Customer Reviews

The Texas Cookbook: From Barbecue to Banquet-an Informal View of Dining and Entertaining the Texas Way (Great American Cooking Series)

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Mary Koock's The Texas Cookbook: From Barbecue To Banquet - An Informal View Of Dining And Entertaining The Texas Way is a wonderful collection of recipes and anecdotal stories the showcase the diversity of Texas cuisine ranging from down-home cooking to high-class affairs, and from regional favorites to ethnic specialities. From Mom's Potato Cake; Lime Light Pie; Watermelon Cake; and Sam's Charcoaled Fish; to Mae Shepherd's Curry Chicken Salad; Bernice Rosalind's Lemon Bisque; Honey Walnut Bread, and Jean Kritser's Pickled Okra, The Texas Cookbook is a superbly presented, highly recommended compendium of fine eating and background stories.

This is so much more than a cookbook! It's a snapshot of life in Texas in the '60s, and even includes stories from years prior when Mary Koock was a girl. Mrs. Koock wrote about some people as if the reader should automatically know who they all were, but even if you don't, it gives the book a familiar feel, as if the author is taking you into her confidence and sharing these anecdotes with you as she would with a friend. Her writing is dynamic, and I actually laughed out loud several times while reading the book. To be honest, I haven't actually made any of the recipes yet, but I have no doubt they'll turn out wonderfully. Even if they didn't, I would still love this book.