Richly, colorfully illustrated The Desert Home is both a guide to and panorama of the architecture and interior design found in the American Southwest. We know that region for a relaxed, casual lifestyle enhanced by unique terrain and a cover of unbelievably blue sky.

With twenty years experience as an interior designer, Tamara L. Hawkins is well equipped to offer a tour of the diverse structures to be found in this area. The homes vary both in size and architectural style from contemporary adobe overlooking Phoenix to a remote desert home with elements of an old adobe mission and a distinct south-of-the-border flavor.

We learn that while America's three hot deserts - the Chihuahuan, the Sonoran, and the Mojave have many unifying characteristics, they are quite different in geologic formations, animals, plants, and history. Our largest desert, the Chihuahuan, spans 200,000 square miles, primarily in Mexico, while the Mojave is a mere 25,000 mile area in California, Nevada and Utah. Each of the deserts has a unique history which often determines the ambience of architecture and home interior.

The three cultures, Native-American, Spanish, and Anglo-American, which have contributed to the Southwest are found in the homes as art, rugs, artifacts, paintings, crafts, even dishware.

With over 225 photographs and a well researched, readable text "The Desert Home" both a source and reference for decorating inspiration.

- Gail Cooke

This offering, by Northland Publishing, of "the desert home" is a visual feast for those who long to bring the beauty, serenity and spirituality of the desert into their living space. Sumptious decorating ideas abound whether you call the city, 'burbs or rural counties your residence and all have taken the flavor of the American and Spanish deserts. From clean modern designs to old world collectibles, this is a wonderful expos'e on decorating and living as a desert dweller.

The Desert Home by professional interior designer and freelance writer Tamara L. Hawkinson takes the reader upon a wonderful and memorable tour through a series of Southwestern American homes which are filled with personality, flavor, charm, and showcase a love for life in the desert. Warm earthen tones predominate the styles depicted herein, all of which are beautifully illustrated with numerous full-color photographs, and commented upon at length in a "reader friendly" text. Simply put, The Desert Home is great source book of ideas when searching for a desert or western motif for any area of one's own home.

I first encountered this cookbook at my in-laws' house in Florida. They had dined at El Charro on a recent trip to Tucson, and were so enamored with the restaurant and the food, they bought the book. Unfortunately for them, they can't get many of the authentic spices and foodstuffs in Florida. Fortunately for me in Colorado, I can (excepting the preparation of the carne seca, which is one of the few drawbacks of this book). Gracias, El Charro e Senora Flores.

Many of us collect cookbooks for their unique and/or useful recipes. Rarely does a recipe-book come along that is one you want to curl up with on the couch and read and enjoy for its own sake.

Carlotta Flores' El Charro Cafeis one. It is a joyful tribute to past and future by the author and is full of the color of Mexican flavor in the Southwest U.S. Fisher Books did an outstanding job on the full-color photography on nearly every page, not only of platters of food but of kichey artifacts and symbols of the rich culture as it is lived on both sides of our long border and especially at El Charro.

Throughout the pages are amusing and touching family anecdotes from the time Carlotta's great-aunt Monica began serving cowboys and their familias frijoles and tamales in the dusty, wild Tucson of 1922,to the third and fourth generation's tasteful updates that have made El Charro an international destination-restaurant.

I can think of dozens of friends and relatives who would love to find this prize under the Christmas tree. It would not need wrapping!

BEING FROM THE WEST COAST, I THOUGHT I KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT MEXICAN FOOD, AND BEING FROM TUCSON AND KNOWING THE EL CHARRO QUALITY MADE ME THINK I KNEW IT ALL. I WAS WRONG!!! THIS BOOK IS GREAT, IT TELLS A GREAT STORY OF THE TRADITION AND HISTORY OF THE CULTURE BEHIND THE FOOD. THE RECIPES WERE CLEAR AND CONCISE AND FUN TO MAKE. MY FAMILY WAS AMAZED HOW GOOD A COOK THIS BOOK MADE ME. I WAS MORE INTRIGUED WITH MAKING FOOD FROM A BOOK THAT I FELT A CONNECTION TO THE CULTURE THAT MADE THE RECIPES POSSIBLE. I HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE RESTAURANTS FOR SOME TIME NOW AND I FEAR IT MAY BE LONGER AS I AM ENJOYING COOKING AT HOME SO MUCH! BUY THIS BOOK!

Great cookbook! The recipes are easy to understand and even better tasting. Mr. Kerr has a flair for setting the mood for each of his recipes with anecdotal descriptions of how to serve and what to serve with the dish. The only drawback is sometimes the recipes call for ingredients that are not easily obtained (common grocery store), but he warns of that in the book! It's a good read and a great cookbook.

