Around Texas

“The Austin Cookbook” by Paula Forbes (Abrams, 2018): Austin writer Forbes offers classic, unfussy recipes from popular restaurants around her hometown — yes, that means brisket, breakfast tacos and Bob Armstrong dip — as well as shows her own considerable knowhow.

“Franklin Barbecue” by Aaron Franklin and Jordan

Mckay (Ten Speed Press, 2015): The first serious Texas barbecue cookbook from barbecue’s first international superstar remains a glorious inspiration for all those backyard warriors who chase smoked-meat nirvana.

“Indian-ish” by Priya Krishna (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019): “Indian-ish,” as its name suggests, is not an Indian cookbook but rather a showcase of what one Indian family living in Dallas cooks and eats. The mostly vegetarian recipes come with fun and voicy commentary from Krishna, who will also teach you invaluable essentials, such as chhonk, the process of tempering spices in oil.

“Truly Texas Mexican: A Native Culinary Heritage in Recipes” by Adán Medrano (Texas Tech University Press, 2014): I really like this one; serious comfort food that I need on a regular basis. Plus I admire Medrano’s depth of research and thinking on a topic dear to my heart. ¾ cup coarsely chopped green bell

pepper

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped

green onion

¼ cup coarsely chopped celery 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped

fresh flat-leaf parsley

1¼ pounds peeled and deveined

small or medium shrimp 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more as needed teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hot sauce, preferably Original Louisiana Hot Sauce, plus more as needed

Peanut oil, for frying

Instructions: In a large bowl, combine the bell pepper, green onion, celery, parsley, shrimp, salt, black pepper, cayenne and hot sauce, and toss to distribute the ingredients evenly.

Using an old-fashioned meat grinder or a food processor, grind the mixture together. If using a food processor, work in small batches and pulse until smooth, then transfer to a bowl. In either case, after grinding, you should not see any vegetables; the boulette 8 large tomatillos, husks removed

and washed

1-2 jalapeños, destemmed (deveined if too spicy) teaspoon ground cumin

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons cooking oil

¼ bunch cilantro, minced

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions: Turn on a burner to medium-high heat. Using heatproof tongs, cook the tomatillos and jalapeños over the flame for about 5

Mulholland (William Morrow, 2020): Although the coronavirus has allowed for a more leisurely acquaintance with the kitchen, saving time in meal prep and production — especially for busy families — will never go out of style. The gist here is economical, big-batch cooking that yields multiple meals. Music to a home cook’s ears.

“Milk Street Fast and Slow” by Christopher Kimball (Little, Brown and Company, 2020): Instant Pot cookbooks are ubiquitous, so it would take a truly inspired cookbook to set the bar higher for that countertop gadget mix should be a homogeneous paste.

Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with 4 inches of peanut oil and heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. that has taken the world by storm. Leave it to the Milk Street creator to take a bold new step with sophisticated recipes for both fast and slow modes.

“Mosquito Supper Club” by Melissa Martin (Artisan Books, 2020): It’s heartening that Martin — a Louisianan who grew up “with leftover gumbo in the fridge and an oil rig drilling just outside my window” — is preserving a beloved culture whose food is prized. Recipes, including seven types of gumbo, tell an evocative story of the Cajun way of life.

Using two spoons or a small cookie scoop, form a ball of the boulette mix no bigger than the diameter of a quarter and carefully drop it into the hot oil. Fry this tester boulette for about 6 minutes, until golden brown on the outside. Transfer the boulette to a paper towel or a brown paper bag to drain excess oil and let it cool. Taste the boulette: Does the mix need more salt? More pepper or more heat? Add salt, black pepper, cayenne, or hot sauce to your liking — I like boulettes to have a slight vinegary taste, and hot sauce gives them that flavor.

There is no one perfect formula. You have to taste your mix every time.

Once you have adjusted your mix, drop about 15 balls at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer the boulettes to paper towels or brown paper bags to drain and cool briefly, then serve.

The boulette mix will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 days. If making ahead of time, add the salt right before frying to keep the mix from getting watery.

Makes 6 servings

“La Vida Verde: Plant-Based Mexican Cooking With Authentic Flavor” by Jocelyn Ramirez (Page Street Publishing, 2020): If you’re among those who believes lard and braised meats equal Mexican authenticity, “La Vida” will change your mind about the delicious possibilities of meatless cuisine. These are recipes the author grew up making alongside her abuelita — queso fresco, tortillas, jackfruit carnitas tacos, mushrooms in green mole and tortilla soup with cream. And salsa, salsa, salsa.