Tag Archives: Dallas

Recipe: Southern Style Cheese Grits

Posted on July 25, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers

Southern Style Cheese Grits comes from a recipe card in my mother’s collection and is attributed to J. Ross. It’s tasty but very rich; feel free to cut back on the butter or cheese to your preference. The final step … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating, Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Mamo’s Rich Chocolate Cake

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers

Our grandmother (Mamo) made Rich Chocolate Cake for our birthdays and it was always a high point of the celebration. Her recipe (found among my mother’s recipe cards) differs from similar recipes by using chocolate squares instead of cocoa powder … Continue reading →

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Recipes, Sweets | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Uncle Son’s Blue Ribbon Watermelon Pickles

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers

We recently came across a 30 year old packet of recipes from my mother in Dallas, and among them was Uncle Son’s Watermelon Pickles. This recipe was a perennial blue ribbon winner at the State Fair of Texas so finding … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Eating, Food Heroes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Eating, Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Eating | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Recipes | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Eating | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

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 →

Posted in Eating, Mains, Recipes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Eating | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments