When the weather is chilly, I’m putting on a pot of chili. It’s my birthright, and it’s just so right on cold days. I make mine the good, old-fashioned Texas way, with lots of ground red chiles and cumin – no beans – and let it cook all day, then I whip up some cornbread in a cast-iron skillet. I like to ladle the chili into a bowl, top it with some grated sharp cheddar cheese and chopped onions, then crumble some cornbread over the works. If I’m going out to eat, there are particular places I like to go for chili. In San Antonio – where chili con carne was invented by the Chili Queens – I can get it at Mi Tierra, but you have to ask, since it’s not on the menu. There’s also chili to be had in San Antonio at Olmos Pharmacy, Casbeers and MK Davis (get the cold beer, too). In Austin, at the Lone Star Chili Parlor, you can get a milder black-bean sausage chili, a habanero-pinto bean chili, a Frito chili pie, and the Texas chili, rated X (mild), XX (spicy) and XXX (hot-hot-hot). In Amarillo, the Golden Light Café is famous for its Frito chili pie. For great chili in Fort Worth, you have to go to Carshon’s Delicatessan, Riscky’s BBQ on Azle Avenue, or Fred’s Texas Café. And in Grapevine, Tolbert’s Chili Parlor is the reincarnation of the Dallas original, opened in 1976 by Frank X Tolbert, the writer-historian who penned the chili bible, A Bowl of Red (really good reading). This newest edition of Tolbert’s is housed within a 1911 building on the charming Main Street. You can order the Original Texas Red, without beans, or the North of the Border, with beans. If you’re really hungry, order the oversized Super Bowl – perfect for this weekend.

There are three really great reasons to visit the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth this weekend. First of all, its current exhibit, “Picturing The Bible, The Earliest Christian Art,” on display now through March 30, is simply not to be missed. Never before has such a treasure trove of artifacts from early Christianity been assembled. The collected works include major loans from the Vatican, the British Museum, the Louvre, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, many of which have never been on loan before. One such relic comes from the Vatican: a gold cross, cloaked in gems, from the late sixth century. Second, if it’s just too cold outside for you to ride the Zipper and other rides at the Stock Show midway (that’s just across the street; weird, isn’t it, to have priceless ancient art and carnies within a hundred yards of one another?) it’s nice and warm and lovely inside the Kimbell. Finally, my favorite reason for visiting the Kimbell this weekend? The incredible food at Buffet, the museum’s café. This weekend’s soups include sausage-and-chicken chowder, and creamy carrot, cabbage, and rice; salads include broccoli and pasta. Also on the menu are sun-dried tomato and pesto quiches, smoked turkey sandwiches on multi-grain bread with herbed mayo, and desserts – which are always divine – such as the raspberry-truffle brownies and poppyseed cake.
For more information on the museum, including hours, go HERE.

Filmed at soccer stadiums throughout Australia, Brazil, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City, the IMAX concert movie U2 3D, which just opened at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, is mighty impressive. The National Geographic production includes state-of-the-art breakthroughs in the cinematic process making you feel, more than ever, like you’re really at the show—and often on stage with the band. With more than a slight reference to famous German documentary filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s work, this monumental project captures the internationally popular rock group from Ireland at its peak, and includes performances shot during the band’s recent Vertigo tour. The film contains songs from throughout their extensive catalog, including “Beautiful Day,” “One,” and “With or Without You.” The 5.1 surround-sound is impeccable. Rock on and celebrate another good reason to visit this gem of a museum close to the state capitol. For more information about the Bob Bullock Museum, or for showtimes, go HERE.