I love the Kerr family thinking when it comes to food-- big, blowsy, can't-have-too-much-of-a-good-thing type thinking. I've used this cookbook for five years, and everything I make has great, authentic Tex-Mex taste. I'd take any advice Park Kerr is giving out.

Every recipe that I have tried from this book is great! I use this cookbook more than any other!

I appreciate a good horse as much as the next guy. Looking at horses through Keith's eyes makes me love them. I'm not going to run out and buy tight pants and a helmet because of this book, but you get the idea. The images are well made and seen. Not all of the pictures have the tilt-shift look which has been overdone so that's good. The layout is great. A square book for a square image. Keith's little ditty about Ezekiel's Horse is a warm piece of writing. If you're a Keith Carter fan, buy the book. If you like horses, buy the book. If your interested in photography, buy the book. If your name is Mr. Ed, look for your portrait on page 29, then call your lawyer.

Whoa! No one can begin to describe Keith Carter's style and vision. You have to experience it. It's not just what he sees, it's how he renders it, making it new and timeless too. This is a book you'll want to open often.

i admit i was skeptic when i first heard about this book, and i had no intentions of buying it. i'm not that crazy about horses. but i got a look at an advanced copy, and i saw the the work was just beautiful and i had to have it. be sure to look at orange tree and nude and arabian, which are my two favorite pictures.

A gang of four alienated teens raise cain all over El Paso, Texas in this, one of Rechy's earlier novels. The teens--a jaded rich girl; her two male friends; and the "fourth angel" who joins them, a young man recovering from his mother's death--turn to drugs and a little bit of the old ultraviolence to block out the pain of their lives.

As an examination of troubled youth, this novel sometimes plunges into the kind of cliches I associate with bad JD movies (emotionally wounded kids rebelling against hypocritical society, etc., etc.). But Rechy manages to create four vivid, distinct characters here; they're more complex than the street-corner nihilists they proclaim themselves to be--and that's exactly the point. Tight prose and a quick pace are additional assets. Though not as impressive as "City of Night," it's a readable book that hasn't dated much (except for the occasional "far out!" dialogue) since its initial publication in 1972, whereas Bret Easton Ellis' vaguely similar "Less Than Zero" feels lost in the '80s. It's worth reading.

I read this book in one sitting, although I hadn't intended to, just started reading and couldn't put it down. I was caught up in the lives of the beautiful girl and her three sexy male teenage partners--"angels"--who set out to stop feeling because they've been so hurt. It's a shattering book that you won't forget, one of Rechy's very best--and one of the best about teenagers ever. The scene at the end, at the Rio Grande, I'll never forget. These kids anger you, terrify you, and finally arouse your compassion.

Four teenagers, three boys and a girl, have been so wounded emotionally that they band together to learn how to stop feeling, and they trap themselves into dangerous sexual and violent games that finally force them to face themselves and each other. A shattering beautiful and disturbing novel of lost innocence.

I've always felt that every recipe has a story behind it, some ditty that brings the history of the recipe and its origin to light. When I reviewed "La Comida:...." I was pleased to see not only informative vignettes but also the legends of the Upper Rio Grande area. There's even a section on Utinsels and how they were/are used by the peoples of that region. What also amazed me was the bibliography. Now you tell me, how often do you find a cookbook with a bibliography? Not often that's for sure. If you're like me and have a huge craving for the wonderful flavors of the American Southwest then you'll love to have "La Comida:..." in your colletion. Bob Wiseman Author, Reviewer, Historian

The book is well rounded with great suggestions, stories and tips.
Fred just knows how to make things work, simple and fresh.
All it says to me is GAME ON!

When I feel nostolgic about Taos, and wish I were there, I pull out my copy of La Comida and read a few chapters. Brings me back to the warmth and feel of the country. Only wish Fred had included his recipe for Macaroni, cheese and chiles, and the squash stew

Ms. Cobb's cookbook is unquestionably scrumptious. Family members, friends, and the author contributed over 175 Southern and Southwestern recipes for this mouth-watering book.

These recipes come before the days of fat-free recipes and the author warns-"Dieters beware!" "Comfort Food!" and that it's "Hazardous to your waistlines!"

Each recipe is sectioned off into categories, making it easier to locate your favorite food, breads, salads, jellies, vegetable dishes, and soups fill this book to the brim. You can almost smell the food!

Ms. Cobb purposely neglects putting in the fat content and calories per recipe, with the mention that several of the contributors lived to be over 90 years of age, so that the reader can just cook without worry.

The author encourages you to add your own ingredients, subtract a few of theirs, and to experiment with your taste buds.

