Customer Reviews

Texas Home Cooking: 400 Terrific and Comforting Recipes Full of Big, Bright Flavors and Loads of Down-Home Goodness (America Cooks)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Shortly after moving to Michigan from my home state of Texas I found Texas Home Cooking. I was doubtful that it would bring back the tastes of home I was craving. It has proven to be the only cookbook I pull out when seeking out a dish to wow my new family and friends. It truly is a reflection of Texas cooking from the Tex-Mex section (salsas, enchiladas, tamales and more) to the classic American home cooked favorites (B-B-Q, steaks, chicken fried steak, sweet potatoes) that are famous in the south. I use it for reference to recreate that dish I had and on a night when I want to try something new.

Most cookbooks have standard recipes that do an okay job of getting the food cooked.

_Texas Home Cooking_ does one thing that most others don't. They have all of those little cooking secrets that add an extra zing to what would have been standard recipes.

Just their beer mop recipe has become a staple of my cooking palate. But they have so many other recipes that really make my guests cheer.

Those extra steps make steaks, fried chicken, meat loaf, fries, and other american/mexican foods into real comfort food.

This is my favorite cookbook (out of 40 in my collection)

I struggled for quite some time trying to find a Southern cookbook that wasn't, you know, full of frou-frou recipes that no one in their right mind would actually use. This is it. This has that recipe for jalapeno cornbread you've been looking for. Jambalaya dressing, Jezebel sauce, praline pie and enough different chilis to start your own cook-off.

Stories and techniques accompany most recipes; shoot, I love just sitting and reading it. I may as well throw my Joy of Cooking away -- I'm never gonna touch it again.

Like other reviewers have said, I have never made anything out of this cookbook which wasn't utterly delicious! The difference between this and many of the other cookbooks I own is that this food is meant for people who love to eat real food- not "nouveau" dishes that often turn out as if no one had tested the recipe. My favorite recipes are "The Driskill's 1886 Room Chocolate Sheet Cake" (which is now called "Texas Sheet Cake" by my family, the PTA and my church group); the Molasses Spice Cookies; and the Big Thicket Coconut Cake.

Yesterday was my daughter's birthday and she opened this cookbook and requested Tamale Pie and Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake for her birthday dinner. Both were new recipes and both came out absolutely beautiful and delicious. I asked my husband what he wanted for dessert for Father's Day and he picked out the German Chocolate Cake from this cookbook, because he said that it was guaranteed to be excellent.

So can you tell I think you should buy it?

It's hard to imagine why this book appears to have been "remaindered" for sale in off-price bookstores, for it is a genuinely amusing, fascinating and generally excellent tour through regional Texas cuisine -- with none of the pretensions of the "celebrity" chefs. All of the recipes are positively fantastic. I give this book as a gift for anyone moving to or from Texas. Can't recommend it highly enough!

I have owned this book for over 10 years now and have cooked most everything in it. I'm telling you honestly that I have yet to cook something out of here that doesn't get snacked on constantly or rave reviews from people that visit. My original copy of this fell apart from being used so much! What I wound up having to do was cut the spine off of the book and rebind it myself.

I'm honestly very surprised that this book doesn't have more reviews than it does. Not only are the recipes wonderful to eat, they are fun to read. The author adds fun descriptions and background information with every recipe. Reading these will actually make you want to cook them. Almost every recipe book that I've read since has been disappointing in this respect. This book raised the bar!

Actually there is one recipe that I haven't been able to cook very well, and that is the biscuit. I've dedicated entire days here and there to do nothing but cook batches trying to get it right, but they always come out hard and don't taste very good.

I bought this book a few weeks ago in a Dallas mall in one of those Texas touristy shops because I was looking for a basic Texas cookbook that had a great variety of Southern and Mexican recipes including a great basic salsa and a Ranch dressing.

So far, I have not been disappointed ONE BIT. I have made four recipes so far...year-round salsa, green sauce, milagro meatloaf, and the mashed potatoes, and everything has turned out absolutely fantastic. The instructions are perfect and don't need any tweaking whatsoever.

Just as an aside, I have made mashed potatoes probably forty times, but decided to give this new method a try after reading how deliciously fluffy and rich they were supposed to be. Not only did the method work out perfectly, but they are THE best mashed potatoes I've ever had.

Fantastic book...definitely a must-have for anyone that adores Tex-Mex or Southern cooking!!!

After my son brought his New England girlfriend to Texas for a visit, she couldn't stop raving about the cuisine. I bought this cookbook as a gift for her after doing a lot of online research to find just the right Texas cookbook. The only problem is; now that I've received it, I want to keep it for myself! I was looking for a book that would explain Chicken Fried Steak and Brisket to a Yankee, but this cookbook is so much more than that. The stories and advice that accompany the recipes are a delight. I make mashed potatoes constantly; who knew I could transform something so basic? In any case, I purchased a second copy of this book for myself, and I anticipate buying many more, as this is the perfect gift for a newlywed or for anyone who has left Texas and misses the tastes of the region. A true masterpiece!

I can't believe there are used copies available! Why would anybody sell one after seeing and using it? I wasn't born in Texas but was made an "honorary native" by friends (complete with membership card!). I received this book as a gift after moving back to the midwest and I LOVE it! I now make the best chicken-fried steak this side of the Sabine River thanks to this cookbook. It not only has great recipes, it has invaluable tips and interesting comments on Texas culinary history and culture. The recipes are not fancy (meaning not "nouveau" or "fusion"), not laden with fillers. Just good food suitable for any night of the week.

I have had this cookbook ever since we moved to Texas in 1991. I take great pride in being able to cook about anything by following directions, and this book gives great directions and easy to find ingredients. The book is easily worth the price for the "Arroz Pilaf" and "Frijoles Borrachos" recipes alone. I love the little notes for each recipe, and the technique tips are helpful. BTW, even though it's not Tex-Mex, my husband says the "Salmon Patties" are the best he's ever tasted! No color pictures, but not really necessary for me. Recommended buy.