book review 2008-02-01

Grady Spears with June Naylor Andrews McMeel Publishing LLC 2007, $19.95 (paperback)

The next time you're planning a cowboy, Texas or Old West themed meal, this will make a real handy reference book. Spears is a native Texan who has created cowboy-styled menus for restaurants in Texas and Beverly Hills(!) and even for the Texas Governor's Mansion during the George W. Bush administration in the late 90s.

The fun of this book, which features more than 100 recipes, is the dozens of historical photos and tidbits outlining the story of the legendary Chisolm Trail. These would be very useful in any themed event to lend some authenticity and even a tutorial component.

The recipes themselves, though not designed for volume production (most are for around 8 servings) are nevertheless fairly simple with few exotic ingredients. So most competent chefs can use them for ideas and should be able to extend them to meet their volume needs with little trouble.

The dishes outlined in the book run the gamut from soups and salads to main dishes and desserts. Many are twists on traditional dishes (mac and cheese with Texas cheeses and chiles, for example) while others are fairly unique (Grandma Spears's Dr. Pepper Cake).