Synopses & Reviews
Spirit of the West: Cooking from Ranch House and Range is filled with recipes that satisfy. Here are the robust, flavorful dishes that sustained cowpokes and wranglers, ranch hands and cattle barons. Influenced by the cooking of Mexico and of the Native American inhabitants--and enriched by the many ethnic cuisines brought to the region by its settlers--ranch house cooking is American home cooking on a grand scale.
The book includes more than 100 recipes for simple, mother-watering dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anything in between. Beginning with recipes that date back to the first western ranchers--who came north from Mexico in the sixteenth century--and continuing through those served at today's dude ranches, Spirit of the West includes such timeless American dishes as Sourdough Hotcakes, Potato Doughnuts, Butterscotch Rolls, Chokecherry Jelly, Grandma Hubbard's Batterfried Chicken, King Ranch Beans, Mission-style Red Chili Sauce, Pot Roast with Dumplings, and Devil's Food Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting.
This book traces the mythic story of the American frontier through the food eaten by those who lived it. Chapters cover the vaquero tradition; the time of the great cattle drives and the open range; the era of the big ranches; the coming of homesteaders; and the traditional dude ranches of today. Chapter introductions by Western historian David Dary, author of Cowboy Culture, sketch the thrilling history of the American West. Sam'l P. Arnold, author of Eating Up the Santa Fe Trail and noted chef and owner of the world-famous Fort Restaurant in Morrison, Colorado, weaves together Western food, history, and way of life in the book's introduction.
Synopsis
Spirit of the West presents an enticing array of hearty dishes rich with robust flavor and color. Authors Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs extend a gracious invitation to join in this delicious roundup of recipes from the American West.
More than 100 recipes provide dishes that satisfy even the most demanding appetites. Breakfast prospects include Pecan Bread with Chokecherry Jelly, Potato Doughnuts, Buttermilk Pancakes, and the old prairie standby, Cowboy Coffee. After a long morning in the saddle, real cowboys can tuck into a Bowl of Red with Sourdough Biscuits or Kansas Fried Chicken with Authentic King Ranch Beans. Come and get it at a dinner smorgasbord of Mesquite Smoked Turkey, Prime Rib of Beef, and Pot Roast with Dumplings. Special occasions demand special chow like a Cream Can Supper (the Western Frontier equivalent of a clambake complete with sausages, corn, and potatoes cooked together in a milk can).
Behind this hearty food lies a rich heritage influenced by the cooking techniques of the native American and Mexican peoples. Ranch house cooking has been further enriched by the many ethnic cuisines brought to the region by its settlers. Photographs feature objects inherited (like many of the recipes) from the authors' forebears to illustrate this entertaining glimpse into the foods that fed the American West.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 219) and index.
About the Author
Martin Jacobs, an award-winning photographer who specializes in food photography, has photographed many cookbooks. He co-authored Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking, which won IACP and James Beard Awards in 1991.Authors Beverly Cox is a fourth-generation Wyoming rancher who grew up on a cattle ranch near Cheyenne, Wyoming. Her interest in the region's traditional foods and history began in childhood. She holds a Grande Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and apprenticed with the noted chef Gaston Le Notre. Cox collaborates on a regular column on Indian cooking for Native Peoples, the magazine published by the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION by SAM'L P. ARNOLD
THE VAQUERO TRADITION IN NORTHERN MEXICO, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, AND CALIFORNIA
THE GREAT CATTLE DRIVES AND THE OPEN RANGE
THE BIG RANCHES
THE HOMESTEADING ERA
DUDE RANCHES: A WESTERN HERITAGE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CONTRIBUTORS
CONVERSIONS
APPENDIX
MAIL-ORDER SOURCES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX