June 2003 Archives

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On the Cover

The Story of O

Never mind that he got kicked out of St. Mark’s and dropped out of UT, or that his line readings seem a little . . . off. Somehow, Owen Wilson is the kind of guy who gets movies made. And he gets $10 million a pop, dude.

By John Spong

Features

True Crime

Ciudad de la Muerte

Ten years. More than three hundred women murdered. What is going on in Juárez? And why aren't the Mexican authorities doing something about it?

By Cecilia Ballí

Food & Drink

How Sweet It Is

We Texans go bananas over peaches, buying them by the bushel, making pies and preserves, freezing them for the future. So what are you waiting for? Bite into summer and let the juice dribble down your chin.

By Suzy Banks

Politics & Policy

Is “Al Gonzales” Spanish For “Stealth Liberal”?

Conservatives fear that the White House counsel is another David Souter, but he's close enough to George W. that he'll probably get a Supreme Court seat anywayand make history.

By S. C. Gwynne

Travel & Outdoors

Little Town on the Prairie

Where else in Texas can you see a Picasso, a classic courthouse, and one of the most famous ranches in the country, along with an outdoor theatrical performance that’s equal parts kitsch and civic pride? If you haven’t been to Albany, get your fandangle in gear.

By Anne Dingus

Politics & Policy

Out With the Old

William H. Rehnquist Age: 78 // Years on Bench: 31 1 : The speculation: As Republican appointees, O’Connor and Rehnquist are more likely to retire while a Republican is in office and during a nonelection year (read: This summer sure looks good). Otherwise, they risk having to wait at

By Texas Monthly

Food & Drink

Field Notes

Ah, the supremely simple pleasure of picking a ripe peach from the tree! Unfortunately, many who are used to this annual rite of summer will be disappointed this year, because a late freeze decimated the Hill Country crop. “We are looking at a 99.999 percent loss,” says James Kamas, of

By Chester Rosson

Around the State

Atsbox

Special Occasion

FREE FOR ALL On June 19 Texans will be celebrating the end of slavery in our state. It was on that day, back in 1865, that Union major general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and pronounced that the institution of slavery was dead. Ever since, various Juneteenth festivities—from historical to

By Katy Vine

Atsbox

Straight Talk

On Track Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser, Jr., will be competing in the Bombardier 500K with the Indy Racing League at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on June 7. texasmonthly.com: You’re doing some of the best driving of your career these days. What’s made the difference? The

By Eileen Schwartz

Atsbox

Get Out

PASSED BALL The national pastime is as much about the past as the present—and that’s a good thing for Texas baseball fans this season. The Rangers were sent to the cellar almost immediately, and the Astros, even with their fast start and the addition of slugger Jeff Kent, are doomed

By Michael Hall

Atsbox

A Great Family Weekend in Dallas

PLAY DATES Looking forward to the lazy days of summer, when hours meander and agendas consist of sipping lemonade beside a cool body of water while soaking up the sun’s bronzing rays? Sure, that sounds nice—until boredom sets in. For a change of pace, head to the Dallas area June

By Stacy Hollister

Columns

Texana

The Pet Set

LBJ's dogs and Dale Evans' horse are among the most famous four-legged friends in Texas history. But can you name the only pig in the Texas Animal Hall of Fame?

By Anne Dingus

Behind the Lines

Can’t Hardly Wait

The Legislative Follies 2003.

By Paul Burka

Art

Prints of a Fellow

The addition of Leo Steinberg's magnificent collection makes it official: UT-Austin's Blanton is one of the best university art museums in the country.

By Michael Ennis

Travel

Track Record

It's not easy, exactly, but it is possible to get from Texas to places like New Orleans and Chicago on a reasonably comfortable Amtrak train. Just don't expect to be on time.

By Suzy Banks

Food & Drink

Holy Shiitakes!

And that's not all. From wine to cheese, the plentiful offerings at Central Market make my mouth waterand my life so much better.

By Gary Cartwright

Reporter

Drawl or Nothin’

Thanks to Dubya and a few fellers from Hollywood, the Texas accent is fixin' to be cool again.

By Pamela Colloff

Sports

David Clyde

His post-phenom life.

