The Austin Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from Deep in the Heart of Texas

Shop Notes:

Austin is easily one of the best food towns in the United States, simply because it has regional cooking like no other place in the United States - a heady dose of traditional Texas cooking mixed with a legacy in in migration and immigrants from everywhere.  This makes for a delightful myriad of local flavors that are interesting and fantastic. And this cookbook is just that.

From the Publisher:

The story of Austin food is equal parts deep Texan traditions and a booming food scene. It is this atmosphere that has fostered some of the hottest restaurants in the country, a lively food truck community, and a renaissance in the most Texan of foods: barbecue. Austin food is also tacos and Tex-Mex, old-fashioned Southern cooking, and street food and fine dining, with influences from all over the globe. And above all, it's a source of intense pride and inspiration for chefs and diners alike.  

Organized by Austin's "major food groups"like barbecue, tacos, and Tex-Mex The Austin Cookbook explores the roots of Texas food traditions and the restaurants that are reinventing them, revealing the secrets to Bob Armstrong dip, Odd Duck's sweet potato nachos, East Side King's beet fries, and of course, smoked brisket that has people lining up to eat it even in the Texas summer.

Part cookbook, part souvenir, and 100 percent love letter, The Austin Cookbook is perfect for proud locals, visitors, and (t)ex-pats. Review "What rounds it out is Forbes's experience in restaurant reporting and cookbook criticism. She acknowledges differences in opinion while stating her own well-founded beliefs, explores long-held misconceptions, dedicates pages to brief histories of regional foodstuffs, and offers delightful asides from prominent Austin-based chefs.