food

A special broadcast from Abilene

Today we come to you from one of Texas’ once great railroad towns – and though the trains aren’t so much a central part of life here anymore, something else has happened that’s been bringing people, prosperity and a sense of renewal back to Abilene.

An AI-focused facility could transform the Big Country region.

Ahead of the 2025, legislative session, Stamford Mayor James Decker shares insights on what’s needed for small-town Texas.

And: Wylie ISD is enacting a strict no-phone policy to reduce distractions.

After nearly 50 years, food critic Pat Sharpe asks for the check

Texas leaders are among President-elect Trump’s biggest supporters. Are they being left off the list of Cabinet picks?
She’s traveled and tasted dishes from across the Lone Star State: After 50 years, Texas Monthly food critic Pat Sharpe is retiring and sharing what she’s learned on the job.
The details of a plan to turn an old golf course into a world-class arboretum in San Antonio.
And: An update on the results of a rural summit bringing residents, local officials and state lawmakers together.

Is Boomer Influencer a thing?

Let’s get cooking with Arnie Segovia (ArnieTex), father, son, traditional cook and Tío Influencer?

Southlake teen Sam Watson sets speed climbing records ahead of Paris Olympics

Kamala Harris consolidates Democratic support, shattering fundraising records. How does this change things for Texas Republicans?

After the death of veteran Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who takes her place for the remainder of her term and on the ballot for her open seat?

Sam Watson, an 18-year-old from Southlake, holds the three fastest times ever in speed climbing and will be competing at the Paris Olympics.

The Rio Grande Valley faces an unprecedented water crisis as drought intensifies.

And: a new push to change how Texas imposes the death penalty.

Texas Eclipse Festival attendees with disabilities describe treacherous conditions

Landowners in southeast Texas say they should be able to sue the state over their flooded property, and the U.S. Supreme Court agrees. People in Winnie, Texas, say their land only started to flood after the state rebuilt part of nearby Interstate 10. Now, they can seek compensation for the damages.
Live music seems more expensive, but are musicians getting paid more? Not really. We’ll talk to someone trying to change that.
And the attorney general crusades against a media outlet on behalf of Elon Musk.

A look back at the year in review

It was a year like few others in modern memory at the Texas Capitol, with four special sessions on top of a regular session, a historic impeachment trial of the state attorney general and more.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of the most seminal Texas music moments ever committed to vinyl: Viva Terlingua!

What we know about Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial

The Department of Justice has sued the State of Texas over its floating border barrier near Eagle Pass, alleging Texas doesn’t have the authority to place barriers in the Rio Grande. Gov. Greg Abbott’s reply? “See you in court.”

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom brings us the latest developments in Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial.

Congressman Greg Casar is calling for federal regulations to protect workers against heat-related illness in light of state law that will undo local rules starting Sept. 1.

And why a goat that went missing from a livestock show has captured the imagination of lots of folks in the Rio Grande Valley.

An Ode to Crawfish Season

For the uninitiated, the tradition can seem strange or downright savage. Where are the utensils? The plates? You want me to do what with the head of that creature? But for many Texans, it’s a season worth celebrating all unto itself.

What’s in store for lawmakers’ first special session?

The gavels have fallen on the 88th legislative session, yet lawmakers are still in action, as the governor called the first of what are expected to be multiple special sessions. We’ll look at the unfinished business on the agenda, and a special focus on where we stand with several bills related to public education.

The nonprofit organization Refugee Services of Texas – the largest resettlement agency in the state – is shutting down after four decades, citing mounting financial pressures.

Also, journalist Maria Hinojosa with more on a new special on Uvalde set to debut on PBS tonight.

Perez Women Have Always Been Beautiful

Sometimes there’s universality in specificity. This Typewriter Rodeo poem was inspired by the author’s grandmother.

What’s happening at the Cutoff in East Texas?

As cities grow, so do tensions between state and local officials over policy direction. A bipartisan coalition of 18 big city mayors team up to press state officials over top priorities. What they’re planning and more in our conversation with the mayor of Fort Worth. Also, how transgender youth and their families are gearing up to fight several new proposals in the GOP led Texas legislature. And an update over public access to a beloved east Texas body of water called The Cutoff. Plus rising grocery prices and the SNAP gap for those needing help to get food on the table. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

New NSA recruitment effort underway in San Antonio

Sticker shock at the grocery store. We’ll explore whether and how pandemic disruptions continue to affect the food supply chain. Also the race-motivated mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 ruptured a community and captured the world’s attention. But the prosecution of the shooter has languished. What’s happening now? We’ll explore. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine kicked off a series of events that are now having an impact on the Texas Gulf Coast. We’ll explain. Plus one of San Antonio’s biggest employers is hiring. Now the secretive National Security Agency is sharing a bit about its Texas operation. And the playoff win on the road that broke a decades-long streak for the Cowboys. All of those stories and more today on the Texas Standard.

