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Favorite Texas Cookbooks & Food Writing


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I am sure there are a lot of favorites out there. Please share yours.

While the current focus of my attention is Robb Walsh's fine new book of essays, Are You Really Going To Eat That?, another of my favorite Texas food books is a one that's not only about Texas. Gulf Coast Cooking: Seafood From The Florida Keys To The Yucatan Penninsula has been around for a while (Fredricksburg: Shearer Publishing, 1991) and has great staying power, not only due to the recipes by Virginia Elverson (founder of the Houston Culinary Guild) and photography by Bob Parvin, David Crossley and Bill Pogue, but also because of the wonderful series of accompanying essays by John Graves, one of the finest writers Texas has ever produced.

So I guess this thread could include food-related books by Texas authors or books about Texas foods and cooking by whomever. Please jump in and let us know what you have found interesting or helpful.

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I inherited my mother's copy of Texas the Beautiful Cookbook. It is a large format book with beautiful photography. I would almost call it a "coffee table book" but it does have an amazing collection of old time Texas standbys. My dad always used the Pedernales River Chile recipe supposedly used on the Johnson ranch. We also use the berry cobbler recipe, which I have since found out to be a clafouti. It is a compilation of those recipes where you say... "Oh! I remember that." The recipes have been assembled from years of Junior League cookbooks, newspaper clippings and recollections of well known cooks and chefs. It is a fascinating collection.

Amazon indicates that it is out of print but may be available. There is another book that comes up if you search on the title and that is not it. Search on Elizabeth Germaine as she is the editor.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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I love all of the Junior League-type recipe collection books. The El Paso one is a beauty, but so are the Houston, Galveston (both editions), San Antonio, Austin.

And Helen Corbitt's books, too, are classics.

Yea Texas. Home of great cookin'.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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I am able to reference the U of Texas cookbook when questions of importance come up.

It is good to be a BBQ Judge.  And now it is even gooder to be a Steak Cookoff Association Judge.  Life just got even better.  Woo Hoo!!!

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I inherited my mother's copy of Texas the Beautiful Cookbook. It is a large format book with beautiful photography. I would almost call it a "coffee table book" but it does have an amazing collection of old time Texas standbys. My dad always used the Pedernales River Chile recipe supposedly used on the Johnson ranch. We also use the berry cobbler recipe, which I have since found out to be a clafouti. It is a compilation of those recipes where you say... "Oh! I remember that." The recipes have been assembled from years of Junior League cookbooks, newspaper clippings and recollections of well known cooks and chefs. It is a fascinating collection.

Amazon indicates that it is out of print but may be available. There is another book that comes up if you search on the title and that is not it. Search on Elizabeth Germaine as she is the editor.

I have this one too! On my coffee table :blink: Looks like I need to read it again.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi! I'm new here and it is nice to see Texas chefs networking in this site. Very cool.

I was wondering if there are some Texas cookbooks that ya'll read that have been helpful. Robert Mcgrath, Pyles, and others have been great reads, so, in a way of introducing myself, do ya'll have any favs?

Edited by spoonbread (log)
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And a hearty Texas howdy to our forum.

There is this coffee table style book that I go to called Texas the Beautiful Cookbook, edited by Elizabeth Germaine. There is another one that shows up in Amazon as the same title but a different editor. I am not at all sure that it is the same. The Germaine book has a wealth of good recipes and is a beautiful book as well. It is out of print but it appears that Amazon can order it for you. This book is the source of Pedernales Chili that was my father's basic chili recipe for many years. The Blackberry Cobbler is also a winner. Many of the recipes are real winners. This book is worth seeking out.

And let us not forget Robb Walsh's Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses. Robb also has a book coming out June 15th, The Tex-Mex Cookbook : A History in Recipes and Photos. I can't wait for that one.

If you are inclined to go shopping, hit the Amazon link at the bottom of the page and benefit eGullet. :biggrin:

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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Thank you fifi for the welcome, and, funny, I am shopping for books, so I shall do as you suggested.

I am familiar with Robb W., as he did a cookbook with Jay McCarthy called "Traveling Jamaica with Knife, Fork and Spoon". Jay was the chef that trained me, (many years ago, I am an EC now) so I was able to meet Mr. Walsh. Also he did David Guerridos' book as well, whom I am also familiar with. I'm happy to see his succes! I will look for his newbook in the upcoming months.

Again, thanx for the welcome! :smile:

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I'm partial to just about any cookbook put out my the Houston Junior League. One of my favorites at the moment is called Stop and Smell the Rosemary.

Another old one I'm always referring to is called The Texas Experience -- Friendship & Food Texas Style. This one is from The Richardson Woman's Club. The first chapter is called "Texas Favorites" and has just about every recipe you'd expect in a chapter called "Texas Favorites" and the rest of the book is packed with lesser known favorites.

I Googled up the book and found this:

http://www.yalls.com/cookin_delites.html

At $18.99, this book is a bargain. Mine is dog-eared, lacks a front cover and has been pretty much beaten to hell over the past 20 years. This one is a classic. While it doesn't tell you much about Texas History or culture, it does list recipes Texans eat.

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One of my favorite Texas cookbooks is a trade paperback called Texas on the Half Shell, from 1982 and apparently now out of print. Mine's completely falling apart.

Great collection of BBQ, sauces, Tex-Mex, and Texas standards.

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I refer to a cookbook put out by alumni of the U of Texas. It seems very complete and has recipes that my grandmother used to cook back in Coleman many years ago.

It is good to be a BBQ Judge.  And now it is even gooder to be a Steak Cookoff Association Judge.  Life just got even better.  Woo Hoo!!!

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Great ideas. I like to find out about Texas cookbooks that have missed my radar.

Claire797 -- your recommendation added to additional ones on other threads, so I hunted down a copy of Stop and Smell the Rosemary. I have seen it in book stores, but it is usually shrink-wrapped, so you can't see the contents. I was amazed to see that they have printed at least 220,000 copies of the book over five printings. It is a beautifully designed book, and the recipes look great.

joiei -- Can you give us a title on the UT Alumni book?

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Great ideas. I like to find out about Texas cookbooks that have missed my radar.

Claire797 -- your recommendation added to additional ones on other threads, so I hunted down a copy of Stop and Smell the Rosemary. I have seen it in book stores, but it is usually shrink-wrapped, so you can't see the contents. I was amazed to see that they have printed at least 220,000 copies of the book over five printings. It is a beautifully designed book, and the recipes look great.

joiei -- Can you give us a title on the UT Alumni book?

Howdy Richard!

Glad you liked the looks of Stop And Smell The Rosemary. It's a much more sophisticated Junior League Collection.

So far, my favorite recipe in the book is "Cameo Cake", but there are lots of others I'd like to try.

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The name of the alumni cookbook from UT is called "Cook'em Horns".

It is good to be a BBQ Judge.  And now it is even gooder to be a Steak Cookoff Association Judge.  Life just got even better.  Woo Hoo!!!

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