Sharpen Your Home Cooking Skills With These Texas Cookbooks
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Something I learnt very early on in my cooking journey (which is neither long nor elaborate) is that there is no one cookbook you can stick to as a beginner. When starting to learn how to cook, some look for recipes that can be table-ready in 30 minutes, while others want to learn how to knock up a dish from scratch. Personally, I like to have a whole bunch of cookbooks at hand to help me prepare something delicious from the fresh produce I buy from my local Houston farmers’ market. And quite honestly, others I purchase only to marvel at the photos of divinely indulgent desserts. What can I say? One cookbook is just not enough.
So, if you’re looking for a cookbook packed with stunning recipes, here are six titles created by Texans, for Texans. These books will open your eyes to an impressive range of Texas culinary fare, from barbecue and Tex-Mex to good ol’ Southern cuisine.
We’ve chosen these cookbooks as they break down recipes so that they’re easy to follow, and include tips and techniques to help even the most amateur of homecooks. Some of these picks are recent publications, whereas others have been hanging around for a long time. However, what all of them have in common is that they offer a wonderful mix of recipes and methodologies.
The Homesick Texan Cookbook, Lisa Fain
The Homesick Texan Cookbook is written by Lisa Fain, a proud seventh-generation Texan. Lisa found herself missing home and all its flavors after moving to New York City, which led her to start a blog. The Homesick Texan Cookbook comes after the success of her much-loved blog of the same name. Its recipes are as varied and diverse as the Lone Star State itself. Among signature Texas dishes, you’ll find a Houston-style green salsa, guajillo chili fish tacos, a coffee Chipotle oven brisket, and a to-die-for coconut tres leches cake. Motivated by her longing for home-style Texas food, The Homesick Texan Cookbook presents a beautiful array of culinary masterpieces.
You can read a detailed review of Fain’s cookbook here. And if you want to order it right now, then here’s where to head.
Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook, Robb Walsh
Robb Walsh’s Texas Eats is a book about the cultural history of Texas as much as it’s a cookbook. In it, Walsh describes the social history, culture, and geography of particular Texas regions, as well as their local dishes. This book is perfect for die-hard Texans wanting to learn about the origins of their state’s cuisine. Texas Eats offers us the chance to learn how to prepare fabulous coastal recipes such as a Baffin Bay seafood sauce and Stingaree barbecued crabs (how long does crab last?). Later in the book, the author takes us to the piney woods of Southeast Texas, showing us how to make biscuits, cornbreads, and Mama Sugar’s sweet potato cobbler, among other treats. Inspired by the cities of San Antonio and South Texas are classic Tex-Mex dishes such as tacos, chili con carne, green rice, and charro beans.
However, no book of Texas recipes would be complete without mentioning chicken fried steak or cheese fries! Texas Eats offers recipes for these Southern delicacies and more. Click here to order this masterpiece.
United Tastes of Texas, Jessica Dupuy
Merging generational recipes from her family with award-winning dishes created by award-winning chefs, author Jessica Dupuy discusses local variations on classic Texas cuisine. United Tastes of Texas features a truly beautiful selection of appetizing food images. Breaking down Texas cuisine into five major regions – East, West, Central, South, and Coastal – this cookbook discusses the state’s food culture, influenced by countries such as Czechoslovakia, Mexico, Germany, and Spain. Readers will enjoy learning about the history of each region and its dishes. In addition to the 125 recipes in the book, there are also notes on kitchen equipment, cooking methods, and stories about local chefs and restaurants.
United Tastes of Texas even answers all your barbecue questions, including when to add sauce and when to skip it. You can order this banging cookbook here.
The Texas Food Bible: From Legendary Dishes to New Classics, Dean Fearing
A collection of traditional and modern Texas recipes, The Texas Food Bible is a timeless cookbook for the home cook in your life. Dean Fearing takes you on a culinary journey to discover the unique history behind Southwestern cuisine. Readers will travel from fry bread to sweet potato spoonbread, and from truck stop enchiladas to barbecue shrimp tacos. This comprehensive cookbook also includes techniques for grilling and smoking. Accompanied by more than 150 photographs of finished dishes, Fearing’s book covers cooking processes and offers a glossary of food terms.
The Texas Food Bible is the ultimate gift for foodies and simple home cooks alike. Hop over here to grab hold of a copy.
Little Local Texas Cookbook, Hilah Johnson
Hilah Johnson started posting cooking videos on YouTube in 2010. Back then, while living in Austin, she and her partner created informative, how-to videos about hundreds of dishes and cooking techniques. With the Little Local Texas Cookbook, Hilah Johnson shines a light upon all the essential flavors of Texas. Featuring recipes exploring traditional BBQ and slow-roasted beef ribs, as well as Southern favorites such as chicken-fried steak and chili cheese enchiladas, this little cookbook is a worthy purchase.
The book is filled with the same wit and spark that made Johnson’s cooking videos so popular. In other words, readers are in for a treat! Check out the book here.
The Texas Cowboy Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos, Robb Walsh
Immortalized through ruggedly dramatic interpretations, Texas cowboys are, quite simply, legendary – not just in the US, but around the world! However, quite unlike the stereotypical depiction of a Texas cowboy, the food in this cookbook celebrates an extensive range of ethnicities and backgrounds. In The Texas Cowboy Cookbook, Robb Walsh takes a deep dive into the culinary history of Texas cowhands, exploring the state’s oft-unspoken history of Black cowboys. The Texas Cowboy Cookbook features campfire classics like coffee-rubbed tenderloin, sirloin guisada, and fideo con carne, as well as more sophisticated creations such as sourdough biscuits and cinnamon chicken.
With more than 100 images and recipes alongside historical tidbits, the food wisdom of the Lone Star cowboy is brought vividly to life. You can buy Walsh’s cookbook here.
Have you read any of the cookbooks mentioned above? Which one is your favorite? Drop a comment and let us know!
