Stirring Prose: Cooking with Texas Authors

Stirring Prose: Cooking with Texas Authors is a delightfully revealing look at some of Texas's 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." Includes Joyce Roach's recipe for birthday cake.

A traditional cookbook this is not. Each author contributed to Stirring Prose in a personal, distinctive way. Billy Porterfield reveals his fantasies about a voluptuous restaurant owner and a dream-enhanced recipe for "game hen fricassee with a French New Guinea twist." Sunny Nash gives us an enticing snapshot of her grandmother, Bigmama, and divulges the secret to beautiful skin with Bigmama's Mysterious Rose Water Splash. And John Erickson shares his Bachelor Cowboy's Delight, the meal he eats over and over when his wife and children are out of town, and which consists of steak, lettuce salad, and green peas. Robert Flynn, Liz Carpenter, Elmer Kelton, and thirty-three others also share their recipes and food stories.

Some of these recipes, such as Dr. [Larry L.] King's Asian Flu Hot Liquid Life-Saver, almost beg for a "do not try this at home" warning. Others, such as Cindy Bonner's Bohemian Kolaches and Clay Reynolds's Tex-Mex Breakfast, will inspire readers to start cooking. All are enticing for their tasty prose.

Each recipe is accompanied by a photograph, a publication list, and an engaging, personalized introduction by Douglas, herself a fine writer, funny and charming.

Although not an exhaustive collection of Texas writers, Stirring Prose: Cooking with Texas Authors is a tantalizing peek at thirty-nine talented Texas writers and their work.

Reviews:

Stirring Prose

“If you crave a good book about Texas writers, look no further. Deborah Douglas’ deliciously entertaining compilation has everything you need to know about what’s cooking in some of your favorite authors’ kitchens.”--Laura Bush

“Deborah Douglas is throwing a party and she’s invited thirty-nine Texas writers to cook their favorite recipes for you. . . . there’s nothing in this banquet of stirring words you won’t relish, from John Graves’ favorite sandwich to Jean Flynn’s Roadkill Dinners . . . Even if you never serve any of the dishes offered here, you’ll want to come back for seconds—and more.” --Robert Compton, former book editor, Dallas Morning News

“For this pots-and-pens anthology, San Antonio’s Deborah Douglas solicited a batch of recipes that sound delish but surely can’t satisfy like the anecdotal essays that accompany them . . . Read it and eat.” --Texas Monthly

“It’s a great read and it will make a perfect holiday gift.” --David Bennett

“Clearly it’s more a literary than a culinary event.” --Austin American-Statesman

“Stirring Prose would make a fine addition to any home library . . .” --Houston Press

“Lovers of good books and their authors as well as those who enjoy taking chances with new recipes will find this a joy to read and experiment with. The recollections provided by each author are delightful to read while the ingredients are roasting, or boiling, or stewing, or frying - or possibly even burning! This is a highly recommended delight for anyone who loves to read - or eat!” --Cow Country Courier

“Engagingly offbeat . . . Stirring Prose is a tasty tray of literary tidbits.” --Houston Chronicle

This is a fresh look at some (most?) of Texas's most talented literary sons and daughters. Whether you're following Cindy Bonner's recipe for Bohemian Kolaches or soaking up some of Clay Reynold's Texas attitude, this book is an easy read. And Deborah Douglas's intros are insightful and funny. RM Allen

Some 39 of the best Texas writers get a chance to tell about themselves with essays about favorite meals, stories about growing up, and recipes that have special meaning. It's a wonderful way to showcase some of the best writers in the country -- letting us have a slice of their personal life. Entertaining stories from Kinky Friedman, Liz Carpenter, Naomi Nye, Robert and Jean Flynn, Molly Ivins and many others. And some of these folks can actually cook. The author, Deborah Douglas, writes witty, insightful essays as introductions to each of the writers' pieces. There's even a web site for the book.