Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

If you are passing through the area around Temple it is absolutely worth it to make the short side trip to Zabcikville and stop in Green's Sausage House for some klobasniky! I have lived in Houston and used to make the trip to Austin all the time for school. Weikels does have some good ones, but Green's are the best I have encountered so far (although even a bad one is good!).....

In San Antonio you literally have to ask at each individual restaurant to know if what you want is called migas or chillaquilles. I prefer Austin migas to anything, but I have to concede after moving to San Antonio that the Austin places probably got the idea for migas from San Antonio.

haha this is great to see as a texan! and one from houston, too.
shipley's sausage/jalapeno kolaches are ALWAYS good. they're simple but incredibly satisfying. also- shipleys has the best donuts i've ever tasted in my life, hands down. their donuts are to die for. there are tons of great kolache places all over texas, just jump on I-10 or 290 and you're bound to run into a family owned kolache shop on the side of the highway.
and i think i know where to go for dinner on my birthday now- bryan caswell's restaurant.

Shipley's is fantastic! I am a student at Texas A&M, and my analytical chemistry professor regularly brings in Shipley's donuts for our class. Of 50 people. I guess he likes us. Well, we like him too, thanks in large part to the donuts.

i'm in the deathly afraid of pie crust camp, and this seems very doable - and not scary at all :)

Making a flour pie crust from scratch is well and good, but some pies are better with a graham cracker crumb crust, like key lime pie.
I have a great recipe for coconut custard pie, from Cook's Illustrated. It calls for a Nabisco Barnum's Animal Cracker crumb-and-coconut crust, but I do it with a chocolate-coconut crust instead. Who can resist the combination of chocolate and coconut?

6 oz. Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
8 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
1-14 oz. can coconut milk
9 tbsp. granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
whipped cream topping

Position oven rack in lower–middle position and preheat to 325°F. Combine the chocolate wafers, 2 tbsp. coconut, 1 tbsp. sugar, and a pinch of salt in the food processor. Pulse until crumbs are finely ground. Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter and cool slightly. Combine the crumbs and the melted butter in mixing bowl, and work together with a fork until mixture resembles wet sand.
Using the bottom of a ramekin, press this mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie plate. Blind bake 15 min. @ 325°F, remove from oven, and cool to room temp on a wire rack, while you prepare the filling.
Combine 5 tbsp. coconut, coconut milk, whole milk, 8 tbsp. sugar, and the remaining 3/8 tsp. salt in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium–high heat, stirring occasionally. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1 tbsp. sugar. Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling the hot milk mixture into the eggs, a little at a time while whisking constantly. When the egg mixture and milk are fully incorporated, return mixture to saucepan and cook until thickened and mixture reaches boil, whisking constantly, about 1 min.
Off heat, whisk in remaining 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. vanilla until smooth. Pour hot filling into cooled pie shell. Press plastic wrap directly against surface of filling and refrigerate pie for at least 4 hours to set.
Place remaining 1 tbsp. shredded coconut in a small, dry frying pan and toast over medium heat until golden brown. Reserve to garnish the finished pie.

To serve, top pie with fresh whipped cream, and sprinkle the toasted coconut.

Mmmmm. Pan roasted brussels sprouts with candied pepitas and cider vinegar!

The Cranberry Relish with Orange and Ginger sounds great! I love cranberries with orange juice/zest. I've tried lots of variations, but never with ginger before.

The Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping and Gingersnap Crust from 'Bon Appétit' sounds like something that I'd need to be alone with in the shower..mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Perfect mashed potatoes!

I can't wait to try the apple stuffing!

Squash Spaetzle with Maple Glaze

Mark Bittman's braised and glazed brussels sprouts will be on our table this year