Pedernales Country Cookbook - Texas Hill Country 1968

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Description: Bring the Old West into your home with this zesty collection of 225 authentic recipes from the Pedernales hill country in Texas, an area where three cultures came together over a hundred years ago -- German,Old South,and Mexican -- and produced a distinctive regional cuisine. 

The German contribution consisted mainly of unsurpassed Old World desserts, such as Chocolate-Whipped Cream Torte and Peach Dumplings, and a variety of vegetable and meat dishes; the Southerners introduced corn bread, rice, and yams. Just as the Germans learned to replace their traditional white potato with these Southern basics, the Southerners learned to love rich European pies, cookies, and cakes and the Continental custom of adding a touch of wine or other alcohol to main dishes. And everyone grew to relish chili and tamales.  

Most of the recipes in the book date from before the Civil War, but have been modernized for practicality. (No one, even in the Pedernales, still bakes hoe cakes over a hearth fire on a hoe.) A sampling of the hill-country cuisine includes Chilied Beef, Hoe Cakes, Paresa (a dish to rival Steak Tartare), Baked Wild Duck, Texas Hash, Steak with Jalapenos (a staple pepper of the Pedernales hill-country diet), Venison Stroganoff, Hill-Country Scrapple, Son of a Gun (an old-fashioned roundup stew), and Doves in Wine Sauce.  

Because the region is still rich in game, the recipes -- for main dishes such as Venison Steak, Barbecued Doves, and Spiced Rabbit -- emphasize game and pioneer cookery. For the cook without access to game, a variety of equally delicious substitute meats can be prepared in the same fashion.  

To round up the selection of main dishes the author has included a number of old Texas family recipes for pickles, preserves, relishes, and jellies -- from Pickled Cantaloupe and Watermelon -- Rind Pickles to Pear Relish and Dewberry Jelly. And for the more adventurous, daring cook (and palate) there are even recipes for Fricassee of Armadillo, Rattlesnake Steak, and Squirrel Pie!  

The recipes are arranged in six sections for easy reference: Appetizers; Biscuits, Breads, and Waffles; Game, Meats, Fish, and Sauces; Vegetables, Rice Dishes, and Dumplings; Desserts and Candies; Pickles, Preserves, and Jellies.  

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Condition: Good condition. Dust jackets has minor shelf wear.