Texas is so big, so sprawling — 270,000 square miles and 10 distinct climatic regions — that it stands to reason its cuisine should be just as diverse.
Gulf Coast shrimpers, Hill Country wineries, a statewide cattle industry and all the rest contribute to the feast. Four recent Lone Star State-focused cookbooks bring home the point:
“The Homesick Texan’s Family Table: Lone Star Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours”
By Lisa Fain (288 pages, Ten Speed Press, $29.99)
About the author: This is the second cookbook for Fain, a seventh-generation Texan who now lives in New York and writes the Homesick Texan food blog. Photographs by Fain.
About the book: Fain writes that the kitchen of her New York apartment is so small she can stand in the middle and touch the outer boundaries on each side. All 125 recipes in the book, she says, can be duplicated in that small a space, with a minimum of kitchen equipment. There are seven chapters, from breakfast and breads to main events to sweets. The recipes are varied, reflecting the different cuisines of Texas, and are what one might find on a recipe card or hear about from a family member or friend.
Beyond recipes: There’s a small, informative section on chili peppers, a cornerstone of Texas cooking. Fain explains frequently used peppers, both fresh and dried, and gives tip son making chili powder, roasting fresh chilies, and roasting and rehydrating dried red chilies.
“The Nolan Ryan Beef & Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes from a Texas Kitchen”
By Nolan Ryan (180 pages, Little, Brown and Co., $25)
About the authors: Ryan had a 27-year Major League Baseball career that put him in the Hall of Fame. He remains in the game as an executive with the Houston Astros. He’s also a longtime cattle rancher who runs his own beef company. Sharing authorship are Cristobal G. Vazquez, executive chef, Texas Rangers Baseball; writer JR Rosenthal; Charlie Bradbury, president and CEO of Nolan Ryan Beef.
About the book: Vazquez writes that the book is based on Ryan’s love for the Mexican and Southwestern foods of Texas, and his roots in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Yes, the 75 recipes tilt heavily toward beef, but there’s also a selection of salads, sides and desserts.
“The Texas Food Bible: From Legendary Dishes to New Classics”
By Dean Fearing (256 pages, Grand Central Life & Style, $30)
About the authors: Kentucky-born Fearing, trained in the classic French culinary tradition, came to Texas almost 35 years ago and has been a pioneer in Southwestern cuisine. He spent 20 years as the executive chef at the Mansion at Turtle Creek, and in 2007 opened Fearing’s at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. He wrote “The Texas Food Bible” with Judith Choate and Eric Dreyer; photographs by Dave Carlin.
About the book: Fearing offers traditional and modern dishes from his adopted home state, incorporating ingredients from Native Americans, Spanish explorers, Germans, Eastern Europeans, Mexicans, even cowboys, all of whom are part of Texas’ culinary heritage. In all, there are 213 recipes presented.
“Texas on the Table: People, Places, and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State”
By Terry Thompson-Anderson (448 pages, University of Texas Press, $45)
About the author: Thompson-Anderson has written several cookbooks, including “Cajun-Creole Cooking” and “Texas on the Plate.” She also writes about wine and teaches. Photographs by Sandy Wilson.
About the book: From finger foods to vegetarian dishes to wild game, Thompson-Anderson casts a wide net over the many tastes of Texas. There are 150 recipes, most using products from the state.
Must-try recipe: Texas goat cheese with sun-dried tomato relish and cayenne toasts
Beyond recipes: At times, Thompson-Anderson seems more like a travel guide. Sprinkled among the recipes are little side trips to places like CKC Farms in Blanco, a goat dairy started by teenager Chrissy Omo; the Diamond H Ranch in Bandera, where quail are raised; and the Shape Ranch near Carrizo Springs, which raises and processes bison (and doesn’t ship it outside Texas). She also profiles some two dozen winemakers from Texas’ burgeoning wine industry.
About the Author
