Cowgirl Cuisine

December 11, 2006
Disenchanted by her hectic New York City lifestyle, Disbrowe, a former
\t\t travel writer, packed her bags and moved to Texas Hill Country to become the
\t\t chef at Hart & Hind Ranch. The dishes she created there combine her love
\t\t for Mediterranean food with fresh local ingredients and cooking traditions from
\t\t south-central Texas, with recipes such as Texas Tofu Scramble, and Eggs over
\t\t Polenta with Serrano-Spiked Tomato Sauce. Also included in the Ranch Breakfast
\t\t section are more traditional recipes like Blackberry Blue Corn Muffins and
\t\t Banana Bread. Other sections included are "Charming Sandwiches and a
\t\t Belt-Busting Burger," which feature Smoked Turkey Wraps with Chipotle Cream,
\t\t and a Venison Burger. In the chapter "Ring the Dinner Bell" are fun, and simple
\t\t dishes like Halibut with Salsa Verde and Cowgirl Steaks with Pink Peppercorns
\t\t and Red Onion Marmalade. Throughout, Disbrowe shares various tales from life on
\t\t the ranch (from raising baby chicks to living with a pet goat). Disbrowe's
\t\t goal, she explains in her intro, was to write a cookbook "about fresh,
\t\t satisfying food that is easy enough to prepare while living life to the
\t\t fullest." In this she has succeeded.

February 15, 2007
Five years ago, Disbrowe was a food and travel writer living in New York City, but her life changed radically after a working visit to a guest ranch in the Texas hill country. The owner asked her to become the chef for her "un-spa," and Disbrowe and her husband packed up a rental truck and drove west. This book tells the entertaining story of their new lives (they now have their own ranch and a menagerie of animals), with an eclectic selection of mouth-watering recipes ranging from Southwestern/Tex-Mex-style dishes like Scrambled Eggs with Green Chiles to Mediterranean-inspired selections such as Manchego-Stuffed Pears with Prosciutto. Color photographs throughout document the author's adventures and show off her food. Recommended for most collections.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.