Dallas, Texas has been my home for what seems like a lifetime. When people come visit they always think Barbeque and Mexican Food is the only specialties we have.  Well, listen up ’cause we have way more than just those two things. We still like our barbeque and our Mexican food, but we also like to play with what is seasonally available in our area. Don’t believe me then buy Edible Dallas & Fort Worth: The Cookbook and see what I am talking about.

Edible Dallas & Fort Worth: The Cookbook is a book by local restaurateurs and farmers from the Dallas & Fort Worth area that are popular for their local cuisine. It shares the story of the makers along with the recipes behind the food that they love to show off. It has recipes for appetizers, mains, desserts, and cocktails. Therefore, I decided to try  3 recipes that truly encompass the diversity of Dallas cuisine to show you a snip-it of what Dallas cuisine is like and that you can make it at home too.

The first recipe I did was a White Wine Shrimp Pasta. My family left no leftovers after this was served for dinner one night. It was tangy with a slight warmth from the red pepper. I loved the fact that it was light and not heavy like many pastas are. The shrimp were a nice flavorful addition without the heavy nature of beef and isn’t as tasteless as chicken can be. It really was the perfect dinner for a summer night as the weather has warmed our patio. The only adjustment I would make to this recipe is to addd more pasta water so the sauce would grip the noodles and shrimp better.

The second recipe was a Chicken Pot Pie with Poblanos. If you love a touch a heat with a homely classic then this is the dish for you. It was filling and flavorful. The spice helped warm you from the inside out without overpowering the cheese sauce on the inside. The best part of this recipe is that it okays the use of pre-made dough which is nice as a home baker and someone who is too busy to make their own pie dough all the time. This was such a hit I think we had twice in one week.

The third recipe was a Sweet Potato Bisque. Now this recipe came from Pecan Lodge (my favorite barbecue restaurant) from when it was a catering company.  The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes with the spice of the adobe mixture is amazing. It was spicy and sweet notes contrasting with each other in it. The closest over all category I could put this recipe in is Tex-Mex, which is a truly Texan thing. (Tex-Mex is the combination of Mexican and American cuisine.) After making this the first time, we have added bacon as part of the toppings, which has added the salty notes to compliment both the sweet and spice.

Edible Dallas & Fort Worth: The Cookbook shows the variety and delectable cuisine that can be found in Dallas & Fort Worth area. Our cities are made of many different groups of people and each affect our cuisine differently. So which recipe will you try?