I love the surprises that the Fort Worth Public Library affords me on a daily basis. Case in point, the last cookbook I picked up (I always judge books by their covers) completely blew me away with an entire chapter about
Frozen Margaritas and the Cadillac Bar in Nuevo Laredo. In days of yore when border towns were the perfect weekend getaway for Texicans wishing to augment their purchasing power, The Cadillac Bar provided a perfect place where your body would give out long before your wallet. The back bar mirror claimed that the Sazerac and the Ramos Gin Fizz were invented there yet the menu's heavy reliance upon New Orleans fare (shrimp creole, frog's legs, and crab Newburg) belied original owner Mayo Bessan's time served as a New Orleans waiter. It has been a few years since I have visited Nuevo Laredo ( I don't own any Kevlar) but it certainly did stir the memories and awaken my longing for some shots of plata.
The Tex-Mex grill and backyard barbacoa cookbook /by Walsh, Robb, 1952-
Beginning Tex-Mex cooks will enjoy the introduction to grills, tools you'll need, fuels, starting a fire, how to tell when it's done, and grill seasoning. In addition to lists like "Five Cool Mariachi Requests," "Top 10 Texas Microbrewery Beers," and "Houston's Top 5 Taco Trucks," Walsh (The Tex-Mex Cookbook) shares a large selection of salsas, rubs, margaritas, fajitas, tacos, burgers, and guacamole. Adventurous tailgaters are sure to enjoy Atomic Deer Turds, with jalapeno peppers, cheese, and venison sausage. With a chili glossary and online resources. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
Chili-heads and grill jockeys are likely already familiar with Texas food writer and James Beard Award-winner Walsh, author of volumes (like Legends of Texas Barbecue) that have become textbooks of outdoor cooking. His latest, a kind of sequel to 2004's Tex-Mex Cookbook, is no exception. As in previous volumes, Walsh begins each chapter with a compulsively readable narrative overview of a particular style, region or dish (margaritas, tailgating, taco trucks, fajitas, etc.), followed by a number of recipes illustrating the possibilities of each. Walsh keeps the formula fresh by rolling up his sleeves and digging deep for the secrets of fajita steak (including trips to the butcher and the meat fabricator), the origins of the taco truck phenomenon, and the delicacy that is Texas-style barbacoa-at its purest, barbecued cattle head-with infectious curiosity and enthusiasm. Walsh's prose is balanced with smoky, classic Tex-Mex recipes begging for a turn: the classic bacon-wrapped Sonoran hot dog; the Tortaburger, a hybrid of the traditional Mexican sandwich that serves a beef patty on Telera bread with fried eggs and refried beans on top; and the must-try Beef Short Ribs in Ancho-Molasses Sauce. Those looking for variety will find it in Ancho-Root Beer Hot Wings and Grapefruit Chicken Fajitas, Chile Grilled Pineapple, and condiments like Grilled Tomato Hot Sauce and Texas Red Grapefruit Salsa. (May) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
1 comments:
It's a shame that the bar shut down this year due to the lack of business due to the ongoing issues created by the warring drug cartels and the government's war to attempt to clean up Mexico. The place will be missed. Many good memories there, heartbreaking to see it closed.
Post a Comment