In honor of celebrating the first year of  A Taste of Wyoming, by Pamela Sinclair   I  thought it was a perfect time to introduce you to Pam Sinclair and her great website.  If you ever wondered how A Taste of Wyoming  came about then this will hopefully help answer all those questions.

THE QUESTIONS BELOW ARE PULLED FROM  PAMELA SINCLAIR’S  SITE: www.pamsinclair.com

When was your book released?  The book was released on April 1, 2008 and 7,500 copies were printed. Due to the book’s popularity, another 5,000 copies were printed before its first birthday!

How did you get the idea to do the book?  I love to cook and collect cookbooks. So, when I went shopping for a Wyoming cookbook, I couldn’t find one that was dedicated solely to Wyoming, and that is when I conceived the idea to create a uniquely beautiful, user-friendly cookbook.

How long did it take you to do the book?  From the conception of my idea to the date it was published – 2 1/2 years.

How did you find a publisher? I was lucky because there was a niche to be filled with a Wyoming cookbook like the one I envisioned. An acquaintance recommended I pitch my proposal to the publications director at Farcountry Press in Montana, so I did!

Where did you get the recipes for the book? I wanted to feature signature recipes from a variety of distinctive places around the state to create a collage of the different types of traditional and gourmet cuisine Wyoming has to offer. Initially, I wrote letters to chefs, innkeepers, and lodge owners to solicit recipes, and then I traveled around the state, pounding the pavement off and on for a year. Most everyone I invited to participate in the book said yes, to include a few popular politicians. I included several of my own signature recipes, too.

Are you a Wyoming native?  No, I’m what the locals call an “outsider” because I have only lived in Wyoming for ten years. My husband (John) and I moved here for his job as a petroleum engineer. We expected to live here about two years, and then transfer to a city. However, after being here a couple of months, we knew this would be our home for as long as we live. I grew up in southwest Missouri and among several other places, I have lived in Chicago and San Francisco. Moving to the vast, open space in beautiful Wyoming was like discovering heaven on earth.

The photos in your book are beautiful!  How did you find the photographer?  Paulette Phlipot is an extraordinary photographer and working with her on the photo shoot was the most enjoyable aspect of doing the book. Paulette’s name was given to me by a chef with whom she worked in Jackson. Although it was the publisher’s decision, I highly recommended Paulette after I viewed her amazing portfolio and visited with her on the telephone. For more information about Paulette, visit her website at: http://p3images.com/main.php

For further questions and comments about A Taste of Wyoming, please feel free to contact the author Pamela Sinclair by email: pamsinclair@bresnan.net

Here’s one of the many great reviews that the book has received.

Midwest Book Review

Sometimes cookbooks can be as much fun to simply browse through as they are inspiringly instructive to prepare meals from. Such is the case for Pamela Sinclair’s compendium of Cowboy State recipes and Paulette Phlipot’s full page, full color photographs that comprise “A Taste Of Wyoming.” Of special note is the ‘Guidelines for Recipes’ which is for the benefit of the novice high altitude kitchen cook and baker. The recipes are organized into sections devoted to Breakfast & Brunch; Appetizers & Snacks; Salads & Sides; Soups & Stews; Main Courses; Desserts & Sweet Treats. The photography is as spectacular as the dishes are enticing. Contributed by some of the best chefs from some of the finest dining establishments Wyoming has to offer, the recipes range from Blue Ribbon Caramel Cinnamon Rolls; Pancetta-Wrapped Chicken Livers; Winter Root Vegetable Hash; and Blue Corn Tortilla Soup; to Bison Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Sauce; Roast Duck Breast with Apple and Sun-Dried Cranberry Chutney; Sea Scallops with Frizzled Spinach, Carrots, and Citrus Beurre Blanc; and Sour Cream Cherry Pie. “A Taste Of Wyoming” is a truly elegant, gourmet quality, kitchen cook friendly, culinary collection that would grace any personal, professional, or community library cookbook collection.

The book signings were such a success and Pam and I had so much fun meeting so many fans of the book.  Here are a few photos from the signings at Belle Cose, Earth & Vine and The Visitor’s Center.

Belle Cose, Jackson Wyoming

Earth & Vine, Jackon Wyoming

Grand Teton Visitors Center, Jackson Wyoming

© Paulette Phlipot

Pamela Sinclair, author of A Taste of Wyoming and I will be in Jackson, Wyoming this weekend to sign books during the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival.   This popular book is already going into it’s second printing.  (Yes, 6 months after the first release!)  

Here is our schedule for this weekend.

Sept. 12 – Friday, 3:00-5:00 – Earth & Vine, Jackson, WY   

Sept. 13 – Saturday, 12:00-3:00 – Belle Cose, Jackson, WY  

©Paulette Phlipot

©Paulette Phlipot

©Paulette Phlipot

©Paulette Phlipot

Are you looking for the perfect, quiet getaway, something a bit different than what you usually do?   Red Reflet Ranch is the perfect working ranch and luxurious Guest Ranch/Resort. I was lucky enough to be introduced to it when the owners Bob & Laurence Kaplan invited Pamela Sinclair (author of A Taste of Wyoming) & I for a weekend. They hosted an amazing book signing reception for us. The response to A Taste of Wyoming has just been amazing!  Meeting such wonderful people such as Bob & Laurenece and being introduced to such a beautiful area of Wyoming is a perfect example of the overwhemling positive response we have received since A Taste of Wyoming has been released. Bob & Laurence encourage their guests to particapate in the preparation of meals.  This does not just consist of cutting up a few vegetables in the kitchen.  They have a greenhouse, garden, orchard, butcher shop for their ranch raised beef, chickens, eggs, the list just goes on…  Rudy and I even managed to find some wild watercress on our hike on Saturday afternoon.  We brought some back for everyone to enjoy in the salad that evening.  Needless to say I felt right at home at Red-Reflet-Ranch and am very thankful for the kindness and friendship of Bob & Laurence Kaplan.

©Paulette Phlipot

Publisher: Farcountry Press

Buy: Amazon

A Taste of Wyoming: Favorite Recipes from the Cowboy State

by Pamela J. Sinclair

photography by Paulette Phlipot

foreword by Alyson Hagy

A Taste of Wyoming is a divine blend of Wyoming’s rich culinary heritage and contemporary cuisine.

This exquisite cookbook features sophisticated interpretations of Western dishes from Wyoming’s finest restaurants, lodges, and bed-and-breakfasts—as well as classic Cowboy State favorites.

Take a seat at the table for mouthwatering Western cuisine:
•Blue Ribbon Caramel Cinnamon Rolls,
•Pine Nut–Crusted Goat Cheese,
•Warm Green Bean Salad,
•New West Clam Chowder,
•Lamb Ossobucco,
•Brandied Apricot–Stuffed Pork Loin with Port Wine Glaze,
•Pan-Fried Rocky Mountain Trout with Hazelnut Butter,
•Wild Huckleberry Muffins with Orange Glaze.