Synopses & Reviews
Moving to Paris was the best bad decision that native Texan Ellise Pierce ever made. Wooed to the city by a love affair, she soon found herself broke and broken-hearted. So she launched her last-ditch effort to stay in the City of Lights. Cowgirl Tacos, her Tex-Mex catering company in Paris, appealed to other American ex-pats who missed the flavors of home. But she did more than start a companyshe created a unique cuisine that weds the spicy chile peppers and tortillas of Texas with the delicate French traditions of quiche, tart, and soufflé.
Cowgirl Chef features more than 100 of her inspired recipes, along with the story of a homesick Texans adventures in Paris.
Recipes include:
Chorizo-Chevre Muffins
Cornbread Madeleines
Baked Bleu Cheese Grits
Walnut Tart w/ Cornmeal Crust
Profiteroles w/ Hot Fudge Sauce
Review
David Lebovitz, author of The Sweet Life in Paris
"From mango salsa to madeleines (with cornmeal, of course), in Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent, Texas and Paris meet deliciously with recipes that spice up the French classics -- and give a little bit of savoir-faire to Tex-Mex favorites!"
Clotilde Dusoulier, author of ChocolateAndZucchini.com and Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris
"You can take the cowgirl out of Texas and into a Paris kitchen, but her Southern roots will always show. In Ellise Pierce's lovable book, she tells us about embracing a new culinary culture while nurturing her own heritage, and her tempting recipes show you how to savor the best of both worlds."
Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table
“Ellise cooks like a cowgirl (albeit a French cowgirl with a perfectly tied silk scarf around her neck) and writes like your best friend. Whether you’re in France or America, you’d be hard pressed to find a better companion in the kitchen.”
Cheryl Lu- Lien Tan, author of A Tiger in the Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family
“A charming tale of moving to Paris for love—and staying for food. Ellise Pierce’s delicious accounts of weaving together Texas and French cuisines will leave you hungry. But what truly satisfies are the lovely stories that bind them all together.
Publisher’s Weekly
"Although simple and more classic than creative, the recipes are solid and should satisfy readers looking for a glimpse into a Texan expat’s home cooking."
Houston Chronicle
“Pierce's self discovery is a foodie's gain. Her charming book, filled with humorous and romantic stories in Paris, is steadfastly rooted in Texas.”
France Magazine
“Delightful and delicious.”Dallas Morning News
"Irresistible… Cooks will totally get the way her mind arrives at quirky, clever combinations. You wind up with a continuum of dishes stretching from Texas to Paris, tucked around a lively and engaging narrative." San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review
“Not only can this lady cook, she can write! Her background and obvious expertise as an author make this fine cookbook not only attractive and original, but a positive delight to read.” Annia Ciezadlo, author of Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War“A mouthwatering meditation on what it means to keep your traditions while learning new ones. Ellise's answer to this age-old dilemma is in her recipes, exquisitely simple creations that will make you homesick even if you've never been to Paris—or Texas." San Angelo Standard-Times
“Not only does the ‘Cowgirl Chef’ cookbook come packed with yummy recipes and practical tips, it also has heartbreaking, and heartwarming, stories. They're stories that infuse the recipes with memories and meaning…if you want a keeper cookbook with humor, romance and more than 100 recipes that cover the miles between Texas and France, check out ‘Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent.’”
A Traveler’s Library.com
“Ellise Pierce is a real writer as well as a gifted cook and innovator. That makes Cowgirl Chef the kind of cookbook that you can sit down and read cover to cover. And the very talented photographer Steve Legato, makes me want to run right back to Paris and shop in an open air market.”
Palm Beach Daily News
"It is time for some fun….Pierce’s book follows her delightful path to fusion cooking….The book ends with these words: ‘Turns out, moving to France was the best bad decision I ever made. Can’t wait to see what I’ll cook up next.’ Readers can’t either." Tucson Citizen’s “What’s Cooking”
“…this is a fun cookbook. It is so kicked back, it is the next best thing to actually being with Ellise as she prepares many of her favorite recipes.”
Synopsis
Moving to Paris was the best bad decision that Texan Ellise Pierce ever made. Wooed to the city by a Frenchman, she soon found herself with just 100 euros in her bank account. So she launched a last-ditch effort to stay in the City of Light: She started her own catering business and began teaching other American expats how to re-create flavors from home. Using French ingredients and techniques from both sides of the Atlantic, she did more than found a culinary company—she created a unique style of cooking that’s part Texas, part French, and all Cowgirl. Recipes include:
- Cornbread Madeleines
- Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Tartines
- Cauliflower Galettes with Chipotle Créme Fraîche
- Green Chile-Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes
- Peanut Butter-Chocolate Soufflées
About the Author
Ellise Pierces blog, CowgirlChef.com, has been a hit with Americans and Parisians alike, as her Tex-French” fusion cuisine has made a splash on both sides of the Atlantic. She also writes the Cowgirl Chef column, which runs in more than 300 U.S. newspapers, and has also written for Newsweek, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, and Saveur. She lives in Paris and makes frequent trips back home to Dallas. Visit her at cowgirlchef.com