By Evan Smith

Web

Food & Drink

Mansion at Judges’ Hill

CAPITAL HILL I could feel the effects of a brutal day vanishing the minute I walked into the elegant dining room of the Mansion at Judges’ Hill—the designers who create impeccable sets for Merchant-Ivory films have nothing on the architects and decorators who brought Austin’s historic Goodall Wooten house back

By Patricia Sharpe

Recipe

Squash Blossom Cocktail With English Peas, Horseradish, and Truffled Boursin Cheese

English Pea—Horseradish Purée1 cup fresh English peas, blanched1/2 cup spinach, blanched1 teaspoon sugar1 tablespoon prepared horseradishsalt to tastePlace all ingredients into a blender and purée until smooth. Season with salt.Truffled Boursin Cheese1 cup boursin cheese1/2 ounce white truffle oil (truffle oil can be very concentrated; you may want to use

By Texas Monthly

Pat's Pick

Primary Flavors

MELLOW YELLOW Remember when “truffle” more often referred to a candy than to the now popular fungus? When arugula was still a mysterious green? Meet the squash blossom, another of the young guns of produce currently making its way into the mainstream. The versatile, light flavor of fresh squash blossoms

By Eileen Schwartz

Food & Drink

Season’s Eatings

PETAL PUSHERS So many edible flowers covered our plates that we thought about requesting machetes to hack our way to the food. But, hey, we weren’t complaining; that’s what we had come for. Six days a week chef Edward Vervais of the Carriage House Kitchen at the San Antonio

By Patricia Sharpe

Books That Cook

Necessities and Temptations (Junior League of Austin Publications, 1987)

By Cassie Holman

Recipe

Hazelnut Popovers With Roasted Plums

Roasted Plums16 fresh red plums (or apricots or other stone fruit)1 cup Essensia dessert winegrated zest of 1 orangegrated zest of 1 lemon1/2 cup sugar1 cinnamon stickseeds of 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract)2 black peppercornsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the plums in half and remove

By Texas Monthly

Recipe

Walnut Peach Salad

Poached Peaches1 one-inch piece fresh ginger 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tablespoon lemon juice 6 ripe peaches or 1 1/2 pounds frozen sliced peachesPlace 6 cups of water in a saucepan along with ginger, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, add peaches, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

By Texas Monthly

Art

Digging It

Three South Padre Island artists work on the beach, but don't call them bums.

By Patrick Michels

Texas History 101

The tiny German settlement of Fredericksburg, which overcame disease and Comanche attacks, blossomed into a thriving community rich in traditionand it still is today.

By Cassie Holman

Happy Trails

For a great Hill Country getaway, we headed to Llano, where we took in some art and sipped local wine.

By Katharyn Rodemann

Texas Tidbits

What store carries more than 2,500 labels of wine, around eighty types of breads and pastries, and more than six hundred varieties of cheese? Central Market, of course.

By Laura Buchanan

Politics & Policy

Inside the Beltway

Executive editor S. C. Gwynne talks about Al Gonzales, getting access, and Washington politics.

By Patrick Michels

Web Exclusive

The Dude Is In

Associate editor John Spong talks about Owen Wilson and "The Story of O."

By Patricia McConnico

Food & Drink

A Peach of a Story

Writer-at-large Suzy Banks talks about fuzz, a parade, and where to find the best Texas peaches.

By Patricia McConnico

Web Exclusive

Being There

Writer-at-large Cecilia Ballí describes what it is like to be in Juárez, where hundreds of women have been murdered in the past ten years.

By Patrick Michels

Recipe

Dulce de Leche Peach Cake

Dulce de Leche Icing 1 fourteen-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup pecan halves 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened 4 cups powdered sugar 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanillaMake dulce de leche: Remove label from can and punch two small holes at opposite sides of lid. Set can in

By Texas Monthly

Recipe

Salad of Grilled Squid With Fingerling Potatoes

Grilled Squid1 pound rinsed squid 3 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to tasteOne day ahead: Place all squid tubes (bodies) and tentacles in a large bowl. Add the oil, salt, and pepper. Be sure to coat the squid in oil. Make sure that the fire on the grill is

By Texas Monthly

Recipe

Sugar and Spice: Pickled Peaches

Around Christmas a couple of years ago I began to miss the pickled peaches. They were associated in my mind with childhood holidays and good times, but it must have been decades since I had last tasted them. Thinking I might take some to the family gathering in East Texas,

By Texas Monthly

Recipe

Savory Peach Napoleons

It’ll take all your discipline to save a few juicy peaches for cooking, but these recipes for salad, cake, and napoleons will make it worth the trouble.

By Texas Monthly

The Culture