Lest Darkness Fall & Bring the Light

Customer Reviews:

De Camp Delights.......2007-04-26

Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp is the perfect introduction to this golden-age great science-fiction author. De Camp, along with Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard and others, were all part of John W. Campbell's, editor of Astounding and Unknown, stable of writers. These men created modern Science-Fiction. De Camp pretty much created the alternate universe story with this novel. Fans of de Camp can discuss his life and works at a Yahoo Discussion Group called d_for_de_Camp. Hopefully, one day soon, de Camp will be rediscovered and appreciated for the talent he is. His books always delight and should be reprinted for a new generation of readers. This book is one of his best.

De Camp's masterpiece... plus bonus material!.......2007-01-14

"Lest Darkness Fall" (which is by far the bulk of this book) is the most amazing historical novel I've ever read, deliberately picking an extremely obscure period and characters and yet making them come brightly alive. Drake's short story, in comparison, just can't hold its own -- although it's quite interesting, on its own terms, particularly if you ARE familiary with Livy's Book 1 (and, believe me, you SHOULD be:-). No matter: the book as a whole is a bargain, and an absolute MUST

Can History Be Changed?.......2005-04-29

This book pairs L. Sprague de Camp's "Lest Darkness Fall" with David Drake's "To Bring The Light". Also included is an introduction by Harry Turtledove. "Lest Darkness Fall" is one of the earliest examples of Alternate History, and is by far the best of the two stories in this book. In 1952 it was ranked 11th on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll, and in 1956 it was ranked 20th on the same poll. It is a shame that this story has been largely been forgotten since then, since it is clearly well researched and a real pleasure to read.

It is the story of Martin Padway, a student of history who is in Rome working on his thesis. He is sent back in time, to the year 535 A.D., when a lightning bolt strikes him. After realizing his position, he decides to try to prevent the Dark Ages, and finds himself increasingly pulled into the politics of the time. It is a fairly short novel, and well worth reading.

"To Bring The Light" is clearly based on "Lest Darkness Fall". In this story the main character is Flavia Herosilla, a well educated woman living in Rome in the year 751 A.D., during the celebration of the city's 1,000th birthday. As with Martin Padway, she is sent back in time by a lightning strike. She is sent to the time of the founding of Rome. Unlike the first story, where Martin Padway tries to change history, Flavia tries to recreate the founding of Rome based on the legends that she knows.

"Lest Darkness Fall" is a classic that should be read by anyone interested in Alternate Histories. "To Bring The Light", though not as good, is still an interesting story, and makes a good companion to "Lest Darkness Fall".

Creative, Concise and Appealing.......2004-02-29

Martin Padway, mild-mannered archaeologist, is visiting Rome when he is thrust backwards in time... all the way back to the sixth century A.D. The Roman Empire is fading fast... facing foes on all sides... with the thousand-year blight we now know as the Dark Ages fast approaching. Can a single man -- Padway --change history and prevent the fall of Rome? Nothing less than the 'Age of Enlightenment' hangs in the balance.

The literary descendent of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court', de Camp lets Padway grapple with raw issues. I found these areas the story's most interesting sections: how to make a living, having arrived with only modern currency in hand... how to avoid the authorities, given their proclivity to brand any new technology 'witchcraft'... how to assemble allies, fend off enemies and stay healthy in an environment not conducive to outsiders.

Because it was written in 1939, there is a level of 'political incorrectness' that is entertainingly fresh. Italian women, Muslims, the French and others are insulted with broad brush-strokes. Nonetheless, it is historically informative, important from a literary standpoint and makes for interesting reading. Despite its age, it is a fluid, fast read. de Camp had a lot of interesting things to say... and said them well.

A seminal work of alternative history........2003-01-27

It is a mark of the quality of this book that it has never been out of print since it was published several decades ago. This is the book that started the genre of alternative history. He throws his hero, Martin Padway, into dark ages Rome with only the contents of his pockets and his wits. Can a modern man make a comfortable life for himself in the ancient world?

It is a short read, but very well written. Le Camp builds us a time travel theory and a whole world in the past without needing to engage in in-depth world building. And for students of Byzantine history, it covers an interesting era when Justinian tried to reel the Ostrogothic run Italy back into the Eastern Roman Empire. Apart from the alternative elements the book is very historically correct.

As a bonus you get the David Drake novella "To bring the light" another alternative history about the founding of Rome.

