peach cobbler

If after eating a cheese log, chips and salsa, carnitas, and Texas caviar, you're not stuffed to the gills, it's time for dessert! This peach cobbler is super easy to assemble and tastes luxurious -- almost like bread pudding meets spicy peaches. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Lisa Fain's PEACH COBBLER

8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (1 stick)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sliced fresh peaches, peeled and pitted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pour melted butter into a large cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch square baking pan. Mix together the flour, sugar, milk, and baking powder, and pour the batter over the butter.

3. Toss the sliced peaches with the cinnamon and ginger. Place the peaches on top of the batter and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

texas caviar

Even though this dish isn't made of salty and delicious fish eggs, it did make for a nice side salad. Lisa Fain also recommends it as a dip for tortilla chips. I plan to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow at work.

Lisa Fain's TEXAS CAVIAR

4 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained, or 2 15-ounce cans, drained
8 green onions, thinly sliced, green part only
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 fresh jalapeno chiles, stems and seeds removed, finely diced
2 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. In a bowl, stir together the black-eyed peas, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, tomatoes, bell pepper, and garlic.

2. Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, and cumin and stir into the black-eyed peas. Taste and add salt and black pepper. Chill for 4 hours. Serve cold either as a side salad or with tortilla chips.

houston-style green salsa

I became seriously addicted to this salsa. It's great with chips and phenomenal with Lisa Fain's carnitas. Every bite has a hint of avocado and a bit of lingering spice. I used 1 serrano chile but may use 2 next time. Extra heat, POW.

Lisa Fain's HOUSTON-STYLE GREEN SALSA

1/4 pound small tomatillos, husks removed, or one 11-ounce can of whole tomatillos, drained
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 or 2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro
Salt, to taste

1. If using fresh tomatillos, on high heat, bring a pot of water to boiling and cook tomatillos until soft, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the tomatillos to a blender along with the avocado, serrano chiles, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro. Blend until smooth and then add salt to taste.

roquefort and pecan cheese log

Last Sunday we cooked from Lisa Fain's Homesick Texan for cookbook club (also in book form). I was either distracted by my salivating at what everyone else brought or my anxiety about my pulled pork working out and completely forgot to take any photos. For Sunday dinner this week, I made some more recipes from the book and documented the results.

Behold the Roquefort and Pecan Cheese Log.

I'm not big on blue cheese so this log was too stinky for me, but P likes blue cheese and loved this cheese course.

Lisa Fain's ROQUEFORT AND PECAN CHEESE LOG

8 ounces cream cheese

3 ounces Roquefort cheese (or any other soft and creamy blue cheese)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup crushed pecans

Crackers, for serving

1. Mix the cream cheese, Roquefort cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and cayenne until well blended. Roll into a long tube shape and then roll in crushed pecans.

2. Refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Serve with crackers.