Senior News--- November 2012 Column

For some time now I have been writing a monthly book review column for the Senior News newspaper. The Senior News is aimed to the 50 and over crowd with news relevant to seniors regarding various issues, humor pieces, and my review column among other things. The newspaper is a giveaway at doctor offices, stores, etc. and can be received by via a paid subscription. There are multiple editions across the state of Texas and therefore there is some fluctuation in content in each edition.

My column every month focuses on books of interest to the Texas audience. Therefore books selected for the column, fiction or non-fiction, are written by Texas residents, feature Texans in some way, or would have some other connection to the Texas based readership. At least two books are covered each month in the short space I am given.

Below is/was my November 2012 column with the addition here of the relevant book covers……

The Book Of Burger

Rachel Ray

Atria Paperback (Simon & Schuster)

ISBN# 978-1-4516-5969-6

Paperback (also available as e-book)

324 Pages

If you are looking for some variety with your burgers, Rachel Ray has the book for you.  While there are recipes for outside grilling, Rachel Ray thinks of burgers as a year around deal. The Book Of Burger isn’t just about burgers, despite the title.

The book covers burgers of all types as well as subs and other sandwiches. There is also a section on “Sides and Sauces” with various fries and tater tots, various potato salads, and ones for onion rings, devil eggs, and pickles as well as ketchups, dips, and gravies.

The Book Of Burger goes far beyond the title resulting in an interesting cookbook that features variety. You can use this book to make things as simple or as complicated as possible.  A definite drawback is the complete lack of nutritional information in the book.

Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent

Ellise Pierce

Running Press Books

ISBN #978-0-7624-4463-2

Hardback (also available as e-book)

336 Pages

Cooking has always been a part of Ellise Pierce’s life whether it was living back home in Denton, Texas or half a world away in Paris, France. With a relationship under stress and her freelance writing career tanked, she slowly found herself again by cooking. Gradually she built a cooking career by teaching home cooking for other ex-pats living in Paris. This and much more is explained in the introduction to Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent.

Along with plenty of cultural information and interesting facts such as the fact that jalapenos are not available in Paris, there are recipes. Recipes that blend French cuisine with her Texas heritage.  The detailed recipes are accompanied by pictures and information regarding Paris or France in general providing local color to the recipe being discussed. 

Despite the lack of nutritional information in the book, overall this is a very well done cookbook. In addition to the cooking side of things, the over 300 pages cookbook also provides a lot of culture and history information about Paris, France as well as the joys and sorrows of Americans living abroad. Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent is more than a cookbook. It is also a cultural awareness guide and inspirational regarding reinventing yourself and adapting to new situations and experiences.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2012

Review: "Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent" by Ellise Pierce

Cooking has always been a part of Ellise Pierce’s life whether it was living back home in Denton, Texas or half a world away in Paris, France. With a relationship under stress and her freelance writing career tanked, she slowly found herself again by cooking. Gradually she built a cooking career by teaching home cooking for other ex-pats living in Paris. This and much more is explained in the introduction to Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent.

After the introduction it is on to “Cowgirl Chef Kitchen Basic” where her equipment and ingredients are discussed. That leads folks into” Cowgirl Speak:  A Trail Guide” that covers how to make adjustments for cooking times, sizes, etc.

The recipes start on page 22 with “Chapter One: Appetizers: Old Favorites and New Beginnings.” Whether you want to make the Texas shaped cookies “Texas Killers” (pages 26-27) “Mushroom Tapenade” (pages 42-43) or “Cheesy Rosemary Olive Flatbread” (pages 48-51) among other dishes there is something here that blends Texas cooking with French cooking.  Each recipe has an introduction to it about the background of the recipe, a serving suggestion, and a couple of tips regarding ingredients, freezing options, or other helpful advice. Pictures accompanying the recipe can be of the dish itself, ingredients, of Paris or elsewhere in France providing local color to the recipe being discussed. This same format continues throughout the book.

