Faith, Family & the Feast

January 6, 2020
Husband-and-wife Rollins (A Taste of Cowboy) expand on cowboy cuisine with an added side of biblical teachings in this unfocused outing. Solidly in the duo’s wheelhouse are such satisfying recipes as savory hush puppies, fried green tomatoes, green chile pork stew, refried beans, classic Mexican street corn, green onion and ham scalloped potatoes, and their popular Cowboy Chili. But many outliers incorporate lazy shortcuts: shrimp ceviche is made with cooked shrimp, which defeats the purpose of the dish, which allows citrus to cook the shrimp; a cherry macaroon cake calls for boxed cake mix and two entire cans of cherry pie filling; Catalina Taco Salad incorporates packaged seasoning and bottled dressing; and cheesy tater soup requires an entire pound of Velveeta cheese. Then there’s a mocha chocolate mousse that simply feels out of place. The generous insertions of images of cowboys out on the range accompanied by biblical verses and inspirational quotes result in what feels like an attempt to capitalize on the homespun appeal of the Pioneer Woman. This spotty effort fails to live up to the promise of its predecessor.