What was on the menu this year

It’s been said that food is one of the best ways to understand a culture, and today, we’ve got quite the feast prepared. From migas to pecan pie, kolaches to Tex-mex, fried okra, cowboy cuisine, and everything in between; we review the year that was, in food and drink, in the Lone Star State. From a great Texas cookbook, to a cannabis cuisine trend, the invention of the “travel taco”, and secrets from the kitchen of a celebrated El Paso Chef. We’ve cooked up a special batch of Texas flavors for you today on the Texas Standard:

WNBA star and Houston native Brittney Griner freed from Russian prison

Houston native and WNBA star Britney Griner freed in a prisoner swap with Russia. We’ll have the latest. Also the dismissal of charges against an Ecuadoran migrant at the center of a controversy over federal and state authority. Laura Rice talks with Katie Hall of the Austin American Statesman. Plus a focus on a photography app that’s gone viral and why tech expert Omar Gallaga has some serious concerns about it. Also the joint effort by the U.S. and Mexico to bring back the Gray Wolf. And tis the season, and not just for tamales. Taco journalist Mando Rayo with more holiday tastes and some food for thought as well. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Foodie Vibes

Trying something new and different can be fun — but may also leave you wanting a little more. That was the inspiration behind this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Texas Standard: November 23, 2022

Where are the Texans? With a change in House leadership, the expectation was that Texans, who send more GOP representatives to congress than any other state, would be well represented in leadership posts. Why hasn’t that happened? We’ll have some answers. And we’re digging in to some of Texas’ favorite dishes and poking our head into the kitchens of Mexico. Also Rick Martínez takes us on a road trip where he made some delicious discoveries in the kitchens of Mexico. Plus, the pandemic was tough on Texas eateries, but many of those that managed to survive or get off the ground are among the tastiest places in Texas. We’ll hear a list of best new restaurants. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Thank You Jesus

Let’s explore the original purveyors and growers of our foods and honor the hard work of Migrant Farmworkers. Thank you Jesus…De Nada says the migrant farmworker. Going beyond the internet meme, let’s not only explore where our food comes from but who cultivates it, picks it and gets it to local grocery stores and restaurants. The farm-to-market movement has exponentially grown in the U.S. but when it comes to taquerias and Latino farmers, are they included in the make-up and do they benefit from the farm-to-market economy? In Texas, migrant farmworkers have been part of the farming community since the 1950s and while they may go unnoticed, we’ll talk to some of these unsung heroes who are feeding the people of Tejas though farming and local taquerias. Guests include Elizabeth Marquez and Maria Elena from La Union Del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) as well as Norma Flores López from Justice for Migrant Women.

Texas Standard: October 12, 2022

After the shooting at Robb Elementary, Uvalde came together. Now, concerns that Uvalde’s becoming a town divided by tragedy. Coming up, our conversation with the mother of a 10 year old killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary and her concerns that as questions continue to swirl around accountability and gun violence, some in the community just want to move on. Also the biggest grant in the history of the university of North Texas leads to potentially groundbreaking research on Alzheimers. And a Politifact check of claims by a Texas congressman about immigrants from Venezuela. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Las Jefecitas: using comida to sustain immigrant households.

Many immigrants have leveraged the delicious cuisines of their países as a means of income and work when they first arrive in the United States. Even before setting up a taco truck or even a brick and mortar, we see vendedoras earning their income by selling tacos out of their hieleritas in grocery store parking lots or wherever they know they’ll find foot traffic. In this episode we explore what motivates these women to leave their kitchens and go out into these parking lots. We discuss these informal economies and how they look in today’s digital age. We also spend time at La Mujer Obrera and Cafe Mayapán to see how the organization supports immigrant and indigenous women by training and employing them.

Decolonizing Maíz

Corn is the most important crop of the Americas. It sustained the Western Hemisphere for centuries, and with the colonization of its lands, came the colonization of corn. In the past century, corn went from maíz production to mass production, with companies modifying it and depleting it of its natural riches. In this episode we rally with masa makers on a journey to reconnect our comunidades with the nutrients and flavors of the superfood in a more pure form than the mass-produced maseca, with which many of us are familiar. We talk to Andres Garza, now Nixta Taqueria’s Director of Masa Development and Fermentation, Olivia Lopez, chef and co-owner of Molino Olōyō in Dallas, Texas, and Julian Maltby of Mercado Sin Nombre in Austin, TX about decolonizing the once magical maiz and the many shapes of tacos being made with their corn tortillas.