Lubbock, 1994: From the street, our two Lubbock 1980’s suburban houses looked nearly identical. Daphne and Gary’s house next door had the same courtyard-style entry as my rental. The speckled orange and brown brick exteriors were the same, but their eaves, trim, and garage door were painted dark brown whereas ours were tan. Inside, the floor plans were identical: 1600 square feet provided 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a breakfast nook, a living area, and laundry room. A good-siz

Makes 1½ c. dry herb mix, enough for 12 c. of olive oil dipping delight. (Make a double batch and give some away!) 1 c. crispy garlic (from an Asian grocery store or in the international section of a large supermarket) ½ c. each dried oregano, basil, rosemary 2 T. each sea salt, red pepper flakes 1 T. each garlic powder, onion powder, coarse black pepper Stir up and store in an airtight container. Serve 1 T. of the herb mix with ½ c. of good quality extra virgin olive

Canyon, Texas, 1984: In another world, before The Davo, even before kids, Ex-Husband and I had dinner with his 60-something boss Bob and Bob’s 40-something secretary/girlfriend. We were at Bob’s townhouse that overlooked Hunsley Hills Golf Course. The evening was memorable for me for two reasons. The first one was because of how late we ate: after a few rounds of drinks, it was approaching 10 p.m., and my well-trained, routine-fixated tummy was growling at me and everyone e

Old Oak Square, the shopping center where our restaurant Texas Nation spent its short life, was anchored by a spectacular eponymous live oak, at least 300 years old and with an interesting history: according to local legend, it was a hanging tree for outlaws in the 1800s. The modern shopping center was built around historic buildings, which were probably built around that hanging tree. The dining space we occupied wasn’t added on until some point in the past 50 years, but it

Don’t balk at the idea of putting the classic flavors of carrot cake into bread. It takes a ham sandwich from boring to bodacious, especially if you add a schmear of cream cheese. Makes one large loaf. In a large bowl, whisk together and let sit 5 minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Add and stir together well to make a stiff shaggy dough, knead lightly in the bowl, then cover loosely and let rise until doubled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → → ¾ c.

Entering cooking contests became a hobby long before our first restaurant in Lubbock, Manna Bread & Wine, became a twinkle in my eye. This recipe for “fun buns,” a bright yellow bread that has the mustard and relish baked in, is a result of one of those contests. No, I didn’t win. I don’t even remember which contest it was for. But try these if you’re having a cookout. They’re cute and tasty and different. Makes one dozen. In a large-ish bowl, whisk together and wait five