Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook, with More Than 200 Recipes

by Robb Walsh

Who says cooking is for homebodies?  Veteran Texas food writer Robb Walsh served as a judge at a chuck wagon cook-off, worked as a deckhand on a shrimp boat, and went mayhaw-picking in the Big Thicket--for seven years, he drove the length and breadth of the state looking for the best in barbecue, burgers, kolaches, and tacos; while scouring museums, libraries, and public archives unearthing vintage photos, culinary stories, and nearly-forgotten dishes. Then he headed home to Houston to test the recipes he'd collected back in his own  kitchen. The result is Texas The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook , a colorful and deeply personal blend of history, anecdotes, and recipes from all over the Lone Star State.       

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Westerns

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Robb Walsh is the author of four previous Texas cookbooks, including The Tex-Mex Cookbook. He is also the food critic for the Houston Press.

Reviews

[Theresa Eisch · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've cooked several recipes out of this book and I could not be more disappointed. The recipes are often lackluster, rural versions of better recipes. Half the recipes call for things like valvetta, cream of chicken, and other highly processed goop. The other half are simplified, characterless, and forgettable.

[Kristen Amen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an above average cookbook with gorgeous pictures of amazing looking food. I've heard the recipes are a bit complicated to make, but I enjoyed some of the history of Texas food that was described. My favorite chapter was about the history of the hamburger in Texas. Yum!

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really more of a food history guide than cookbook, but very interesting. I learned quite a bit about Texas too.

[Juliana Haught · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had my eye on this book for several years before I finally got it, and I wish I'd gotten it sooner! Texas Eats is a well-researched book, both in tracking down the origins and history of regional favorites, and in the testing of the recipes. If you are looking for a classic Texas foods book, you will be so happy if you have this on your shelf. The author has broken it down by region, which is the only way to understand Texas, and the research relies heavily on locally favorite restaurants and their specialties. If you grew up in Texas, all of these foods are ones you probably grew up eating some version of at one point or another, and if you moved away from Texas, you have probably missed many of these foods.

There are still so many recipes I want to try from this book, but hands down my very favorite recipe that I've already made at least three times is the Shrimp Bisque - it's exactly how I remembered Shrimp Bisque tasting from my childhood, and I have never found as good of a bisque anywhere - this one is just so flavorful and yummy. Also delicious and comforting are the cheese grits and eggs poached in milk. Yum! I pull this book off my shelf about every other week to find a recipe to make. So good.

[Jeffrey Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty effing definitive

The history behind the dishes is fascinating. The diversity of cuisines in Texas is amazing. I don’t miss much about Texas since moving away, but I do miss the food. A lot.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is half cookbook, half history of Texas foods. I thoroughly enjoyed the history of how different cultures have influenced Texas cuisine, from Mexico to Czech to German to French. I can appreciate the critique of various restaurants, but I feel many places were overlooked in favor of the author's favorites in Houston. Granted, I'm not an author/chef/restaurant critic, but I think personal taste is a huge factor. I appreciated the mention of Dallas icon El Fenix but was surprised at the omission of Keller's. The recipes given at the end of each chapter were largely not tempting. To spend a chapter detailing several restaurants and then end with recipes "similar" to what might have been served there, is disappointing. I don't expect landmark restaurants to give away their most prized recipes, but these seemed hardly worth more than a glance.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most fun way to learn history is when reading a cookbook (that's my take anyway). This one, divided into sections of the state by foodways, also gives a wonderful dose of history. That's just what I'd expect from Robb Walsh who has done the same for Barbecue, Tex-Mex, and other Texas specialties in previous books. This is the book I gave Rose to bring a bit of home-away-from-home to her L.A. kitchen. Now, reading it for myself, I am so happy I chose wisely.

Came away with about 10 recipes marked ... none of which I can recall at the moment, here away from my book. But all of them look solid and I trust Walsh.

[Brent Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really I like all of Walsh's books. This one was inspired by a 1930s-era project called (I think) "America Eats," which was intended to involve traveling across the country to chronicle the subcultures/regional variants of our national cuisine. I don't think this project was ever realized, but Walsh's attempt is realized beautifully as he travels the TX byroads, capturing our state's diversity (with personality and humor!).

[Lynnda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one has a lot of potential.

[Stephanie McGarrah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 for the writing.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nice pics and lots of diverse recipes.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great cookbook as diverse as Texas. Yummy!