A Bowl of Red

Rating:
Summary: An Early Manifesto in the American Food Revolution
Review: Frank Tolbert's A Bowl of Red started out as a series of columns in the Dallas News but it's hard to define exactly what this book is in terms of form. It's not really a cookbook but I've made terrific chilis from his suggested recipes. It's not even completely about chili, although it starts out with that classic American (not Mexican) dish. Tolbert starts with a rambling history of the origins of chili in Texas cuisine and uses that as a base for wandering around through southwestern cuisine, famous Texas and southern cooks, ghost towns, European immigrants in Texas, the science of chili, chuck wagon chefs and too many other topics to list. His descriptions of the first several World Series of Chili Cookoffs in Terlingua, Texas read like a combination of the Marx Brothers and P.J.O'Rourke.

It may be hard to believe but this book is hard to put down. It's one of a kind.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Must-Have
Review: This classic is a must-have for the true chili lover and chili historian. It's the book that revived interest in chili.