Random Cravings

Some cookbooks are like encyclopedias.  They simply list recipes, sometimes with a photo of the finished product, and their sole purpose is to provide the recipes within them.  There is nothing wrong with “encyclopedia” cookbooks – they serve the purpose they intend.  But then other cookbooks – and these are my favorites – transport you to a different time, place or culture.  Not only do they offer recipes, but also the stories behind the recipes, lessons in the culture from which they originate, and artful photography of both food and location to set the scene.  The Homesick Texan Cookbook, written by Lisa Fain, falls entirely into this second category.  What began as a blog intended to document Lisa’s adventures in trying to re-create authentic regional Texan cuisine in her tiny Manhattan kitchen turned into a community filled with other displaced Texans longing to re-create their favorites and ultimately, into a stunningly beautiful cookbook filled with ridiculously delicious recipes, beautiful photography that transports us into the Lone Star State, and anecdotes and explanations that teach us what authentic regional Texas cuisine truly is.

Preparing recipes from The Homesick Texan Cookbook has quickly become an obsession for me.  I prepared an entire dinner comprised of Lisa’s recipes, and I am anxious to keep cooking!  Smoky Deviled Eggs were a great twist on a classic, but not too much of a twist to take away the nostalgia.  Tomatillo Cheese Grits were oh-so-creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness from fresh tomatillos and heat from a serrano pepper.  And Lisa’s Arroz Con Leche…simply the best rice pudding I have ever had!  Served warm and topped with candied almonds, this is about as far from typical diner rice pudding as one can get.  It is like a cozy blanket wrapped tightly around you as you sit in front of a crackling fireplace on a chilly night – comforting, cozy and warm.

Smoky Deviled Eggs

Mexican Chocolate Chewies are not only addictively delicious and a cinch to make, but they are perfect for people with dietary restrictions – there is no dairy and no flour in the recipe!  These spiced chocolate cookies are light, chewy, and would satisfy the most serious chocoholic!

Then there is Lisa’s brisket.  The Coffee-Chipotle Oven Brisket, named for the barbecue sauce it is served with – the Coffee-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce that has embedded itself in my memory as one of my all-time favorites!  The brisket itself was tender, juicy, and oozing with flavor, thanks to Lisa’s cooking method.  The meat is dry-rubbed and topped with onions, garlic and a few strips of bacon, then wrapped tightly in a foil cocoon before it goes into the oven for the better part of a day.  Let me tell you – when the cooking is finished and the packet is opened, it is an aromatic, culinary Christmas moment!

Brisket before it is wrapped to go into the oven

Brisket after the cocoon is opened!

Like I said before, it is the Coffee-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce that takes this already delicious brisket completely over the top and into pure savory insanity! 

Your first taste of the sauce is sweet.  Then it develops into rich, thick, smoky barbecue flavor, and ultimately finishes with a kick of the heat from the chipotles in adobo.  And be warned – it is completely addictive!  I found myself slathering more and more of this beautiful sauce onto my brisket, and even a little bit on my Tomatillo Cheese Grits!  I am thrilled to be able to share the recipe for this ridiculously delicious sauce with you:

Coffee-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

(From THE HOMESICK TEXAN COOKBOOK by Lisa Fain. Copyright © 2011 Lisa Fain. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.)

• 1 tablespoon bacon grease or vegetable oil
• 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 or 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground clove
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt, to taste

Heat the bacon grease in a sauce pot on medium and cook the onion for 10 minutes or until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir into the pot the chipotle chile, ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar, lemon juice, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, coffee, black pepper, mustard powder, nutmeg, clove and smoked paprika.  Turn down the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add salt to taste.  If it’s too thick, add a bit of water to make it thinner.  Will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator.

If a trip to Texas is not feasible, you can satisfy your Lone Star cravings with The Homesick Texan Cookbook!  I already have my sights set on the next recipes I need to try – Poblano Macaroni and Cheese, Dr. Pepper Ribs, Coconut Tres Leches Cake, Sopa De Fideo (a tomato and chile-based soup with pasta), and Seven-Chile Texas Chili, to name just a few!