Texas is known for lots of things, but where food is concerned, its barbecue is probably the most famous. From slow-smoked brisket to baby back ribs, Texas does it all. Celebrate Texas barbecue with the locals at a number of barbecue festivals held each year across the state. In fact, one of the largest barbecue festivals is held every October in Grand Prairie. The International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association Cook-Off features more than 100 barbecue cooks who prepare nearly 600 barbecue samples. Witness the Obie-Cue Backyard BBQ Championship, Jackpot Beans, and even a cook-off for kids. Craving a taste of Texas right now? Bring Texas flavor home with the Grilled Texas-Style Beef Brisket recipe from the Texas Hometown Cookbook. Complete with a custom rub and basting sauce, you're guaranteed to love it.

Each cookbook in Quail Ridge Press' acclaimed Best of the Best State Cookbook Series contains favorite recipes submitted from the most popular cookbooks published in the state. The cookbooks are contributed by junior leagues, community organizations, popular restaurants, noted chefs, and just plain good cooks. From best-selling favorites to small community treasures, each contributing cookbook is featured in a catalog section that provides a description and ordering information -- a bonanza for anyone who collects cookbooks.Beautiful photographs, interesting facts, original illustrations and delicious recipes capture the special flavor of each state.

The Pelican State has some of the most diverse food traditions of any state in the nation. From the traditional Southern-style classics of North Louisiana to the Creole cuisine of New Orleans, there are so many great Louisiana recipes to try. With the Louisiana Hometown Cookbook, you can sample them all. This Louisiana cookbook features more than 250 easy Louisiana recipes from hometown cooks living throughout Louisiana. From traditional Louisiana cuisine to festival foods, you'll discover a recipe for just about any dish you can dream up. As you cook, you'll also discover fun facts about towns and annual food festivals that celebrate Louisiana cuisine. Don't miss out on this must-have addition to your kitchen shelf.

The acclaimed food writer’s “go-to guide for Austin eating” shares classic and creative recipes from the city’s greatest restaurants (Publishers Weekly). The story of Austin food is equal parts deep Texan traditions and a booming food scene. It is this atmosphere that has fostered some of the hottest restaurants in the country, a lively food truck community, and a renaissance in the most Texan of foods: barbecue. Austin food is also tacos and Tex-Mex, old fashioned Southern cooking, street food and fine dining, with influences from all over the globe. Above all, it’s a source of pride and inspiration for chefs and diners alike. Organized by Austin’s “major food groups”, The Austin Cookbook explores the roots of Texas food traditions and the restaurants that are reinventing them, revealing the secrets to Bob Armstrong dip, Odd Duck’s sweet potato nachos, East Side King’s beet fries, and of course, smoked brisket that has people lining up to eat it—even in the Texas summer. Part cookbook, part restaurant guide, and 100 percent love letter, The Austin Cookbook is perfect for proud locals, curious visitors, and (t)ex-pats.

When Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan, moved to New York City, she missed the big sky, the bluebonnets in spring, Friday night football, and her family's farm. But most of all, she missed the foods she'd grown up with. After a fruitless search for tastes of Texas in New York City, Fain took matters into her own hands. She headed into the kitchen to cook for her friends the Tex-Mex, the chili, and the country comfort dishes that reminded her of home. From cheese enchiladas drowning in chili gravy to chicken-fried steak served with cream gravy on the side, from warm bowls of chile con queso to big pots of fiery chili made without beans, Fain re-created the wonderful tastes of Texas she'd always enjoyed at potlucks, church suppers, and backyard barbecues back home. In 2006, Fain started the blog Homesick Texan to share Texan food with fellow expatriates, and the site immediately connected with readers worldwide, Texan and non-Texan alike. Now, in her long-awaited first cookbook, Fain brings the comfort of Texan home cooking to you. Like Texas itself, the recipes in this book are varied and diverse, all filled with Fain's signature twists. There's Salpicón, a cool shredded beef salad found along the sunny border in El Paso; Soft Cheese Tacos, a creamy plate unique to Dallas; and Houston-Style Green Salsa, an avocado and tomatillo salsa that is smooth, refreshing, and bright. There are also nibbles, such as Chipotle Pimento Cheese and Tomatillo Jalapeno Jam; sweet endings, such as Coconut Tres Leches Cake and Mexican Chocolate Chewies; and fresh takes on Texan classics, such as Coffee-Chipotle Oven Brisket, Ancho Cream Corn, and Guajillo-Chile Fish Tacos. With more than 125 recipes, The Homesick Texan offers a true taste of the Lone Star State. So pull up a chair-everyone's welcome at the Texas table!

This book dishes up a double-helping of local, tried and true recipes and fun-filled facts about hometowns all-over the state of Tennessee. There are over 300 favorite recipes that are easy-to-follow and use ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. From Chicken Pot Pie to Caramel Cake, Elvis Banana & Peanut Butter Pie to Tennessee Barbeque Brisket, Chattanooga Chews to Cracklin' Cornbread, there are delicious, hometown recipes to please everyone. You'll also enjoy interesting food facts and stories about fun food festivals around the state such as Greater Five Point's Tomato Art Festival whose motto is "The Tomato... a uniter, not a divider-bringing fruits and vegetables together." Tennessee brings to mind music and mountains, history and heritage, and good food - get a taste of it all with this Hometown Cookbook.