Quite often, those of us in urban areas get so caught up in the race for trendy foodstuffs and recreating fancy restaurant meals that we forget about the simple things that taste great. The Junior League of Amarillo reminds us that the food we crave may start with a can of cream of mushroom soup or a package of cream cheese. In their most recent cookbook, Beyond the Rim: A Taste of Amarillo, the ladies of the Amarillo league include old favorites like Seven-Layer Bean Dip and Taco Soup and then take it a step beyond the usual potluck fare. There are forays into the highbrow, such as Pork Tenderloin With Mustard Sauce (bourbon and shallots also add flavor), and the unlikely—Scalloped Pineapple or Martha Washington Confections (half a box of paraffin is part of this recipe).
The beauty of this cookbook is in the photography. Although there are no pictures of the recipes created, there are beautiful images of the Panhandle taken by local photographers. Combined with the short sidebars about the service projects undertaken by the Junior League of Amarillo, Beyond the Rim serves as more than a simple book of recipes; it becomes a document of a community.
Here is a sampling of the recipes you’ll find:
German Potato Soup
Lemon Pancakes
Beef Rib Eye Roast With Madeira Sauce
Corn and Green Bean Casserole
Monkey Bread
Old-fashioned Chocolate Cake