“Chapter 2:  Cowgirlified Frenchy” begins on page 56 where the author notes, among interesting things, that jalapenos are not available in Paris. Over time she learned not only how to adjust to that, but to blend French Cuisine into her cooking. That gives rise to dishes such as “Cowgirl Quiche” (page 59-61), “Paris Chicken Fricassee” (page 72-75) among others.

According to the author the French are crazy about soups. They come next in “Chapter 3: Souped Up” starting on page 82.  After some soup tips it is onto recipes such as “Smokin’ Tortilla Soup” (page 86-89), “Broccoli-Basil Soup” (pages 95-97) or “Skin & Bones Chicken Stock” (pages 111-112) among others.

Of course when one thinks of soup, salad cannot be far behind. In “Chapter 4: Greens” the topic is salad in many varieties. “Les Halles Spinach Salad” (pages 124-125), “Texas Pickup Salad” (pages 138-140) among other choices are here. By the way, in this chapter you learn the interesting fact that Paris grocery stores close at 8 pm during the week and at 1pm on Sunday.  Puts our 24 hour seven day a week grocery stores in real perspective.

If it is a Texas based cookbook it absolutely must have tacos. Part of the state constitution. Tacos are here in “Chapter 5: Tacos, Tarts, and Tartines” starting on page 152. You can put just about  anything in a taco so give “Corona Beer-Braised Brisket Tacos” on pages 154-156 a try as well as some of the other taco suggestions. You can also try the “Tomato-Ricotta Tart” (pages 171-173), the Tex-Mex Tart” (pages 174-176) or the “Adobo Salmon Salad Tartines” (pages 192-194) among others.

Farmer markets are very big in Paris and there are over seventy of them in the area. That means there is a lot of produce to consider and Ellise Pierce uses what is season to drive her meals.  That is just part of the introduction to “Chapter 6: Riding Side Saddle: Veggies” starting on page 198.  Of course, there are Texas based dishes like “Mom’s Black-Eyed Peas and Jalapeno Cornbread” (pages 208-210) as well as “French Bistro Green Beans” (page 218-219) and “Roasted Ratatouille” (pages 230-231) among others.

Meat, fish and poultry finally get their turn in “Chapter 7: From the Farm and Sea.” Starting on page 234 there are recipes for items such as “Provencal Fish Stew” (pages 248-250), “Gascon-Style Pork Chops with Pepper Honey” (pages 254-256) and “Easy Roast Chicken” (page 264-265) among others. It was also interesting to learn in this chapter that the chicken is the national mascot of France (page 264).

If you still have room for dessert that begins on page 274 with “Chapter 8: Desserts.”  Among other delectable treats here there are recipes for “Grilled Oranges-Vanilla Pound Cake with Strawberries” (pages 279-281), “Watermelon Granita “(page 290-291) and “Peach Croustade” (page 306-309)

“Chapter 9: Tex-Mex” starts on page 310 and is all about home in Texas. The author may be living in Paris, France, but who she is day to day is Texan. Here are the recipes that made up her first cooking class such as “Wheat Tortillas” (pages 312-313), “Holy Guacamole” (page 318) among others including “Texas Chili” (pages 320-321).

The cookbook concludes with a very brief epilogue, a two page acknowledgment section, and a six page index. Unfortunately, there is no nutritional information in the book for those of us who need to pay attention to certain issues.

Despite the lack of nutritional information in the book, overall, this is a very well done cookbook. In addition to the cooking side of things, the over 300 pages cookbook also provides a lot of culture and history information about Paris, France as well as the joys and sorrows of American living abroad. Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent is more than a cookbook. It is also a cultural awareness guide and inspirational regarding reinventing yourself and adapting to new situations and experiences.

Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent

Ellise Pierce

http://www.cowgirlchef.com

Running Press Books

http://www.runningpressbooks.com

May 2012

ISBN #978-0-7624-4463-2

Hardback (also available as e-book)

336 Pages

$25.00

Material supplied by the good folks at the Plano, Texas Public Library System at

http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/Pages/default.aspx

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012