Average customer rating:
Lest Darkness Fall
Camp
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BO1NH4

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Lest Darkness Fall (Pyramid SF, F-817)

Manufacturer: Pyramid Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0515608173

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader

Innovative story-telling but pedestrian writing!

A different sort of "Gothic" novel . . .

An early alternative history story

Exciting, if not Deep, Sci-fi Adventure Tale

Lest Darkness Fall
L. Sprague De Camp
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

de Camp, L. Sprague | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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The Man in the High Castle

ASIN: 0345310160
Release Date: 1983-07-12

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-04

Lest Darkness Fall is at times light and entertaining book with a touch of the 'Connecticut Yankee' thing going on.

A history professor ends up back in ancient Rome, and soon sets about using his knowledge to give people advice and hence build himself a power base. He gains influence, women, military strength, etc., while trying to help stave off the fall of the Roman Empire. Quite enjoyable.

Innovative story-telling but pedestrian writing!.......2007-09-03

It was a freak accident. Young Martin Padway, an American historian specializing in the late Roman and Gothic period just prior to the fall of the Dark Ages in Europe, is struck by lightning. When he awakes he finds he has been transported in time and has landed smack in the middle of his specialty. His memory, his intimate knowledge of upcoming events, his physical stamina, his language abilities, his political acumen and his ability to adapt to bizarre situations will all be put to the test as he struggles to survive in his new home. Adapting to a new life as Martinus Paduei, he first borrows money from a Jewish money lender to start a business distilling brandy in order to simply earn his living. But, as Martinus Paduei,he realizes he can put his knowledge and skills to work to the much more demanding task of averting the onset of the Dark Ages entirely.

The basic plot premise of "Lest Darkness Fall", it must be admitted, was not particularly original. "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" deserves first place honours for originality in stories of this type. But to give de Camp his due, by allowing his hero to actually change history in meaningful ways - to develop distilling, to introduce double-entry bookkeeping, printing and newspapers, Arabic numerals and revolutionary notions of astronomy - and, indeed, to achieve the rather daunting task of stemming the tide of barbarism in sixth century Italy, a case can be made that de Camp introduced an entirely new genre to the reading public - alternate history.

That said, "Lest Darkness Fall" just didn't really work for me. I found the writing stilted, cluttered and quite prosaic. Dialogue was forced and, even with the bounds of a fictional novel, I thought the abilities attributed to Padway stretched the limits of credibility to the breaking point and beyond. So, how do we rate this one? Some interesting moments of humour and innovations in the creation of a new genre of story-telling move this from a one or two star rather bland tale to a three star pick for me. I certainly can't say that I'm moved to recommend it to the public at large but as a classic tale of science fiction that has its place in the history of the genre, it can be recommended to devoted sci-fi readers. A page-turner, however, it most certainly is not!

Paul Weiss

A different sort of "Gothic" novel . . ........2007-05-24

De Camp has long been one of my favorite authors. Among the stars of the Golden Age, he's not as didactic as Heinlein, and he's a better fiction writer than Asimov (both of whom he worked with during the war). There weren't many subjects he didn't know something about, as anyone who was privileged to listen to him at a WorldCon room party can testify. And of his more than 100 books, both fiction and nonfiction, this delightful romp (one of his earliest) is perhaps my favorite. Martin Padway is an archaeologist visiting Rome in 1939 and when a bolt of lightning nearly hits him in the piazza in front of the Pantheon, he finds himself "falling through a trapdoor" and coming out, still in Rome, but in the fourth decade of the Sixth Century. The Goths are running things, the Emperor Justinian off in Constantinople wants control of Italy, and the Franks up north are getting restless as well. Okay, I agree it's not credible that a thirty-year-old archaeologist would know the details of double-entry bookkeeping, spinning copper sheet, casting bronze cannon, ballistics, building an electrical telegraph (to replace the semaphore system he's already set up), designing a horse collar and a Grand Banks schooner, and enough military strategy to lead an army and to engage in swordplay personally -- not to mention being so familiar with the dynastic details of half a dozen royal houses. (As it happens, I know quite a lot about that period, right on the cusp of the so-called Dark Ages, but I couldn't match Martin's grasp of information with recourse to a reference book.) But what the hell -- he's a Connecticut Yankee type, so suspend your disbelief and enjoy his struggles with religious argument and royal politics as he tries to keep civilization's light from being snuffed out.

