The Austin Cookbook

The acclaimed food writer’s “go-to guide for Austin eating” shares classic and creative recipes from the city’s greatest restaurants (Publishers Weekly). The story of Austin food is equal parts deep Texan traditions and a booming food scene. It is this atmosphere that has fostered some of the hottest restaurants in the country, a lively food truck community, and a renaissance in the most Texan of foods: barbecue. Austin food is also tacos and Tex-Mex, old fashioned Southern cooking, street food and fine dining, with influences from all over the globe. Above all, it’s a source of pride and inspiration for chefs and diners alike. Organized by Austin’s “major food groups”, The Austin Cookbook explores the roots of Texas food traditions and the restaurants that are reinventing them, revealing the secrets to Bob Armstrong dip, Odd Duck’s sweet potato nachos, East Side King’s beet fries, and of course, smoked brisket that has people lining up to eat it—even in the Texas summer. Part cookbook, part restaurant guide, and 100 percent love letter, The Austin Cookbook is perfect for proud locals, curious visitors, and (t)ex-pats.

Austin is an oasis of creativity in Texas. Food ranges from mom-and-pop eateries and eclectic food trailers to high-end, chef-driven restaurants, and all of them have received a warm welcome from the community. East Austin is home to taquerias and barbecue joints, while north Austin claims some of the city's best Vietnamese and Korean cuisine. Austin Chef's Table is the first cookbook to gather Austin's best chefs and restaurants under one cover. Including a signature "at home" recipe from more than fifty iconic dining establishments, the book is a celebration of the city's creative food scene. Full-color photos throughout capture Austin's eclectic eateries and highlight fabulous dishes and famous chefs.

Culinary enthusiasts share Texas recipes.

An informal view of dining and entertaining the Texas way.

This menu-driven cookbook for entertaining is filled with recipes to please any crowd. Rally before a football game; dish up dessert after a theater performance; arrange a formal tea using fabulous menu combinations. Beautiful photographs and a little Austin history also make this book an interesting read. A 2002 Southwest Regional Winner of the Tabasco Community Cookbook Award.

As food communities around the world reinvented themselves through social media, some of the savviest online taste buds of one noted food capital banded together in 2010 to form the Austin Food Blogger Alliance. Through their blogs--and now their first-ever cookbook--these culinary enthusiasts share images of favorite dishes, stories of life in Texas and, of course, recipes. From Persian stew to Czech kolaches, Greek phyllo wraps and good old Texas sheet cake, each dish illustrates the diversity of the city and tempts even the most discerning of palates.

Get a taste of Texas culinary history with this quirky, diverse community cookbook from Austin’s nineteenth-century residents, plus photos and informative essays. Tacos and barbecue command appetites today, but early Austinites indulged in peppered mangoes, roast partridge, and cucumber catsup. Those are just a few of the fascinating historic recipes in this new edition of the first cookbook published in the city. Written by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1891, Our Home Cookbook aimed to “cause frowns to dispel and dimple into ripples of laughter” with myriad “receipts” from the early Austin community. From dandy pudding to home remedies “worth knowing,” these are hearty helpings featuring local game and diverse heritage, including German, Czech and Mexican. With informative essays and a cookbook bibliography, city archivist Mike Miller and the Austin History Center present this curious collection that's sure to raise eyebrows, if not cravings.

Discover the savory culture and traditions that have made Austin, Texas, the self-proclaimed Breakfast Taco Capital of the World. Fresh tortillas, fluffy huevos con bacon and spicy salsa—good morning, Austin. Or good afternoon, evening, night—whenever. From taco tailgates to taquerias, there is a taco for every occasion and persuasion. Some say that it was born in the days of cowboys and vaqueros, and others say it was a creation of the Tex-Mex culture, but one thing is certain: The breakfast taco has taken over the Capital City. From South Congress to North Austin, neon and chalkboard signs tempt hungry passersby with their best morning-time handheld bites. With over forty breakfast taco recipes, Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece investigate (and masticate) the history, culture, and traditions of that indelible and delectable Austin treat: the breakfast taco. Includes photos! “Casual, fun, and approachable . . . I’m betting Austin Breakfast Tacos becomes one of Austin’s favorite culinary mementos during the coming year.” —The Austin Chronicle