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For the Maynards, 2022 has been a year of big events. January brought Maxine’s death at age 94. February brought the publication of Satisfaction Guaranteed. The Great Sort of my mother’s house and my storage unit took place, followed by the estate sale, listing the condo for sale, my departure for New Orleans, and the start of my adventure here.
Whew. It’s a wonder I haven’t toppled over from exhaustion. The fact that I didn’t us probably due to some awfully fine cuisine. I took lots of notes and photos on the food and drink I enjoyed most during 2022.
Here is a brief sample, by no means conclusive, of some memorable dishes. I’ve linked where applicable so you can track them down yourself.
Up North
The Greek salad at AB’s Amazing Ribs in Dearborn Heights, Mich.
Veggie bento box at Plate Sushi and Chicken in Ann Arbor (above).
Monthly pastry box from Botanical Bakeshop in Milan.
Cornmeal trout at Bellflower in Ypsilanti.
Pizza Replicator’s pizza (Max Sussman recently updated the pizza menu at The Boro in Ann Arbor).
Really everything at Galit in Chicago.
In New Orleans
Bread and pastries
Bagels and bialys at Flour Moon Bagels (above).
Cinnamon roll at District Donuts.
Croissant at Ayu Bakehouse .
Baguette from Celtica French Bakery.
Soups and soup related
Wilson’s Chowder at The Larder.
Soup dumplings at Wishing Town Bakery Cafe .
Dirty chicken soup at Soup Garden.
Gumbo at Commander’s Palace.
Khao soi at Pomelo (above).
Main courses
Veggie plate at High Hat.
Shiitake roll at Bar Sukeban.
Turkey sandwich at Kosher Cajun.
Crab cakes with crawfish sauce at Cafe Reconcile (above).
Sweets
Gelato cake from Piccolo Gelato (above).
Frozen Vietnamese coffee at Hong Kong Market.
S’mores ice cream pie at Lucy Boone Ice Cream.
Honorable mentions
My weekly Covey Rise Farm box (would you believe we got strawberries already?)
My brother’s spinach pie, from this Jamie Oliver recipe .
Our Next Giveaway: The Big Texas Cookbook
Texas has been on my front burner my entire life. My mother’s best friend lived in McAllen, Texas, way down on the Mexican border. My grandmother spent her final years with my aunt, uncle and cousins in Austin. One of my dearest friends built himself a ranch in the Hill Country. And, I am a frequent guest on Texas Standard, the statewide public radio program.
So, I was excited to get a copy of The Big Texas Cookbook from the editors of Texas Monthly. I chatted by email with cookbook editor and contributor Courtney Bond about how this impressive book came together.
Q: What’s the biggest surprise people will get from this cookbook?
A: I think people forget how incredibly diverse the state is. Texas cuisine has been a melting pot (pardon the cliché) from the very beginning. You’ve got the Southern influence, evident in our love of all things fried. The Mexican influence can’t be overstated. We have sausages and breads and beers from our early German settlers and kolaches and klobasniky from the Czech immigrants who made their home in the Hill Country. But Texas food continues to be shaped by the variety of people who call the state home, and so readers will find recipes for not only competition-style chili but also Lao Texas chili, with lemongrass and galangal. We’ve got good old fried catfish but also Vietnamese Cajun crawfish. That said, few will be surprised that barbecue and Tex-Mex get their own chapters in this book!
Q: What helped you decide which recipes made the cut?
A: Of course we had to include the classics. Readers absolutely love dishes like chicken-fried steak and Texas caviar and King Ranch casserole, so those were a must. We also devoted a whole chapter to ingredients that are “made in Texas.” We wanted to feature dishes that celebrated the natural bounty of the state, like pecans, Rio Grande Valley grapefruit, Gulf oysters, and so on. And finally we wanted to be sure to include recipes that reflected modern Texas and the way we cook now, which meant celebrating the wonderful experimentation that’s always happening in our cuisine, in recipes such as brisket empanadas and beef rib nigiri.
Q: Nothing dull about Texas cooking! What are some flavors that you think are most commonly used?
A: Lots of garlic and onion. Dry spices like black pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Smoke, of course. And we love our peppers. We have an ode to the chile pequin, and for a recipe for pickled jalapeños, we quote Alison Cook, who wrote in our magazine in 1983: “If Texans hold any truth to be self-evident, it is that there is nothing that would not be improved by the addition of a little jalapeño.”
Q: What are one or two starter recipes and likewise, what would you recommend for an adventurous cook?
A: We have plenty of recipes for beginner cooks, like a fried okra salad and salsas and a grilled ribeye. More adventurous cooks might want to tackle the Goldee’s sausage recipe, any of the wild game dishes (the adventure is more in obtaining the game than making the recipe!), the tamales (an all-hands-on-deck adventure), or the kolaches, which can take a bit of practice.
Q: Texas sheet cake is legendary. What is another dessert that should be in peoples’ repertoire?
A: Pecan pie, which isn’t particularly unique to Texas, but it does beautifully showcase our native nut. We have a recipe for banana pudding from Daniel Vaughn, our barbecue editor. He decided he’d eaten so many on his travels that he’d come up with his own. And fried pies, which take a little work but are so delicious! And portable!
I have one copy of The Big Texas Cookbook to give away to a paid subscriber. If you’re one, you are automatically eligible. You can click here to upgrade. The winner will be getting their copy directly from Texas Monthly.
Coming Soon: A Basil Babe Restaurant
I’ve previously written about Haluthai (who goes by Thai) and Vasanna Inhmathong, the mother and daughter duo behind the popular Basil Babe pop up in the Ann Arbor area. I was delighted to learn last week that Basil Babe will soon become a brick and mortar restaurant.
It is the latest in a trend of pop ups becoming permanent spots, and it’s an encouraging development, given the challenges that the restaurant industry faces.
The Basil Babe restaurant will be located in the old Tower Inn in Ypsilanti, not far from the Eastern Michigan University campus. Thai is an EMU graduate, and her parents owned the Siam Square restaurant in Ann Arbor, so this is familiar territory.
The menu is likely to include Thai’s famous dumplings as well as other Thai food specialties. I’ll keep you posted on its progress.
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
Many thanks to Vilna Shul in Boston, which hosted my final book event of 2022 last week.
If you are planning to give Satisfaction Guaranteed as a holiday gift, I am happy to send you a signed bookplate. Send your proof of purchase plus the dedication and your address to culinarywoman at gmail dot com. The holiday deadline is Dec. 19.
I am now on Post @mickimaynard. I am gradually winding down my Twitter accounts. You can find me on Instagram @MichelineMaynard and my New Orleans adventures are @Micki_in_Nola.
I’ll see our paid subscribers tomorrow with Red Beans and Advice, and everyone else next Sunday. Stay healthy and enjoy these festive days.
I like that one of your favorite meals was a Greek salad at what appears to be a rib joint. It’s a great example of the importance of reading the entire menu, seeing the unexpected, and being wise enough to order it.