Who hasn't fantasized about leaving behind the chaos of everyday life and moving someplace where life is simpler? Well, that's just what chef and food writer Paula Disbrowe did when she left New York City and moved to Texas. She traded her subway MetroCard for a pickup truck and her stiletto heels for a pair of down-home cowboy boots. In Cowgirl Cuisine, Paula tells her story through food. She weaves together romance, adventure, and more than a few laughs as she celebrates the beauty of flavorful food, fresh air, and her own wholesome recipes, all while taking home cooks on a journey well off the beaten path. Like Texas itself, the recipes in Cowgirl Cuisine are big-hearted and bold—whole-grain muffins bursting with berries, salads loaded with leafy herbs and avocado, and fiery bowls of chili. Paula's food is healthful and full of nutrients, but this is not a diet cookbook—cowgirls don't have time to count calories (besides, they burn it all off hoisting newborn calves, hiking the hills, and galloping off on long trail rides). Instead, this is food that is satisfying and easy to prepare, which leaves plenty of time for living life to the fullest. From hearty ranch breakfasts to fresh salads, spicy nibbles, seductive desserts, and killer watermelon margaritas, Paula's recipes are full of her signature zest, spunk, and spice. Start your day off right with Canyon Granola or Cowgirl Migas. For lunch, have a nourishing bowl of silky Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Red Chile Cream or Chicken and Citrus Slaw Tostadas. For dinner, try Gazpacho Risotto with Garlic Shrimp or Cowboy Pot Roast with Coffee and Whiskey. And be sure to save room for one of Paula's decadent desserts, such as Chocolate Pecan Squares or Dulce de Leche Flan with Pepita Brittle. In addition to her recipes, Paula includes humorous and heartfelt vignettes about wild animals on the loose, scorpions in the sheets, and Casanova cowboys. And the pages are filled with lush photographs of food and life on the range. Cowgirl Cuisine isn't just spurs and salsa—it's about following your dream. So saddle up and follow yours. |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Cowgirl CuisineJan 25, 2009
Timely shipping and book is in perfect condition. My first Amazon experience-I will definitely order again.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Lovely and tasty treats await!Oct 24, 2008
I picked this book up on a whim and read it cover to cover over the weekend. I think the author is pretty upfront that she's a city girl transplant to Texas finding her way into Western cuisine. I think her recipes offer a unique blend of traditional favorites made better with her big city touches.I followed several of her recipes and they all came out beautifully and were more than tasty.
This book makes a terrific gift for anyone who likes a wonderful narrative along with good food. It's lovely enough for coffee table/kitchen book but useful for making good fresh food.
2 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Impractical recipes and ridiculous photosSep 27, 2008
The recipes required a lot of ingredients that should never be in 'cowboy cooking.' There were a crazy amount of recipes that required tofu of all things. It was clear that the author is merely a transplanted New Yorker who holds strongly to her French trained recipes and cooking methods. This food is not cowboy nor is it close to Texan, southern or western cuisine. The only thing more offensive than the recipes were the dozens of photos of the author, clearly a middle aged woman, wearing teenagers' clothing. Old mutton dressed up like spring lamb. Disturbing and completely unflattering to her and the food.
10 of 18 found the following review helpful:
 No Cowgirl Worth Her Salt Cooks Like This Nov 21, 2007
I was born and raised in the Kansas heartland. I lived for 30+ years in Texas before moving back home to live on the Kansas prairie. I got excited over the reviews and possibilities I envisioned coming from this so called cookbook. Boy, was I disappointed. My first (and Very correct) impression right off the bat was.. "Where does this girl come from? New York City?" and guess what!
Yep, this girl is from New York. Everyone knows most New Yorkers don't know squat about picante sauce let alone cowgirl cooking. Just because you put a Western sounding handle on the receipe doesn't make it worthy chuck. The receipes sound like food you'd find on a high priced Dude Ranch.
It might make for cute reading, but if you're serious about Western ranch, trail or farm cooking then look elsewhere for REAL receipes. No cowboy in his right mind wants food with the ingredients in this book.
Ask any working Western man or woman and they'll tell you that they want "meat & taters" or other fare that they can sink their teeth into and do a hard day's work on. No cowgirl worth her salt cooks like this! The bright colored photos and cute tidbit stories make it an attractive looking book, but as a cookbook it's a disappointment as Big As Texas!
3 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Cowgirl CuisineMay 23, 2007
Now this is a cookbook!!!! You feel like you really know this gal. I haven't any other cookbook like it in my collection. Very down to earth and shows her quirky sense of humor. Recipes are delicious and something different than the "meat and potatoes" usual in my kitchen. I have already ordered several to give as gifts.
|
based on 10 reviews
