Jon Bonnell - Jon Bonnells Texas Favorites

Jon Bonnells Texas Favorites

Jon Bonnell

Photographs by B. J. Lacasse

Jon Bonnells Texas Favorites

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2012 Jon Bonnell

Photographs 2012 B. J. Lacasse

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

Orders: 1.800.835.4993

www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-2260-4

To my wife, Melinda.

Youve taken this crazy journey of a chefs life with me so gracefully and patiently, I cannot begin to say thank you enough. You keep me grounded, motivated and constantly laughing. I also dedicate this book to our two beautiful kids, Charlotte and Rick. If I can teach either one to cook, we may just have a retirement plan in about 18 years!

Id like to thank B. J. Lacasse for all of her hard work on the photography in this book and for her patience and understanding as my team took over her house while we staged each photo in her studio. Id also like to thank Chefs Ed McOwen and James Pallett for helping to develop, test and photograph each dish. I could not ask for finer professionals to work with. Big thanks also to my wife, Melinda, and Chelsie Thornton for keeping this A.D.D. chef on-task and organizedboth monumental challenges.

I also want to thank the farmers, ranchers, cheesemakers and other artisans who work tirelessly to bring the finest ingredients to my kitchen each and every day. Without their dedication to quality, my job would not be possible. Ive always kept a no secrets policy in my kitchen, giving away all recipes and sources for products. Here are a few of the incredible suppliers who keep my kitchen stocked with all of the finest that Texas has to offer.

As a professional chef, Im often asked, What do you cook when youre at home? I obviously dont pull off complicated dishes every night for the family, but that doesnt mean the food in my house is boring by any means. I tend to stick with the classic cuisine that I grew up cooking and eating with my family (every dish, of course, tweaked a little over the years). There are occasions like elaborate dinner parties or special celebrations when its fun to pull out the stops, but on a regular basis I tend to keep it on the simple side.

In my first cookbook, Fine Texas Cuisine , I wanted to share the recipes and dishes that have made my fine dining restaurant the Zagat highest-rated restaurant in the state of Texas. In this book, however, Ive decided to put together a collection of recipes for dishes that are easier for the home cook to pull off. This is the kind of stuff that I cook when no one is looking.

After fifteen years in the food industry, I still maintain a completely no secrets approach to everything I cook. Im more than happy to give away every recipe that I have ever developed and help customers source rare or exotic ingredients when they are trying something difficult at home. As a former teacher, I just cant help sharing my experience and knowledge, and I wish every foodie that loves to cook at home all of the success in the world. Customers often contact me for problem-solving tips as well, which I encourage. Anyone whos looking for a recipe or is having trouble making one work has only to send me an email via bonnellstexas.com , and Im more than happy to respond right back with answers and tips. I love having this sense of transparency in what I cook.

In my first book I gave away the recipes to the two different spice blends that I use on a regular basis. I have since bottled both of those blends and sell them from my website, bonnellstexas.com , and in many grocery stores. The brand name for my spice blends is Texas Red Dirt Rub; I make one Creole blend and one Southwestern blend. The term spice to me means so much more than just heat. Spice, given just the right complexity, can dramatically improve the flavor of so many things when used appropriately. I strive for balance, intensity, bold flavor and proper levels of heat in my spice blends, rather than just adding fire to food.

I also use a lot of different types of chili powder in my dishes. This generic term is an oversimplified name for something that we take very seriously in Texas. I buy almost all of my chili powders from Penderys World of Chiles & Spices here in Fort Worth and truly believe in the quality of their products. Their chili powder blends vary in heat level as well as intensity and are well worth exploring.

Tex-Mex Essentials

Its been joked that the recipe for a decent guacamole is printed on the back of all Texas birth certificates.

The flavors of Texas have been influenced by Mexican fare probably more than any other cuisine. The abundance of chiles, tortillas, salsas and the like can be found in virtually any city in the Lone Star State. When I left my home state for different schools and jobs (all quite far away), I probably missed the Mexican food more than any other comforts of home.

When we refer to Mexican food in Texas, we pretty much always mean Tex-Mex. Tex-Mex is not quite authentic Mexican cuisine, although some very traditional Mexican techniques and flavors do make their way into the mix. Its a version of Mexican that has evolved over the years into something all its own. You just cant get good Tex-Mex anywhere else, not the way we do it. And while Tex-Mex can vary drastically around the state from Laredo to Amarillo, the basics are pretty standard statewide. This chapter can get you started in the area of Tex-Mex basics no matter where you currently reside.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Fresh homemade flour tortillas are a labor of love. It can be somewhat tricky to get the hang of them the first time, but once youve made a perfect tortilla, youll never forget it. The ingredients are simple, but the technique can take some experimenting to figure out.

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons butter