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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Texas is renowned for its innovative cuisine, and |
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certain beloved dishes have become integral elements of the state's |
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culture and folklore; one such food is chicken-fried steak, and the |
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epic deliciousness of this specialty has inspired not only |
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countless satisfied diners but also an enduring Lone Star legend; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, For generations, Texans pondered the seemingly |
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eternal mystery of who invented the chicken-fried steak; then, in |
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1976, came an answer: Larry BeSaw published an article in the Austin |
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American-Statesman explaining that this wondrous combination of |
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beef, batter, and breading had first been dropped onto a well-oiled |
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skillet in 1911 by Jimmy Don Perkins, a short-order cook at Ethel's |
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Home Cooking in Lamesa, Texas; according to the published story, |
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Mr. Perkins had mistakenly combined two separate orders for chicken |
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and fried steak into a single culinary creation whose savory |
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goodness became famous far beyond West Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The account received wider attention after being |
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picked up by a syndicated columnist and was later repeated in |
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publications that ranged from the Washington Post to Texas Monthly |
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to trivia books; cited again and again through the years and given a |
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further boost through Internet postings, the anecdote about Jimmy |
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Don's handiwork earned Lamesa the enviable status of being the home |
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of the chicken-fried steak; there was just one small problem: it was |
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not true; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. BeSaw had created his article as a spoof, never |
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intending it to be taken as fact, but the story quickly took on a |
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life of its own; though the journalist has tried numerous times to |
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set the record straight, the yarn continues to be widely told, |
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having attained the status of a Texas tall tale; and |
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WHEREAS, Not wishing to spoil a good legend, the city of |
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Lamesa has embraced its role as an epicenter of epicurean |
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invention; it celebrates the lore of its mythical short-order cook |
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with its Chicken-fried Steak Festival, which includes a cook-off |
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competition for its namesake dish in addition to live music, a |
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classic car show, and numerous other activities; and |
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WHEREAS, While everybody knows that honesty truly is the best |
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policy, residents of the Lone Star State have long demonstrated |
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their appreciation for harmless exaggeration and some good |
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old-fashioned leg-pulling; in that same spirit, and because the |
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Jimmy Don Perkins tale is just a darn good story, it is indeed |
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appropriate that the city of Lamesa be recognized for its role in |
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this imaginative and imaginary incident in Texas history; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby declare Lamesa the Legendary Home of the Chicken-fried |
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Steak. |
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Craddick |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 134 was adopted by the House on |
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April 13, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 134 was adopted by the Senate on |
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April 19, 2011, by a viva-voce vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |