Press Release: Big Ranch, Big City Cookbook by Louis Lambert
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Breivogel/Ten Speed Press
sbreivogel@randomhouse.com; 212-572-2722
BIG RANCH, BIG CITY COOKBOOK
Recipes from Lambert’s Texas Kitchens
By Louis Lambert
with June Naylor
Praise for BIG RANCH, BIG CITY COOKBOOK:
“My favorite recipe in the whole book is Gingered Pear Fried Pies. Lambert takes one of our state’s best-loved desserts, the fried fruit turnover, and gives it a city spin with candied ginger and a classy French crust. It’s everyday cooking with style.”
— Patricia Sharpe, executive editor / food writer for Texas Monthly
“One of the great pleasures of living in Texas is discovering Lou Lambert cooking behind a cloud of smoke. I love Lou’s food—the gutsy West Texas flavors that he grew up with reinterpreted through his smart urban filter. For a cowboy, he’s awfully good with vegetables—I’d buy this book for the Achiote-Seared Chickpeas alone!”
— Paula Disbrowe, author of Cowgirl Cuisine and senior travel editor for Southern Living magazine
“Being a fifth-generation West Texan myself, Lou had me at ‘When I was a kid in Odessa. . .’ Reading this colorful and thoughtfully conceived book makes me long for my youth when life was simpler and Fried Green Tomatoes alone could brighten an otherwise dreary day. Much has been written about Texas food over the years, but to my mind, no one has quite captured the true essence of the genre like Lou. The Beer-Battered Quail with Jalapeño Peach Glaze is worth the price of the book itself, but add the clear, concisely written recipes and helpful sidebars and guides and you have the makings of a real Texas classic. Excuse me while I return to my childhood with Stacked Chili Con Carne Enchiladas with Fried Eggs.”
— Stephan Pyles, restaurateur, cookbook author, and recipient of the Southwest’s first James Beard Award for Best Chef
When you think of west Texas cooking you may think BBQ n’ biscuits. but Lou Lambert takes cowboy cuisine to a whole new level?then makes it all his own. His elevated take on Lone Star standards is proudly on display in BIG RANCH, BIG CITY (Ten Speed Press, September 6th) co-authored with food and travel writer June Naylor.
A seventh-generation descendent of cattle ranchers, chef Lambert melds his west Texas heritage with the contemporary fine cuisine he learned to cook at the Culinary Institute of America and then perfected at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio. The result is neither chuck-wagon chow nor fussy French bistro fare but seamlessly combines his classical French training with unmistakable Southwestern flavor profiles.
This collection of over 125 recipes, many of which were developed at his popular restaurants in Austin and Fort Worth?including Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue; Jo’s; Lambert’s Steaks, Seafood, and Whiskey; and Dutch’s Burgers and Beer?showcases big flavor favorites, such as Adobo-Grilled T-Bone with Red Chile and Cheese Enchiladas and Coriander-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Border Chimichurri; sophisticated offerings, including Romesco-Crusted Snapper with Basil Beurre Blanc and Beef Tenderloin with Blue Crab and Bérnaise; unexpected delights like Anchiote-Seared Chickpeas and Green Chile Grits.
In addition to crowd-pleasing recipes, Lambert adds personal background stories to his preparation instructions for every course on the menu–read about the first soup he learned to make at The Culinary Institute, an insider’s perspective on the science of baking, and the secret to making one of his signature desserts, Maple Bread Pudding. From hearty starters such as his Gingered Acorn Squash Soup and Beef Salpicon Salad to refined desserts like his Buttermilk-Honey Ice Cream and Gingered Pear Fried Pies, Lambert guides readers through a successful meal from start to finish.
Additional Recipes Include:
– Fried Green Tomatoes with Crab Remoulade
– Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup
– Hot Smoked Pecan-Cured Salmon
– Mint Pesto Roasted Rack of Lamb
– Spicy Pork Tamale Gratin
– Shrimp Rigatoni Puttanesca
– Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
With over 100 full-color photographs from renowned photographer Ralph Lauer, as well as delightful family reminiscences and behind-the-scenes stories, BIG RANCH, BIG CITY celebrates the culinary union of cattle-ranch cooking and impeccable haute cuisine techniques. Just in time for the fall comes a collection of recipes that are sure to satisfy the soul.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, LOUIS LAMBERT perfected his cooking techniques and nurtured his creative instincts in New York City and San Francisco before establishing his own restaurants in Austin and Fort Worth—Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue; Jo’s; Lambert’s Steaks, Seafood, and Whiskey; and Dutch’s Burgers and Beer. Lou is a founding member and director of Foodways Texas with his good friend and coauthor, June Naylor.
Food and travel writer JUNE NAYLOR is the co-author of Texas Cowboy Kitchen and Cooking the Cowboy Way. June has served as a regional panelist for the James Beard Awards and is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier.
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BIG RANCH, BIG CITY COOKBOOK
Recipes from Lambert’s Texas Kitchens
By Louis Lambert with June Naylor
Ten Speed Press * September 6, 2011 * 272 pages
Price: $40.00 hardcover * 978-1-58008-530-4