5 comments about The Essential Cuisines of Mexico: Revised and updated throughout, with more than 30 new recipes..

1. Not for someone that doesn't have loads of spare time to devote to this. I think I'm a pretty good cook, and I'm used to working with cook books. But I found this book very overwhelming. There are no pictures, so you better already know the cuisine very well. Most cookbooks have at least a few pictures thrown in for inspiration -- or at least scenes of the environment where the dish originated. How else am I to evoke that Mexican feeling? Not from the book. Also, I was hoping I could get away with making something that would take less than 5 hours, but out of luck on that count too. You are supposed to make your own tortillas for every recipe, yeah right! That would be like making your own pasta every time you wanted to have dinner.
   Perhaps if you had a house full of maids like the author to do all the hard stuff for you, but then they would probably not need this book!



2. This is a very good cookbook covering the major cuisines of Mexico. It is a good cookbook to open one's eyes to the wider world of Mexican cuisine.



3. This is a re-issue of Kennedy's first two cook books, and they were getting hard to find. We bought this book for a friend who had just returned from Mexico, and wanted to try the cooking. It was an unqualified sucess. She started the first week she owned it, and by the second week, was hosting a Mexican dinner party. She found the instructions easy to follow and the ingrediants easy to come by. (San Francisco) There are other very good Mexican cookbooks and we own some, but we have ALL of Kennedys. It is hard to imagine a better book to start on.



4. I haven't tried any receipes yet since I just received it. But, this book has come highly recommended.



5. Diana Kennedy is the best in her field!! She is my cooking guru.
   This is another of her many excellent cookbooks.
   Bravo!!

1 comments about In the Eye of the Sun: Mexican Fiestas.

1. This book shares the light, color, and poetry of Mexico with its readers. The photographer's passion for his subjects comes through with every photo. It is also an interesting view into the unique Mexican history of fiestas; the context of the traditions within daily life is very intriguing. I would highly recommend this book to those interested in either Mexico or color photography. It is a beautiful and sensitive work.

5 comments about Williams-Sonoma Collection: Mexican (Williams-Sonoma Collection).

1. I've made several of the recipes in this book and have yet to receive a complaint from anyone. I've tried at least 6 of the recipes and have not been disappointed. The empanadas and the carnitas are my favorite things to serve, and everyone loves them! Coming from an americanized mexican household, my knowledge on cooking mexican foods has been very limited. Needless to say, many people have been impressed with my cooking lately!



2. It's beautiful and oddly comprehensive for such a small volume -- definitely not a must-have for anyone who knows even the basics of Mexican cooking, and I don't know if a beginner would ultimately be well served by such a slim offering.
   
   The guacamole was good (although not drastically different than many others I have made, or even my basic "throw it all together" method), the chocolate-almond cake with ancho cream is excellent and not as odd as it sounds, but the posole verde recipe seems to have a serious flaw in the ingredients list: the author calls for 3 *pounds* of posole for a single batch, which would have been an amazingly awful mistake. (Luckily, this seemed odd to me, so I checked with other sources. Yep, more like 1/2 pound was the right amount.)
   
   It's not a bad book, especially considering the source. But I'm finding it hard to know why anyone would buy this book, unless they were collecting all of the W-S series. Maybe for a vacation house or some other kitchen with limited space?



3. I have lived many years in southern California where my tastes were influenced by everything from quick-stop hole in the wall cuisine, to first rate gourmet; from cricket tacos to walk-up taco stands near the Tijuana airport slums. I have traveled all over Mexico and the American southwest as well. If there is one thing I learned it is the wide variety of food labeled Mexican in the US. Having a step-mother of Mexican descent, I also leaned the time and effort put into authentic home-made cooking.
   
   This book does an excellent job of simplifying many of my favorites including carnitas, enchiladas, and tortilla soup. They have some nice shortcuts that bring authentic flavors to the front in their recipes for fish tacos, and carne asada. My biggest gripe is too much emphasis on meats and not enough on vegetables.
   
