Beautiful, coffee table quality, cookbook with a wide variety of simple yet elegant recipes. Excellent children's section.

I really enjoy this book. It has a great easy-to-read layout without too many confusing recipes. The recipes are user friendly but also geared to a somewhat sophisticated palette. I also usually have most ingredients on hand. I love the Baked Potato Soup! You will enjoy the pictures too.

Merejildo Grijalva was an Indian Scout who was captured by the Chiricahua Apaches in 1849 and lived more than a decade among the people under such renowned Native American leaders as Miguel Narbona, Mangas Coloradas, and Cochise. Indeed, it was Cochise who used Grijalva as his interpreter in the late 1850s. In 1859, Apache agent Michael Steck encouraged Grijalva to escape the Apaches and two years later aided the American army working in the New Mexico Territory and out of Fort Bowie, Arizona. Edwin Sweeney's Merejildo Grijalva: Apache Captive, Army Scout is number 96 in the University of Texas at El Paso Southwestern Studies series and a work of impeccable scholarship that will be much appreciated by students of Native American studies and western frontier history.

I think this is just a wonderful book, not only because we have the same last name,but the name of Grijalva goes back into history, like Juan de Grijalva 1518 explorer, Juan Pablo Grijalva, with the 1775/76 Anza Expedtion. You have to read this book yourself to understand what Edwin R. Sweeney wrote in this book.

Mesquite Country showcases the Hispanic/American culinary heritages that mark the cultural diversity, traditions, and recipes of the southern region of Texas. Of special interest to food enthusiasts is the introductory section on "Cooking with Native Plants" and the historical vignettes scattered throughout this superbly presented volume of traditional and regional dishes. From Fresh Rio Red Grapefruit Cake; Lou Tower's Buttermilk Pralines; Spanish Salad; and Chicken in Enchilada Sauce; to Mesquite Grilled Redfish; Venison Chili; Pure and Simple Authentic Guacamole; and Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding), Mesquite Country will prove a welcome and prized addition to any kitchen cookbook collection!

This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever owned. I have given several of them a gifts. It is easy to follow and has authentic southwestern recipes using simple ingredients. If you like mexican food like I do you will enjoy it.

Rebecca Cramer, Johnson County College anthropologist, has penned her first novel, a mystery set in the modern world of the Native Americans on a reservation west of Tucson. Often called the Papagos,their name for themselves is the Tohono O'odham, and Cramer has researched them very thoroughly, even learning a bit of their language. An Anglo family dynasty has developed , centered around purchasing large tracts of land just outside the Tohono O'odham land and converting it into expensive homes, walling off access to the rugged terrain, archaeological sites,and magnificent views to all but the wealthy. Benton Brody, in the top echelon of that family, is murdered in the very reion he exploited. His body is found very quickly, much more quickly than the murderer intended. Teenager Matt Bluenight loves that country, and it is his observation of the circling buzzards which leads to the discovery. Linda, Matt's single-parent mom, teaches at the reservation school,but she left a forensic position to do so. She is called in for initial help, and of course is involved as Matt's mother as well. Linda, like the author who creates her, is of Cherokee ancestry. Ramon Morena,a Tohono O'odham youth of good repute, is charged with the murder when a tip leads the police to find Benton's credit cards in his room. Linda doesn't believe Ramon could have done it, and her feelings intensify when Ramon is found dead in his cell. The police are willing to call it a suicide, just what the killer planned.

"The desert provides shelter for predators. The cactus wren builds its nest amid boughs of thorns to protect its young from pack rats and king snakes. The poisonous centipede wraps its soft tentacles around an unfortunate insect and fondles its victim in lethal foreplay. Even the ubiquitous roadrunner, famous of stage and screen, earns its supper by plundering the burrows of sand squirrels and by using its sharp beak to slash the throats of baby cottontails." Thus begins a novel of murder and intrigue that engages the tensions between differing cultural backgrounds and between those who would conserve the desert and those who would destroy it. Of Cherokee ancestry, Cramer's character, Linda Bluenight, quit her job as a forensic anthropologist in Kansas City and moved with her son, Matty, to teach Tohono O'odham ("Papago") children on the reservation west of Tucson, Arizona. Cramer introduces many interesting characters who represent different and sometimes conflicting cultural perspectives. In the tradition of Tony Hillerman, she intersperses snippets of knowledge about local Native American cultures in a manner that neither detracts from the plot nor impedes enjoyment of her novel. She also weaves some of the region's pressing environmental issues into the plot. I highly recommend Mission to Sonora to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery. I also recommend it as a supplement to anthropology classroom readings for its insights into important cross-cultural issues in the Southwest.

