Original review by Patricia Mitchell

I cook a lot, and I read a lot, and I'm Texan down to my roots.

When I came across Stirring Prose, Deborah Douglas' compilation of recipes, experiences, and food prejudices of 39 of Texas' best writers, I knew I had found a book that might have been written expressly for me -- or for the likes of me.

Stirring Prose Sample

From the book jacket: Stirring Prose: Cooking with Texas Authors is a delightfully revealing look at some of Texas' best writers. Initially conceived as a Who's Who of Texas authors, Deborah Douglas quickly realized that asking authors to write about their favorite recipes freed them from "the big toe-digging constraints of having to talk directly about themselves. The resulting off-center reflections are brilliant slices of their personalities and their writing styles."

From John Graves' ideal sandwich to Larry King's flu remedy, Mary Willis Walker's Breast of Chicken a L'Orange to Jean Flynn's roadkill dinners, you'll find much of interest. For instance, being a fan of John Erickson's Western Life series, I especially enjoyed the discourse on "grass-fat beef" that preceded the description of the meal he always prepares for himself when left to his own devices in the kitchen.

This book is an interesting, fun read. Not only did I enjoy the passages by and about various authors I "know," my interest in others with whom I am less familiar was piqued. The section devoted to each Texas author contains introductory remarks by Ms. Douglas, the respective Texas author's comments, and a listing the books he or she has written. Each of the sections begins with a photograph of the author, as well.

This is a unique book -- not what you could call a cookbook -- but extremely well done and entertaining. While it does contain some fine recipes, it can also serve as a kind of literary roadmap of the Great State of Texas.

Book

Stirring Prose

Softcover

226 pages

Publisher

Texas A&M University Press (August 1, 1998)

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