When Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan, moved to New York City, she missed the big sky, the bluebonnets in spring, Friday night football, and her family’s farm. But most of all, she missed the foods she’d grown up with.

After a fruitless search for tastes of Texas in New York City, Fain took matters into her own hands. She headed into the kitchen to cook for her friends the Tex-Mex, the chili, and the country comfort dishes that reminded her of home. From cheese enchiladas drowning in chili gravy to chicken-fried steak served with cream gravy on the side, from warm bowls of chile con queso to big pots of fiery chili made without beans, Fain re-created the wonderful tastes of Texas she’d always enjoyed at potlucks, church suppers, and backyard barbecues back home.

In 2006, Fain started the blog Homesick Texan to share Texan food with fellow expatriates, and the site immediately connected with readers worldwide, Texan and non-Texan alike. Now, in her long-awaited first cookbook, Fain brings the comfort of Texan home cooking to you.

Like Texas itself, the recipes in this book are varied and diverse, all filled with Fain’s signature twists. There’s Salpicón, a cool shredded beef salad found along the sunny border in El Paso; Soft Cheese Tacos, a creamy plate unique to Dallas; and Houston-Style Green Salsa, an avocado and tomatillo salsa that is smooth, refreshing, and bright. There are also nibbles, such as Chipotle Pimento Cheese and Tomatillo Jalapeño Jam; sweet endings, such as Coconut Tres Leches Cake and Mexican Chocolate Chewies; and fresh takes on Texan classics, such as Coffee-Chipotle Oven Brisket, Ancho Cream Corn, and Guajillo-Chile Fish Tacos.

With more than 125 recipes, The Homesick Texan offers a true taste of the Lone Star State. So pull up a chair—everyone’s welcome at the Texas table!

This is a list of all of the bloggers who are joining me in The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off (in no particular order):

Denise – Creative Kitchen
Erin – eKat’s Kitchen
Leslie – La Cocina de Leslie
Dave – Year on the Grill
Brandy – Nutmeg Nanny
Bonnie – Sweet Life
Danielle – Cooking for My Peace of Mind
Natashya – Living in the Kitchen with Puppies
Bo – Bo’s Bowl
Helen – Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Tina – Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor
Meredith – Anchovies and Butter
Deb – Kahakai Kitchen
Kim – Stirring the Pot
Christy – Fudge Ripple
Gerry – Foodness Gracious
Jenn – Rook no.17
Maria – A Platter of Figs
Miranda – Mangoes and Chutney
Heather (host) – girlichef