Both More Calf Fries to Cavier and it predecessor Calf Fries to Cavier could have just as aptly been titled "West Texas Soul Food I and II". The books contain an abundance of recipes for hearty, comfort-food dishes which many West Texans, as well as Southerners and those from the Southwestern United States, grew up eating. Both Calf Fries and More Calf Fries to Cavier should be essential in recipe collections of folks wanting to discover a special niche in home cooking. My wife, who is originally a New Yorker, swears by these books and has used them as her basis to a discovery of Texas home cooking.

This book and its predescessor cover the full gamit of traditional home cooking for the South Plains area of Texas. Dishes are flavorful and hearty. They are the traditional fare for the hard-working cotton farmers and cattle ranchers of the area. These dishes are meant to fill up the belly and stick to the ribs. They are recipes from an area known for good food all year round from blustery winter to blistering summer.

A co-worker just lent me this book after we shared a few conversations about rural Texas life and food. I didn't want to return it to him until I got a copy of my own, as it is a wonderful blend of autobiography and cookbook.

Reading it, I found myself missing the summers spent in East Texas with my great-grandparents. I particularly enjoyed the tales of my family's childhood adventures, and the wonderful smells and tastes of Great-grandmother's home cooking from scratch.

A word of caution, however; those of weak heart (both figurative and literal) should not only refrain from eating any of the foods as prepared per Mrs. Blackwell's instructions, but reading the Chicken and Dumplings recipe in the Poultry and Meat section should also be avoided (it contains rather gruesome, but hilarious and accurate instructions on how to dispatch the entree-to-be).

Whether you enjoy authentic home cooking, rural anecdotes, or simply reminiscing, you will find quite a gold mine in this little book.

THIS BOOK REFLECTS BACK ON THE SIMPLIER DAYS. AURTHOR DEENIE CARVER WORKED IN THE KITCHEN WITH HER MOM TO COOK FOR 9 CHILDREN. DEENIE JUMPED OUT OF A HAY LOFT AND BROKE HER HIP, FORCING HER TO STAY INSIDE AND NOT WORK OUT IN THE FIELD WITH THE REST OF THE CHILDREN. THE BLACKWELL FAMILY BOOST ON HER COOKING. LOUISE DILLOW HAS LIVED A JET SET LIFE AND IS AN ARTIST AND CONTRIBUTED HER ART ABILITY TO THE BOOK AS WELL AS RECIPES.

Hell yeah! This is what Texas cuisine is all about. If you like Rick Bayless or Jane Butel, then you will definitely be impressed by this book. The recipes are complex and rewarding as Stephan creates dishes that are both original and traditional. Best thing is that he insists on using native southwestern ingredients in all his recipes. Mas tequila, baby!

Once you have tried a single recipe from Stephan Pyles' "The New Texas Cuisine," you will undoubtebly be starstruck by the culinary brilliance that Mr. Pyles brings forth through his creative dishes that blend the flavors of Mexico, France, Tex-Mex cuisine, and Barbeque into savory meals. Like other well known Southwestern chefs such as Mark Miller (owns Coyote Cafe) and Dean Fearing (owns The Promenade), Chef Pyles uses many ingredients that are native to his Texas area. This results in authentic tastes that trully match the title, "The New Texas Cuisine." If you are familiar with the work of Chef Miller, Chef Fearing, or the great Mexican tastes of Rick Bayless, dive into Chef Pyles' Southwestern odyssey. This book will satiate the most avid fans of Southwestern cuisine.

This one of my favorite books. It is an excellent resourse for information on Native American peoples of the Southwest conveniently divided into three parts and includes personal as well as scholarly information on the Pueblo, Navajo, Pai, Yavapai, Apache, Ute, Southern Paiute, O'odham, Maricopa, Mojave, Chemehaevi, Quechan, Cocopah, and the Yaqui people. The writing of such a book by one author must have been a huge undertaking but the author pulled it off exceptionally well and as other noted authors have declared, "it will probably become a classic in Native American studies." If you have an interest in Native American culture - past/present/and future - this book belongs in your library!

