Texas on the Plate

From Texas Chicken-Fried Rib-Eye with Tabasco Cream Gravy to baked Oysters on the Half-Shell with Cilantro-Chili Sauce, Thompson-Anderson's spirited recipes will knock your boots off! The Executive Chef of Maner Lake Lodge, the private conference center and hunting/fishing lodge of the Halliburton Corporation, Chef Thompson-Anderson knows a thing or two about throwing a good party. In Texas on the Plate she shares her talent, serving up a host of swashbuckling, mouthwatering specialities. Chapters covering everything from "Foods For Grazing" (appetizers), to "Meat, Tame and Wild," to "The Good Stuff" (desserts) display that indefatigable Texas spirit. Texas on the Plate also offers "Soups, Salads, and Breads," details dozens of ways to handle "Things With Wings," and presents a wealth of delectable ways to get it on the plate in "If It Swims." Superlative "Sides"--delicious in their own right--haven't been forgotten. And lovers of the grape will get a unique fix from Thompson-Anderson's delightful, chapter-long tribute to Texas' fast growing wine industry. These wineries have paired their wines with selections from her book.

With recipes to suit Texans (and Texas-lovers) of every stripe, combined with an inspiring, 4-color photographic journey through the vast Lone Star State, Texas on the Plate turns every meal into a Texas-sized adventure! From 4-star, white tablecloth entries such as Roast Beef Tenderloin with Two-Mushroom Essence Sauce to updated down home Texas favorites like Slow Smoked Brisket with Hellfire and Brimstone Sauce, Thompson-Anderson delivers dishes exuding irresistible Texas appeal. Simple pleasures like Texas Toast and Chile Con Queso with Homemade Tortilla Chips are up for grabs. And distinctive Texas specialties, such as Slow-Smoked Quail on Savory Bread Pudding with Three-Chili Sauce, Wild Turkey or Deer Jerky, and Tequila-Beef Fajitas with Pico do Gallo are demystified.

Texans of the shore will appreciate Thompson-Anderson's myriad of ways for preparing Gulf Coast shrimp and oysters, while recipes for fish, among them Brazos Catfish with Crawfish Cream and Shark Steaks Grilled in Hoja Santa with Sun-Dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto, will bring out the fisherman in everyone! Urbanite adherents to the high-octane happy hour will find a handful of Texas-inspired pizzas, Wild Mushroom Nachos, and Crabmeat Quesadillas to pair with their cocktails, while entrees such as Grilled Hot Pepper Crabs with Ginger and Garlic and Roast Pheasant with Caramelized Pears on Seared Foie-Gras are equally at home for entertaining and romantic dinners for two.

From beginning to end, Texas on the Plate does just what its title says it will. This fabulous cookbook brings all the flavors of the Lone Star State--flavors old and new, cowboy and cosmopolitan, German, Mexican, Vietnamese and more--to the table, and piles them up on the plate with true, undeniably Texan style!