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Best of the Best from Oklahoma
Editors: Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley
Quail Ridge Press
288 pp.

Texas (Cooking) is big enough to acknowledge a cookbook from our neighbor to the north, Oklahoma. This spiral-bound volume (it lies nice and flat when open) is one of the "best of" series done by Quail Ridge Press. They have compiled their selections from 59 of Oklahoma's leading cookbooks, and come up with this volume of which they can be proud. The recipes, from Appetizers to Desserts, are for the most part good home cooking -- dishes that have been passed down and improved upon. This book will lift the spirits of every cook who ever wrestled with the daily dilemma of "What am I gonna cook tonight?" There are a few surprises like Rabbit Stir-Fry, which isn't so surprising if you think about it, and Low-Fat Clam Chowder, which you do not necessarily associate with Oklahoma. Some favorites of mine are Terry's White Chili, Jalapeño Corn Pudding, Frozen Chocolate Crunch and the Banana Pudding Cake, an unbelievable low-fat dish. Sprinkled throughout are numerous tidbits of Oklahoma trivia (Did you know that the first Boy Scout Troop in the US was founded in Oklahoma in 1909? I didn't think so.).

Containing 384 recipes, Best of the Best from Oklahoma is a valuable addition to any cook's collection. The everyday cook will refer to it again and again.

The Border Cookbook - Authentic Home Cooking of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico Authors: Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison Publisher: The Harvard Common Press; ISBN 1558321039 Soft cover, 500 pp.; List $16.95 -- Amazon.com Price $13.56 -- You save $3.39 (20%) Hard cover, 500 pp.; List $29.95 -- Amazon.com Price $20.97 -- Your save $8.97 (30%)

Cookwise - The Secrets of Cooking Revealed Author: Shirley O. Corriher Publisher: William Morrow & Co., Inc.; ISBN 0688102298 Hard cover, 524 pp.; List $28.50 -- Amazon.com Price $19.95 -- You save $8.55 (30%)

The author's background as a food chemist and lifelong cook has uniquely prepared her to write this long-awaited book. You could buy it for the 230 recipes alone, and get your money's worth. But what makes this book invaluable is that it explains, in an understandable, easily readable format, the chemistry of cooking.

Ms. Corriher unravels the mysteries of breadmaking, solves the riddle of perfect pie crust and cracks the candy-making code. The reader will learn not only how to "fix" a flawed recipe, but how to recognize that it is flawed in the first place. Stumped by the role of baking powder? This the book for you. The section on Cakes is easily worth the price of the book.

Although breads, pastries and desserts are given an in-depth treatment, equal space is devoted to Eggs (you might just relearn how to hard-boil them), Sauces, Vegetables, and Meats, Poultry and Fish.

Owners of Cookwise will have to take special precautions to guard against its becoming too tattered and spattered. It will prove to be a fantastic reference, as well as a trusted source of wonderful recipes. A great book to own or give.

Dirty Dining: A Cookbook, and More, for Lovers
Author: Gennie Siena Bivona
Publisher: Republic of Texas Press; ISBN 1556222580
Softbound, 144 pp., Amazon.com Price $12.95

Finally, a cookbook especially for lovers. Dirty Dining is a generous and slightly sensuous collection of interesting and delicious recipes all designed to help couples maintain that special spark so essential to any relationship. With chapters such as Whips on the Wall, Piggy Piggy, Strip Lunch, and All Day Sunday, Ginnie Siena Bivona explains how to make the dining experience more than simply a meal. Perhaps the ultimate shower gift for newlyweds, this cookbook is a must for anyone who wants to keep the flame flickering in a relationship.

Jane Butel's Tex-Mex Cookbook
Author: Jane Butel
Publisher: Crown Publishers, Inc.; ISBN 0517880148
Softcover, 192 pp.; Amazon.com Price $11.00

Making it Easy: Cajun Cooking
Author: Chef Arlene Coco
Publisher: Republic of Texas Press; ISBN 1556226497
Softbound, 200 pp.; Amazon.com Price $18.95

In her mother's kitchen in Baton Route, Chef Arlene Coco learned to cook cajun. Now the secrets of a longtime Louisiana chef are revealed, and among the recipes are family stories of a time when life on the bayou was sweet and simple. The book simplifies directions for clear understanding and fast, easy preparation, and is divided into several sections, from simple everyday meals to more elaborate menus for entertaining. Each chapter ends with a grocery list for each recipe. Chef Arlene Coco was the Executive Chef for Le Train Bleu and the Faber Corporation, and served at the University of Illinois as Director of Catering. Shw now owns her own catering business in Duluth, Minnesota.

