2 comments about Southwest Lite: Full-Flavored, Healthy Cooking.

1. What a surprise to see such a creative Southwest cookbook. The recipes are not only healthy but sparkle with the zesty flavors of "red rock country." I made the soft-cheesy crackers Wiseman calls "Devil's Kisses" and was dazzled with the great flavor and the zesty touch of chipotle heat, caught me off guard. Indeed a pleasant surprise. As for the photography, what more appealing photos could you ask for. Whomever this fellow Chris Marchetti is he sure knows how to take food shots. This book should be on the shelves and in the kitchens for a long time. I hope Wiseman does another. Pennigan



2. Southwest Lite; Full-flavored, Healthy Cooking by American Southwest culinary expert Bob Wiseman showcases fabulous dishes that are heart healthy, weight issues friendly, and absolutely palate pleasing. Superbly illustrated with full-color photography, the dishes range from Cisco's Bagel Bites; Curried Tuna Salad; Buttermilk Meatloaf; and Sweet Southwest-Style Pork Chops; to Cajun Shrimp Scampi; Fried Green Tomatoes; Fiesta Jalapeno Cornbread Muffinettes; and Baja-Style Baked Rice Pudding. With each individual recipe laid out in a completely "kitchen cook friendly" and easy to follow format, Southwest Lite is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to any household cookbook collection.

5 comments about Vegetarian Southwest: Recipes from the Region's Favorite Restaurants (Cookbooks and Restaurant Guides).

1. Restaurant quality, but easy to make. Jalapeno Cheese bread is particularly good. A great survival cookbook for Southwesterners stranded temporarily on the East Coast.



2. Having moved from the Southwest to the Midwest, I was so excited to find a southwestern vegetarian cookbook. The recipies are interesting, and with a few minor exceptions, pretty simple and straightforward to execute. The pictures are beautifully photographed. My complaints are largely editorial. The index isn't particularly useful for looking things up by ingredients and the recipies themselves require reading through a couple of times. The quantities of ingredients and number of servings are sometimes difficult to discern.



3. My family and I spent a week camping in northern New Mexico this past June and had a wonderful time! But my most spectacular 'find' was Lon Walters lovely little book full of the very best of regional recipes from the American Southwest! I don't care what other reviewers say about the book's organization, just open it up and make whatever appears on the page before you! Everything I have made so far has been wonderful and fun to make. My Swiss husband, 10-year old daughter and 14-year old son are equally ecstatic about everything I have made .. and I do NOT back off on the spicing at all! Some recipes are more involved than others (which I prefer), but nothing is so involved that you will be reticient to make it. Even non-vegetarians will appreciate these recipes. I have already given two copies of this book as gifts and am buying three more today!!! You cannot go wrong with these recipes. VEGETARIAN SOUTHWEST has become my favorite cookbook in a fleet of some 75!



4. Most of the recipes in this book are right from the area where I live....I go to a lot of these restaurants and the recipes are right on! I was so excited when I saw this book in a little shop in Sedona and that was before I even knew they were restaurant recipes.
   This is a great addition to your cookbook collection even if you are a meat eater, like my hubby.
   Easy to follow recipes, common ingredients, nothing complicated, but such great flavors. Ya gotta try this book! I gave one to a friend who isn't a vegetarian and she uses it all time.
   
   A true taste of the southwest!



5. The low rating is not on the quality of the product, (it was fine), but on the customer service. I thought this book got lost in the mail as it took a month for it to arrive. When I emailed the company as to when it had been mailed, I got a generic email back. When I emailed again, I got no response. Finally the book arrived, very late.

2 comments about Santa Fe School Cooking Flavors of the Southwest.

1. The Santa Fe Cooking School is located just a couple of blocks from the Plaza, and offers a host of opportunities for anyone looking for information on Southwestern cooking. It's well worth checking out the home page of the school listed in the first Comment to this Review.
   
   Santa Fe Cooking School Flavors of the Southwest by Susan D. Curtis, owner of the school, is the second "official" cookbook for the school; the first is The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook.
   
   The first book is a good introduction to the school and its approach, but the second is clearly a better book. There are dozens of new recipes, techniques, traditions and flavors with more of a focus on fresh ingredients, local foods and products, Native American, Mexican, and Spanish flavors. The photographs by Eric Swanson are especially good and add to the value of the book. And, frankly, Curtis has become a better teacher; the recipes seemed clearer and more friendly to this intermediate cook.
   
   Amazon provides a very generous selection of pages from "Southwest Flavors" so I'll not provide a sample recipe. Instead, the following list of recommended Santa Fe oriented cook books was provided by an excellent cook who has spent ten years cooking and eating in Santa Fe. She warns that the quality of the books varies, but "I like to get books and compare their versions of standbys like green chile stew or enchiladas or posole. So it might seem like I have a lot of these, but I use them all at various times for various dishes."
   
   Cafe Pasqual's Cookbook: Spirited Recipes from Santa Fe by Katharine Kagel.
   
   Cooking With Cafe Pasqual's: Recipes From Santa Fe's Renowned Corner Cafe by Katharine Kagel.
   
