August 2012 Issue

How Billy Gibbons Got His Groove Back

After two decades of sluggish albums, ZZ Top has returned to raunchy, bluesy form. And the little ol' band from Texas owes it all to a hip-hop anthem from the streets of Houston.

All the Pretty Horses

Wayne Baize, one of America’s most admired cowboy artists, lives amid the soaring mountains and wide-open plains. But his eye is drawn to something else entirely.

Home Is Where the Cart Is

In this exclusive excerpt from his forthcoming cookbook, Hugo Ortega shares the secrets of the humble dishes of his homeland.

The Negotiation

Every year, hundreds of Texas high schoolers are aggressively recruited by the nation’s top college football programs. It’s a dream come true, but some kids must go through the bewildering process alone. And according to the rules of the NCAA, there aren’t many places they can turn to for help.

Crane Man

Former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Tom Stehn didn’t want to get involved in a lawsuit against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. But when a U.S. marshal showed up in his driveway, he realized he had one more chance to help out his beloved, endangered whooping cranes.

Hecho en Brownsville

The grand opening of a new H-E-B in McAllen drew crowds—including several who showed up to hear a native son read from his collection of locally set short stories.

The Texanist: Can I Keep a Loose Country Dog?

Stray dogs, baby-blue guayaberas, matters of pigskin loyalty, and the proper disposal of beer cans at the beach.

The Big Test

Before Robert Scott stepped down as the state’s education commissioner in July, he told anyone who would listen that high-stakes standardized exams were ruining the public schools. But is it too late to learn from his lesson?

Men in Black Moods

Tommy Lee Jones’s charming new romantic comedy.

Why Johnny Can’t Learn

Can education reform save a declining Austin high school?

Amy Cook

On her new album, Summer Skin, and more.

Grandfather Child

A new album by Grandfather Child.

Funky Was the State of Affairs

A new album by Fergus & Geronimo.

Willie Nelson Statue, Austin

Washington, D.C., has Abraham Lincoln, Salt Lake City has Brigham Young, Philadelphia has Rocky Balboa. And now Austin has Willie. The massive bronze sculpture, which was commissioned by a local group called Capital Area Statues, rests downtown at the corner of Willie Nelson Boulevard (formerly Second Street) and Lavaca outside the new studios of Austin City

Johnson City

1. TASTE WINE + ARTWhether your preference runs to oils and acrylics or tannins and bouquets, stop in at this old stone building that Warren Vilmaire and Susan Kirchman have transformed into a showcase for their respective passions (he’s a retired engineer and full-time oenophile, she taught photography at A&M for

Robert Earl Keen’s Scriptorium

The singer-songwriter shows us where he writes.

Shelly Roper-McCaslin, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Recruiter

Roper-McCaslin, who lives in Austin, has worked with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders for 23 years as a cheerleader, a choreographer, and the lead recruiter.Growing up, my dad took my brother and me to just about every sporting event in Dallas, from Rangers baseball to Mavericks basketball. But it was the Cowboys football

Being a YouTube Comedian

Kevin Wu on being a YouTube comedian.

Agua de Sandía

This recipe is from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.¾ pound watermelon flesh (about 2 ½ cups), seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons fresh lime juiceBlend watermelon, sugar, and 1 ½ cups water until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into

Coctel a la campechana

Recipe from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.4 ounces raw red snapper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion3/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided 1/2 cup thinly sliced octopus (cooked as below)4 medium shrimp (cooked as below)1/2 cup

Totopos

This recipe is from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.1 ½ cups corn oil8 regular-sized corn tortillas, each cut into 8 triangles salt to tastePlace a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add oil, and preheat to bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Working in batches, fry tortilla

Salsa tarasca

This recipe is from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.1/2 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds),      roasted 1/2 cup peanuts, roasted 4 medium tomatoes, roasted, peeled,   coarsely chopped 2 medium tomatillos, husks removed,   roasted, coarsely chopped 2 chipotle peppers in