This came over the transom, and it’s too good not to share. January 23 – that’s today! – is the 25th annual National Pie Day, so says the American Pie Council. They want everyone to pay it forward (shouldn’t it be “pie it forward”?) by spreading happiness everywhere through the medium of pie. I’m all for that, as I truly believe the world is a better place thanks to pie. Among places celebrating the goodness of pie is Blue Ribbon Pie Co. in Nebraska, which is delivering free, fresh-baked pies to first responder and military personnel, including local fire fighters, police officers, and members of the armed forces. Here in the land of the best pies (Texas, of course), Janie’s Pie Factory in San Antonio is offering two-for-one slices of pie today. When I called House of Pies in Houston, I learned there was no special just for today, since every day is pie day there, naturally! You can find out more about ways to celebrate pie at HERE. Or you can just head out to your favorite pie place. Among the best I’ve found in Texas: chocolate meringue and coconut cream pie at the Shed Café, Edom; pecan pie at Goode Co., Houston; buttermilk pie at Hinze’s Bar-B-Que, Wharton; egg custard at Paris Coffee Shop, Fort Worth; millionaire pie at (reopened) Highland Park Cafeteria, Dallas; and chocolate cream/Ugly Crust pie at Midpoint Café, Adrian. I’m on the lookout for a great pineapple pie, if anyone knows where to find one.

Where are your favorite pies?

Well, if I can’t watch the Cowboys in the playoffs, I guess I’ll settle in and watch two of the most exciting quarterbacks ever to pick up a pigskin. This weekend’s football fest features Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, the teams most likely to face off in the Super Bowl. But I can’t help but pull also for the San Diego Chargers, starring LaDanian Tomlinson, a native of Rosebud and a grad of Waco University High School. I’m thinking that with all this game-watching, it’s time to make some kind of semi-spicy Texas food and wish for a Texas team to be playing on this weekend next year. To this end, I offer an especially easy recipe, featuring Texas (and nearby) ingredients. To make the Shiner Bock Wings (this is likely to end up in a cookbook I’m writing this year with Texas cowboy cook Grady Spears) combine 2 (12-ounce) bottles Shiner Bock with 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard, 1/4 cup Louisiana hot sauce (I like the Crystal brand), and 1/4 cup unsalted butter in a sauce pan, stirring over medium heat, about 10 minutes. In a deep skillet, heat peanut or canola oil until it registers 350 degrees. Put 12 chicken wings (cut off and discard tips) in a giant self-closing plastic bag with flour and shake well, then fry those babies in hot oil for 10 minutes; drain on paper towels and toss in a bowl with the sauce. Repeat with another 12 wings. Serve warm.

From now through February 3, everyone in North Texas – and points beyond – are looking at Fort Worth, as the Southwestern Livestock Exposition and Rodeo is going on here. Will Rogers Memorial Center – and all of Cowtown, for that matter – is buzzing with activity. Sure it’s fun to watch the bull riding and look at the tractors and pretty horses and cute bunnies and smelly pigs, but nothing’s as much fun as checking out the food. But let’s face it, there are at least five places to eat practically every 10 yards you walk at the Stock Show, so it’s hard to know what’s best for your noshing dollar. So we’ll cowboy up and make the decision for you. Here are five things you shouldn’t miss this season.

1. Chili. Buy a bowl of it, ask for it in Frito pie or on hot dogs, burgers, and French fries. The guys at the new Burger and Chili Shack inside Round Up Inn say theirs is a classic Texas recipe that’s sure to become a big hit. They’ve tested their festival mettle at last year’s Houston Rodeo and this year’s Cotton Bowl, and they’re ready for Cowtown’s challenge. You can also find nachos and homemade lemonade at the Shack, too.

2. Cowboy Burrito: Look outside the west entrance to the Moncrief Building to find the Texas Skillet, a new stand with a seven-foot-wide frying pan. There, cooks will whip up a signature burrito stuffed with grilled steak, skillet potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, and cheese. This showy effort is already a hit at Fort Worth’s Main Street Festival and the Houston Rodeo, so chances are you’re going to like it, too.

3. Hot breakfast: Lucky you, you have good options for sitting down to a plate of bacon and eggs – and more. The Texas Skillet offers a menu of pancakes, breakfast tacos, breakfast quesadillas, and breakfast sandwiches on croissants, as well as bacon, eggs, and toast. The perennial favorite, of course, is the Stockman’s Café, found in Cattle Barn No. 2. The only 24-hour operation during the run of the Stock Show, this place feeds as many as 800 or more per mealtime, which speaks volumes about its homey scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and cream gravy. You may like it so much that you’ll return at lunch for chili, hot dogs, or a cheeseburger, the latter topped with grilled onions.

