Music in the Kitchen: Favorite Recipes from Austin City Limits Performers

by Glenda Pierce Facemire (Compiler), Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant (Contributor)

With a musical mix that free ranges from progressive country to rock'n'roll, jazz, Texas swing, Latin, blues, pop, bluegrass, and world music, Austin City Limits inspires and entertains millions of fans around the globe. Created by Austin's PBS television station KLRU in 1974 and winner of countless awards (including the National Medal of the Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts) since, ACL is now the longest-running show on PBS, as well as an annual music festival that draws tens of thousands of music lovers to the "Live Music Capital of the World."

As the show celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary in 2009, Music in the Kitchen offers a unique, highly flavorful way to connect with ACL through the favorite recipes of some 130 artists who've appeared on its stage. From Willie Nelson's "Willie's Tequila-Mango Salsa" to Roseanne Cash's "Roast Lemon Chicken with Carrots and Onions," Joss Stone's "Veggie Lasagna," My Morning Jacket's "Quinoa Eggs with Cheese, Please!" and Shawn Colvin's "Swedish Pancakes," these are some of the most authentic family recipes for everything from zesty appetizers to scrumptious desserts. Not surprisingly, the recipes reflect the diverse national and international roots of the performers, who tell interesting and flavorful stories of what these dishes mean to them and their families. Glenda Facemire introduces the recipes with brief biographies that highlight not only the artists' musical careers and achievements but also their contributions to society beyond music, as well as their favorite charities. Striking color photographs of the performers make this book a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Music in the Kitchen's tasty mix of food, family stories, photos, and backstage insights collected and compiled by an ACL veteran will make you feel like you're right there on the set as you whip up these recipes in your own kitchen. Good entertainment, good eating, and good listening, y'all!

Genres: Music

305 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2009

Reviews

[Danna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this at the last performance recorded in the original ACL studio (from the ACL taping program on April 19, 2010: Patty Griffin & Friends Shawn Colvin and Emmylou Harris). Though the recipes are inviting, it's less of a cookbook and more of a history of the talented people who have performed for ACL through the years, their biographies and favorite charities and other bits of whimsy. A delightful coffee-table book and a great gift for music-loving foodies or food-loving fans of live music.

[LD · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed seeing the recipes musicians picked and some faces of friends throughout this book. There are your standard recipes like meatloaf, gumbo, and German chocolate cake, but there are also so other delicious surprises like chicken gnocci and roasted bean soup with quesadilla dumplings. No photos of the food, but lots the pictures of the musicians throughout kind of makes you forget about food pics.

[Kei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. And with quite a few lovely recipes in it. Not tested them all yet, in fact barely a fraction. However, we've liked all the ones we've tried, and the best biscuits ever came from this book.