Food!

I love talking about food. I love movies about food (Babette's Feast, Big Night) and I love hearing about food. And eating food.

A few years ago, my uncle Nathan retired from cattle ranching and took up catering. Not just any old catering -- he caters rodeos and rodeo-type events.
And he does it well!

So very well, that he's developed an award-winning recipe for fajitas (chicken or beef) that has actually won awards. There was even an article written about his fajitas in the San Antonio Express-News.

A few years ago, I was visiting my folks in Texas and we had Uncle Nathan's award winning fajitas at their ranch home. Let me tell you, this was some of the best tasting stuff I've ever eaten.

What makes them so special is that that he does them backwards. That is, the fajitas get char-grilled and then get placed in the marinade from which they're served.

My Aunt Dixie, his wife, gave me the recipe afterwards. I've since made these award-winning fajitas for folks in New York City and Toronto. These fajitas were so good, them New Yorkers and Canadians would just "fall on the floor and holler" as we say in the South.

Then, I lost the recipe when I moved to Chicago.

But! Through the miracle of email, my Aunt Dixie just sent the recipe to me again.

So, when Lorraine and her family are visiting Chicago next month, I will treat them to my Uncle Nathan's fajitas. The Iwanskis will get some too which, I'm sure, will make Iwanski very happy.

As the appetizer, my Aunt Dixie makes this wonderful "Texas Caviar" which is actually a salsa made with tomato puree, black-eyed peas, onions, cilantro and jalapenos. It'll make you fall on the floor and holler too.

Lorraine has promised to make one of her award-winning meals for us while she's here. I love hearing her talk about food on her website and she has made some amazing meals. The woman definitely knows her way around a kitchen and what to do with one.

I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of falling on the floor and hollerin'. And that's as it should be.