An early alternative history story.......2007-01-15

This is a 1941 book-length expansion of a 1939 short story. An American archaeologist doing excavations in modern Italy is struck by a lightning bolt and is carried into the same place in the sixth century. The Western Roman Empire has fallen; Italy is ruled by the Goths, though the following year Byzantine Emperor Justinian attempts to conquer it. Within a few days, the archaeologist teaches a banker Arabic numerals, and gets a loan on a brandy distilling business; when this business succeeds wildly, he creates a printing press, a telegraph, eventually ends up virtually ruling the kingdom, and repels the Byzantine invasion (unlike in our timeline).

All of it would have been fun reading if it weren't so wildly improbable. To see, how the Romans (about 500 years before our hero - but things changed slowly back then) dealt with socially disruptive technologies, we should look no further than Latin literature, specifically the story in The Satyricon of Petronius about the craftsman who made an unbreakable glass goblet.

Exciting, if not Deep, Sci-fi Adventure Tale.......2006-03-30

While on an expedition to Mussolini's Italy, young American Martin Padway is struck by lightning. When he comes to, he discovers himself to have been inexplicably transported to the waning days of the Roman Empire. Quickly realizing that he has no hope of returning home, Padway resolves to prop up the flagging Western Empire and stave off the approaching dark ages. But is he politically astute enough to handle the destructive forces within and without Rome?

L. Sprague De Camp's "Lest Darkness Fall" is justly considered a classic of science fiction. It's a time travel story, but it is also cited by many as an early example of the alternate history genre. So its influence cannot be understated.

De Camp is not aiming for gravity, which is probably a good thing. The book is a breezy, plot-driven adventure, not a meditation on history. Padway is a well-developed character, if perhaps a little TOO competent and resourceful. Upon realizing his predicament, Padway hunts up the basics, including a dwelling and a source of income, first with brandy, and then with a newssheet. However, Padway makes a quick jump from brandy merchant and printer to power-broker with surprising speed and confidence. He manipulates royalty and leads battles, surprising himself with his ruthlessness. While De Camp's story flirts with implausibility, it never enters the realm of ridiculous.

The supporting characters are generally likeable archetypes, like the banker who speaks to God, the formerly-rich soldier who has been reduced to acting as Padway's bodyguard, the senile monarch, and so on. They serve the story and Padway's quest. Moreover, while De Camp knows the history of the era, he opts for broad strokes, acknowledging the fractured nature of Christianity, the tension between West and East, and the multi-cultural state of Rome at this time. It's probably for the best, as this isn't a treatise on the fall of Rome, but a story about Padway. Nonetheless, the reader may feel slightly adrift in generally unfamiliar era.

"Lest Darkness Falls" is a book that satisfies the reader's desire for a good adventure, if not the desire for brain-food. It's an entertaining tale, and is worth reading on its own merits, as well as an artifact of sci-fi.

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Lest Darkness Fall
L Sprague de Camp
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GSFKQU

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Lest Darkness Fall
L. Spraque de Camp
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000LXUWOU

Product Description

Collector' Edition bound in genuine leather, The Masterpieces of Science Fiction

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Lest Darkness Fall
L. Sprague De Camp
Manufacturer: Pyramid Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVQ8RE

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Lest Darkness Fall
L. Sprague de Camp
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O2SA7Y

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Lest Darkness Fall
L. Sprague de Camp
Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Product Description

A classic time travel story of modern man's confrontation with the ancient world.

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Lest Darkness Fall
L. Sprague de Camp
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8QOG2

Book Description

Texas cowboys are the stuff of legend — immortalized in ruggedly picturesque images from Madison Avenue to Hollywood. Cowboy cooking has the same romanticized mythology, with the same oversimplified reputation (think campfire coffee, cowboy steaks, and ranch dressing). In reality, the food of the Texas cattle raisers came from a wide variety of ethnicities and spans four centuries.

Robb Walsh digs deep into the culinary culture of the Texas cowpunchers, beginning with the Mexican vaqueros and their chile-based cuisine. Walsh gives overdue credit to the largely unsung black cowboys (one in four cowboys was black, and many of those were cooks). Cowgirls also played a role, and there is even a chapter on Urban Cowboys and an interview with the owner of Gilley’s, setting for the John Travolta--Debra Winger film.

Here are a mouthwatering variety of recipes that include campfire and chuckwagon favorites as well as the sophisticated creations of the New Cowboy Cuisine:

• Meats and poultry: sirloin guisada, cinnamon chicken, coffee-rubbed tenderloin
• Stews and one-pot meals: chili, gumbo, fideo con carne
• Sides: scalloped potatoes, onion rings, pole beans, field peas
• Desserts and breads: peach cobbler, sourdough biscuits, old-fashioned preserves

Through over a hundred evocative photos and a hundred recipes, historical sources, and the words of the cowboys (and cowgirls) themselves, the food lore of the Lone Star cowboy is brought vividly to life.

