Austin-based food-and-wine writer Jessica Dupuy (photo above) has a new large-format cookbook out today called United Tastes of Texas (Oxmoor House, $24.95). In it she divides the state into five regions – Houston falls into Coastal Texas – and offers 125 recipes featuring region-specific dishes and cooking methods. We recently caught up with the fourth-generation Texan to ask a few nosy questions.

What was your earliest ambition?

When I was about 10, I wanted to start a magazine with my best friend, Erin. It was called Teen Fashions. We were neither teens, nor fashionable, but we thought we had a pretty good plan. She’s in New York now and has designed a line of clothes. I stuck with publishing. Who knew we’d be on to something?

How did your career in the food-writing world start?

The food part of my career began when I was about three years old, sitting on the kitchen counter while my mom made dinner for us every night. She was a great home cook and her kitchen was my laboratory. Writing about food began when I was working at Texas Monthly in 2003. I developed a friendship with food editor Patricia Sharpe who needed recipe testers to help fact-check recipes for the magazine. Once she began trusting my cooking instincts at home based on the recipe tests, she later asked me to help her with other projects. In 2007 I went out on my own to freelance, and food and wine became my primary niche.

Who has been your mentor?

There have been a few great mentors for me. My parents, who both love to cook and shared that love with me. My AP calculus teacher, Marilyn Cobb, who pulled me through calculus in high school and taught me the importance of hard work even if you don’t like the subject. My history professor Char Miller at Trinity University, who made me realize how much I love history. And, of course, Patricia Sharpe, who helped me get my start in this career.

What is your favorite recipe in the book?

My mother’ Coffee Liqueur Cake. I’ve had an unhealthy obsession with it for most of my life. And so has my extended family. It’s rich, chocolaty and really easy to make. I love a lot of recipes in this book, but this one has brought a smile to a lot of faces in my life.

If your 20-year-old self could see you now, what would she think?

I think my younger self would be excited to see that I found a way to make a living at doing exactly what I loved then. But my younger self also had pretty widespread ambitions back then. She’d probably be disappointed that I wasn’t also running a horse ranch in the mountains or married to a French winemaker. But you can’t please everyone, right?

Fun fact about you?

I love to fly fish. My husband and I used to go pretty often. Especially before we had kids. And you don’t have to find a mountain stream to make it happen. Texas has a lot of great fisheries where bass and perch give a great fight on a fly rod. Once we teach my son and daughter how to do it, I’m hoping I’ll get more time on the water with them.

What is your favorite food-and-drink pairing?

There’s no such thing as one favorite, but I’ll go with Grower Champagne and crispy French fries, PX Sherry and Manchego cheese, and pizza with Mexican Coke.

What do you do in your free time?

When I’m not working, I’m playing with my kids – usually chasing dragons in the backyard, studying for a wine certification or enjoying a nice meal with family and friends.

What would you tell someone just starting out who wanted to become a food-and-wine writer?

Well, I think you’ve got to be clear about what you want to do. If you love food and wine and have a good writing voice, that’s only the first part of it. It’s important to do a little networking and find some people in the business whom you admire. See if they’re willing to share advice with you and determine if it’s your right path. Most importantly, you have to view your work as a business. That means it’s a lot more than just about your writing. It’s about honoring commitments, reporting integrity and making your deadlines. You’ll get a lot further in the job by working hard than by loving food and wine.

SAN ANTONIO PUFFY TACOS – Recipe from United Tastes of Texas

Original tacos were a little different than the stale, fried corn tortillas machine-pressed into a U-shaped envelope—an invention of fast food chain entrepreneur Glen Bell of the famed Taco Bell. The real deal begins with a ball of masa flattened into a thin round that is fried to a golden crispness. The masa puffs up a bit, which is how the moniker “puffy taco” came into play. Stuff with ground taco meat, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 8 to 9 servings

2 lb. fresh Masa dough (recipe below)
Wax paper
Vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
4 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup Mexican beer

Toppings: shredded cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, sour cream, fresh salsa, guacamole

METHOD: Shape masa dough into 18 golf-ball-sized (about 2 Tbsp.) portions. Cut sides off a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Line top and bottom of a tortilla press with freezer bag. Place masa rounds in freezer bag within tortilla press, and close, forming round tortillas. (If you don’t have a tortilla press, use a flat plate, skillet, or flat-bottomed bowl, and press masa balls into flat rounds against countertop between sheets of wax paper. To ensure even thickness, press dough rounds once, rotate 180°, and press again.) Gently stack uncooked masa rounds between layers of wax paper.

Pour oil to depth of 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 375°F.

Gently lower 1 uncooked tortilla into hot oil. Once tortilla rises to surface and begins to bubble, cook 10 seconds. Gently flip tortilla, and lightly press center of tortilla, using a metal spatula, to create a U-shape. Cook 30 seconds or until golden brown. Carefully remove from oil, sprinkle with salt and drain upside down on a paper towel-lined wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Keep tortillas warm until ready to serve.

Cook onion and next 2 ingredients in 2 Tbsp. hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Add beef, and cook, stirring often, 8 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain.

Return beef mixture to skillet; add tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and salt, and cook over medium heat 4 minutes. Add beer and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover, and cook 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Serve beef in warm tortillas with desired toppings.

Masa Dough
Makes about 4 lb.

1/4 lb. pork lard (about 1/2 cup)*
2 1/2 lb. freshly ground masa
2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/3 cups warm pork broth

METHOD: Beat lard at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes.

Stir together masa and next 2 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Gradually add masa mixture to lard, beating at medium speed just until blended after each addition. Cover until ready to use.

Note: If you can’t find fresh masa, whisk together 3 cups masa harina (corn flour) 1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Whisk in 2 1/4 cups very hot water until dry ingredients are moistened. (Add more hot water 1 tsp. at a time.) Knead 3 to 4 times to make a smooth dough.