Growing up in the Midwest, the son of a German mother, I came to appreciate all of the four food groups: meat, potatoes, cheese, and dessert. Living 1000 miles from the ocean, seafood was a myth. Mexican food meant Taco John's. Italian food meant spaghetti or lasagna or Shakey's pizza. And Chinese food -- those were your leftovers that the millions of starving people would be happy to eat.
But then I came to Houston and was introduced to a delightful array of exotic cuisines. There's Chinese, Vietnamese, Tex-Mex and also Mex-Mex, Greek, Lebanese, Argentinian, Ecuadorian, Columbian, Cuban, Salvadoran, Indian, and even a foreign place called Cajun.
