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NEW
Mayhaws:
A spring delicacy
by Bob Bowman 4-7-08
"In case you haven't lived in East Texas for a long time, mayhaws
are to East Texans what blueberries are to Maine. The trouble is they
don't grow in convenient places like fields and roadside bar ditches.
Most mayhaws are found in swamps, river bottoms and other places where
large snakes, giant mosquitoes and other varmits make their home..."
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Food &
Beverages
Biscuits
Mike Cox 11-17-07
"...Back when or now, cooking biscuits involves more than combining
the ingredients and baking the result. As the “McLintock” scene
suggests, good biscuits almost do seem divinely inspired..."
Fascinated
by food facts
by Delbert Trew
About ketchup, pinto beans and chili
The
Great Blackeyed Pea Hoax
by C. F. Eckhardt
Did you eat blackeyed peas for good luck on New Year's Day? Did
you do so because it's a 'great ante-bellum Southern tradition?'
If so, congratulations. You have been scammed by one of the most
likeable con-artists in Texas history...
In
Praise of Texas Corn
by Clay Coppedge
While it might be a stretch to think of corn as a native Texas plant,
it comes close...
National
Dish of Texas
by C. F. Eckhardt
Chili con carne is the national dish of Texas. It was invented in
Texas by Texas natives-literally-and it's made right only in Texas...
Churros
by Maggie Van Ostrand
Don Churrero - "The churro cannot be 'made,' it can only be
created. Further, the churro's creator must be touched by the hand
of God himself, for to partake of the delights of a churro is to
know heaven on earth."
Salt
of the South
by Clay Coppedge
"The Confederate Salt Works at Lometa operated in a
manner common to France and Germany but almost unheard of in the
south."
Metheglin
by Clay Coppedge
Metheglin,
the brew, has fared well in the intervening years. From being the
drink-of-choice for intemperate settlers, it's now bottled and rhapsodized
over like fine wine. Spicing appears to be the key to quality metheglin.
Butter
- All types of things happened when making butter by Delbert
Trew
Chili
by Mike Cox
How chili came to be, canning chili, chili con carne, “Chili Queens”
...
Pumpkins
by Mike Cox
Potatoes
- Once lowly fare, potatoes enjoy popularity by Delbert Trew
The
hog, the whole hog, nothin' but the hog by Delbert Trew
Hushpuppies
by Bob Bowman
The annual Southern Hushpuppy Cookoffs in Lufkin
Bison:
It's not just for Native Americans anymore. by Brewster Hudspeth
The
Naming of Chili by Luke Warm
Texas
Onions by John Troesser
"The Mother of All Sweet Onions": the Texas Grano 502, and the Vidalia
onion
Milk
- Got sweet, skim, sour, butter or scalded milk? by Delbert
Trew
Biscuits,
even the 'whomp' kind, make world a better place by Delbert
Trew
All biscuits talked about so far have been "made from scratch" using
mostly flour, baking powder, soda, shortening, a pinch of salt and
milk or water. This mix has to be rolled flat, cut or formed and
allowed to rise in a warm place, leaving a big mess in the kitchen.
In the end, seldom did a batch of biscuits turn out exactly like
the last effort, although the same measurements were used.
Cornbread
- 'My mama's cornbread' discussion gets hot by Delbert Trew
Caffeine
- Want to know how much a caffeine addict you are?
by Dr. C. K. Wong, M.D.
Coffee, tea, CocaCola, chocolate .....
Tortilla
- "It Takes a Tortilla…" Mexicans Turn to an Ancient Reliable
Snack by Sheila Mayne
Tacos are categorized and labeled according to both their mode of
preparation and according to their filling. Taco stands usually
have a sign indicating which type of taco, by preparation and/or
filling, they sell.
Hamburger
- Inventing the Hamburger by Bob Bowman
When Hamburger University, the McDonald's training school and research
group, went looking for the origin of the hamburger some years ago,
they concluded that it was introduced at the 1904 St Louis World's
Fair by an anonymous food vender. But it wasn¹t until the 1980s
that it was discovered that the vendor was from East Texas.
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Food Preparation,
Traditions & History
Mayhaws:
A spring delicacy
by Bob Bowman 4-7-08
"In case you haven't lived in East Texas for a long time, mayhaws
are to East Texans what blueberries are to Maine. The trouble is
they don't grow in convenient places like fields and roadside bar
ditches. Most mayhaws are found in swamps, river bottoms and other
places where large snakes, giant mosquitoes and other varmits make
their home..."
