Texas is the land of cattle, cowboys, and best of all, Tex-Mex! The food back home is something I find myself missing regularly over here in
Dublin. Unfortunately, I cannot really rave about the food in Ireland. I apologize to my European friends, but I have to give my full experience abroad – that’s why I started this blog in the first place. Sure, I’ve had some of the best seafood chowder over here, and Ireland has seriously perfected the art of making a thousand different versions of potatoes, but I just cannot compare Irish cuisine to American.
Take, for example, a simple stroll down a grocery store aisle. Back in Texas, a trip to the supermarket was an enjoyable experience. I loved the pre-made food section at Central Market, the fresh produce at Whole Foods, and the familiarity of Tom Thumb. I cannot find pre-made Chicken Salad that is comprable to my favorite from Market Street. I’m a chip girl, and the selection here makes me want to cry at times. I’ve contemplated bringing back Fritos or Cheetos in my luggage, but I just know they’ll arrive a squashed mess and I’m saving myself the embarrassment of having to tip the bag to get a bite. And don’t get me started on the “hot dog hunt.”
Cheese – another of my favorite food groups. Wait, it’s not a food group? Well, it should be. There are so many varieties and so many ways to use cheese. One might argue that I have it good here in Europe; that they have every type of cheese imaginable. I only need to reply “queso” to validate my next point. Queso is by far the best food invention of all time…AND IT DOESN’T EXIST HERE! Not only can I not find it in any restaurant, but I cannot find a good cheese, like Velveeta, with which to make queso. Back in November, I made queso as an appetizer for our Thanksgiving meal, and our Irish/British friends couldn’t get enough of the stuff. I love dipping chips in it (again, Fritos, sigh), and using it as a sauce for tacos. It’s my Superbowl meal of choice, an obvious appetizer order at almost all restaurants in Texas, and I’m even hoping to one day use a queso fountain instead of a chocolate fountain at my wedding.
Now, my grumblings may be a result of my recent return to the States, where I overindulged in all of the foods I love. Has anyone else tried the new Taco Bell Beefy Crunch Burrito? It has nacho cheese AND Fritos in it. Tex-Mex was also a go-to meal during my stay; I love flavorful fajitas, beef tacos, margaritas, taco salads, etc. This may be why I am becoming such a foodie. I want to learn new and fun ways to cook the things I love from back home.
So, if you have an unbeatable queso recipe that doesn’t require Velveeta, comment. If you have some delicious Tex-Mex recipe that doesn’t require a pre-made, store bought sauce that I probably won’t be able to find, comment. If you know some magical way to make Fritos at home, comment. In return, I’ll blog about it!
Me and Matt's family at Capital Grill in Texas over the holidays. We love this restaurant - they have the best food, especially their steaks!
