The Book.

Struck by intense homesickness for all things Texas when I first moved to Paris, I did the only thing I knew to do to cure what ailed me – I put on my cowgirl boots, marched into the kitchen, and started to cook. At first, it was whatever I could recreate from home, given what I could find in the Paris grocery stores. Thai chiles replaced my beloved jalapeño, and I sourced cilantro, limes and sweet potatoes in the North African markets on the eastern side of the city.

There wasn’t a cheery bright yellow box of Velveeta to be found anywhere.

Eventually I came up with new dishes that combined my love for Tex-Mex and Southern cooking, both influences of my North Texas childhood, with the French flavors and dishes I was experiencing every day.

That’s where “Texas cooking with a French accent,” the subtitle of my book, came from.

Part cookbook, part memoir, Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent is a tribute to my first years living in Paris — and how I coped, then learned to adapt –by returning to the place where I feel most at home wherever I am in the world – the kitchen.

BUY THE BOOK!
Cowgirl Chef:
Texas Cooking with a French Accent

Reviews.

David Lebovitz, author of The Sweet Life in Paris
“From mango salsa to madeleines (with cornmeal, of course), in Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent, Texas and Paris meet deliciously with recipes that spice up the French classics — and give a little bit of savoir-faire to Tex-Mex favorites!”

Clotilde Dusoulier, author of ChocolateAndZucchini.com and Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris
“You can take the cowgirl out of Texas and into a Paris kitchen, but her Southern roots will always show. In Ellise Pierce’s lovable book, she tells us about embracing a new culinary culture while nurturing her own heritage, and her tempting recipes show you how to savor the best of both worlds.”

Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table
“Ellise cooks like a cowgirl (albeit a French cowgirl with a perfectly tied silk scarf around her neck) and writes like your best friend.  Whether you’re in France or America, you’d be hard pressed to find a better companion in the kitchen.”

Cheryl Lu- Lien Tan, author of A Tiger in the Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family
“A charming tale of moving to Paris for love—and staying for food. Ellise Pierce’s delicious accounts of weaving together Texas and French cuisines will leave you hungry. But what truly satisfies are the lovely stories that bind them all together.

Publisher’s Weekly
“Although simple and more classic than creative, the recipes are solid and should satisfy readers looking for a glimpse into a Texan expat’s home cooking.”

Houston Chronicle
“Pierce’s self discovery is a foodie’s gain. Her charming book, filled with humorous and romantic stories in Paris, is steadfastly rooted in Texas.”

France Magazine
“Delightful and delicious.”

Dallas Morning News
“Irresistible… Cooks will totally get the way her mind arrives at quirky, clever combinations. You wind up with a continuum of dishes stretching from Texas to Paris, tucked around a lively and engaging narrative.”

More Reviews.

San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review
“Not only can this lady cook, she can write! Her background and obvious expertise as an author make this fine cookbook not only attractive and original, but a positive delight to read.”

Annia Ciezadlo, author of Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War
“A mouthwatering meditation on what it means to keep your traditions while learning new ones. Ellise’s answer to this age-old dilemma is in her recipes, exquisitely simple creations that will make you homesick even if you’ve never been to Paris—or Texas.”

San Angelo Standard-Times
“Not only does the ‘Cowgirl Chef’ cookbook come packed with yummy recipes and practical tips, it also has heartbreaking, and heartwarming, stories. They’re stories that infuse the recipes with memories and meaning…if you want a keeper cookbook with humor, romance and more than 100 recipes that cover the miles between Texas and France, check out ‘Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent.’”
A Traveler’s Library.com
“Ellise Pierce is a real writer as well as a gifted cook and innovator.  That makes Cowgirl Chef the kind of cookbook that you can sit down and read cover to cover. And the very talented photographer Steve Legato, makes me want to run right back to Paris and shop in an open air market.”

Palm Beach Daily News
“It is time for some fun….Pierce’s book follows her delightful path to fusion cooking….The book ends with these words: ‘Turns out, moving to France was the best bad decision I ever made. Can’t wait to see what I’ll cook up next.’ Readers can’t either.”

Tucson Citizen’s “What’s Cooking”
“…this is a fun cookbook.  It is so kicked back, it is the next best thing to actually being with Ellise as she prepares many of her favorite recipes.”