Customer Reviews:

A cookbook for your collection.......2007-07-07

This is the third cookbook by Robb Walsh and he's on a roll. Loved this book. The recipes are really good and the mix of history makes this a fun book to have.

Misses the expectation suggested by the title.......2007-05-29

Whilst the title is technically correct and there are a number of notable recipes, observations and ideas in the early chapters, as the book develops it is possible to form the idea the author began to stuggle a tad for relevant information. Included as possible padding are ' wanna be cowboys ' and actors key to the Texas cowboy myth of popular culture. The ' Duke 'gets a mention with no food hook, whilst missing is the Elvis fried sandwitch! Personally I had anticipated more about food, less about people who had no impact upon cooking of any style. But as stated, the title is technically correct and the subject matter reach defensible.
In fairness the author does point out that the generally accepted period of the true ' cowboy era ' was actually relatively short. Detailed observations as to how cattle / livestock herding practices evolved from earlier traditions of land use as practiced by the various peoples of all hues and evolved with the various population moves into the west by both relocation from within the Americas and immigration from overseas do shed a light into the ' Old West ' possibly not generally appreciated. Those influences upon the regional food is interesting and detailed.

cowboys know good food!!.......2007-05-18

this is a great cookbook;it has many informative articles and wonderful pictures. i highly recommend the dr. pepper marinade for tri tip to filet roasts.

The Texas Cowboy Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos.......2007-04-12

If you have any interest in the history of cowboys, chuck wagons, the state of Texas or just delicious range-life cooking, this is the book for you. This well-written and informative cookbook goes beyond the recipes and provides a detailed history of cowboys in Texas, and how each regional and ethnic group contributed to the category of cowboy cuisine. From sourdough biscuits to "son of a bitch," Walsh walks you through all aspects of preparation, and shows you how you can acclimate the recipes for the home kitchen. This beautifully designed book is also generously illustrated with historical photos and whimsical illustrations. And sprinkled throughout the text are oral histories on cooking from cowboys both old and new, placing the recipes in a delciious context. While the recipes are not fancy (this is, after all, cowboy cuisine, food originally designed to be eaten outdoors on the range), they are meticulous, authentic and tasty. And I challenge anyone to say instruction on how to cook a cow's head is mundane!

A Cowboy in the Kitchen: Recipes from Reata and Texas West of the Pecos

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Cowboy in the Kitchen
Excellent for guys - you NEED to own this
Simple, tasty and large portions - the way it should be
The Best Damn Cookbook to Come out of Texas!
IT JUST DOES NOT GET BETTER

A Cowboy in the Kitchen: Recipes from Reata and Texas West of the Pecos
Grady Spears , Robb Walsh , and James Evans
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1580080049

Customer Reviews:

Cowboy in the Kitchen.......2007-02-21

This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves Texas and Texas recipes. Our son lived in Texas for 8 years. His wife is from Texas. They were happy to get a "Texas Cookbook". GREAT recipes. The rub for steaks is fantastic.

Excellent for guys - you NEED to own this.......2005-11-12

Guys, if you want to upgrade your lifestyle from bachelor chow, if you want to impress the ladies, and most of all, if you want to have decent food at home or at work, you NEED this book. Now.

The stories are great, the author is a killer chef, and best of all, these are recipes YOU will like. If nothing else, get it to get the secret of his grill spice blend - it takes anything and makes it instanly a cut above anything else you've made.

But best of all, Mr. Spears shows us that cooking is not some girlie man thing, it's a cool thing. You'll eat better food, and women will realize you rock. I'm not kidding. Buy it now!

Simple, tasty and large portions - the way it should be.......2004-10-13

Although the recipies are good, easy to make and tasty it's the stories that accompany it that make the book. Grady doesn't try to be anyone he's not. He's a simple cowboy who enjoys cooking who fell into a career as a chef. Oh, and if you get the book, try the "Sissyfied Son-of-a-B*tch" it's definately better than it sounds.

