The Meadowlark of the Border and a Casserole

As I read "Valentine," I got curious about Lydia Mendoza, who Glory mentions as a favorite of hers, and who (I think) Glory and her brother hear on the radio as they drive to the Mexican border. Turns out that she's a real person, and had quite a bit of success, particularly in the 1940s-50s.  She was known as the Meadowlark of the Border, as well as the Queen of Tejano music. Her biggest hit was Mal Hombre, and here's an English translation of the lyrics, including: 

I was still a young girl/when, by chance, you found me/And thanks to your worldly charm, you crushed the flower of my innocence

Cold-hearted man/your soul is so wicked it has no name/You are a pig. You are evil/You are a cold-hearted man 

A good fit for for the book, though I don't see why "mal hombre" is translated as "cold-hearted man." There's a heart?  

Lydia's genius was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts during her lifetime, and she also got a cool postage stamp:

Also, among the many casseroles mentioned in the book, there is the King Ranch Casserole. Suzanne brings one to Mary Rose on page 155. The King Ranch was apparently the biggest spread in Texas, and if there were a Texas state casserole, it's said that it would be this one. Here's the recipe, with all its 1950s feels. 

~Carroll