Salsa de tomatillo

This recipe is from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.4 medium tomatillos, husks removed,   coarsely chopped1 serrano pepper, stemmed 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion ¼ small bunch cilantro ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Place tomatillos, pepper, garlic,and onion

Salsa de ajo

This recipe is from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.8 to 10 guajillos (long, reddish dried    chiles), stemmed, seeded,    reconstituted with enough water to    cover (reserve liquid)2 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed,   reconstituted 6 garlic cloves, peeled, roasted 1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion 1

Hugo’s salsa mexicana

This recipe is from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.½ small white onion 2 garlic cloves, peeled 2 serrano peppers, roasted, peeled,   stemmed ½ small bunch cilantro, divided in half 6 medium tomatoes, roasted, peeled 1 ½ teaspoons kosher saltPlace onion and garlic in a food

Tacos de Pescado

Fish tacos, the way Houston chef Hugo Ortega makes them.

Tlacoyos

This recipe is from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.For the refritos (refried beans)2 cups dry black beans, well rinsed and    picked over ½ small white onion, quartered,    plus another whole onion, finely    chopped 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt

Paletas de hielo de frambuesa

This recipe is from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook. Find several more recipes from the book here.1 cup granulated sugar4 pints fresh raspberries1 tablespoon fresh lime juicePlace a saucepan over medium heat and add sugar and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, about 4 minutes. Stir in raspberries and

The Drop Everything List

Texas Ranch Roundup, a screening of Antone's: Home of the Blues, the Tejano Music Awards, and the Texas Dance Hall Showcase . . .

Roost

There I was, sitting all alone at tiny Houston restaurant Roost, fielding frenetic text messages from three friends. A sad litany of flat tires, run-on meetings, and road closures explained their conspicuous absence. At many another place, a seriously incomplete party would have been getting the ol’ stink eye right

New + Noteworthy

The Hay Merchant and Doss Country Store.

Paletas

Cool off with this recipe from Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico cookbook.

The Drop Everything List

A conversation with Elizabeth Avellàn, a drum corps performance, cooking classes by Ellise Pierce, and the Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows . . .

TNT’s Dallas Spurs Its Namesake to Prosper

The time-honored TV show is finally back, and it's bringing Dallas economic and tourism growth, as well as a certain sense of pride.

The Drop Everything List

A Lady Bird Johnson Tribute Day, Ray Wylie Hubbard, clown appreciation at the Witte Museum, and the Biggest Shaving Cream Pie Fight on Earth . . .

The Governor’s Mansion Renovation Has Some Preservationists Wringing Their Hands

The recent renovation to the state's most historic home left some preservationists worried that the changes to the mansion would be too significant.

The Drop Everything List

The Best BBQ in Dallas Taste Tour, Houston's "Blues in All Its Colors" exhibit, Shakespeare at Winedale, and Houston Restaurant Weeks . . .

Years Later, Old 97’s Still Embrace One Special Record

It might have been recorded fifteen years ago, but the Dallas-based band will mark an important anniversary with the album that began their alternative-country journey.

The Drop Everything List

Larry McMurtry's book collection, Austin Fashion Week, Texas Ranger Day, and Omar & the Howlers . . .

Six Houston Chefs Share Their Favorite Chinatown Haunts

Houston's Chinatown can be an overwhelming part of town, with each strip-mall restaurant blending into the next, so six local chefs shed light on which places rise above the rest.

Contributors

Wyatt McSpadden, Oscar Casares, Michael Berryhill

“I have to believe God sent Larry Hagman on a special mission to earth to test the limits of just how much fun one guy can have in a lifetime.”

Uncivil War

It’s the Year of the Dragon, officially, but you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s the Year of the War on Women, or the War Over Women, or the War Among Women, or the War About Whether There Is a War on Women. The trouble began in January, when