Customer Reviews

The Texas Cowboy Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you have any interest in the history of cowboys, chuck wagons, the state of Texas or just delicious range-life cooking, this is the book for you. This well-written and informative cookbook goes beyond the recipes and provides a detailed history of cowboys in Texas, and how each regional and ethnic group contributed to the category of cowboy cuisine. From sourdough biscuits to "son of a bitch," Walsh walks you through all aspects of preparation, and shows you how you can acclimate the recipes for the home kitchen. This beautifully designed book is also generously illustrated with historical photos and whimsical illustrations. And sprinkled throughout the text are oral histories on cooking from cowboys both old and new, placing the recipes in a delciious context. While the recipes are not fancy (this is, after all, cowboy cuisine, food originally designed to be eaten outdoors on the range), they are meticulous, authentic and tasty. And I challenge anyone to say instruction on how to cook a cow's head is mundane!

this is a great cookbook;it has many informative articles and wonderful pictures. i highly recommend the dr. pepper marinade for tri tip to filet roasts.

Even if you don't like to cook, this is a fun book full of Texas cowboy tales and good eats! Just leafing through the many photos and stories is a delicacy.

This cookbook is such fun. I had checked out a copy at the local library and liked it so much I purchased it. The history and cowboy myths were enlightining. I shared it with a neighbor who also purchased it. I made sourdough bread after reading this book and our family is planning a "chuckwagon cookout". Fun to read.

I thought the book was excellently written. It had recipes from many ethnic groups around Texas. The chapter on African-american Texans was especially interesting. The author took great strides in making the book personally touch all readers who would pick it up to read. It even had great references to historical events.
I would seriously consider this author on any future purchases.

This is the third cookbook by Robb Walsh and he's on a roll. Loved this book. The recipes are really good and the mix of history makes this a fun book to have.

This book has good interesting information about the old west and the recipes are good too.

Whilst the title is technically correct and there are a number of notable recipes, observations and ideas in the early chapters, as the book develops it is possible to form the idea the author began to stuggle a tad for relevant information. Included as possible padding are ' wanna be cowboys ' and actors key to the Texas cowboy myth of popular culture. The ' Duke 'gets a mention with no food hook, whilst missing is the Elvis fried sandwitch! Personally I had anticipated more about food, less about people who had no impact upon cooking of any style. But as stated, the title is technically correct and the subject matter reach defensible.
In fairness the author does point out that the generally accepted period of the true ' cowboy era ' was actually relatively short. Detailed observations as to how cattle / livestock herding practices evolved from earlier traditions of land use as practiced by the various peoples of all hues and evolved with the various population moves into the west by both relocation from within the Americas and immigration from overseas do shed a light into the ' Old West ' possibly not generally appreciated. Those influences upon the regional food is interesting and detailed.