Tag Archives: Dallas

Taste test: cafeteria baked fish

Posted on December 6, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

Our success with Mediterranean Baked Fish made us nostalgic for the cafeteria baked fish served at the late lamented Highland Park Cafeteria. I recall it as being moist and juicy with a mild butter based sauce and a sprinkle of … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

Posted on November 28, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes have the right balance of savory/sweet/sour to stand up to the other dishes on your turkey/turducken/tofurkey spread. Back in Dallas my family served in hollowed out oranges with little marshmallows on top; now that we’ve relocated to … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Gerald Ramsey’s Chess Pie

Posted on November 25, 2022 by Burnt My Fingers

Gerald Ramsey’s Chess Pie is the version featured in his Morning Noon and Night Cookbook and presumably served in the tea room at SMU in the olden days. It is different from Mom’s Chess Pie in several ways: more eggs, … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Mom’s Chess Pie*

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Burnt My Fingers

Mom’s chess pie is based on a card I found in my mother’s recipe box. It’s very close to the product served at the Highland Park Cafeteria… eggy, tangy and with more body than a custard pie thanks to the … Continue reading →

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The death of Tex-Mex?

Posted on August 25, 2022 by Burnt My Fingers

“The death of Tex-Mex as we know it” was a headline in yesterday’s Axios News. I nearly spat out my taco when I read the words. Fortunately, it turns out the rumors of Tex-Mex cuisine dying are greatly exaggerated in … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Daddy Burgers

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers

When we make burgers in the Burnt My Fingers household, we make Daddy Burgers. Enjoyed by over two generations. The ingredient list is fixed but the proportions are approximate; vary to suit your taste. (As written, the recipe is conservative … Continue reading →

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Highland Park Cafeteria is closed for good

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers

We dreaded going on their website, because we feared we would find that Highland Park Cafeteria is closed for good. Their clientele, after all, is very close to the profile of nursing home residents who have been hard hit by … Continue reading →

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Breakfast Cheeseburgers, aka Cheeseburgers for Breakfast

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

When I was in college they would serve burgers in our (pretty awful) dining hall on Saturday at lunchtime. I would make up several extras and squirrel them away in my dorm room (my roommate loved this) and enjoy throughout … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Pecan Pie a la Highland Park Cafeteria

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

It’s generally agreed that the delicious Highland Park Cafeteria pecan pie follows the recipe on the label of Karo Light Corn Syrup. My modest enhancement is to tweak the handling of the pecans and add a few extra nuts. Makes … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Southern-Style Cornbread

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

No wheat flour is found in southern-style cornbread. No sugar neither. (Though you may drizzle a bit of honey or sorghum syrup over a warm slice.) We just use stone ground cornmeal which is naturally good and sweet. Bob’s Red … Continue reading →

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , | 9 Comments