Aly Head, Reference Librarian
Food is the great unifier, a staple of every major occasion from celebration of life to mourning of loss. It reflects culture, socioeconomic status, and history. As such, by looking at the food of a people, researchers may learn more about them. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is therefore celebrating Texas food in all its forms with a new featured book display.
TSLAC has a variety of artifacts related to dining throughout Texas history. Many of these artifacts were included as part of our exhibit, “Setting the Texas Table.” Want another taste? Check out our blog post, “Setting the Texas Table: ‘Dishing’ on the Artifacts Collection at the Texas State Archives,” which explores some of the dishes intertwined with Texas history at the Governor’s Mansion in detail.
Whether you believe beans belong in chili or not—a debate for the ages—TSLAC has materials relevant for a variety of diets, historic and modern. Food can be viewed through the lens of genealogy to build a timeline into the past, affected by availability of certain foods and spices through trade, exploration, climate, and times of economic hardship or prosperity.
While food isn’t allowed in the Reference Reading Room, the collections at TSLAC hold a wide variety of materials highlighting Texas cuisine, both historical and modern. Some of these materials are currently on display in the Reference Reading Room through July. Other items, listed below, are available remotely via E-Books. More information about our location and hours can be found on our “Visit Us” webpage. For more information about access to the titles on display, please contact TSLAC reference services at ref@tsl.texas.gov or call 512-463-5455.
|
Title |
Author |
Call Number |
Collection |
|
Cooking Texas style : traditional recipes from the Lone Star State |
Wagner, Candy |
N/A |
|
|
My daily bread : three generations of family and food |
Curtin, Gail A. |
929.2 C94cu |
Genealogy |
|
Heritage and ham hocks : a collection of treasured recipes, stories, and photographs honoring the pioneers of Hopkins County, Texas |
Hopkins County Genealogical Society |
976.4274 H774co |
Genealogy |
|
Eats : a folk history of Texas foods |
Sewell, Ernestine P. |
394.1 SE89 |
Main |
|
With or Without Beans: an Informal Biography of Chili |
Cooper, Joe E. |
641.5 C786w |
Main |
|
Capitol cook book : favorite family recipes of Texas Governors, senators, and other State officials |
Creighton, Sue |
641.5 C862C |
Main |
|
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, District VIII presents A pinch of this and a handful of that |
Thames, Delma Cothran |
641.5 D265 |
Main |
|
The first Texas cook book; a thorough treatise on the art of cookery, 1883 |
First Presbyterian Church |
641.5 L124 1963 |
Main |
|
Texas country German and Czech style recipes |
G & C Recipes |
641.5 T312 |
Main |
|
Southwestern vegetarian |
Pyles, Stephan |
641.5636 P993 |
Main |
|
Dining with the cattle barons : yesterday and today |
Morgan, Sarah |
641.59764 M823D |
Main |
|
New tastes from Texas |
Pyles, Stephan |
641.59764 P993n |
Main |
|
Down home Texas cooking |
Stroman, James |
641.59764 St877d |
Main |
|
Texas food companies : a tasty guide |
Cloos, Rhonda |
664 C622t |
Main |
|
Ma’s in the kitchen : you’ll know when it’s done : the recipes and history of Governor Miriam A. Ferguson, first woman governor of Texas |
McQueary, Carl |
976.4061 F381M |
Main |
|
Foods Texans love : serving up summer |
Byrne-Dodge, Teresa |
A900.8 F739T |
Texas Documents |
|
Go Texan herbs : the very zest of Texas |
Texas. Department of Agriculture |
A900.8 G534TEH |
Texas Documents |
|
Taste of Texas |
Texas. Department of Agriculture. Marketing Division. |
A900.8 T186 1985 |
Texas Documents |
|
Report of the Healthy Food Advisory Committee : fresh food availability in Texas |
Texas. Department of Agriculture |
H350.8 R299HE 2010 |
Texas Documents |
|
Goodbye gluten : happy healthy delicious eating with a Texas twist |
Stanford, Kim |
Z N745.8 ST247go |
Texas Documents |
|
Tales of Texas cooking : stories and recipes from the Trans Pecos to the Piney Woods and High Plains to the Gulf Prairies |
Vick, Frances Brannen |
Z N745.8 T143 |
Texas Documents |
|
Cooking with the Texas poets laureate |
Ethredge, Elizabeth |
Z S200.8 C776 |
Texas Documents |
|
Choctaw-Apache foodways |
Caldwell, Robert B. Jr. |
Z S850.8 C127ch |
Texas Documents |
|
From tea cakes to tamales : third-generation Texas recipes |
McKey, Nola |
Z TA475.8 M199fr |
Texas Documents, E-Book |
|
Texas is chili country : a brief history with recipes |
Alter, Judy |
Z TT422.8 AL79te |
Texas Documents |
|
Don’t count the tortillas : the art of Texas Mexican cooking |
Medrano, Adán |
Z TT422.8 M469do |
Texas Documents |
|
Truly Texas Mexican : a native culinary heritage in recipes |
Medrano, Adán |
Z TT422.8 M469tr |
Texas Documents |
|
Uchi : the cookbook |
Cole, Tyson |
Z UA380.8 C676UC |
Texas Documents |
|
Cooking with Texas highways |
University of Texas Press |
Z UA380.8 C776te 2014 |
Texas Documents, E-Book |
|
Music in the kitchen : favorite recipes from Austin city limits performers |
Facemire, Glenda Pierce |
Z UA380.8 F118MU |
Texas Documents |
|
Fonda San Miguel : forty years of food and art |
Gilliland, Tom |
Z UA380.8 G415fo |
Texas Documents |
|
Texas BBQ, small town to downtown |
McSpadden, Wyatt |
Z UA380.8 M249te OVER-T |
Texas Documents |
|
The Salt Lick cookbook : a story of land, family, and love |
Roberts, Scott |
Z UA380.8 R544sa |
Texas Documents |
|
Texas seafood : a cookbook and comprehensive guide |
Stoops, PJ |
Z UA380.8 ST72te |
Texas Documents, E-Book |
|
Breakfast in Texas : recipes for elegant brunches, down-home classics, and local favorites |
Thompson-Anderson, Terry |
Z UA380.8 T371br |
Texas Documents |
|
Texas on the table : people, places, and recipes celebrating the flavors of the Lone Star State |
Thompson-Anderson, Terry |
Z UA380.8 T371ta |
Texas Documents |
|
The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks |
Tipton-Martin, Toni |
Z UA380.8 T499je |
Texas Documents, E-Book |
Curious about the collections at TSLAC? Explore online here: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc. Contact our reference staff with questions: ref@tsl.texas.gov / 512-463-5455