Coffee
Drinkers by Mike Cox 2-28-08
Since practically forever, Texans all across the state have practiced
this little-known daily routine of coffee and conversation. Though
more common in small towns, no-dues, no officers coffee clubs occasionally
develop in the bigger cities...
Preserving
Meat on the Frontier C. F. Eckhardt 2-21-08
According to DR. CHASE'S RECIPES OR INFORMATION FOR EVERYBODY, the
thirty-sixth edition of which came out in 1866, here are some recipes
for preservation of meat without refrigeration...
This
Little Piggy Stayed Home by Linda Kirkpatrick 1-5-08
This story is about the important but disgusting details of butchering
the ill fated little pig and preparing the meat for the table. It
is not for the faint of heart...
Staple
Shopping Mike Cox 11-29-07
Need a loaf of bread? Unless you live in a particularly remote area,
a plastic bag of sliced sandwich covers and gravy soppers rests
on the shelf only a few minutes away at a nearby and aptly named
convenience store. But in the 19th century Texans did not get to
enjoy all that much convenience, especially when it came to shopping...
One
Time a Kitten Named Elijah Came to the Passover Seder Table to Bring
Wisdom by Bill Cherry
The most important holy day to Jews is the 14th day of Nisan. It
marks Passover. Passover's purpose is to celebrate God's deliverance
of His people from the bondage of sin. This historical event is
contemplated by Jews at an evening family meal known as the Seder...
An irony of Christianity is that Jesus' last supper was a Passover
Seder...
Water
supply not to be taken for granted
by Delbert Trew
Today we think nothing of turning on a faucet to get water. Daily,
millions of gallons of water are used, saved, wasted, discussed,
bought and sold without raising an eyebrow. Well, folks, it hasn't
always been that way...
Annual
pear event preserves the past by Delbert Trew
One annual event that comes as regularly as sunrise at the Trew
house is the making of pear preserves...
White
Lightning
by Clay Coppedge
"Moonshining, in Texas and elsewhere, reached its peak during
prohibition, from 1919 to 1933. Prohibition made it illegal to manufacture
or consume alcoholic beverages, but moonshiners viewed more often
as folk heroes as outlaws..."
Can
you please pass the salt? by Delbert Trew
Many of the elements we take for granted today have incredible histories.
The most outstanding of these is table salt...
Home
canning was a high-pressure job by Delbert Trew
There was a time between root cellars and refrigeration when pressure
cookers were used to preserve food. The Great Depression and Dust
Bowl were blowing full force, home gardens were feeding the populace
and preservation of meat and produce was an absolute necessity to
survive. Interestingly, steam pressure canning dates back to Napoleon,
the French general who offered a cash prize to anyone who could
invent a process to preserve food for his traveling armies.
Sam's
Mother-in-Law by Mike Cox
"Despite the rocky beginning of their relationship, Sam Houston
treated Mrs. Nancy Lea, his mother-in-law, with all due respect.
He must have learned to accept her eccentricities as well, like
the lard incident..."
Priddy
Good Sandwiches by Mike Cox
Here's the recipe, with a caution that even by using all the ingredients
Mrs. Hohertz does, the sandwich won't be nearly as good the ones
she makes...
The
Possum Dinner
by Bob Bowman
While most East Texans were planning Thanksgiving dinners in 1929,
four old friends in Frankston were sitting down for a meal of possum
and sweet potatoes...
Haphazard
biscuits now memories by Delbert Trew
Watching Aunt Ruby Wilkinson make biscuits provided more entertainment
than seeing a three-ring circus...
East
Texas Savior of the French Wine Industry by Archie P. McDonald
Those who favor a glass of wine, especially French wine, may not
be aware of the debt they and the French owe to Dr. Thomas Volney
Munson of Denison, Texas
Crocks:
The Tupperware of their day by Delbert Trew
"As a little boy I can remember crocks, and crock-type bowls
that were in everyday use in the Trew homes. My favorite crock story
tells of chuck wagon cooks who kept their sourdough batch growing
in a small crock with a lid...."
Canning
remains popular throughout time by Delbert Trew
Grease
by George Lester
"Our farm was a featureless plain except for the creek bottom
with its tall trees and cool shady areas along the sparse stream.
Down there, we discovered the delicacy of crawdad tails..."
How
Sweet It Was by George Lester
"I may have this wrong, but the best I can remember it, my
father had a unique way of deciding where to have our vegetable
garden each year..."
