Family Influence Translates to Bold and Tasty Dishes
By Tonya Warren | Photos courtesy of Brooke May
La Luncheonette and Hecho en Queso owner, Brooke May, remembers her grandma as being very territorial of her kitchen, always shooing family out as she tended her daily cooking duties. Brooke was a young teenager when her grandma granted her permission to finally help with the cutting, chopping and mixing that goes into memorable mealtimes. What Brooke really wanted to know was how to make her grandmas’ fluffy, melt-in-your mouth handmade tortillas.
Thing is, Brooke’s abuela (Spanish for grandmother), didn’t have a formal, written recipe. She would add a little of this, a pinch of that and finally, the family ended up with a stack of warm, heaven-on-earth homemade tortillas, that were inspired by the heart. May tried to recreate the flavorful tortillas at home and never seemed to get the taste just right, so she would pepper her grandma with questions.
“How much flour do you use?” May would ask.
“I don’t know Brooke Amber. You just feel it.” Her unintended evasiveness to May’s cooking curiosity would serve May and a lot of future hungry customers very well.
When one thinks of chicken pot pie, it’s easy to think of those little round frozen discs, encased in the little square box at the back of the freezer. A cooking memory for May, as a young adult, came when she took a basic pot pie recipe and flew with it, creating chicken pot pie soup for her uncle and his buddies. They devoured the whole kettle of soup down to the last drop.
Anuar Ayecho, May’s husband, knew her knack for experimenting with flavors and creating and serving robust meals. He had an inventive idea of his own: they should open a food truck.
Laughing, May admits she didn’t have a clue about how to run a food truck, but she credits hard work and refusing to fail as a recipe for success.
Small Business Saturday was their first showing, and the weather was anything but cooperative. In freezing cold rain, she cooked, while her husband and friend served pork and chicken tacos, quesadillas, veggie soup and ham/bacon/poblano soup. They sold out, and May described that time as such a “rewarding feeling.”
Recently, Hecho en Queso, or what May refers to as the “HeQ,” served 350 tacos to hungry college students at the UMHB Spring Formal.
May and her team are ready to assist customers in making their day truly memorable when they have the Hecho en Queso truck cater special events such as wedding receptions, graduations, bridal and baby showers, and reunions. Catering done by May in the truck is prepared on-site to ensure a fresh and authentic taste.
In 2019, May was scouring the internet for a new recipe, when she came across a General Mills recipe contest. Curiosity sent her to the kitchen, where she cooked up a winner. Her recipe for black bean and corn biscuit empanadas with jalapeno yogurt sauce won her $5,000 and an extra $1,000 went to a nonprofit of her choice. She selected Foster Love of Bell County to receive the award.
If you are tired of your own cooking after 15 months of pandemic living, and you aren’t lucky enough to score an invite to a HeQ catered event, stop by May’s brick-and-mortar restaurant, La Luncheonette. You won’t find the typical puff or flake cold cereal swimming in milk at La Luncheonette. Healthy bowl options include the Fresca, Breakfast and Granola and Fruit bowls. A breakfast taco can be nicely paired with vaquero beans and or papas rancheros. The El Mateo is a tasty combo of vaquero beans, chorizo, bacon, and sausage that’s topped with sunny side up eggs. Eggs, bacon, and pancakes are available for traditionalists. Breakfast is available all day.
Lunch items are available all day, and there is something delicious for everyone. Craving something exotic? In a nod to May’s husband’s Lebanese background, the Chicken Shawarma Naan is Indian spiced chicken on warm Naan bread with lemon ricotta and topped with Harissa hot sauce and cilantro. Tired of boring burgers? Hailing between two Hawaiian buns is the Gunter Burger. It’s topped with honey-chipotle mayo, hatch pepper cheese, grilled onions and avocado. Tostado plates, catfish tacos, nachos, the HeQ taco salad and quesadilla plates are also available. The Penelope Wrap is a cool choice on a hot summer day, consisting of chicken salad, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese served on your choice of wrap.
Bowls are a big deal at La Luncheonette, so treat yourself to a healthy square meal in a bowl. Tasty and bold options include the Bacon Poblano Fideo Bowl, Eagle Bowl, Austin Bowl, Acorn Squash Bowl, and the Brussels Sprouts Fideo Past Bowl.
Family Style Craft Selections are larger portioned meals that are terrific options for your next gathering. It’d be a picnic in the park to treat your family and friends to Cubano Sliders, Chicken Suiza Enchiladas, Carnitas or Cheese in Salsa Verde Enchiladas. A Taco Kit is also available for your mixing pleasure. Mouth-watering side options include, beans, rice, coleslaw, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower rice, and more. Craft selections change every two weeks.
Enjoy the artwork in the Gunter Building which houses the La Luncheonette. Her late father-in-law, Nagib, painted several pictures throughout the building, and other local artists’ work is also shown in the hallway. Some artwork is for sale.
If you aren’t a seasoned cook, or if you’re just looking to up your game in the kitchen, May will do private cooking lessons. So far this year, she’s done birthday parties and a ladies’ wine night. Using her own recipes, she said classes cook everything from Asian to Greek cuisine. Southern, Italian, Seafood cooking classes are also available. She plans to offer public classes in the summer. Her tamale classes are popular, so get a jump start on holiday cooking ideas.
May lovingly creates dishes she says are from the head and heart, and after enjoying her wonderful cooking, you’ll taste the love in every bite.
