A native of Chicago, Judy Alter has lived in Texas over fifty-five years and, in addition to four mystery series, has written award-winning fiction and nonfiction about Texas and the American West. Cooking is her avocation, and she has also written several cookbooks. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website.
Texas Caviar
A French Chef Meets a Classic Texas Recipe
Through three books in the Irene in Chicago Culinary Series, Irene Foxglove has scorned all things Texan, especially Texas foods. But now, she’s suddenly anxious to visit Texas—for Christmas, no less. Irene may not have known, but I always knew she would have to go to Henny’s home state. The lure of exploring the culture clash when a French diva meets Texas cuisine was too great.
When TV chef and hostess Henny James leaves her show in Chicago to go home to Texas for Christmas and cater a wedding supper for her BFF from childhood, Irene volunteers to be sous chef—and brings a French delegation to Fort Worth. What follows is mayhem and murder—threatening notes, a kidnapping, nights in jail and a homeless shelter, and a runaway young couple. Saving Irene this time is a real challenge for Henny and her beloved Patrick.
To introduce her French guests—and Patrick—to Texas food, Henny takes them to a hole-in-the-wall place for authentic Mexican food, a classic barbecue joint, and a steakhouse for chicken-fried steak. Irene loves the menudo, scorns the barbecue, refuses the chicken-fried steak. But her real scorn is saved for Texas caviar, which Henny serves in lettuce cups as an appetizer at the wedding supper.
Texas caviar traces back to the 1940s when Helen Corbitt, legendary food manager at Neiman Marcus specialty stores, first moved to Texas from the East Coast. She had accepted a teaching position at the University of Texas in Austin, but she was appalled at the food she found—platters of brown fried food, soggy vegetables, and canned fruit. Perhaps she relived in her mind the question she’d asked when first offered the Texas position: Who the hell wants to go to Texas?
Within three weeks of her arrival, she was challenged to present a banquet using nothing but ingredients from Texas. Texans were—and still are—proud of their black-eyed peas, so she created Texas caviar.
Texas Caviar
Ingredients:
2 cans (approximately 20 oz each), cooked black-eyed peas
1 cup salad oil
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cracked or freshly ground black pepper
Drain liquid from the peas. Place peas in pan or bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Store in jar in refrigerator and remove garlic bud after one day. Store at least two days and up to two weeks before eating.
The recipe later appeared in her first cookbook, The Helen Corbitt Cookbook as “Pickled Black-eyed Peas.” According to Dallas Morning News columnist Frank Tolbert, members of the Black-eyed Pea Society were “aroused” (their word) that she was not a dues-paying member of the society.
Today, some cooks embellish the caviar with corn kernels, diced tomato, diced avocado, and everything but the kitchen sink. But then it is not truly Texas caviar, and the additional ingredients hide the flavor of the pickled peas.
You can serve this with heavy-duty tortilla chips as an appetizer or as a salad, perhaps in lettuce cups as Henny did, or a side dish with your main meal. (When Henny served it at the wedding supper, Irene did not eat any.)
Irene Deep in Texas Trouble
An Irene in Chicago Culinary Mystery, Book 4
Love and romance—and murder!
It’s Christmas in Texas. Henny’s best friend, Charlie, is marrying the love of her life, rich and spoiled Rick Scott, and Henny will cater for the wedding supper. Irene, faux Franch chef, diva, and Henny’s one-time mentor, and Chance, Irene’s billionaire lover, are spending the holiday with Henny’s family, and Irene steps in as Henny’s sous chef. When there’s a sensational murder at the supper, Irene is the prime suspect. Murder is complicated by a kidnapping, threatening notes, and a runaway couple. Once again, Henny is the one to save Irene.
Come on down to Texas and wander the historic Fort Worth stockyards, watch a rodeo, discover a new competitive sport, and savor some Texas food. While Irene detests most of the Texas menu, you’ll probably like it. Recipes included.
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Love your Irene series, oh heck, I love almost all of your recipes! And Texas caviar!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michele. The recipes are really fun for me.
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