We know a very pretty woman in Houston whose job frequently requires her to spend the day with men who are away from home and lonely. When it comes time for lunch, to keep the overeager guys from making a pass at her, she takes them to The Confederate House.
The atmosphere in this vintage restaurant, which is located inconspicuously in a shopping center, is - to put it bluntly - repressively genteel. It began as a private club some 40 years ago when wealthy Houstonians needed a place to have cocktails with their meals (at the time the city was dry). Today The Confederate House is open to the public, but it is not a place for everyone, certainly not for adventurers in search of the funky and exciting side of town. When you come to eat here, you play by the rules.The vestibule and dining rooms are decorated as an homage to the Old South: crystal chandeliers, portraits of Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis on the walls. The staff consists of a troop of black waiters who, although never obsequious (in fact a few of them are rather haughty), at least look the part of plantation retainers. To be honest, we are a little uncomfortable eating in these surroundings; but for years we have braved them because the food served by The Confederate House is a genuine - and increasingly rare - taste of regional Americana.
If it is culinary tradition that you seek, there is no better place in town to feast upon it. This kitchen is an invulnerable citadel of Tex-Dixie cuisine the likes of which all but vanished from upwardly mobile menus during the restaurant boom of the past decade.
You can still get excellent grilled steaks and braces of quail and one of the most elegant chicken fried steaks in the Southwest (known here as a "Confederate fry") served with politely peppered gravy. There are fried catfish and Gulf Coast gumbo every Friday; also from gulf waters come red snapper, fried oysters and hickory-smoked shrimp. There are swell au gratin potatoes at dinner and a ladylike fruit salad with poppy seed dressing at lunch. For dessert at either meal, take your pick from a list that includes fudge pie and chess pie, both of which in our experience here can range from dull to dazzlingly delicious.
One of the appetizers we like best is a simple classic that combines Texas taste with Dixie style: a stuffed jalapeno pepper. It is very hot - that's the pepper, which is a cornerstone of Lone Star cookery; and yet it is balmy in a luxuriously Southern way because of the cheese stuffing. The recipe for stuffed jalapenos, our version of which follows, is easy to fiddle with. Mix the stuffing to taste, using sharp or mild cheese. Because the pepper has such character, even plain cream cheese, studded with a few pieces of broken-up pecans, works wonders. We have frequently used unadulterated Cheez Whiz straight from the jar, sprinkling it with a whiff of paprika for color's sake. Whatever you do, we suggest warning guests before you serve these as hors d'oeuvres: Polite as they look, jalapeno peppers are hot!
Now available! Nearly 200 of the most-requested recipes from this column, all in one book, "A Taste of America." It includes Jane and Michael Stern's favorite restaurants, as well as photos from their coast-to-coast eating adventures. Available in paperback, it can be ordered by sending $9.95 plus $1 for postage and handling to Taste of America, in care of the Deseret News, P.O. Box 419150, Kansas City, MO 64141.1991, Jane and Michael Stern
(Universal Press Syndicate)
Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
24 jalapeno peppers, pickled or fresh, hot or mild to taste
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 ounces (about half a jar) Kraft Old English Cheese Spread
1/4 cup well-crumbled blue cheese
2/3 cup chopped pecans Cut jalapeno peppers in half, lengthwise, and remove seeds. If using pickled peppers, drain them and pat dry. If using fresh, take care not to rub your eyes after handling the peppers; pepper oil can sting!
Combine cheeses and nut-meats. Fill jalapeno halves. Chill, lightly covered with plastic wrap, an hour or so before serving.
Makes 48 bite-size pepper halves.