Bella’s Table — Estella Tullgren Bio

By Estella Tullgren

Born into a family with two varied cultures was the perfect backdrop to become a foodie. My mother, from Schweinfurt, Germany, and my father, born in the Rio Grand Valley in Donna, Texas, created endless dishes with incredible sauces, delectable pastries, and spicy flavors. My mother taught me as a young girl that no task was too small to make something taste good—an adage that I always try to remember every time I look at a recipe.

I also think living in different parts of our country and world influences our taste for varied foods. Maybe that is why I still crave Georgia Sweet Tea with a bowl of Brunswick Stew or a creamy, German Vegetable Gemuese! I remember a trip my mom and dad took to visit his brother—my mother was not leaving until she had a lesson in the fine art of tamale making. That transpired into a session for us girls to learn how to do this, and I took pages and pages of notes as we learned the process.

There is nothing I like better than buying a new cookbook and reading it from cover to cover. My husband, Chris, has started flagging every recipe that “we” should prepare. He is a true foodie—always planning his next meal. It is a joy for me to plan meals and hope you will enjoy my recipes.