PLATESCOOK + TRAVEL + EAT Chilaquiles The skinny on a Texas classic text by Lori Moffatt Jessica Dupuy’s fourth cookbook, United Tastes of Texas, explores the state’s culinary history. Photo: Courtesy United Tastes of Texas, Oxmoor House SEPTEMBER 2016 29 COOK imperative we use an offset smoker. RECIPE That became a bone of contention, and finally I told them that I would be CHILAQUILES kicked out of the state and written out As Jessica Dupuy writes in her book, United Tastes of Texas, the only complicated thing about chilaquiles— of my dad’s will if we didn’t.” pronounced roughly as “chill-ah-kee-les”—is its name. Dupuy makes the point that the flavor is similar to nachos, Texas’ culinary pride revealed its though I’d say it’s more like “breakfast Frito pie.” This recipe is slightly adapted from the recipe in the book. multicultural complexity as Dupuy Makes 8 servings. investigated chili (the state dish; no F 1 onion, chopped F 5 oz. tortilla chips beans here, please!) potato salad (mus- F 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped F 3 cups shredded Mexican four-cheese blend tard-based or oil-based?), the nebulous F 2 garlic cloves, minced F 8 large eggs history surrounding the classic King F 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided F Toppings, as desired: sliced avocado, salsa, cilantro Ranch Chicken casserole (it’s not from F 2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with juices the King Ranch, y’all), and seemingly simple dishes like the nacho. “Con- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. and sprinkle with cheese. and top each with a fried egg. trary to what many may think,” writes In a large, nonstick skillet over 3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 Serve warm with salsa, avocado, Dupuy, “an authentic nacho is a sim- medium-high heat, sauté onion, minutes or until cheese is bubbly. cilantro, and other toppings ple tortilla chip topped with a slice of jalapeño peppers, and garlic in 4. Meanwhile, heat 1 T. oil in a as desired. Cheddar cheese and, oftentimes, a slice 2 T. oil for 5 minutes or until ten- large, nonstick skillet over me- of fresh or pickled jalapeño. That’s it.” der. Stir in tomatoes, reduce heat dium heat. Gently break 4 eggs Find United Tastes of Texas: to medium, and cook 10 minutes into the skillet and cook 2-3 min- And what about the popular Texas Authentic Recipes from until thickened. utes or to desired degree of done- All Corners of the Lone Star tradition of eating black-eyed peas on 2. Arrange tortilla chips in a ness. Remove from skillet and re- State (Oxmoor House, an imprint New Year’s Day for good luck? Not greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. peat with remaining eggs and oil. of Time Inc. Books) at bookstores only does Dupuy highlight the work Pour tomato mixture over chips, 5. Cut casserole into 8 squares, or online. of New Yorker-turned-Texan Helen There’s something familiar about N TEXAS HIGHWAYS’ NEW PLATES/COOK alchemy of tortilla chips, tomatoes, cheese, eggs, department, which debuts with this story, and jalapeño. “I like it because it’s easy, and it’s a Plano. Maybe it’s that famous Texas we’ll aim to explore Texas’ vast culture of way to spice up your average fried eggs for break- hospitality. Or maybe there’s so much cooking—including recipes, techniques, and United fast,” says Dupuy. “Once you get a feel for it, you to do here, you just want to stay Itips—and we think there’s no better place to kick it Tastes can be creative.” longer. And who could blame you? off than with fourth-generation Texan Jessica Du- of Texas A lot of the recipes in United Tastes are fam- With over 5,100 hotel rooms, you have puy’s latest cookbook, United Tastes of Texas: Au- presents a ily recipes, including a beef brisket recipe passed a wide variety of accommodations. thentic Recipes from All Corners of the Lone Star State. geographical down by Dupuy’s father and gumbo and jamba- We have a bustling nightlife, a fabulous Originally, Dupuy tells us, the publisher ap- guide to laya concoctions from her husband’s kin in Louisi- proached her about writing a Tex-Mex book. “In- recipes ana. “Food is about coming together,” says Dupuy. restaurant scene, incredible shopping, stead,” she says, “I suggested that it would be much and tech- “In my family, when we plan a gathering, the first THE MINUTE YOU ARRIVE, and we’re just 20 minutes from the better to look at the state from a historical perspec- niques any question everybody asks is, ‘What are we going to entertainment and dining meccas of tive, organized around how and where it was settled. true Texan eat and who’s bringing what?’” Fittingly, the