   The Food of Santa Fe: Authentic Recipes from the American Southwest by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach.
   
   Coyote Cafe by Mark Miller.
   
   Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook by Harry Shapiro.
   
   The Red Chile Bible: Southwestern Classic & Gourmet Recipes by Kathleen Hansel and Audrey Jenkins.
   
   Green Chile Bible: Award-Winning New Mexico Recipes from readers of the "Albuquerque Tribune." [According to my friend, "This one is really hit and miss as it's a compilation of submitted recipes by everyday people. Some things just seem odd. But then again, they are mostly the way the majority of people here eat."]
   
   The Rancho de Chimayo Cookbook: The Traditional Cooking of New Mexico by Cheryl and Bill Jamison.
   
   I've signed up for a short course at the school, and have been practicing several of the recipes in anticipation of getting professional guidance. I've also put together a collection of these books. It will be great fun to learn about the ins and outs of Santa Fe cooking.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008



2. This book has great recipes and great photos. I'd love to go to the school to further educate my southwestern cooking skills.

2 comments about The Healthy Southwest Table.

1. Janet Taylor is a culinary expert whose newest cookbook, "The Healthy Southwest Table" showcases a superbly illustrated cornucopia of savory, colorful, palate pleasing and appetite satisfying dishes associated with the American southwest. From Green Tea Cooler; Fresh Fruit Salsa; Flat Enchiladas; and Tangy Tuna Cabbage Salad; to Lemon-Lime Prickly Pear Chicken; Chipotle Barbecue Tofu and Vegetables; Leftover Fish or Chicken Tacos; and Decadent Chocolate Pudding, "The Healthy Southwest Table" features more than one hundred recipes that are as delicious as they are nutritious. The novice kitchen cook will especially appreciate the informative instructional commentaries on roasting, toasting, grilling, and working with tortillas. Further enhanced with 'Highlights of Some Nutritional Studies' and 'Making Smart Food Choices', "The Healthy Southwest Table" is confidently recommended for both personal and community library ethnic and regional cookbook collections.



2. Practical and healthful ways to prepare the popular flavors of the southwest. Common ingredients prepared in unique ways. Good nutritional information included.

5 comments about Feast of Santa Fe: Cooking of the American Southwest.

1. I read "The Food of Santa Fe", most recently, prior to visiting New Mexico for a vacation - I had owned it for years and previously only made some recipes. This more thorough reading provided a short course in NM history and its influence on the cuisine, information that impacted where and what I ate on my trip and how I recreated those regional dishes when I returned home (all with great results). This recent copy is a gift to the friends we stayed with so they could enjoy the foods of their adopted region in the same way we did; a result of Mr. Dent's enjoyable weaving of history and story with the recipes of the three cultures that converged on the region. I would highly recommend this book for enthusiasts of NM (Santa Fe)foods and cooking and the Southwest region of this country.



2. I got great service with this book store and love the southwest cookbook. It is used but was in great condition - like new and for a much better price than a new one. Thanks!



3. I have had this cookbook for a number of years and the poor book is stained in many places because of frequent use. The recipes are wonderful. My husband's absolute favorite recipe is in here, it is for a black bean stew which sounds simple but has many complex flavors. The recipes are well-explained (perhaps a bit too detailed but may be good for less experienced cooks). I have never recommended a cookbook on amazon but would highly recommend this one. Have fun cooking from it!



4. Ever since spending two months in Santa Fe NM a couple of years ago I have been trying to find restaurants or cookbooks that captured the unique flavor of the Santa Fe southwest cuisine. This is not just strictly a cookbook, but a historical exploration of the many influences that have createted and shaped the flavors of what southwest cuisine has become in New Mexico. If you are looking for just a cookbook with receipes then this may not be the book for you, but if you are looking to truly explore what has influenced the flavors, and how to prepare some of the dishes that have defined the culinary identy of a culture then I highly recommend this book to you. I love it.



5. I have lived in New Mexico for decades including all parts of the state. Although there are subtle regional variations in New Mexican food across the state, this book does the best at establishing a firm foundation for classical New Mexican food. The book contains basic recipes that people really use in their own homes and that are served at some of the very best authentic restaurants. There is little to no influence of California, Texas, Arizona or other state cookery in this book. Be ware that some other "New Mexican Cookbooks" are really California cookery with a different title. If you want true New mexican food, this is the place to find it. New Mexico is the KING of "Mexican" food in the USA. I highly recommend this book. If you are to have one book on Mexican food, it should be this one.

5 comments about Pirate's Pantry: Treasured Recipes of Southwest Louisiana.

1. I think every single woman I know has this cookbook. It's as if you get one after a certain age as a "right of passage" or something in this town. I have this cookbook, my mother has it and my Grandmother had it. We have never ran across a recipe in this book that was not great! Buy it! You will NOT be disappointed.



