COOKING/TEXAS
Frances Brannen Vick, editor
University of North Texas Press
978-1-57441-618-3 Hardcover, 352 pages with illustrations/photos; $34.95
Dec. 1, 2015
Tales of Texas Cooking is a wonderful find for those who love recipes and the history behind those stories. The hefty volume put together by the Texas Folklore Society contains factual information, more than 120 recipes, and stories that illuminate life in Texas in different time periods and regions.
“Essential to life is food. Central to folklore is the acquisition, preparation, and rituals of food. Culinary history tells the lore of the community and the people,” writes Phyllis Bridges, a professor of English at Texas Woman’s University, on page 229.
The book is divided into ten sections representing different vegetation regions of Texas. The introduction to each section gives information about the rainfall, flora, and fauna of each region, since they influence the culinary traditions which developed in that area.
Reading the book you learn about what old cowboys — like Bill Binz, who had a way with horses and mules — liked to cook; how women made food stretch during the Great Depression; and the family life of a transient migrant worker. You’ll learn about canning customs and the different methods for killing chicken.
You get culinary sneak peeks into Czech, Norse, and Cajun kitchens. And discover recipes with intriguing titles like Vinegar Pie, Bear meat and marinade, Boiled and Pickled Cow’s Tongue.
Within the pages you’ll find recipes shared and enjoyed by famous Texans — treasures like Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson’s Family Cake, Sam Houston’s Famous Barbecue Sauce, Ma Ferguson’s Pecan Cream Pie (she was the first female governor of Texas).
You’ll also find stories and recipes from many of the state’s literati: legendary folklorist and author J. Frank Dobie, award-winning Western author Elmer Kelton, and John Erickson of Hank the Cowdog fame.
I wish the book also included stories and recipes from some of the more contemporary colorful Texans like Willie Nelson, Molly Ivins, and Kinky Friedman. Nevertheless, Tales of Texas Cooking is a feast of offerings that you’ll want to add to your keeper shelf to savor and treasure.
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