Margaret Wolf/www.margaretwolf.com
It’s funny how things work out. When we began planning this issue, Nanci and I gave serious thought to making it a special travel edition. Other Edible publications were embracing the theme, and it was an exciting idea. But we soon decided that our young, growing magazine needed to stay focused on its own big backyard—North Texas.
Now, as I flip through these stories, it appears that our “non-travel” issue has quite a foreign flair. We didn’t board a plane to discover the world; the world was already here. Our home is more diverse, exotic and inclusive than some might believe.
What a joy it was to spend time in the Live Oak Community Garden with the beautiful women of Bhutan. Pictured above (left to right) are International Rescue Committee caseworker Arun Chauhan, gardeners Dal and Buddhi Rai, Ganga and Anita Subba, Nar Maya Bista and me with the IRC’s Jim Stokes. Their story along with Margaret (Peggy) Wolf’s insightful photos begins on Page 29.
Originally from South Africa, winery owner Pierre de Wet and his daughters Marnelle and Velmay came to Texas 28 years ago. Today, the family owns the successful Kiepersol Estates near Tyler. No need for California dreamin’, says writer Nancy Krabill. Kiepersol Winery, with its top-notch vintages and pastoral setting, is only a short drive from DFW. The artful cluster of Kiepersol grapes on our cover was shot by photographer Kelly Doherty.
China? Pecans? Who woulda thunk it? Penny Ruekberg writes of the love affair between the people of China and the official health nut of Texas. If you don’t have a state tree growing in your yard, Penny lists orchards where you can gather your own pecans.
For weeks, writer Lisa Orwig carried around a chayote squash, asking folks if they could identify it. Most couldn’t. This puckered vegetable, so popular around the world and in Mexican cuisine, is still relatively unknown in our neck of the woods. Folks who grew up in the South, like Beverly Thomas of Cold Springs Farm, call it “mirliton.” In New Orleans, they have the Mirliton Festival in its honor, which sounds strange unless you’re from East Texas where the sweet potato is feted at two festivals, one in the town of Gilmer and the other in Golden.
Sweet potatoes and pecans: our recipe section has seven delectable dishes from Kelly Yandell. We also feature Tracy Talbot’s Cajun recipe for stuffed mirliton and a tasty Mexican soup with chayote and chicken, courtesy of MesoMaya chef Nico Sanchez. For lovers of grass-fed beef, there is Lynne Curry’s holiday beef brisket, which accompanies Chris Hughes’ superb article on Acme F&B.
And speaking of recipes—drum roll—we would like to announce the upcoming arrival of our very own cookbook. A year in the making, Edible Dallas & Fort Worth: The Cookbook will be available in bookstores and online October 2. The book features 100 fabulous recipes by local chefs, farmers, food artisans and friends of EDFW. Check our Facebook page in the coming weeks for more details.
Our sincerest apologies to Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County. In our last letter, we neglected to mention that this wonderful organization was one of the beneficiaries of the spring Chefs For Farmers event. Support them with a holiday donation: www.mealsonwheels.org.
-Terri Taylor
As a kid, TERRI TAYLOR refused to eat her vegetables. Her veggie-phobia was cured in 1977 when she spent eight months working on farms in Norway and France. She studied journalism at UT-Austin and received a master’s degree in liberal arts from SMU. Her short story “Virginia” can be found in Solamente en San Miguel, an anthology celebrating the magical Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende. She has written for Edible DFW since its inaugural issue in 2009. She became the magazine’s editor in 2010 and is the editor of Edible Dallas & Fort Worth: The Cookbook.