   The photos are excellent, jst as they are with the other books in this series. The cooking tips are useful for newbies, and most of the recipes stick to readily available ingredients and list suitable substitutes when needed. There is a nice geographic representation of dishes, but they do seem to concentrate on pacific/Baja Mexican cuisine. Nonetheless, there are a few dishes from elsewhere like mole poblano, port tatemado, and duck in green pipian.
   
   I like cookbooks for ideas. Aside from preparing the dishes I use this book as a starting point for other creative dishes and this is where I love the shortcuts and substitutions suggested. I would have given marks higher than 3+/4- if there were more vegetarian dishes and some good basics (e.g. rice, refried beans) presented with the same flair and creativity of the existing recipes.



4. I am a huge fan of Williams Sonoma's cookbooks. They have delicous recipes that are fail proof. Your dishes always come out tasting delcious!
   
   I have eyeballed this cookbook for some time. I was so excited to try this, and boy I was not disappointed. My first try I used the mexican red rice and carnitas for a superbowl party. YUMM! The red rice has become a staple at my house...
   
   A great cookbook for those of us who love Mexican food, but weren't blessed to be born with a Latina mother. ;)



5. I actually bought this for my husband and it's been a smash hit. The book is beautiful, intelligent and has little bits of extra culinary info that help when creating a recipe.

5 comments about The Great Salsa Book.

1. I have only tried 3-4 recipes to date, as I wait for my pepper crop to come in. Each recipe so far was very good, particularly the avacadoe and serrano pepper dip. I will be tweaking to my own taste, but this is a great headstart.



2. If you like homemade salsa, this book may be just what you're looking for. THE GREAT SALSA BOOK by Mark Miller is all about salsa. The book includes over one hundred pages of salsa recipes. Everything from tomato salsas to chile salsas to tropical mango salsa and other fruit salsas is coverd. Corn and bean salsas, nut, seed and herb salsas, and plenty of other salsas are covered too. Miller includes color photos of all his prepared dishes as well, making this is truly a great salsa book.



3. I was looking for a book that would show some really good red salsa recipes. This one has I think 2 total. The rest are not what I would call 'salsa'. But maybe that's because I'm just a hick from Missouri. If you call just about anything mixed up in a bowl 'salsa' then you might like this book, personally I didn't think it was worth the shipping cost.



4. Sometimes all you need to make a food entree really "sing" is to add a salsa. No matter what kind of food you are having you can find a great one in the book called The Great Salsa Book by the great Chef Mark Miller. Several salsa types included in this book are : tomato and Tomatillo, Chile , Tropical , Fruit , corns , Bean, Garden, Nut, seed and herb , Ocean and exotic. In the book there are also cooking techniques, a glossary, sources to find ingredients and conversion scales. The recipes are not complicated, usually don't involve too many ingredients and are indeed many are not ordinary. If you don't like to experiment and try something new this book is not for you. But I love to experiment and work with new ingredients and more.
   
   The one I tried today with breaded tilapia was the Sun- dried Tomato salsa (anchovy, garlic, basil , thyme, sun dried tomatoes and more spices) gave it nice salty but garlicy/ oniony spin. I would rate it 9.4/10. Ones that I have tried are the Tricolor salsa (9.6/10), Chipotle Tomatillo (9.6/10), Apple and Green chile salsa (9.4/10). Fabulous ones are the Corn and Green Chile salsa (9.8/10) and the Barbados Black Bean salsa (9.8/10).
   
   BBQ and eating season is upon us. You can be sure I will try more of these amazing salsas. Find the book and try them for yourself!



5. The Great Salsa Book
   Incredible salsas! Just like in mexico - easy and delicious!!

5 comments about The Well-Filled Tortilla Cookbook.

1. A great book with simple and quick recipies. No need to run out to the store for soft tortillas. Just whip them up and they are good to go.



2. We made the Coffee Caramel Tostada Sundae's last night - oh my! I plan to make homemade tortillas this weekend. I have one child that LOVES mexican food, I got this for him and plan to try the quesadillas and salsas too. The pear-lime salsa sounds yummy.