A few of the scrumptious dishes include: popovers, potato muffins, curry chicken, chicken parmesan, roast duck, gumbo, fish fritters, chili, liver and onions, nut cake, gingerbread, meringue, rhubarb pie, cathedral cookies, easy fudge, bean soup, 24-hour slaw, fried okra, grape jelly, and many more!

LB Cobb is an attorney who grew up in Tennessee, and who now lives in Houston with her husband. Ms. Cobb is a mother of two and grandmother to five.

As a woman who loves to experiment with cooking, I encourage you to get a copy of LB Cobb's book OLD FASHIONED RECIPES FOR MODERN COOKS today. Your tummy will thank you....

Showcasing more than 175 Southern and Southwestern dishes from a culinary era well before the coming dominance of "fat-free" manias with respect to fine dining, L.B. Cobb's Old-Fashioned Recipes For Modern Cooks: Foods With All The Flavor You Remember In Grandmother's Cooking is as much fun and nostalgia to browse through as it is fun and fulfilling to cook from. Whether for special occasion celebrations or daily family dining, here are recipes to please any palate and satisfy any appetite. From Chicken Baked in Wine; Sweet and Sour Pork Chops; and Quick Spiced Peaches; to Biscuit Gravy, Asparagus Soup; and Buttermilk Pie, Old-Fashioned Recipes For Modern Cooks will quickly prove to be a favorite addition to any kitchen cookbook collection!

L.B. Cobb is a mystery writer who also loves to cook. She is an attorney who grew up in Tennessee and practiced geology, then law. Her first novel is Splendor Bay and she and her husband now live in Houston, Texas.

She has dedicated this cookbook to Clara Nixon Dawson, Linnie Belle Snodderly, Martha Wilson, Edith Burkhart and Kathryne Cobb. In fact, this cookbook is inspired by dinner-table conversations. When Martha developed a "food fetish" and started to watch the Food Channel (how I can relate), she began practicing her new-found culinary skills. Martha then came across her mother's recipes.

In the meantime, L.B. Cobb was researching her own family recipes. What resulted was 175 Southern and Southwestern dishes. She encourages each cook to experiment a bit and to make the recipes their own. Each recipe in the Index is followed by an abbreviation for one of the ladies who created or contributed the recipe. So, for Clara Dawson, you will see (CD).

Some of the recipes include headnotes and some have secrets only Grandma would tell you. Little secrets like sifting the flour twice before making a cake or how to make a perfect pie crust.

The recipes are divided into sections:

Biscuits & Breads
Main Courses: Chicken, Other Poultry, Seafood and Meats.
Desserts: Cakes, Tarts & Patties, Pie, Cookies and Other Desserts.
Soups
Salads
Dressings & Sauces
Vegetable Side Dishes
Pickles & Relishes
Jams & Jellies
Beverages
A handy page of Measurements & Conversions is also included.

One cookie I tasted this Christmas at my aunt's home is called: Cathedral Cookies. And, believe it or not, I found it in this cookbook! It is the same recipe. I was also thinking of making some Pecan Pralines since they are just delicious. The recipe is also so easy to make and is on pg. 53. Then my husband is always talking about tortilla soup and so I was very pleased to find a recipe.

Other Recipes Include: Cilantro Dressing, Whipped Onion-Garlic Butter, Fried Tomatoes with Thyme and Garlic, Stuffed Mushrooms, Watermelon Rind Preserves and Pineapple-Cherry Jam.

Delicious!

Some fancy names for "western drinks". Living out West I ship this book to friends and family on the East coast just for laughs. They inevitably call me and tell me they just made themselves a "Purple Jesus" or a "Cactus-Rita". It's a funny bar book, if you're not much for hard liquor there are a few food recipes, but it's mostly a drink guide.

After writing his masterpeice, A Cowboy In The Kitchen, Grady has given us a book of savory cocktails to wash down his cowboy cuisine!

The Reata Rita is the best margarita I have ever had! And I can't wait to try the Sonora Sangria! Grady has even selected listening music for each beverage. You might try the Texas Lemonade if you're a Pat Green fan!

This book is a must have for any hard-core drinker!

The author of 'Cowboy in the Kitchen' has returned with more entertaining foods for urban cowboys, from coffee drinks and coolers to cowboy cocktails. Enjoy a lively set of drinks from the 'wild west' with Cowboy Cocktails, with its light-hearted humor and fun ingredients.

Nice places to go to in Arizona.

Well thought out and written. I enjoy seeking out new places to go and the book has a bunch of neat places to explore.

