A proudly Texan cookbook with 125 recipes that blend sophisticated techniques and ingredients with hearty, down-home ranch cooking, from a chef with five successful restaurants.
A descendent of cattle ranchers, chef Lou Lambert has created a cookbook that taps into deep Texan pride with cuisine that is neither chuck-wagon chow nor French bistro fare. He melds real West Texas flair with the contemporary fine food that he learned to cook in culinary school, creating big flavor dishes such as Beef Tenderloin with Blue Crab and Bearnaise and Coriander-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Border Chimichurri.
If you’re serving up a down-home feast fit for a cattle rancher’s table, try the Achiote-Seared Chickpeas, Spicy Oak-Smoked Chorizo, Wood-Roasted Chicken with Mexican Chocolate Chile Rub, Crispy Wild Boar Ribs with Fresh Plum Barbecue Sauce, or Fried Green Tomatoes with Crab Rémoulade.
If urban bistro classics are more your style, you won’t want to miss the Brandied Chicken Liver Terrine with Caramelized Onions, Foie Gras Mousseline, Panfried Pork Cutlet with Parsley-Caper Butter Sauce, and Roasted Beet Salad with Shaved Fennel and Candied Shallot Vinaigrette.
The
Big Ranch, Big City Cookbook is a lot like the great state of Texas itself—if you don’t already call it home, you’ll want to return again and again.
"A collection of more than 150 recipes by Texas chef and restauratuer Lou Lambert, with an emphasis on regional specialties and ingredients including game meat dishes and Tex-Mex favorites"--
“All Texas-proud fare from a West Texas boy, new ways of thinking about old-school Texas flavors.”
—San Antonio Express-News, 10/29/11
“Lambert and co-author June Naylor have written a cookbook that makes me want to rope steer and toss bales all day just to enjoy these down-home, hearty recipes to their fullest.”
—Austin Post, 9/8/11
“Lambert's book brings a trained chef's techniques and know-how to a roster of dishes that speak to the foodie heart of Texas. Biscuits, gumbo, fried green tomatoes, brisket, oysters, tacos and macaroni and cheese make nice with more sophisticated presentations of rack of lamb, braised duck, crab-stuffed trout and gingered pear fried pies. Still, it's all Texas-proud fare from a West Texas boy; new ways of thinking about old-school Texas flavors.”
—Houston Chronicle, 9/7/11
“One of Texas' most beloved chefs, Louis Lambert, embraces the foods, cooking styles and heritage of what it means to be a Texan.”
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9/6/11
“My favorite recipe in the whole book is Gingered Pear Fried Pies. Lambert takes one of our state’s best-loved desserts, the fried fruit turnover, and gives it a city spin with candied ginger and a classy French crust. It’s everyday cooking with style.”
—Patricia Sharpe, executive editor / food writer for
Texas Monthly “One of the great pleasures of living in Texas is discovering Lou Lambert cooking behind a cloud of smoke. I love Lou’s food—the gutsy West Texas flavors that he grew up with reinterpreted through his smart urban filter. For a cowboy, he’s awfully good with vegetables—I’d buy this book for the Achiote-Seared Chickpeas alone!”
—Paula Disbrowe, author of
Cowgirl Cuisine and senior travel editor for
Southern Living magazine
“Being a fifth-generation West Texan myself, Lou had me at ‘When I was a kid in Odessa. . .’ Reading this colorful and thoughtfully conceived book makes me long for my youth when life was simpler and Fried Green Tomatoes alone could brighten an otherwise dreary day. Much has been written about Texas food over the years, but to my mind, no one has quite captured the true essence of the genre like Lou. The Beer-Battered Quail with Jalapeño Peach Glaze is worth the price of the book itself, but add the clear, concisely written recipes and helpful sidebars and guides and you have the makings of a real Texas classic. Excuse me while I return to my childhood with Stacked Chili Con Carne Enchiladas with Fried Eggs.”
—Stephan Pyles, restaurateur, cookbook author, and recipient of the Southwest’s first James Beard Award for Best Chef
