Tex-mex #3

by Lynn Bridge

Back to the Tex-mex theme again- a connoisseur of Tex-mex cuisine has ordered three plates from my studio.  Not one is edible, but they all look as if they should be.  I feature one of them today, along with a quote from The Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh.  A little gem in the “Leb-Mex” sidebar on page 181 of this amazing book reads:

Many people are surprised to find Lebanese-Americans cooking Tex-Mex, but it’s actually an old tradition.  Mexico’s Lebanese immigrants have been responsible for lots of Mexican food traditions.  The most popular tacos in Mexico City, tacos al pastor, for instance, are made on the vertical roasters that the Lebanese brought to Mexico to make shawarma.

A little aside:  right around the corner from my neighborhood is Phoenicia Bakery and Deli, another Lebanese-Mexican blend which was started here in Austin by immigrants from Beirut.  This is where you go for Middle Eastern ingredients, as well as those from Europe and Mexico.  The bakery carries both Middle Eastern and Mexican treats.

Tex-mex #3

For those who wonder about such things, I covered a ceramic plate with thin-set cement and embedded all kinds of glass objects; some purchased, some cut, some constructed, and some formed in my glass kiln.  This plate also holds a couple of pieces of natural jade, as well as an ordinary stainless-steel fork.  Yummy!