A major Fort Worth foodie must-have is now on the shelves: Called Cowtown Comfort (Reedy Press), it's a new cookbook with a generous side of Fort Worth history, written by Celestina Blok, Fort Worth author and esteemed contributing writer for CultureMap.

Blok's love for her hometown can be seen In her prior books, Lost Restaurants of Fort Worth and 100 Things to Do in Fort Worth Before You Die. In Cowtown Comfort, her passion for food and Fort Worth come together for a dive into the city’s culinary culture, with contributions from just about every well-known chef in town.

Across 60 recipes, readers will find home versions of Fort Worth staples such as biscuits & gravy from Paris Coffee Shop, Reata Restaurant’s carne asada topped with cheese enchiladas, H3 Ranch’s chicken fried steak, and Heim Barbecue’s bacon burnt ends.

The book also showcases Fort Worth's global sophistication in dishes such as bœuf bourguignon from Paris 7th Restaurant Français, yakisoba from Tokyo Cafe, pasta from Emilia’s, and paella from Magdalena’s.

Cowtown Comfort by Celestina BlokReedy Press

There are chapters on cocktails, burgers & BBQ, Tex-Mex, home cooking, brunch, desserts, and a fun one called “Fort Worth fancy dishes” featuring crab cakes with remoulade from Winslow’s Wine Cafe and Texas shrimp & grits from Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine.

Methods for regional items such as flour tortillas, pico de gallo, elote, grilled ribeye steak, king ranch casserole, chicken fried steak and cream gravy, guacamole, margaritas, and more are included. Recipes are presented in a home version format, giving readers access to restaurant caliber dishes at home, and there's a color photo for each recipe, showing what the finished dish should look like.

High-profile chefs include Jon Bonnell, Tim Love, Blaine Staniford, Juan Rodriguez, Felipe Armenta, Molly McCook, Gigi Howell, and many more. The book also incorporates history tidbits regarding Fort Worth’s culinary history answering pressing questions such as, Why is Fort Worth called Cowtown?

To buy the book directly, visit Blok's website at A Taste of Fort Worth. A signed copy is $32.50.

Author and Fort Worth native Celestina Blok. Photo courtesy of Celestina Blok.

Celestina appearances
Blok will be making a series of appearances around Fort Worth including dinners, book signings, and demos, as follows:

Friday, May 2: Cowtown Comfort Book Launch Party Presented by TX Whiskey, 6-9 pm at Whiskey Ranch, 2609 Whiskey Ranch Rd. Live music, mixology demo, Heim BBQ, book Q&A, and signing. $10, open to the public.

Tuesday, May 6: Cowtown Comfort Cooking Class featuring Guest Chef Jon Bonnell, 6:30-9 pm at Central Market Fort Worth Cooking School, 4651 West Fwy. Four-course seated dinner featuring Cowtown Comfort recipes with demonstrations led by Jon Bonnell. (ticketed; admission fee)

Saturday, May 17: Dinner & Book Signing at The Blue Room, 6:30-9 pm, at The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth, 3300 Camp Bowie Blvd. Multi-course seated dinner paired with wines featuring multiple guest chefs and their Cowtown Comfort recipes.
Open to the public (ticketed; admission fee)

Thursday, June 5: Paella Party & Book Signing with Magdalena's, from 7-9 pm, 3416 Longvue Ave. Seated dinner featuring chef Juan Rodriguez's famous paella, featured in Cowtown Comfort.

Thursday, June 12: Father's Day Book Signing, 6-6:30 pm at Roy Pope Grocery, 2300 Merrick St, Free and open to the public.