The Homesick Texan Cookbook

When Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan, moved to New York City, she missed the big sky, the bluebonnets in spring, Friday night football, and her family's farm. But most of all, she missed the foods she'd grown up with. After a fruitless search for tastes of Texas in New York City, Fain took matters into her own hands. She headed into the kitchen to cook for her friends the Tex-Mex, the chili, and the country comfort dishes that reminded her of home. From cheese enchiladas drowning in chili gravy to chicken-fried steak served with cream gravy on the side, from warm bowls of chile con queso to big pots of fiery chili made without beans, Fain re-created the wonderful tastes of Texas she'd always enjoyed at potlucks, church suppers, and backyard barbecues back home. In 2006, Fain started the blog Homesick Texan to share Texan food with fellow expatriates, and the site immediately connected with readers worldwide, Texan and non-Texan alike. Now, in her long-awaited first cookbook, Fain brings the comfort of Texan home cooking to you. Like Texas itself, the recipes in this book are varied and diverse, all filled with Fain's signature twists. There's Salpicón, a cool shredded beef salad found along the sunny border in El Paso; Soft Cheese Tacos, a creamy plate unique to Dallas; and Houston-Style Green Salsa, an avocado and tomatillo salsa that is smooth, refreshing, and bright. There are also nibbles, such as Chipotle Pimento Cheese and Tomatillo Jalapeno Jam; sweet endings, such as Coconut Tres Leches Cake and Mexican Chocolate Chewies; and fresh takes on Texan classics, such as Coffee-Chipotle Oven Brisket, Ancho Cream Corn, and Guajillo-Chile Fish Tacos. With more than 125 recipes, The Homesick Texan offers a true taste of the Lone Star State. So pull up a chair-everyone's welcome at the Texas table!

A fun, full-color look at everyone's favorite cheese dip, with history, tips, facts, and 50 recipes from beloved food blogger Lisa Fain, "the Homesick Texan." Queso (aka chile con queso) is a spicy, cheesy, comforting cult favorite that has long been a delicious addition to any party, barbecue, or family gathering. This appealing and accessible book features a mix of down-home standards and contemporary updates, from historical, regional, and Mexican quesos to vegan and dessert quesos, including Chile Verde Con Queso, Squash Blossom Queso Fundido, Fajita Queso, Cactus and Corn Queso Poblano, Frito Salad with Queso Dressing, Pulled Pork Queso Blanco, and Sausage Queso Biscuits. Whether you're relaxing with friends, having a few people over to watch the football game, or entertaining a hungry crowd, queso is the perfect party food for good times.

More than 300 recipes from Texas.

An informal view of dining and entertaining the Texas way.

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. As he drove the length and breadth of the state, Walsh sought out the best in barbecue, burgers, kolaches, and tacos; scoured museums, libraries, and public archives; and unearthed 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 Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook, a colorful and deeply personal blend of history, anecdotes, and recipes from all over the Lone Star State. In Texas Eats, Walsh covers the standards, from chicken-fried steak to cheese enchiladas to barbecued brisket. He also makes stops in East Texas, for some good old-fashioned soul food; the Hill Country, for German- and Czech-influenced favorites; the Panhandle, for traditional cowboy cooking; and the Gulf Coast, for timeless seafood dishes and lost classics like pickled shrimp. Texas Eats even covers recent trends, like Viet-Texan fusion and Pakistani fajitas. And yes, there are recipes for those beloved-but-obscure gems: King Ranch casserole, parisa, and barbecued crabs. With more than 200 recipes and stunning food photography, Texas Eats brings the richness of Texas food history vibrantly to life and serves up a hearty helping of real Texas flavor.

When first published, The Texas Holiday Cookbook drew rave reviews and gained a national following. In this new edition, truly Texan recipes like Margarita Balls and Really Whomped-Up Mashed Potatoes have been updated for contemporary tastes, products, equipment, techniques, and lifestyle concerns such as nutrition profiles.New chapters and materials include: superstar Texas chefs’ holiday traditions and recipes; food gift ideas for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's; Texas wines and spirits for holiday celebrations; and Texas tricks to make holiday cooking tastier, quicker, and easier such as combining homemade with takeout, using convenience products, and sharing the workload with guests.

Better than going out for Mexican food! Mexican food—by which most of us mean Tex-Mex—is a favorite from Los Angeles to New York and everywhere in between. And the heart of great Tex-Mex cooking comes from home kitchens along the Rio Grande. In THE ENCHILADA QUEEN COOKBOOK, Sylvia Casares gives you the best of the best, including tricks and simple techniques to turn any dish from appetizing to amazing. You’ll learn how to make her Holy Trinity spice paste; why you should use certain key shortcuts, such as chicken bouillon, in some dishes; and how to do her tortilla-changing Texas Two-Step marinating technique. And after you’ve picked your favorites from her 14 key sauces, you’ll make unbelievable food for a family or a crowd, including: --Cheese Enchiladas with Chili Gravy --Spinach Enchiladas with Salsa Verde --Shrimp Enchiladas with Salsa Veracruzano --Stewed Chicken Breast Enchiladas with Salsa Mole And the Enchilada Queen is an expert in more than just enchiladas. Here you’ll find appetizers, sides, breakfasts and desserts, such as: --Guacamole and Picamole --Kitchen Nachos --Gulf Coast Fish Tacos --Frontera Beef Fajitas --La Fonda Tortilla Soup --Arroz con Pollo --Huevos Rancheros --Refried Beans --Tamales with a variety of fillings --Sopapillas, Polvorones and Bunuelos The Perfect Margarita’s here too, and so much more. In The Enchilada Queen Cookbook, you’ll get kitchen wisdom from a lifetime of learning recipes from madres and abuelas who make food specific to their border towns on the Rio Grande. You’ll also get a resource for hundreds of family dinners—and a party between covers!

More than 200 recipes and 45 full-color photographs celebrate 25 years of good eatin’ in this original regional Southern cooking classic. A quarter-century ago, while many were busy embracing the sophisticated techniques and wholesome ingredients of the nouvelle cuisine, one Southern loyalist lovingly gathered more than 200 recipes—collected from West Virginia to Key West—showcasing the time-honored cooking and hospitality traditions of the white trash way. Ernie Mickler’s much-imitated sugarsnap-pea prose style accompanies delicacies like Tutti’s Fancy Fruited Porkettes, Mock-Cooter Stew, and Oven-Baked Possum; stalwart sides like Bette’s Sister-in-Law’s Deep-Fried Eggplant and Cracklin’ Corn Pone; waste-not leftover fare like Four-Can Deep Tuna Pie and Day-Old Fried Catfish; and desserts with a heavy dash of Dixie, like Irma Lee Stratton’s Don’t-Miss Chocolate Dump Cake and Charlotte’s Mother’s Apple Charlotte.