For most of us, Christmas is very much about tradition. There is comfort and security in familiar things. As it is for Christmas trees and family Christmas rituals, so it often is for Christmas dinner.
In Texas, the Christmas repast is often a repeat of the menu served only a few weeks before on Thanksgiving—turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, hot rolls and pumpkin pie.
Want the recipes for our holiday meal?
Click on the Menu item below.
We are always attracted to anything that elevates ordinary to extraordinary while at the same time making sure that every recipe we put on these pages can actually be prepared in a typical home kitchen. And of course we love to add a bit of Texas flair to a menu.
For those whose schedules require that they get a little help cooking for the holidays there are at least two primary places for fabulous take-out: Kathleen’s Kitchen in Sherman, and Angela’s Cafe in Denison. To help us prepare our very first Christmas dinner here at Texoma Living! (this is our first dedicated Christmas issue.) we asked Angela Boedeker and Casey Kidwell at Angela’s Cafe to prepare our signature meal this year. Enjoy!
The Menu
Click on a Menu item for the recipe.
Apricot Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Potatoes and Smoked Bacon
Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges with Honey and Brown Sugar Glaze
Angela’s Famous Black Bottom Pie
Meet the Chefs
Casey Kidwell was a high school friend of Angie’s in Plainview. They met again about four years ago at a reunion and discovered a commonality of interest in cooking. Kidwell grew up in a family of bakers. His grandfather and father operated bakeries in Plainview and elsewhere. Although he worked in the bakeries while in school, he decided the wild blue yonder was more to his liking and became an aviation mechanic working on private and corporate jets. He never stopped cooking however, and often flew in the double capacity of flight mechanic and high altitude chef. His serendipitous reunion with Angie brought him to Denison and into the kitchen at Angela’s Cafe where his flights of fancy now focus around new dishes for Angela’s patrons.
“When we opened the doors, we had $130 in the bank, so we had to make money the first day,” said Angela Boedeker. To end the suspense, we’ll tell you up front that she made it. Boedeker grew up in Plainview and a marriage and a family later found her in Melissa, where she was running a successful catering and carry-out food service. When her business went up in flames, she started casting around for a new location. She found it in downtown Denison, and from day one, folks have been searching out her place for great food and one of Angela’s specialty desserts. Chocolate cobbler anyone? Not long ago Angela’s moved to new and larger digs at 1530 S. Austin Ave., and now serves lunch Tuesday through Sunday 11 to 3.