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Review: "Texas On The Table: People, Places, and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State" by Terry Thompson-Anderson with Photography by Sandy Wilson

Texas On The Table: People, Places, and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State does exactly what the title suggests in every way possible. Part of that is in the text by Terry Thompson-Anderson. Part of that is by way of the gorgeous photography by Sandy Wilson. The combination works incredibly well from start to finish.

A cookbook that easily doubles as a coffee table book, this massive tome at more than 450 pages features a ton of recipes to take you through every meal every day of the year. Every meal, holiday or otherwise is covered as are snacks and appetizers of all types. The pictures often paired with the detailed recipes tell the tale of the people and the land. Like a lot of cookbook this one does not have anything on fat/salt counts in the recipes or how to adjust any of the recipes based on dietary need.

But, if you are going to eat “Bison Enchiladas with Green Chile Crema, Pickled Red Onion Slaw, and Serrano Pico De Gallo” (pages 282-284) or nearly anything other delectable thing in this cookbook you probably are not really worried about fat or salt intake. You can always finish things up with “San Sabu Texas Pecan Pie” (437-438)  or “Bananas Foster Cream Pie” (page 436-438).

A four page index as well as an eight page recipe index brings this visually stunning book to a close.

Even if you don’t cook or intend to use Texas On The Table: People, Places, and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State as a cookbook you will want this one for the photographs and history contained within this excellent book. Published by the University of Texas Press at $45 it pretty much works out to a buck a page. It is well worth it.

Texas On The Table: People, Places, and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State

Terry Thompson-Anderson

Photography by Sandy Wilson

http://www.sandywilsonphotography.com

University of Texas Press

http://www.utpress.edu

October  2014

Hardback

464 Pages

$45.00

Material was picked up to read and review via the good folks of the Haggard Branch of the Plano Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

Senior News Column---March 2012

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 area.

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 March 2012 column with the addition here of the relevant book covers……

The Last Call: A Bill Travis Mystery

Gorge Wier

Flagstone Books

2011

Kindle E-Book

$0.99

Bill Travis first saw the beautiful woman while he was driving in heavy traffic on the loop near downtown Austin. They flirted in the stop and go traffic before she vanished into the distance leaving the nearly 40 year old Bill Travis with only one option---head to work as if nothing had happened at all. That is until a short time later, as his first client of the day, she walks into his office. 

Julie Simmons may be beautiful but she isn’t smart. She crossed Archie Carpin, a North Texan Liquor Baron and legendary figure with a violent family lineage dating back to the 20’s in Texas.  Julie was desperate and took two million dollars and ran. Of course, Archie Carpin very much wants his money back and will kill to get it.

Bill Travis, a man that helps well off people with their money problems can’t help falling for her in every way possible.  On the run and trying to stay alive on a trail that takes them from Austin to North Texas and back again, Texas author George Wier crafts an intriguing tale full of twists and turns. Populated with complex main and secondary characters, plenty of clues, and plenty of action this recently released novel first in a planned series is a very good one. Even seasoned mystery readers will be surprised by some of the twists the complex case takes while imparting some legendary Texas history.

Chicks With Guns

Lindsey McCrum

The Vendome Press

ISBN: 978-0-86565-275-0

Hardback--Coffee Table Sized

168 Pages

$45.00

Brilliantly photographed the book contains 78 color and black and white portraits of female gun owners in Texas as well as from across the country. Among the many variations are portraits with women posed in Old West style period costumes with antiques, others are in hunting garb, and still others are in law enforcement. Every picture makes it clear that these usually unsmiling women are clearly ready and able defend themselves against whatever man or beast walks the mean streets or crosses their land. These women are serious and depict the plain fact that approximately twenty million women from every race, creed, and walk in life and all ages own guns and know how to use them.

A visual treat that not only entertains the reader with the skill involved to take these powerful portraits, Chicks With Guns by Lindsay McCrum also provides a history lesson about firearms and their role in families and this country. This is a splendidly done book and well worthy of your consideration.  

Kevin R. Tipple © 2012

Reviewed: "Chicks With Guns" by Lindsey McCrum

Women posing with guns are not something new. There are plenty of sites on the Internet that depict this as well as several TV shows that specialize on this topic. But usually it is a case of women wearing bikinis or less, firing automatic weapons at some target, while literally everything moves in slow motion. If that is what you are looking for, this well done book is not for you. This is a classy quality coffee table style book well worthy of your attention.

From a cover to that brings to mind a bye gone era to numerous pictures throughout the book, this is a book that pays homage to both firearms and the woman who own them. According to the introduction written by attorney Stephen L. Meagher, there is “unsettling” quality to the beautiful images in the book. Instead of “unsettling” the images portray to this reviewer determined women who tolerate no nonsense or interference and have the firepower to easily make their point.

The book contains 78 color and black and white portraits of female gun owners from across the country. Among the many variations are portraits with women posed in Old West style period costumes with antiques, others are in hunting garb, and still others are in law enforcement. Every picture makes it clear that these usually unsmiling women are clearly ready and able defend themselves against whatever man or beast walks the mean streets or crosses their land. These are not blonde blue eyed bunnies in swimsuits flaunting themselves for the camera. These women are serious and depict the plain fact that approximately twenty million women from every race, creed, and walk in life and all ages own guns and know how to use them.

The actual portraits start on pages 12-13 and lead off with “Cynthia” in hunters garb in a cornfield.  From Stamford, CT she is pictured with her “Beretta 20-gauge over-and-under” with an accompanying several paragraph text regarding how she field hunts.  That same format of the gun owner and her perspective on firearms is carried throughout the book.

A frequent point made over and over by the women is the role that guns have played in the family going back generations. “Jenevieve” of San Antonio, Texas is photographed in her wedding dress holding an “antique single-shot percussion dueling pistol. It was her wedding present from her father who got it from his father. The picture on page 24 pays homage to her husband as well as her father and the role both play in her life today.

The guns range the spectrum from antiques as mentioned above to very modern day weapons such as the “PWA-AR15” held by "Samantha" of  Livingston, MT (page 29) and just about everything in between. By no means is this the only automatic weapon in the book, but there is clear preference for pistols and shotguns of various types.

"Sarita" of Armstrong, Texas, in a powerful image on page 33 that would make John Wayne proud, has a “Parker 20-guage side by side” that is the gun her father gave her a teen. One of several Texas women that favor shotguns, it is clear from her picture it would be best to stay off her land. Texas women play a large role in these pictorials and fittingly the book closes with “Windi” of Houston, Texas on page 166 holding a Beretta Silver Pigeon 20-guage over- and- under.” In the accompanying text, she states she knew she “…married the right guy when I got a custom-made monogrammed, pink alligator shell bag for my anniversary.” (Page 167)

That idea of femininity is key to this book. Contrary to the idea of “unsettling” expressed eloquently by attorney Stephen L. Meagher in the introduction, these portraits depict confident women ready for anything and refusing to tolerate nonsense or interference from anyone. These pictures pay homage to the Old West as well as modern times while honoring each and every single woman or young lady in the book. A visual treat that not only entertains the reader with the skill involved to take these powerful portraits, Chicks With Guns by Lindsay McCrum also provides a history lesson about firearms and their role in families and this country.

This is a splendidly done book and well worthy of your consideration.  This review simply does not do the book justice.

Chicks With Guns

Lindsey McCrum

http://www.chickswithgunsbook.com/

The Vendome Press

http://www.vendomepress.com/

October 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-86565-275-0

Hardback--Coffee Table Sized

168 Pages

$45.00

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2012