book’s THERE’S AN Dallas and Fort Worth. So for your next Tex-Mex is only a fraction of what our food is about.” should have final chapter, “Texas Shindigs,” includes a lineup INSTANT CONNECTION. getaway, get connected in Plano. And so United Tastes—divided into the state’s five on hand, of cocktail recipes featuring Texas ingredients fol- distinct culinary regions (Central, Coastal, East, ranging from lowed by suggested menu items for gatherings on South, and West)—presents a geographical guide to San Antonio Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. recipes and techniques any true Texan should have puffy tacos Throughout the course of her research, Dupuy on hand, ranging from San Antonio puffy tacos to to Texas unearthed a cornucopia of misunderstandings Texas pralines (crunchy, never chewy!). The list pralines. about Texas cuisine, as well as a few things that People Connect Here. includes chilaquiles, a classic Mexican breakfast Texans take for granted in the kitchen—or at casserole that proves supremely adaptable. “Chi- the grill. “I went with my dad’s brisket recipe be- 1-800-81-plano • visitplano.com laquiles are all about using leftovers,” says Dupuy, cause it’s what I grew up with,” says Dupuy. “And whose recipe (see page 31) highlights the satisfying when I sent it off to the test kitchen, I said that it’s facebook.com/visitplano A classic Tex-Mex larder: tortillas, onion, jalapeño, lime, cilantro, avocado. 15-PNO-1612 Texas Highways.indd 1 12/29/15 2:24 PM 30 texashighways.com Photo: Courtesy United Tastes of Texas, Oxmoor House SEPTEMBER 2016 31 COOK TRAVEL Corbitt in elevating the humble black- interview was Melissa Guerra,” says Dupuy faced another challenge in the eyed pea to society status with her fa- Dupuy. “Her ranch in South Texas test kitchen, as it’s unusual for cook- mous “Texas Caviar” recipe, but she has been part of Mexico and then part books to feature recipes that make also credits the late pea-lover (and fa- of the United States multiple times in three dozen of anything. “We couldn’t ther of actor Rip Torn) Elmore Torn its history.” Guerra, who has written tweak the recipe so it makes a dozen,” of Taylor with reviving the “eat peas several cookbooks herself and oper- Dupuy says. “That would undermine for good luck” tradition as part of his ates a housewares shop in San Anto- the whole reason that people make ta- founding role in the International nio called Latin Kitchen Market, con- males! Tamales are very much about Black-Eyed Pea Appreciation Society. tributed her family recipe for tamales, getting together as a community.” “One of my favorite chefs to which makes three dozen. And so Melissa Guerra receives a dedicated profile in the book, where she shares her view of the evolution of South Texas cuisine, noting,“Food has always OLLECTING been about more than sustenance. It has a story to tell. It follows the his- C tory of what kept people alive, not what 1 Family 3 Generations Timeless Treasures killed them.” Other chef profiles in- O Connect with the collections of the Stark and Lutcher family clude Jack Allen of Austin, Johnny Hernandez of San Antonio, and Buf- falo Gap chuckwagon chef Tom Perini, N who says, “When you get a good piece of beef, season it with a little rub and V cook it over a mesquite flame. All of a sudden, you have something magi- cal.” Seventh-generation rancher/chef E Lou Lambert weighs in, too, noting of his stints in New York and Chicago: R You “AU TO” “Being away from home made me realize what a rich food culture we Collect really have in Texas.” S Join us as we explore that rich food culture. There’s a spot for you at A the table. Lockhart’s idyllic main square. Thanks in part to Lockhart Turns the Key the many restored 1880s buildings, a number of movies and television shows have filmed scenes There’s more to this small town than barbecue T here, including Honeysuckle Rose, Red Headed PACO’S CHILAQUILES text by Veronica Meewes Stranger, Waiting for Guffman, What’s Eating Gilbert I It would be a noble exercise to compare Grape, and most recently, HBO’s The Leftovers. Hupp Motor Car Company (1908 – 1941), chilaquiles in every restaurant across the Contrasted against a brilliant blue sky, brick- Roadster, VIN 5813, 1911, assembled metal, 80 x 64 x 120 in., state, but the research would take a life- IKE MOST TEXANS, MY MAIN EXPERIENCES “This town red and white-frosted gingerbread storefronts face O The W.H. Stark House, Orange, TX. time or more. And if you ask 100 people what makes a with Lockhart have always revolved is on the Caldwell County’s 1894 courthouse, a regal three- good plate of chilaquiles, you’ll get 100 answers.