the audience is the problem. It's hard to write for beginners and advanced cooks at the same time.

Golly, hasn't everything else you've written in this round table, including your self-decription as "cantankerous" and "a wonk," been first person? (Smile, Russ I'm joshing you.) Is first person a "gaudy crutch" or is it a more natural, and more personal, way to carry on a conversation with your readers? I am sure it can be either. There is such a thing as bad third person writing too. And as for the salsa. If I write: "The salsa was insufficiently piquant, or The salsa was wimpy" doesn't that create the assumption that there is an objectively perfect heat level that all salsas must be judged by?