The Best Damn Cookbook to Come out of Texas!.......2004-09-15

As an avid cook and an amateur collector of quality cookbooks, I've seen a lot of theme cookbooks like this that are often more story that recipe. This cookbook combines both and is my absolute favorite cookbook ever! The recipes are amazing (though to all of you out there counting points/carbs/calories, etc., this is probably not for you), the back story is interesting, and the knowledge expressed in these pages is priceless to anyone from an aspiring weeknight cook to the most recent C.I.A. graduate (the cooking school, not the espionage organization). In short, there's something for everyone, and everyone will love the food from this book. As I write this, I'm enjoying the buttermilk biscuits that in a few days I will make into the buttermilk biscuit pudding with Southern Comfort cream!

IT JUST DOES NOT GET BETTER.......2002-12-21

OUTSTANDING ORGANIZATION.FEWER RECIPES BUT VERY COMPLETE.EASY TO FOLLOW.ESPECIALLY THE INFO ON GETTING THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS.ILLUSTRATIONS ARE ON THE RECIPE PAGE,FOR A CHANGE-VERY HELPFUL.PRACTICAL AND ELEGANT.A GOOD READ JUST BY ITSELF.THE SECTION ON BEEF AND BUYING BEEF IS BETTER THAN THE TEXAS BEEF COUNCIL ADVICE. A GOOD BUY AND REASONABLE.THE RECIPES GIVE YOU SOME OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING FOOD YOU CAN COOK YOURSELF.

The Texas Cowboy Kitchen: Recipes from the Chisholm Club

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Sorry but no real Texas Cowboy that I have ever known would cook any of this
Beautiful, and great recipes
A New Frontier in American Cooking!!

The Texas Cowboy Kitchen: Recipes from the Chisholm Club
Grady Spears , and June Naylor
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0972449507

Book Description

With 100 recipes inspired by an unforgettable era of horseback heroes, THE TEXAS COWBOY KITCHEN is the newest cookbook from America's celebrated cowboy-turned-chef, Grady Spears. A combination of Grady's inimitable spin on gratifying, hearty food, and the romance of the famous Chisholm Trail where cowboys drove cattle some 130-odd years ago, this beautifully illustrated book turns simple cowboy food into gourmet creations. Palate-pleasing eats from Grady's newest hit restaurant, the Chisholm Club, reflect an upscale-rustic spirit in food and language and offer a refined take on the trail-driving campfire cuisine of days gone by.

Customer Reviews:

Sorry but no real Texas Cowboy that I have ever known would cook any of this.......2006-05-14

I love the beautiful photos of real cowboys- a nice pictorial history. I am sure the recipes actually taste good, and I am not accusing Grady of not being a real cowboy, I am sure he was. But sadly to me, he continues the trend of taking traditional food, which was fairly simple and tasty in itself, and re-inventing it to make it fancy restaurant fare. Like Barbecued Quail Tamales with Avocado Cream. I ordered it looking for some classic dishes that are so very good, that I might actually make. I started to order another of his books, that has a great title- just what I am looking for, but now really don't think so. I am sorry- a lot of people would love this, the contents just don't seem to go so well with the title. Perhaps 'The Modern Texas Kitchen' would have been better.

Beautiful, and great recipes.......2003-12-04

This is a gorgeous, coffee table-type cookbook with its beautiful historic photos of cowboys and Texas. But the recipes are also terrific. Spears is a famous chef, but the recipes are very home cook-friendly. And lots of Texas favorites, like an updated version of Frito pie with venison chili. Only one I didn't like that much was a Dr Pepper cake. But the meat recipes are great. So are the campfire cocktails!

A New Frontier in American Cooking!!.......2003-10-15

It has been a ton of fun looking through my newest cookbook!! I have even tried a couple of the recipes! The addition of the Smith photos (from the Amon Carter Collection) is a huge bonus...they add a dimension to the book that is unique but somehow essential. Ever since I got the first Reata cookbook I've thought it could not be improved upon. I was dead wrong. Everyone I have showed this book to has had the same reaction...it is the most appealing "cookbook" they have ever seen! The reason I put the word in quotes is that it is to everyone who has seen it much more than a recipe binder and that is what I like about it best. It is one part history, one part food, sprinkled with Texana, a story unfolding from a passionate soul. Fire up the stove and gather 'round!! It's time to eat!!
Congratulations, Grady!! You have much to be proud of!!

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one of my favorites
Barbeque, Bisquits and Beans
Best Friend for a Homesick Texan
Outstanding Beef Recipes
Great Recipes!