Making it Easy: Southwest Desserts
Author: Chef Pete Nolasco
Publisher: Republic of Texas Press; ISBN 1556226500
Softbound, 200 pp.; Amazon.com Price $18.95

Chef Pete Nolasco gathers great desserts from all over the Southwest to create sensational endings for every kind of meal. Simple, clear instructions walk the novice cook through preparation, baking and serving, listing steps in an easy-to-follow numerical order. At the end of each chapter is a grocery list for each recipe. The book also features useful cooking hints and tips from the chef. The author has had a distinguished career as a professional chef. He is Executive Chef at Sambucca, one of Dallas' most upscale restaurants. He is also a chef-teacher at Dallas Family Outreach, teaching nutrition and cooking to disadvantaged families.

The New Southern Cooking
Author: Nathalie Dupree
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; ISBN 0394558189
Hardback, 345 pp., List $25.00 -- Amazon.com Price $17.50 -- You save $7.50 (30%)

The introduction of Ms. Dupree's book begins with an articulate and insightful description of Southern cooking and its origins. In the more than 300 pages that follow, she presents 350 recipes that include Southern mainstays. This versatile cookbook covers both everyday cooking and elegant entertaining, and includes a section of many helpful menu suggestions for special or not-so-special events like The Ladies Luncheon, A Quick Meal for a Hot Night, and A Smashing Dinner Party. Wisely included for many dishes, black-eyed peas for instance, are both the traditional and "new style" methods of preparation. The Notes on Ingredients section is chatty and informative.

Very comprehensive, this cookbook covers all the areas you would expect from a Southern cook who knows her stuff. Though quite down-to-earth, this is an elegant and nicely done cookbook.

¡Tequila! Cooking with the Spirit of Mexico
Author: Lucinda Hutson
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Softcover, 158 pp.

This delightful book will have you making excuses to cook with Mexico's most famous export. Beautifully and colorfully illustrated, it contains not only every drink you would ever expect to make with tequila, including martinis, sangrias and a multitude of margaritas, but a collection of innovative recipes for appetizers, salsas, soups, main dishes and desserts. Outstanding selections include Gazpacho del Sol (a golden fruit version laced with tequila), !Ay Caramba! Coleslaw (Thai/Tex tequila coleslaw), Puerco Miel y Mostaza (pork tenderloin in tequila-honey-mustard), Pescado Margarita (fish margarita-style) and Hoppin' Jalapeño (jalapeño carrot cake with tequila-lime cream cheese frosting). Fanciful titles or not, this is serious cooking and delightful eating.

!Tequila! is a downright good read, thanks in no small part to the wealth of information about tequila, its cultural history, origins, how it is made, who makes it, and who makes it best. The author, Lucinda Hutson, a native of El Paso, is obviously well-acquainted with her subject.

Texas Home Cooking Authors: Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison The Harvard Common Press; ISBN 1558320598 Softcover, 584 pp., List: $17.95 -- Amazon.com Price: $14.36 -- You save $3.59 (20%) Hardcover, 584 pp., List: $29.95 -- Amazon.com Price: $29.95

I wish I had written this book. It is completely Texan in scope and flavor. The recipes are many (over 400) and genuine. The King Ranch Chicken recipe, for instance, is one of the few you'll find that doesn't include a can of mushroom soup. It accurately reflects the wide range of Texas cultures with plenty of barbecue, Tex-Mex and grilling treasures, a whole section on game, many comfort foods, seafood, vegetables, canning, and a section they call "Y'all-Come-Back Desserts." The volume, available in soft cover and hard bound, is liberally peppered with Texas facts and anecdotes, and is not only indexed as to recipes, but to people and places mentioned throughout the book, as well. There's a helpful section on Mail-Order Sources.

Bon Appétit had this to say about Texas Home Cooking:

Texas Home Cooking is destined to become the definitive book . . . on that unique, wild, and wooly cuisine, which has borrowed influences from all over the planet, from Eastern Europe to Mexico. The chapters on real Texas barbecue and chili alone are worth the price of the book, but, happily, the Jamisons also take us on a lighthearted, irreverent culinary tour of the best of the rest of the Lone Star State.

The authors have written this book with a great deal of humor and affection for their topic. Not just a good read, but a cookbook you will really use.

Making it Easy: Southwest Desserts
Author: Ginnie Siena Bivona
Publisher: Republic of Texas Press; ISBN 1556226519
Softbound, 200 pp.; Amazon.com Price $18.95

This delightful book showcases the favorite home cooking recipes of some of the most talented chefs in the Lone Star State. Each chapter features a story about the chef, his or her life outside the restaurant, hobbies and interests, as well as favorite recipes they use for entertaining in their own houses. The recipes are carefully chosen for simplicity and ease of preparation. Directions are clear and concise, and there is a detailed grocery list, itemized by recipe, for each menu. The author has written under the byline The Invisible Chef for many years and is the author of Dirty Dining: A Cookbook & More for Lovers (see above). She has taught cooking and was a caterer.