In Texas, we take our Bar-B-Que (Smoked meats) kind of serious. How about one of these in your backyard:
http://www.bbqpits.com/commercial_indoo ... gs2009.jpg
Or, just in case you need to travel to a neighbors or Family members:
http://www.bbqpits.com/greg_nj_copy.jpg
If you have really HUGE Family:
http://static.neatorama.com/images/2006 ... smoker.jpg
And for those who need a bit of everything, just in case:
http://static.neatorama.com/images/2006 ... -grill.jpg
There are "Cook-Offs" between Bar-B-Que teams, some like the "World Championship" held in Houston at the Reliant Arena (Home of the Houston Texan's NFL Team), held every year the week preceding the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, are elaborate and somewhat open to the public. Something I've never disclosed is the wife and I are 'partners' of sorts with one of her younger sisters and her husband in a "BBQ Catering Service". Steve, that particular Brother-in-Law has won just about every thing you can. He's honestly refused to ever return to the, what the media calls anyways, the 'real' World Championship in Tennessee, Memphis to be exact. Seems Steve placed fourth, the top three, where all the money is ALL used 'injection' methods.
That's where you 'inject' flavorings and spices into the meat rather than apply a mixture of seasonings as a 'rub'. Do that in Texas and, well, it won't be pretty! The first thing you'd probably hear would be "Somebody get a rope!".
Aside from the BBQ, the most eaten type of foods in this region is "Tex-Mex". There are more "Tex-Mex" restaurants around than any other kind, and subject to the style and spicing that particular restaurant uses, can be absolutely delicious to bland and bizarre. Some are spicy, some not. "Tex-Mex" is a blend of Northern Mexico and Texas types of foods. "Fajita" meat, the muscle lining of cattle stomach (used to be trash) is marinated for several hours (usually overnight) in a blend of sauces, spices, and liquids, then 'flash grilled' (cooked over an open flame at a high temperature for a short time). Cut the Fajita Steak into small strips, add your favorite garnishing (Guacamole, Pico-de-Gallo, Sour Cream, Cheese, etc.) and roll up in a fresh, home made flour Tortilla (a Mexican type of thin bread) and you have yourself one of the more popular Tex-Mex dishes.
Pizza, as we know it today, was an "American" or "New World" thing. Yes, there are all types of cultures who take a flat bread (Like Pita, the first part of the word "Pizza") and top that bread with all sorts of things. Yet the Tomato sauce we are all so familiar with is a "New World" food stuff, as the Tomato is a "New World" food. IOW - until the "New World" was found, and import/exportation began, the "Old World" had never seen or experienced the Tomato. In fact, at one time, the Europeans considered (since unripened the Tomato is hard and Acidic to eat, and 'ripe' it seems to be close to being rotten and, when cooked, pretty much disintegrates) as possibly poisonous.