4. Reata at the Rodeo. You don’t have to spring for an expensive membership to eat at the usual location inside the Amon G. Carter Jr. Building. Now in its seventh season in the Silver Spur Room, this dining room offers a sit-down feast of smoked quail with jalapeno grits, tenderloin tamales, grilled pork chops with apricot-pear sauce, charbroiled rib-eye with herbed butter, a bottle of cabernet, and lots more. (Reservations advised: 817/336-5766.)

5. Soup, soup, soup. If you’re looking for a sure way to warm up on chilly days, there are several places ready to help. The cinnamon roll booth in Cattle Barn No. 2 sells bread bowls filled with hot concoctions, with offerings that change daily and may include chili, beef stew, broccoli-cheese, clam chowder, chicken noodle, and more. In the Poultry Barn, the soup kiosk dispenses bowls of spicy chicken tortilla, chili, chicken and dumplings, and broccoli-cheese, among others. Look in Round Up Inn and just outside the cattle barns for the Cajun stand, where you’ll find bowls of jambalaya as well as red beans and rice, too.

For more information on the rodeo, call 817/877-2400 or go HERE.

Nothing, not one single thing, has made me feel as old as this fact: Were she still alive, Janis Joplin would be 65 on January 19. How could that be possible? Wasn’t it just yesterday she was pining for Bobby McGee? Surely 40 years hasn’t passed since she begged you to take another little piece of her heart. According to the good people of the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur, however, I am sadly mistaken to believe time stopped back when she brought us her version of the blues (although I don’t think anyone’s done it as well since then). Paying homage to her, however, is what that museum in her hometown does well, as it does each year on her birthday by hosting the Gulf Coast Music Hall of Fame Show. This year’s inductees join a list of more than 60 music personalities from the Gulf Coast, whose achievements in Cajun, Zydeco, country, rock, jazz, blues, and Western swing earned their inclusion. Giants in the Hall include the likes of Lee Hazelwood, George Jones, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Tex Ritter, Percy Sledge, ZZ Top, and Mark Chestnutt. New honorees The Clique and Edgar Winter will put on a concert at 7 p.m. January 19 at the Carl Parker Center, 1800 Lakeshore Drive on the Lamar State College-Port Arthur campus. (For ticket info, go HERE, 409-722-3699). But you’ll want to arrive in town earlier in the day because the Port Arthur Historical Society will unveil a Texas State Historical Marker at Janis’ childhood home, 4330 32nd St., at 11 a.m. Then mosey on over to the museum so you can see Janis’ Porsche, with its psychedelic paint job, and buy Janis memorabilia in the gift shop.

Just when the whole girlfriend-trip thing seemed like old news, here comes word of the biggest girlfriend-type gathering I’ve heard of. Better yet, it’s not just a gabfest with spa treatments and shopping interludes or a long weekend around a pool with margaritas. In Jefferson, of all places, this zany combination hair salon/bookstore called Beauty and the Book is sponsoring a sizable event January 17-19 called Girlfriend Weekend, and it’s bringing to town dozens of authors for book signings, panel discussions, workshops, and so on. On the very long list of scribes headed to the little ‘burg on the Big Cypress Bayou are Rosemary Poole-Carter (Women of Magdalene and Juliette Ascending), supermodel Paulina Porizkova (A Model Summer), Andrea Portes (Hick), and actress Adrienne Barbeau (There Are Worse Things I Could Do). There’s also a big party with live music called the Hairball, which sounds like a real hoot, and lots of other fun throughout the weekend. You can buy a package ticket for the entire event, or cherry-pick and pay a la carte. It sounds like a great place to take your mom or sister or best friend, or if you’re tired of all the ones you know, it’s probably a good place to find a whole new crew of girlfriends. Read more about the whole enchilada HERE, which is almost as much fun as being there.