Please remember though that this is Arizona. I mean a nice pool of water described might be just that in Feb or March - but come May or June it might be a flowing river of green! And a nice pool described in the book ya need to take with a grain of salt!! Some places I have enjoyed the discovery of finding it and soon thought jeez this is just the same ol same ol stuff. Make an adventure out of seeking out the places and enjoying the outdoors.

This is a fun book. Water holes and waterfalls are covered from Tucson to Moab. Several are short day hikes suitable for any fit person. Owning a large selection of hiking books I was surprised to find rarely mentioned areas. Pancho Doll really did explore the state to find some rare gems. He is a very likeable guy with a great sense of humor. Topographic maps are included in the book. The book is tied together with a website. You send in your receipt to get a password. Then you can print out the maps so you don't need to carry the whole book. In all honesty though... GPS readings are not real accurate on several spots. You can find the spots without GPS so it doesn't matter. A skinny dipping symbol indicates your chances of finding a secluded spot. After each region is a "why bother" list of area's Doll doesn't recommend. Keep in mind the why bother is referring to swimming holes and waterfalls. I say that because areas I consider awesome are mentioned on his "why bother" list. Ironically some of the spots in the book carry a boom box symbol indicating large or rowdy crowds. Seems those should be put on the "why bother" list!

Overall this is a great book. Pancho worked hard on putting it together. With over seventy destinations it's a great value. I give the book a 4 because it's proved valuable over the years. It appears Poncho prints this book himself. The effort is recognized and I'm sure it will only get better in future editions.

This is definitely a book that I wish I had years ago. It has tons of different places to hike to in Arizona and Southern Utah with swimming holes. It can be somewhat challenging to find water in the Southwest, so this book is a great guide. It is filled with lots of descriptions of the places, maps and pictures of each water hole. This is an ultimate book for exploring the southwest.

Mrs. Clark wholeheartedly wants you to "Get your kicks on Route 66" with the help of her cookbook/guidebook. Following the classic old road from Illinois to California, she visits the kitchens of inns, restaurants, community cookbooks, and residents who provide memories along with regional tastes.

For as interesting a concept as this cookbook is, it's a shame that it has as many editing errors as it does. One can overlook the occasional odd terminology used in the ingredients lists (soda instead of baking soda), and the few rather large portion sizes (the recipe for "Mustard Relish" makes 9 pints). But it is unacceptable to have ingredients called for that are not used and exact ingredient sizes not given.

The recipe for "Chorizo Roll" asks for 4 links Mexican Chorizo Sausage but doesn't tell you how much that would be in ounces or pounds. I've seen these links come as large as Italian sausage links and as small as breakfast sausage links. It makes a big difference. The recipe for "Paper Bag Apple Pie" lists a 9-inch unbaked pie shell twice, once for the pie and once again for the topping. I double-checked the recipe and the second pie shell was definitely an accidental listing. In the same recipe, though this is probably obvious to some, the ingredients list calls for 6 baking apples but doesn't list a preparation for them (diced, sliced, chopped, etc...). It's not until you get into the description does it mention that the seasoning mixture is to be sprinkled over sliced apples.

Of the recipes I tried, each turned out delicious and satisfying, after a few adjustments. Making "Strawberry Muffins" doesn't get any easier and they are not too sweet to serve as a snack or along with breakfast. Though I had to substitute a similar local white wine for the regional one called for in "Chicken and Rice in Wine", the dish smelled heavenly and had a very pleasing taste.

The abundance of recipes and travel information warrants the price tag but the mistakes make you want to ask for a discount. If you are curious about traveling along Route 66 yourself someday, you might find some fun recipes to try out or look into tasting straight from the source. In general though, it asks for more bang for the buck than it delivers.

In The Main Street Of America Cookbook, Marian Clark draws from an eight-state culinary adventure along Route 66 to showcase menus and 295 recipes offered by roadside cafes, restaurants, and eateries (as well as highlighting local home cooks encountered along the road and the secrets of their specialities). From Greek Meatballs; Chicken and Rice in Wine; and Oklahoma Calf Fries; to Ben Konis' Hot Damn Texas Panhandle Salami; Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls; and Baked Apple Pancake, The Main Street Of America Cookbook offers a wealth of highly recommended, nutritious and palate pleasing dishes that would complement any family menu.

As with her other book, the Route 66 Cookbook, Marion Clark has again combined wonderful recipes with interesting facts and history on the ever-fasinating Route 66. I wish I had this book before I took my Route 66 roadtrip. Of course, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys great recipes. But I also recommend it to those who have traveled or long to travel the "mother road." It's a great read for all! (I'm eagerly awaiting the release of her next Route 66 Cookbook!)