The Kitchen Table: Brennan's of Houston [Hardcover]

Randy Evans (Author), Jay Stevens (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006

Documenting the kitchen of the restaurant Brennan's of Houston, this guide allows readers to observe the line cooks, dishwashers, and salad and pastry chefs as they prepare an exciting revival of classic dishes and Texas Creole cuisine with a twist. Chapters correspond to the seven courses served, from the lagniappe through dessert.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . a lesson in good Southern hospitality." -- Texas Home & Living

". . . a star." -- Charleston Post and Courier

". . . deliciously different." -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

". . . warning: don't start this book on an empty stomach." -- Southern Living, southernliving.com/ilovetexas

"Hip cuisine . . . Evans is famed for an innovative touch with Texas ingredients." -- USA TODAY

About the Author

Chef Randy Evans trained at the Art Institute of Houston's Culinary Arts Program. His initial expertise is in charcuterie, a facet of the French culinary art since the 1400s. Now executive chef at Brennan's of Houston, he teaches up-and-coming chefs and leads the restaurant in creative development.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 218 pages
• Publisher: Bright Sky Press (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931721858
• ISBN-13: 978-1931721851
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,114,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good recipes, but does not have the restaurant standards, March 12, 2007

By 

Stephanie Manley (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kitchen Table: Brennan's of Houston (Hardcover)

First off if you love Brennan's you are going to love this cookbook. With that being said if you are looking for the recipe for their pralines, or the banana's foster, you need to look at one of their other cookbooks because this book isn't filled with the traditional recipes that we all know and love Brennan's for.

This book was lovingly created, and has many unique recipes. Recipes contained in this book are those that you would expect to find in a finer dining establishment. Satsuma orange jelly, warm spinach salad, Heirloom tomato salad, are just a few of the recipes in this book. The book contains a good selection from all courses of dinner; meats, baked goods, vegetables, and additional items to make a meal complete. There are photos of each and every recipe, the photos make you want to go into the kitchen and start cooking immediately.

While many of these recipes are very good, I had personally expected this to have more items I would see on the menu. One of the appeals of Brennan's is its classic standards that you come to enjoy. This book contains none of these recipe, but it does contain other good recipes that an adventuresome cook would enjoy making.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Book, January 30, 2007

By 

Emily Denis "RDENIS" (Katy, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kitchen Table: Brennan's of Houston (Hardcover)

My wife and I purchased this book at a local book signing in Houston a few months ago. We have since prepared meals with about 10-12 recipes from this book. They have all been superb. Randy's recipe for chateaubriad is absolutely incredible. The recipe for Lyonaise potatoes is wonderful. The crawfish piquant recipe is outstanding. Overall it is a very attractive cookbook and the photography is superb. I do recommend this fine book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING!!!!!, October 15, 2008

By 

Le Master Devourer (Pasadena, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kitchen Table: Brennan's of Houston (Hardcover)

This book won a gold medal in the cookbook category at the 2007 Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York City with good reason. The photographs are beautiful and the special "education" sections about various ingredients and processes are extremely informational- they don't bind you to the recipes in the book (which are outstanding!) and allow you to learn about cooking and food in a fun way. I highly recommend this book for home chefs and food lovers alike. Chef Randy and Kathryne Castellanos did an outstanding job in producing this book- it is a must have for any kitchen!

Brennan's of Houston had a catastrophic fire on September 13th of this year during Hurricane Ike. The restaurant was destroyed and two people ( a father and his four-year-old daughter were severely burned). The photographs in the book which show the restaurant are obsolete. This book will become highly collectible due to the fact that restaurant no longer exists (it was built in the early 1900's) . I am soooo glad I have this great cookbook!