Booknote: The Tabasco Cookbook

Paul McIlhenny and Barbara Hunter, The Tabasco Cookbook: 125 Years of America's Favorite Pepper Sauce. New York: Gramercy Books, 2004. ISBN: 0-517-22334-1.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: cookbooks, corporate books
Format: hardback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

This book is an entry in the genre of corporate cookbooks to advertise a product. This book offers ways to use and cook with Tabasco pepper sauce. We always have a bottle of Tabasco handy in the house, and visiting the place where they make it is on my bucket list (if I had a bucket list). So when I saw the book, I was curious and picked it up at the library.

The book is arranged as follows:

• Introduction
• Soups and starters
• Breakfast and brunch
• Entrees
• Vegetables and side dishes
• Condiments and sauces
• Mail order suppliers: so you can order by mail. Keep in mind this book came out in 2004, so I'd call or check online to verify the accuracy (plus these days they may have online ordering)
• Index

The book offers some interesting recipes that vary from simple (i.e. you can probably make them at home) to complex (serious trip to high end grocery store or find someone who already makes it in some fancy restaurant). In addition, the book features some nice black and white photography throughout. The book also features trivia and historical anecdotes about the brand. The cuisine featured is Southern (of course), and it comes with a subtle warning: "Many of our local specialties are neither low in fat nor quick and easy to prepare, but they are awfully good" (11).

Overall, I really liked this book. Makes me want to use Tabasco a bit more, plus I learned a thing or two.

4 out of 5 stars.