The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl [Hardcover]

Ree Drummond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2009

My name is Ree. Some folks know me as "The Pioneer Woman."

After years of living in Los Angeles, I made a pit stop in my hometown in Oklahoma on the way to a new, exciting life in Chicago. It was during my stay at home that I met Marlboro Man, a mysterious cowboy with steely blue eyes and a muscular, work-honed body. A strict vegetarian, I fell hard and fast, and before I knew it we were married and living on his ranch in the middle of nowhere, taking care of animals, and managing a brood of four young children. I had no idea how I'd wound up there, but I knew it was exactly where I belonged.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is a homespun collection of photography, rural stories, and scrumptious recipes that have defined my experience in the country. I share many of the delicious cowboy-tested recipes I've learned to make during my years as an accidental ranch wife—including Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce, Lasagna, Fried Chicken, Patsy's Blackberry Cobbler, and Cinnamon Rolls—not to mention several "cowgirl-friendly" dishes, such as Sherried Tomato Soup, Olive Cheese Bread, and CrÈme BrÛlÉe. I show my recipes in full color, step-by-step detail, so it's as easy as pie to follow along.

You'll also find colorful images of rural life: cows, horses, country kids, and plenty of chaps-wearing cowboys.

I hope you get a kick out of this book of mine. I hope it makes you smile. I hope the recipes bring you recognition, accolades, and marriage proposals. And I hope it encourages even the most harried urban cook to slow down, relish the joys of family, nature, and great food, and enjoy life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Blogger-turned-author Drummond gives readers a slice of frontier life in this likeable-enough collection of recipes and dispatches from the Oklahoma ranch she shares with her husband and children. Replicating the step-by-step photography that made her blog such a hit, Drummond walks readers through dishes ranging from simple-Guacamole, Chili, Artichoke Dip-to more complex, such as from-scratch Cinnamon Rolls and Sherried Tomato Soup. Drummond's careful coaching will help anyone intimidated by the kitchen fearlessly crank out favorites like Chicken Fried Steak, Meat Loaf and Rib Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce. While the recipes are reliable home cooking standards, relentless references to her husband, known as the Marlboro Man, range from distracting to juvenile, giving what could have been a comfort food classic the feel of a junior-high class project.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

#1 New York Times Bestseller (New York Times )

#1 Denver Post Bestseller (Denver Post )

#5 Wall Street Journal Bestseller (Wall Street Journal )

#6 Publishers Weekly Bestseller (Publishers Weekly )

#7 Washington Post Bestseller (Washington Post )

#9 Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association Bestseller (MPIBA )

#29 USA Today Bestseller (USA Today )

an Amazon Customer Favorite Cookbook (Amazon.com )

“[Ree Drummond is] funny, enthusiastic and self-deprecating, making the book appeal to pavement-pounders and pioneer types alike [with] recipes like steak with whiskey cream sauce, leek and potato pizza and pico de gallo. As a portrait of a real American family kitchen, it works.” (New York Times )

“Drummond invites fans into her world with irresistible recipes and photos…. Here’s a mom of four who can turn out a Perfect Pot Roast and make feasts for girlfriends that start with sangria and finish with crème brûlée. It’s sweet and seductive: You’ll want to plunge right in.” (People )

“Jokey and irresistible. Drummond’s…appreciation for something as simple as well-made pico de gallo is infectious. Such attentiveness to basic cooking skills makes the book entertaining and useful.” (New York Times Gift Guide )

“Who needs Julia Child? I’ve got Pioneer Woman.” (Baltimore Sun )

“Drummond’s writing style is closer to a good friend dishing out advice than an expert telling people want to do.” (Denver Daily News )

“[Ree Drummond] whips up mouthwatering meals with easy-to-find ingredients (she’s miles away from restaurants and supermarkets) and shares what living in a not-so-little house on the prairie is really all about. ” (People )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; Later Printing edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061658197
• ISBN-13: 978-0061658198
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (756 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > U.S. Regional

More About the Author

"I'm a desperate housewife. I live in the country. I channel Lucille Ball, Sylvia Plath, and Ethel Merman. Welcome to my frontier!"

My name is Ree. I'm also known as The Pioneer Woman on my website, ThePioneerWoman.com.

Years ago, after living and working there for several years, I left the great city of Los Angeles . Fleeing a dead-end relationship with a surfer, I planned a much-needed pit stop in my Oklahoma hometown before beginning my new life in Chicago. While home, I met and unexpectedly fell in love with a Wrangler-wearing cowboy whose icy-blue eyes made me forget myself. Before I knew it, I'd canceled my Chicago plans, married the cowboy, and was bearing his children and chasing cows off my porch on his cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere.

Four children and thirteen years later, I still don't know what I'm doing here.

But I do know this: I'm exactly where I belong.

A former vegetarian and food-lover, it was a rude awakening to find out that cowboys don't eat seaweed. They don't eat salads unless they're piled high with ranch dressing, and they certainly wouldn't consider spicy Thai food the height of culinary bliss. They eat meat, lots of meat, with an occasional potato thrown in for balanced nutrition. I stood in my country kitchen and cried, mourning the beautiful things I used to eat. I stared at potatoes with disdain.

Then I picked myself up off the figurative floor, dusted off my apron, and figured if I couldn't beat 'em...I'd join 'em. I jumped right in, teaching myself to cook cowboy-friendly meals. Occasionally, I'd throw in some fresh basil to bring a little of my old life in. I'm still cooking today, and I love it more and more all the time.

Unless the family requests fried calf nuts, and then I start crying all over again.

One morning in 2006, my husband took all four of our small children to work cattle. In my pajamas, I wandered to the computer and started a blog, "Confessions of a Pioneer Woman." What started as a place to post the occasional photo or two quickly became a catch-all for rural stories, bizarre poetry, photography tips, and eventually, my step-by-step pictorial recipes. Now, nearly four years later, ThePioneerWoman.com is still going strong. I love sharing my crazy, silly life with the folks who stop by my site...and I love interacting with them. They're the best people on the internet.

My cookbook, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks", is a natural extension of the cooking section of my website. Using only simple and widely-available ingredients, I share my favorite, classic recipes from my website---along with a good crop of new dishes. I hope you enjoy it. It's homespun, homemade, and very stream-of-consciousness. It's me.

Thanks for stopping by!