Things that go Bump in Texas

Waxahatchie, Texas, outside Dallas, has it's own little Paula Deen who might be a bit more of an upscale, southwestern food matriarch in the making. Cindy Burch, runs restaurant and catering business there called the Dove's Nest Restaurant. More importantly, Cindy wrote a little book with a big, big impact. This book is non-offender on the book shelf: Paper cover beautifully embellished, all of 144 pages. It is light as a feather. But inside this book are many things carefully honed down and perfected, the instructions to food you can actually eat, and might even want to make because they do not seem as though they will be lengthy, painful experiences (ala The Brisket). The book will get used time and time again. As I looked at a long shelf yesterday trying to think what else I might do to avoid the side of beef, my eyes floated to that little book as they so often do. For something comforting in the face of that beef. For something written with as little extraneous motion that it reminds one of the way great chef's move: Arms in, efficiency in every movement, get to the task, make it perfect.



I bought my copy in Park City 5 years ago, at a place called La Niche, which might be gone now (Lois? Hope?). Since this book is in a third edition now, I imagine the Dove's Nest might have some they could part with, and if they won't, beg.