Editor's note: All summer long, the Southern Foodways Alliance will be delving deep in the history, tradition, heroes and plain old deliciousness of barbecue across the United States. Dig in.

Low-and-slow smoked beef likely became a central-Texas tradition after a massive influx of German and Czech immigrants in the mid-19th century. Many were butchers, and once in Texas, these European meat purveyors smoked the cuts that didn't sell so well. But believe it or not, smoked beef is not the last word in Texas barbecue.

You may have heard of Snow's in Lexington, Texas, which shot to statewide fame in 2008 after being named the Best Barbecue in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine. Twenty minutes away, in tiny Deanville, there's another spot that flies under the radar but deserves a visit.
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Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to find our culinary heart's desire, we listen up.

If popsicles, shaved ice and all those other icy treats make you think of adorable little kids lined up at cheesy sidewalk stands, you live in the distant past. These days, it’s hard to find a frozen dessert that’s not spiked with some sort of booze. And it’s probably served in a schmancy dining room or rooftop bar. Need proof? Here's a handy list for those days when the best escape is a dessert that doubles as your cocktail.
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While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

What’s more American than apple pie? July 5 is National Apple Turnover Day!

Ah, the apple turnover, one of those simple food ingenuities that’s managed to changed the way we eat on the go forever.

A turnover can be sweet or savory, depending on the type of dough and filling. Empanadas are the sweet turnover’s savory South American cousin and are typically filled with meat, potatoes and cheese. The crust of a sweet turnover is similar to a short dough (because it uses shortening or another type of fat), or puff pastry dough. Most sweet turnovers are filled with fruit, like apples.
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