Adventures
in Egg Gathering by Neal Crausbay
McAdoo, Texas, 1948
Hunger
Pains by George Lester
'Waste
not, want not' was law at supper by Delbert Trew
Living close to food source, working to prepare it instilled appreciation
The
Smorgasbord by Geroge Lester
A school lunch story
Ice
Scream! by George Lester
Oyster
Stew by George Lester
Sausage
Biscuits by George Lester
Drug
Store Centennial by Bob Bowman
The San Augustine Drug Store will in May (2004) celebrate a hundred
years of doing business at the same location in downtown San Augustine;
and a fountain drink known as "The Grapefruit Highball."
The
Murchison Hotel by Bob Bowman
"There are some things about the East Texas Plate Lunch that
are sacred and should not be messed with by either the cook or the
customer."
The
Corn Crib by Bob Bowman
"In early East Texas, corn cribs were as essential to farmers
as their plows and mules. Used to store corn on the floor and peanuts
in the rafters, the cribs enabled families to store food for themselves
and their livestock for the winter months."
Dinner
on the Grounds by Bob Bowman
It was an annual feast we remembered for a year -- and a place where
we often found rare and out-of-season delicacies.
The
East Texas Plate Lunch by Bob Bowman
The real culinary treasure of Texas. It is a savory, although unsung,
pleasure that comes only from caring country cooks who have mastered
the magic of bacon drippings and cornbread baking.
Poke
Sallet by Bob Bowman
"There isn't a better country dish in East Texas."
Pie
Suppers by Bob Bowman
But here in East Texas, I've always felt that some of our folks
devised an ingenious way to deprive politicians of money right when
they need it the most. It's called the pie supper. And it works
this way...
Barbecue
Bust by Mike Cox
With more than 20,000 chanting anti-war protestors headed downtown
from UT, the governor decided he was hungry for barbecue...
They
don’t sell for money at any price (1864)
A
Salt Lake near El Paso
by Delbert Trew 9-18-07
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Food
Humor & Opinion
Crawfish
and Cats by N. Ray Maxie
3-3-08
The
Dreaded Friendship Bread by Elizabeth Bussey Sowdal
Maybe you have an acquaintance who is domestic. One who likes to
decorate and sew and hot glue things to other things with fabulous
results. Maybe you have one who cooks. If you do, you have probably
been the recipient of a bag of Friendship Bread Starter...
Say
Bartender, Make Mine Tuna on the Rocks
by Maggie Van Ostrand
In the Bible, Jesus turns water into wine and multiplies two fishes
into enough to feed 12,000 people, including women and children.
Can China top that? Seems as though they're going to try.
The
Budget
by George Lester
Have you ever been desperately hungry? I don't mean missing lunch
because of a busy schedule or running out of provisions on a camping
trip. That is nothing compared to the kind of hunger I endured in
the mid fifties...
The
Corn is as High as an Elephant's Eye by Maggie Van Ostrand
Is it unreasonable to think that the Mexican people should be able
to have their customary corn tortillas at mealtime? It seems so.
Politics has again reared its ugly head, and this time, the platform
is "Corn produces ethanol and ethanol fuels automobiles!"...
Finger
Lickin’ Good by Elizabeth Bussey Sowdal
"It must be awfully hard to be the youngest child. I have been
missing my brother who moved recently to Arizona, and that has made
me remember all kinds of things about growing up with him..."
Pet
Peeves: Coffee, Stereos and Thermostat
by Peary Perry
Food
and Diet
by Peary Perry
"This year I’ve decided to get a head start on my annual
pilgrimage towards the torture of exercise and caloric reduction.
No more pie, no more cake, no more anything that remotely tastes
good...."
The
Ten Years Are Up. It's Time to Clean the Refrigerator by Maggie
Van Ostrand
The
Texas Pudding Solution or Are We Having Flan, yet?
by John Troesser
"If no good deed goes unpunished, and every silver lining needs
a dark cloud, then every solution needs a problem. In this case
the solution is pudding - the problem is chili..."
I
Can't Believe We Are Not Butter by John Troesser
The
Masked, Mystery Gourmet - Aida Lott by John Troesser
Chef Boyardee,
Julia Child, Uncle Ben, Betty Crocker, Mrs. Baird, ‘Little Debbie',
The Green Giant and General Mills.
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Food
Mysteries
Poisoned
Supper by Bob Bowman
A tragic, unthinkable incident in the spring of 1847, frequently
associated with the Regulator-Moderator War, remains after 157 years
one of East Texas’ worst mass murders -- if it was murder.
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