Customer Reviews

New Tastes from Texas

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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a fairly serious cook who moved to Texas from the Midwest a couple of years ago, I've been intrigued by the "New Tastes" experienced in the better Texas or Tex-Mex restauarants I've visited. Trying to figure out how to prepare and blend ingredients I wasn't very familiar with has been complicated and time consuming. Stephen Pyles "New Tastes From Texas" has done more for my grasp of New Texas Cuisine than any other cookbook or resource I've read. In this book, Chef Pyles provides not only the basic preparations (pure chili powder, chili pastes, etc.) but also some of his very best recipes. Having recipes for Star Canyon's "Cowboy Ribeye", "Rock Shrimp Taquitos" and "Heaven and Hell Cake" are alone worthe price of the book. Buy it . . . you'll love it!

This is just an outstanding cookbook, filled with info, unique recipes and sources for ingredients, and spectacular shots of finished dishes.

I keep making one new recipe after another for guests and compliments are on the high side of all fare I prepare and serve. Tried such creative dishes as: Cajun Sweet Potato and Sausage Casserole (becoming demanded regular at Thanksgiving);Honey-Glazed Apple-stuffed pork chops on black-eyed pea-sweet potato hash; Vine-Ripened Tomato Salad (served in a unique tower fashion) Grilled Snapper with black bean - roast banan mash, coconut serrano broth and mango-tortilla salad; Stacked Banana-Creme' Brulee Tostada.

But a few of the marvelous stuff in this volume. Listed a few to show how tempting they sound and their accompaniments. Not exactly quick or easy to make (most of them in this category) but for the medium to experienced home gourmet, these will give you that extraordinary zip to your dining experience.

Make these and you'll return to this one over and over as I continue to do.

I finally received my copy of this book and immediately made some home made chili powder and had friends over for dinner the next weekend. Although some have made statments on how complex the recipes are, he is famous for a reason. AND, he has chosen to share some of his recipes that have made him and his restaurant famous.

I got this book for Christmas, I have wanted it for months. Watching Stephan's cooking shows have inspired me to create some SouthWestern magic of my own. There are great recipes, pictures & very interesting background information...well rounded. I bet the dinner party I'm having in a few weeks will go off without a hitch, thanks to Stephan.

This is the third book by Chef Pyles and as a degreed culinarian who had the privilege to stage (and get paid for it!) with Chef Pyles at his restaurant in Dallas, Texas and I can tell you This Is The Book, The Heart and Soul of who is Chef Stephan Pyles. This is the book that was on the executive chef shelf for us to refer to, these are the recipes I prepped and cooked for the guests every night to include his famous Heaven and Hell Cake; for me making it was heaven compared to slicing it and keeping it straight on the dish to reach the guest's table, that was hell! But for Chef Pyles this cake represent his childhood, his favorite things in life, his sweet tooth, his yin-yang. My other favorite recipes featured on his menu and in the book are the Southwestern Caesar Salad dressing (page 79) and the Bone-In Cowboy Rib-Eye Steak with Mushroom Ragout and Red Chili Onion Rings (page 80 and 81) - my Southwestern diet!
So if you are like me or want to channel the spirit of Stephan Pyles for a meal, you will find this and his other books to be an indispensible resource to get to know and understand the sensible approach to Southwestern cuisine.

I have enjoyed watching the PBS series and this companion cookbook really helps. The diverse recipes allow me to prepare the dishes for friends and family --- all with a real Texas taste. Chef Pyles provides all the detailed instructions needed for each recipe. The pictures are fabulous.

My Son is studying to be a Chef and collects cook books. I bought him the "New Tastes from Texas" cook book - It's a Great cook book. My complaint is that I ordered him a "NEW" cook book and I paid for a "NEW" cook book. Had it shipped to him, as it was a Christmas gift. What he recieved was a "USED" book. It was in fair condition, with only a few personal notes in it from the the last owner. My son loves the recipes and stories. I on the other hand am unhappy to have paid for something new and got used!

I really enjoy watching chef Stephan Pyles show on Public television, but this book has recipes that are just to intricate. There are some that are somewhat simple but the majority are not. Great photography in the book.

this book is seriously frustrating.

I finally attempted to break mine in for a dinner party after drooling over the thought for a few years. Because so many of the dishes are so intricate, and many require time-consuming "pre-prep", you need to make sure you read the recipes VERY carefully before proceeding.

None of them have a list of ingredients you can just add. Many of them are "roasted garlic puree, see p. 4" so you have to flip to that page and complete that before you can finish your recipe. Some of the more difficult ones have 2 or 3 other ingredients like that, that are included in another area of the book. Although it saved him printing costs, it's really annoying to have to keep flipping back and forth as you cook.

I made the coriander cured beef tenderloin. I've never cured anything in my life. How helpful is "put the paste in a bowl and add the tenderloin." OK, now what? You're supposed to let it sit 3 hours. Wouldn't beef spoil if left out? I put it in a sealed Tupperware container and had to put it in the refrigerator overnight, not sure if I was supposed to coat the beef or what.

For those of us who have never roasted garlic, I wasn't sure if I needed to remove the papery husks from the outside before I placed them in the oven.

For the Heaven and Hell cake, I was really excited to make it since I'd heard a lot about it. For the life of me, I searched EVERYWHERE for a 10 inch cake pan, but they evidently do not exist. The cake cooked over the sides and eventually broke apart as I was removing it from the pan.

There are very few courtesy reminders or steps for anyone just starting out. Now, I'm a foodie and cook a lot, and even I was thinking "???!" in some of these dishes.

Save your money and head to Dallas to one of his restaurants. If you don't have sous chefs and sauciers to help you, this book is an exercise in frustration.