3. I was not happy with this book. I must admit I was looking for traditional Mexican or even modernized Mexican recipes but this is not it. If you are looking for authentic Mexican flavors you will not find it here. Mole is more than dumping some chocolate in a chile sauce. I had much better luck with Rick Bayless, and Diane Kennedy.



4. The Well-Filled Tortilla Cookbook is fun to read for sheer entertainment. The notes in the margins and the introductions to the different sections are infomative.
   
   We like the section called "Lamb and Goat" with its helpful recipes for cooking Greek dishes. There are many other international recipes with detailed instructions for preparation.
   
   There are some unique salads and some enticing desserts included also.
   
   I highly recommend this cookbook, which is off the beaten path.



5. This is a great cook book, I bought it with the Quesadilla maker, and so far it has been a great addition to my summer dinners.

5 comments about The Border Cookbook : Authentic Home Cooking of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico.

1. I purchased this book about three years ago and believe it to be the best cookbook I've seen covering Mexican and Southwestern Cuisine. The only disappointment was with the recipes being so good you would've liked to have seen some pictures. That being the only flaw, I would highly recommend it to anyone that has a fondness for border cooking. Try the Chicken Enchiladas Verda and the Arizona Enchiladas. They are time-consuming recipes that are well worth the effort.



2. For the last 15 years, I had been looking to recreate several of the wonderful Mexican dishes I ate while living in Tucson, Arizona for 6 years. It was not until I found The Border Cookbook that I was able to accomplish this task! The authors have made it very easy to cook the wonderful flavors that I have been missing all of these years. The descriptions of the history of the dishes and the detailed explanations of how to cook each recipe make this cookbook one of my favorites!



3. An excellent cookbook. Well researched and the recipes all work. I especially enjoyed that there were recipes that are usually hard to find such as Horchata and Diablo Shrimp. I would have given it 5 stars but I think that some pictures of the food would have helped. I guess we get spoiled in today's world by various cookbooks and magazines that inspire us to try a recipe because it looks so delicious in a photo. I would recommend it based on the quality of the recipes though.



4. I absolutely love this cookbook. Everything we've made from it has just been delicious! We've had it for going on three years now and I don't even think twice about making my own chile powder or enchilada sauces now. I love the regional variations that allow you to take one dish and make it New Mexican or Texan or however you want to make it! Everything is well researched, it's almost like a story book with recipes inserted. Definitely recommended to anyone who enjoys Mexican and Southwestern cooking!



5. It's okay, but missing a couple huge areas--hominy (both white and yellow)and black beans. I can't imagine chile without either or both. Much less Mexican soups. Sort of why I bought the book in the first place. Also needs expansion in prickly pear cleaning and uses, and pretty thin in chili pepper ID. So I was disappointed. There are some goodies, and could help people in other parts of the country learn a bit about what goes on here in the Southwest.

5 comments about Hola Jalapeno (World Snacks).

1. My one year old son loves this board book! We actually have the entire series. It's fun and creative, and I don't have to worry about him ripping the pages. We are hooked!



2. we love the sing-song metric to the rhyme in this book. It's not my baby's favorite book, though. She actually prefers "my first sushi book" to this one. Still, we're learning about important foods that we eat in our half-mexican household.



3. We live in Texas so we see and eat a lot of this food. I really like the pronunciation key on the back. It really made me giggle (especially the first line, Hola! Jalapeno. I said Hello! my chile friend). The pictures are bright and festive, my son enjoyed that. I give it to him to look at when I change his diaper and he has a good old time.



4. So let me start by saying, as a dad it is very difficult for me to find both entertaining and witty baby books.. This one kept me laughing for months after i first read it at our public library. In fact i use some of the lines at work to annoy both my co-workers and my boss's. It still brings a smile to my face every time i have to change a diaper to say hey baby, your cheese is melting out your end!
   Ok so i like stupid humor, but so will you... a must have for any father!



5. Okay, I would be lying if I didn't say that food was important in our family. It is the centering of every family gathering. This book (along with a few others from this series) was a nice introduction for my niece on the different types of food, how to say them, and fun illustrations. It also has made the idea of trying some new foods a little more interesting for her.

5 comments about Rosa's New Mexican Table: Friendly Recipes for Festive Meals.

