I was welcomed to Texas by Stove Top Stuffing simmered with a healthy dose of Jimmy Dean sausage. That’s when I learned certain flavors can offer solace when you simply don’t know the name of the white dog sniffing her way up your leg or how your wife’s whole family turns whirlwinds of vowels into coherent sentences. Since then, I have conjured this concoction myself and celebrated being part of this small clan that serves sushi and mashed potatoes at every gathering. It is starches that bind us, keep us comfortable enough we don’t realize how bitter the air.