by Robb Walsh
Chronicle Books
Cover Price $18.99, ISBN 0-86450-110-3

2003 James Beard Award Nominee

"Barbecue may be our nation's most democratic food. (Think small d-democratic, as in of the people, by the people, for the people.) That's part of the problem: Egalitarian foods with elemental appeal oftentimes get short shrift.

With Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook, Robb Walsh aims to fix that. Though rife with recipes for bohunk sausage, cowboy brisket, and chipotle-slathered ribs, the book is best read as a work of social history, a smoky portrait of the myriad peoples of Texas. By way of insightful prose and archival photos, Walsh does them proud."
-John T. Edge
Gourmet Magazine, June 2002

Welcome to Texas barbecue. We love to make it. We love to eat it. And we love to argue about it -igniting as many feuds as fires from Houston to El Paso.

Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook delivers both a practical cookbook and a guided tour of Texas barbecue lore, giving readers straightforward advice right from the pit masters themselves. Their time-honored tips, along with 85 closely guarded recipes, reveal a lip-smacking feast of smoked meats, savory side dishes, and an awesome array of mops, sauces, and rubs. Their opinions are outspoken, their stories outlandish and hilarious. Fascinating archival photography looks back over more than 100 years of barbecue history, from the first turn of the century squirrel roasts to candid shots of Lyndon Johnson chowing down on a plate of ribs.

A list of the best barbecue joints and a month-by-month rundown of the most influential statewide cook-offs round out this glorious celebration of barbecue found deep in the heart of Texas.

Robb Walsh is the restaurant critic of the Houston Press, and a commentator for National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, Sunday. He has also served as the food editor of the Austin Chronicle, food columnist for Natural History magazine, and editor-in-chief of Chile Pepper magazine. Walsh articles appear in several anthologies including Best Food Writing 2001, and Cornbread Nation I: The Best of Southern Food Writing.

"Barbecue is true religion in Texas. And no one knows more about Texas barbecue than Robb Walsh. This book is so full of tips, stories, advice, opinions, and lore, the smoke fairly rises from its pages."
-Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible.

"If the Barbecued Honey Pork Loin and Sonny Bryan's Rib Sandwiches don't get your stomach growling and your mouth watering, then the Mashed Potato Saladand Fried Green Tomatoes will! This book not only takes the reader on a smoky culinary journey through the state, it also offers rare historical insights. It is destined to become the ultimate guide to Texas barbecue."
--Stephan Pyles, chef, host of PBS series New Tastes from Texas