1. I'm the biggest fan of chef Roberto Santibanez and I can't get over this cookbook. I've tried all the ceviches recipies,the snaper Vera Cruz Style, the salsas and the desserts of course and they are FANTASTIC!
   And I've noticed that most of this recipies have been on the restaurants menu. I go very often.....it's too close to home. If you want to learn or refine your mexican cooking skills don't wait and get this book, it's a must.



2. Wildly imaginative and colorful in both content and design, this book and its inventive recipes remind me of wonderful meals at Rosa Mexicano each time I open it. It's tough to evoke the sensual memories of a really good restaurant on two-dimensional pages, but that's what this marvel of a cookbook does. Anyone who's been to Rosa Mexicano cannot help but remember the bold splashes of color, both on the walls and on the plates. Open 'Rosa's New Mexican Table' and I think you'll be transported as I was. The recipes are clear and easy to follow, using ingredients that are easy to find in most markets these days. The section on the many different kinds of chilis is an education in itself. The explanations and headnotes to the recipes offer an insider's perspective that makes me want to rush back to the restaurant and try the many dishes I've eaten there all over again. If you've been to Rosa Mexicano, you'll know what I mean. And if you haven't been yet, check out this book and you'll soon be making a special trip there.



3. Purchased the Rosa's New Mexican Table" cookbook for my daughter for Christmas. She loves it and has already made several recipes from it. The short ribs and the guacomole dip were to die for!!
   
   Would recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves to try new dishes.



4. I can recommend this book to anyone who wants to get to know the mexican cuisine! Everything is explained in detail and there is also a lot of additional information about the background of mexican food in it. A great value for this price!



5. This book is fantastic. It contains recipes for all of my favorite dishes from the restaurant: the fillet mignon in mushroom/tequila sauce, duck in nut/prune mole, and many others. And the best of all, it actually provides the recipe for Rosa's famous guacamole. In general, the instructions are easy to follow and I appreciate many colorful photos. If you enjoy gourmet Mexican, this book is a must!

5 comments about Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo.

1. The recipes are authentic- to die for! And the life stories are told with compassion from Frida's step-daughter. This is a good read- and better eat!



2. Written by Frida's stepdaughter, you might as well have been there with her during her stay with Frida & Diego Riviera. Absolutely gorgeous pictures and insight in the culinary life of Frida Kahlo describing social reunions during holidays and festivities, along with some day to day pampering Frida gave to Diego & her loved ones. Whether you agree or not with Frida's life & beliefs is irrevelant in this wonderful book. It is about how Frida treated her family and friends in her culinary world. Seems Frida's stepdaughter loved her dearly and I felt this was a tribute in such a positive light to this creative and multi talented woman. What a wonderful read and truly authentic Mexican cuisine to add to the splendor of Frida's Fiestas!



3. Since everyone has raved about this book, perhaps I'm looking at an old edition (1994). I agree that the photos are beautiful and the stories wonderful, but in the version of the book I have the instructions for the recipes are in the wrong order. For example, for Chiles en Nogada, the first sentence of the recipe's instructions are "Rinse the chiles and pat them dry. Spoon some of the filling inside each one..." Well, you have to go down the the second to last paragraph to get the instructions for making the filling. Obviously, the recipe should first tell you how to make the filling. Also in this recipes, it tells you to pour the walnut sauce over the chiles, BEFORE it tells you how to make the walnut sauce.
   
   I have published a cookbook and these type of errors mean one thing: an editor who has not read the recipes and thought them through! (Much less tried to follow the recipes.) I noticed that in several of the recipes I've used, I have, with my editing pen, moved paragraphs around with arrows so that the instructions are in the right order.



4. This is a fascinating book with gorgeous photographs of fiestas which would have been prepared by Frida for parties at home in Mexico. We all know that Frida was an extraordinary artist, but it's quite an eye-opener to find out that she was also an outstanding cook!



5. Great history and stories re: Frida and Diego, fabulous pictures of their kitchen, great pictures of traditional mexican cookware. Education re: holiday's and special occasions Frida and Diego celebrated.

No comments about Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa.