Texas Caviar, aka Marinated Black-eyed Pea Salad

This marinated black-eyed pea salad was popularized in Texas in the 1950’s by cookbook author Helen Corbitt, Neiman Marcus’ most famous food -service director.  I prefer purple hull peas to black-eyed peas, so, I always use them in this great …

Mango Salad with Red Onion and Cilantro, and How to Cut a Mango

One of my daughter’s favorite stories to hear is how we used to eat mangoes at lunch at our little school. I think that she finds it very romantic that during mango season, we would not go home for lunch, …

Venison Backstrap Kabobs

A friend shared a piece of a venison backstrap, which is the tenderloin of the deer.  This piece was about 1 3/4 pound.  As venison is a very lean piece of meat, marinating is generally recommended. We choose a simple …

Antipasto: Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic and Capers

A delicious part of an antipasto platter. Some of the more common Antipastos are those that could be preserved, stored for the winter months when they could be pulled down and one can enjoy a bite of summer. Roasted Red …