We stumbled across The Food of Texas: Authentic Recipes From the Lone Star State by Caroline Stuart this past October at the San Antonio New World Wine and Food Festival, which celebrated the Latin American influence on Texas cuisine by pairing fine food with fine wine. We were not disappointed with the coupling of chef Grady Spears’s tenderloin of beef tamale and a glass of Chile’s Primus Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, over the course of the weekend, we learned a little about wine and picked up some goodies along the way, including this cookbook.
If you want to impress your guests—or family, for that matter—by cooking up dishes that look like they came straight out of a fancy restaurant, then The Food of Texas (Periplus, 2000) is a must-have. This cookbook offers up recipes from such distinguished Texas restaurants as Star Canyon, Cafe Annie, the Mansion on Turtle Creek, Ruggles Grill, and Boulevard Bistrot. You can find out how to make Dean Fearing’s famous tortilla soup and Stephan Pyles’ Cowboy Rib-Eye Steak. (The recipes are straightforward and the photos are beautiful.) Just think of the possibilities. Bon appétit.
