May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light. May good luck pursue you each morning and night. ~Irish Blessing It’s a little known fact, but I do have some Irish blood on the Martinez side of the family. Like many other Americans, one of my ancestors married an Irish immigrant. As a baby, Susanna Adams left Ireland with her father—I believe the story is, and many years later, married Felipe Martinez, my great-great grandfather. This marriage gave my family an Irish immigrant story, and it likely gave my grandfather light colored hair and a lighter skin complexion than some others in his hometown of San Ygnacio, Texas. It…
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Eating New York
Traditional, Modern and of course, Pizza “Everybody ought to have a Lower East Side in their life.” ~Irving Berlin When I think of New York, I think of an old city, at least old as far as the United States is concerned: its history, New Amsterdam, the immigrants of the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty. I also think of a very modern city when I think of New York: fashion, the rich and famous, Broadway shows, Wall Street, Times Square and all its lights, and the city’s magnificent skyline. Maybe some of those things are both traditional and modern, but you probably…
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You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato…with Herbs & Almond Vinaigrette
“The difference between a bland tomato and great one is immense…” ~Yotam Ottolenghi Even in the short time this blog and its social media accounts have existed, I have written about my love for tomatoes, so it should come as no surprise that I agree with Chef Ottolenghi. A good tomato can be eaten with almost anything, I think, while a bland or bad tomato, makes me kinda sad. And a great tomato? Well, sometimes nothing beats a great tomato, and a great tomato recipe was what I was hoping for with my attempt at the next best-ever recipe from Food & Wine Magazine’s Cook the 40 Challenge list. Cook…
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When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Kolaches
“You better Czech yourself before you wreck yourself.” ~me It doesn’t take long for me to repeat myself. You may remember a few months ago—if you’ve been reading my blog posts so far—when I summarized an earlier quest held last year to find the best kolaches in Texas. I drove around many backroads and highways and interstates, I ate a lot of kolaches, and well, I was reminded of how beautiful my home state is in the spring. Much like last week, I didn’t need the reminder, but still there it was. Texas Independence Day A somewhat new tradition for Peter and me (Liberty has also been involved and as…
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Hey, You Got Peanut Butter in My Burger!
“Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter.” ~James A. Garfield President Garfield was at least half right. Man—or woman—cannot live by bread alone; she must have bacon and a burger. But peanut butter with that bacon burger? Before last Friday, my answer would have been no. After last Friday, I’d say I’m open to eating it again. San Antonio Burger Week So, why did I try a burger with peanut butter on it? Well, it was only $5 and it seemed like a great way to kick off the inaugural San Antonio Burger Week. Burger Week? Yep! According to the official website at https://satxburgerweek.com Burger Week…
