by Christine Friesenhahn The Texas hill country area is the birthplace of a number of famous dishes. Corn dogs. Chili. Margaritas. I’ll get around to writing about those in future issues, but this month I want to start with one of the least known, and arguably weirder offerings. Because why not lead with weird? More…
A quick fun “fact” about Boerne Berges Fest. Did you know that the Fajita taco has a tale that links its origin to Boerne Berges Fest? The fajita taco has origins linked directly to Berges Fest: fajita is a TexMex word that means “little belt”, or “sash”, and references the shape of skirt steak, which…
BBQ doesn’t always have to be about brisket, ribs, and sausage. Here are some dishes to add a bit of interest at your next big summertime shindig…or to just enjoy around the dinner table on a Tuesday evening. BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese 3 cups chicken (shredded) 1/2 cup BBQ sauce 8 slices Texas toast bread 6 Tbsps. butter (softened, or more or…
Break out the basters and the pop up timers. IT’S THANKSGIVING! Everyone has their own definition of what Thanksgiving is and how it should be done, but in general, there isn’t a lot of variation. Turkey, maybe ham, bread, mashed potatoes, yams, dressing, cranberry sauce and mountains of desserts. However, there is an unfortunate trend…
August 1st marks the beginning of a handful of things. First and foremost, it’s the beginning of the hottest 31 days of the year. In addition to the oftentimes unbearable heat, August commences that familiar wave of sadness at the thought of the school year lurking just around the corner. Here at Explore, we sympathize and want to help make…
Secret Sauces Grill rubs are a blend of spices and herbs used to flavor infuse different meat before you grill. BBQ rubs are usually dry, although they can be wet, or paste-like. Grill rubs can be used on chicken, steak, pork, fish, shrimp, or turkey. BBQ rubs can be an alternative for those who…
Charc Week Charc Week is a Texas-wide celebration of charcuterie (sausages, ham, bacon, garde manger, salumi and other smoked/cured meats) put on by Restaurant Gwendolyn downtown San Antonio. What is Charcuterie you ask? Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit,…
If you pride yourself on being a coffee aficionado because your Starbucks order contains twelve syllables, prepare to be schooled. You might think that your fancy latte is expensive, but when it comes to some of the best coffees in the world, the cheapest rings in at $24 a pound. Here is a few…
Good news: warmer weather is on its way! I can already feel the 75 degree awesomeness along with the pressure to get into bikini bod shape. But never mind that second part; let’s have a cookout! Here are two recipes to get you back into your grilling groove along with an alfresco take on bananas…
This crisp, white meringue-layered, filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit is an elegant dessert. Named for the Russian ballerina, Pavlova. Voila! Now several decades later, we can still enjoy this wonderful after dinner treat. Ingredients: 4 large egg whites at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar Directions: The Day Before – Preheat oven to…
For some reason, cooking chicken scares a lot of home cooks. It’s easy to get wrong, but it’s just as easy to get it right. This simple and straightforward recipe from Chef Denise will remove any doubt you may have about conquering the mighty yet humble chicken. Compliments of and to the chef. CHICKEN PAPRIKA INGREDIENTS:…
This month, Chef Denise Mazal zaps our taste buds awake with a delicious Czech holiday treat. STRUDEL! Wow your holiday guests this season with the delicately flaky crust and sweet filling. Compliments of and to the chef. Apple Strudel Ingredients for dough: 350 grams all purpose flour 1 egg 150 ml warm milk Pinch of…
By Chef Dame Denise Mazal | Member of Czech Culinary Associations, WACS and LDEI • Honored by Best Chefs America BCA Boerne is a town founded by people of German and Czech descent. We thought it would be fun to provide the readers of EXPLORE with some cooking ideas from our resident expert on cuisine…
It is often said that cooking is art and baking is science. Cooking was so natural to a right-brained, artistic type like myself. I viewed a recipe as the canvas on which I would create my masterpiece. A blank space to which I would add my own color with a pinch of this, or a…
If you know anything about me, you know that I love Texas. I love that I was born here. I love that I was raised here. I love that I am raising my family here. The good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll die here. (Or Montana, but that’s a post for another…