Tex-Mex Dishes

In the home of my childhood in Mississippi, Tex-Mex cooking was very much a part of our “special occasion” food. It was certainly not served as often as barbecues and soul food, but when it did appear I reveled in it —mostly hot tamales, hot tamale pie, and chili con carne. The chili was invariably made with ground beef, and my mother’s version was, to my young palate, “pure heaven.” Many years later, I made the acquaintance of a magnificent cook, Margaret Field, of Eagle Pass and Uvalde, Texas, who assured me emphatically that no self-respecting Texan would ever use ground beef in chili con carne. She came into my home and prepared a kettle of her “authentic” chili. The beef is cut into small cubes by hand and the dish does not contain either tomatoes or beans. I learned why later. With the chili you serve a tomato-based table sauce plus small bowls of well-seasoned—and somewhat liquid—beans, and you may add these to your bowl of chili if you so desire. You may also serve, to be added at will, a separate bowl of pico de gallo, a fiery hot and spicy concoction of chopped jalapeño peppers, fresh coriander, a small portion of chopped fresh tomatoes, and cubes of avocado. In my own home, I also serve a fantastic torta de masa, or cornmeal cake, that goes extremely well with spicy Tex-Mex cuisine. The meal can be preceded with seviche, the uncooked fish or seafood appetizer.