Stephen Trimble's The People is an excellent account of Southwestern Native American history and culture. Trimble outlines the history of the several groups inhabiting these three divisions of the Southwest: the Pueblo people, the Upland people, and the Desert people. His ten years of ethnographic field research have given him personal relationships with many Native Americans, allowing him to share the words and emotions of the people he studies. Trimble's well-taken photographs also add to the understanding the reader gains of the cultures of the Southwestern groups. This ethnography does more than outline history and bring the reader up to date with the most recent accomplishments of the people, but also illustrates the strong traditions of the culture that are still practiced today.

The Southwest is an area with a diverse environment, and the groups of people living in the many areas practice different lifestyles to coexist in harmony with their surroundings. Trimble's photographs are helpful in giving examples of these varied environments, some so surprising that they could not be equaled in the reader's imagination. By seeing the places that these people call home, the reader has a greater understanding of lives that Trimble describes. Trimble approaches this extremely varied area by describing one group at a time...After fully describing their history up to present living conditions, he moves on to the next group. For example, when studying the Pueblo people, Trimble first describes the Anasazi, the people who first practiced the ancient Archaic tradition of adobe and masonry building. As time went on, the Anasazi became several groups of Pueblo people practicing the same traditions. As Trimble says, "The Anasazi grew corn, Pueblo people grow corn" (47).

American movement into the Southwest is the single force that most drastically changed the lives of these Native Americans. Trimble not only states the facts of the events involved in this history, but also gives accounts of the highly emotional attitudes of these people when recalling such events. Thus, the reader is presented with accounts given by the people whose lives were radically changed in our country's history. The Quechan are one of the Colorado River Tribes that used to thrive on the rich farmland around the river...Trimble describes decades of poverty suffered by these people. Harold Chaipos, a Quechan, is quoted by Trimble, saying, "I really miss that big river. Those were good old times" (410).

Personal accounts are also important in Trimble's description of the present status of the Southwestern groups. In his conclusion, called "We Are The Land," Trimble emphasizes the connectedness that these people have with the land. This is something that most Americans do not understand...The attachment that these people have to the land makes attempted relocations and constant environmental threats that have come along with the spread of American inhabitation all the more devastating. According to Trimble, many Southwestern Native Americans feel that they live a life in which they practice a balancing act. In order to survive and protect their land, the groups need to be able to interact with Americans while still upholding their traditional culture...[T]he Southwestern Native Americans continue to live rooted in their homeland, while taking what they know from their cultural traditions and applying it to modern American culture. They say, "We are the people. We are the land. We will persist" (457).

Trimble provides a wonderful source of information about the widely diverse groups of Southwestern Native groups...In The People, Trimble captures the attitudes of the native people of the American Southwest and presents them in a form that educates the rest of the world on aboriginal lifestyles and present Native American values.

This is by far the best cook book, southwest or therwise, I have ever owned. The pages are falling out now, but trust me, if you can get a copy, you will receive rave reviews for your cooking. It's simple and elegant, for everyday or entertaining. Fix the chicken enchiladas and black beans and rice - everyone will want your secret! GET THIS BOOK!

I first learned of the "Pink Adobe" from a television segment on PBS entitled "Great Chefs", Ms. Murphy was a featured guest. She made cooking look simple and easy, combining fresh, quality ingredients to create a finished product in what seemed like no time at all. I bought the "Pink Adobe Cookbook" and fell in love with the easy to follow recipes that utilized fresh quality ingredients to perfection. The variety of recipes is good. I once prepared a buffet of everything from appetizers, main courses, stews, and desserts only using Ms. Murphy's book. Great for those who like adventure in cooking and eating!

Martha Johnson's cookbook is a wonderful collection of recipes of Hill Country, Texas flavors. Easy to follow recipes, producing wonderfully tasteful dishes. A valuable cookbook for any kitchen.

I have enjoyed these recipes immensely. Mrs. Johnson ran a wonderful restaurant in the Hill Country of central Texas for 34 years. This book contains practical and delicious recipes from her years of running the restaurant and loving to cook for family and friends. My personal favorites from this cookbook include Raleigh House Orange Rolls, make-from-scratch pancake mix, and the Raleigh House blueberry muffin mix. Thank goodness for these delicious recipes! This is a must for every collector of cookbooks, or anyone who likes to cook. For those who don't cook, buy this one for those who do!