Texas Cowboy Cooking
Tom Perini
Manufacturer: Comanche Moon Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0971312206

Amazon.com

What did cowboys eat on the range? It's doubtful their "chuck" much resembled the lively fare offered by restaurateur Tom Perini in Texas Cowboy Cooking, a collection of 75 recipes from the Perini Ranch Steakhouse. That said, the dishes, which include the likes of Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salad, Oven Roasted Beef Brisket, and Jessica's Favorite Green Chili Hominy, are just the thing when the call of meat and Tex-Mex seasoning can't be denied. Illustrated with color photos throughout, the book provides a big-food journey, noting en route the Texas lore that gives it context. Most readers will probably pass on the Calf Fries, a local delicacy the author hardly admits are made from beef testicles. But when Perini talks steak--offering useful cut information and such tempting dishes as a Spicy Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic-Horseradish Cream, Round Steak Rolls, and Laredo Broil, a superior version of marinated flank steak--you'll want to pay attention. Other standouts include an exemplary Texas Chili, Winter Squash Soup, Grilled Sourdough with Texas Onion Butter (a recipe for the bread is included), Carrots with Bourbon Sauce, and the fancier Celebration Venison with Ginger and Wine. Desserts aren't neglected, and simple sweets like Grandmother's Pound Cake, Jane's Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie, and Bread Pudding with Whisky Sauce should put a happy end to whatever appetite is left after a massive Perini spread. With a short but interesting section on cowboy life and informative sidebars (such as Aging Beef), the book provides easily made, easily enjoyed food for millennial buckeroos everywhere. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

TEXAS COWBOY COOKING collects Tom Perini's all-time favorite recipes for mouth-watering Texan food and drinks. Perini also shares his award-winning tips preparing them, including his secrets to cooking the perfect steak - for selecting the cut, preparing it, knowing when to turn it, and when to call it done. Throughout, stunning photography, archival illustrations, and Perini's own dry, Texan wit bring to life the romance, adventure, character, and humor of life in cowboy country.

* Beautiful, artful photographs complemented by drawings of regional western art

* Written descriptions of historic Texas regions capture the romance of cowboy food and culture

* Showcases heritage food, with heirloom recipes and cowboy practicality complemented by modern kitchen shortcuts

Customer Reviews:

one of my favorites.......2007-09-10

i am a single dad and i originally bought this book for myself a few years ago. its more than pretty photos-the recipes are easy and the results are great. best of all,they work indoors or outdoors. the copy i recently bought from amazon was for my cousin(who happens to live on a ranch)as a birthday gift.

Barbeque, Bisquits and Beans.......2007-07-07

Real good variety. Being a Texan, I can relate to all of it. Good Stuff.
B

Best Friend for a Homesick Texan.......2007-03-25

As someone who lived in Texas for over 20 years, I found myself needing some good Texas-style cooking after moving to Florida. And having dined at the Perini Ranch Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap, TX a number of times, I was certain this book by the man himself would satisfy my craving! The food at the restaurant was always so delicious, and with the help of this book, I can ALMOST make foods just as good. The tips about beef preparation are particularly insightful - I learned a number of things I did not know before. It's great to have this on hand whenever I feel I need a taste of Texas!

Outstanding Beef Recipes.......2007-02-06

This book is a very interesting read. Mr. Perini writes about local ranching and cowboy history and explains the origins of the recipes. I have tried many of the recipes and have yet to be disappointed. He has a great "feel" for bringing out the best flavor in the beef. I highly recommend this book and have purchased it as a gift for others.

Great Recipes!.......2006-02-17

I have thoroughly enjoyed this cookbook. I have used several of the recipes and they have all been good. The bread pudding was the best!

A Taste of Texas Ranching: Cooks and Cowboys

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A Taste of Texas Ranching: Cooks and Cowboys
Joel Bernstein , and Tom Bryant
Manufacturer: Texas Tech University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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The Texas Cowboy Kitchen
June Naylor , and Grady Spears
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Texas Landmark Cafes

ASIN: 0740769731

Book Description

Cowboy-turned-chef Grady Spears reinvents chuckwagon dishes from Barbecued Quail Tamales to Pork Tenderloin with Watermelon Salsa to Butterscotch Pie by elevating them to haute cowboy cuisine.Divided into 10 chapters ranging from "Campfire Cocktails" to "Things You Don't Rope" to "Chuckwagon Secrets," The Texas Cowboy Kitchen contains 100 original recipes perfected at Spears's renowned former restaurants, the Chisholm Club in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Nutt House Restaurant in Granbury, Texas—both of which satisfied wagonloads of hungry customers.

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