2. I've had (earlier printing - plastic bound) version of this cook book for at least 25 years. I absolutely love it. Unfortunately, after much use the binding broke and my cook book was a total mess, although I still frequently used it. I actually went online to order one for my new daughter-in-law and was delighted to see it in hard cover. So, I bought four (my daughter-in-law, my daughter, one as a gift for a friend and another for myself). I am delighted with the quality of this cook book. I come from a long line of great cajun cooks (my mom and both sister also have the cook book). I've eaten cajun food all of my life. These recipes are delicious, truly cajun and easy to prepare. The informative welcome to each section is a delightful extra. I would strongly recommend this cook book for anyone who enjoys cooking delicious meals. I will purchase them again for gifts for friends and family.



3. Being born & raised in Southwest Louisiana, I learned how to cook from generations before me. This cook book is the closest thing to real Southwest Louisiana food. I have had my copy for numerous years and have worn it out but continue to use it. I give this book as a gift on every occasion that is appropriate (& some that are not). This is the only book I would recommend to anyone with an interest in Cajun food. It's awesome! Karen - Lake Charles, Louisiana transplanted to Omaha, Nebraska.



4. I am into my second copy of this great cookbook. The first was worn out years ago. As one from Louisiana this cookbook has it all and it is laid out in an easy to follow manner. You cannot go wrong with this one. Once you try some of these recipes you will not be able to go back to your usual bland fare and will wonder why you have squandered so much money in resteraunts all of these years.



5. I have used this cookbook for years. My husband is from Louisana and introduced me to it. This time I bought it for my daughter. The recipes are authentic and easy to follow. It makes a great gift too!

5 comments about Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations.

1. What's most fun about this book is that even if you only wind up cooking a handful of recipes (like me), it's still a lot of fun to read. Some of the recipes are too involved for a neophyte like me but southwestern cooking (i.e., using all the spices native to that area) is clearly one of the most underrated culinary experiences around. A good chile paste or even chile powder has a flavor that can't be matched by the "usual culprits" - oregano, thyme, sage, etc.
   
   So, yes, this book is a great addition to the kitchen for several reasons, even if you're an amateur.
   
   My two cents.....



2. This is a beautiful book. It is interesting to read and helps explain the culture of the Southwest. My only hesitation in recommending it is that the recipes tend to be impractical for northern urbanites. I love the idea of having two kinds of Indian cuisine on our list of recipes we make regularly; sadly to say, nothing from this book made it.



3. I bought this book when I chose Native American food as the theme for a supper club with friends. The first time, I made several of the recipes and everything came out excellent. Since then, I have tried many of the recipes. Recipes are easy to follow and pictures are just fantastic. There is great background information that was wonderfully educational, for me, as I did not know much about the Native food and lifestyle. I love and often make the wild rice, pinto bean and tumbleweed salad, it is delicious!



4. This is easily the most beautiful cookbook I own -- could be a coffee table book -- and I've been recommending it to friends and family since I got it. The recipes and instructions contain just enough detail on techniques to get things right, good descriptions of esoteric ingredients, and provides great dishes for the recipe follower as well as fuel for the creative cook for hundreds of stunning and delicious meals. Overall, the collection captures the best of southwestern cuisine. As someone who has lived in all of the Four Corners states (currently residing in AZ), I strongly recommend this for southwest transplants missing that unique flavor, or for people who want a taste of the desert without having to brave the heat (except on your palate). Note: This was a James Beard award winner, for good reason!!!!



5. This is a book to be used and an excellent tabletop conversation piece. The photos are stunning. If you like cooking shows you could just read this book cover to cover. This book is destined to be handed down generation to generation.

5 comments about Seasonal Southwest Cooking: Contemporary Recipes & Menus for Every Occasion.

1. Delve into these wonderful recipes that use lots of fresh ingredients to create wonderfully flavor-filled dishes that are evocative of the southwest. Great pictures, clear directions, terrific layout.



2. I absolutely LOVE this cookbook! I think I make something out of it for dinner at least three nights a week. I've loved every recipe I've tried so far, and I've made most of those recipes over and over again.
   
   If you like southwest style food, you will love this book!



3. I was introduced to Southwestern cooking by a friend and originally purchased this book as a gift for her. After helping to prepare a few of the recipes, I knew I had to have a copy for myself. I've tried a number of entrees, appetizers and desserts from this book and I'm yet to be disappointed. Some of my favorites include the Pecan and Chocolate Pie (great variation of an old favorite), Sonoran Pasta (grilled goodness), Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Caramel Sauce (so decadent you'll wonder how you'll every get out of bed the next day), Greens with Ancho Dressing, Blue Cheese and Toasted Pecans (easy blend with just the right amount of heat), Chicken Chipotle Nachos with Avocado Cream (smooth and creamy with some kick), and the list goes on and on. Quite a few of the recipes are a bit time intensive but they are worth every bite. The flavors are outrageous. This book has turned me into a big fan of Southwest cooking and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great gift or addition to their own cookbook library. Plus, the photography is beautiful with pictures of many of the dishes. Also, Barbara Pool Fenzl included interesting facts along side margins like the health benefits of chiles. I enjoy reading these because they are informative and short enough to hold my attention. Plus, they are dispersed throughout the book rather than overloading the front with a bunch of background info that few people take the time to read.



4. If you like Southwest style cooking, and like to cook, you need this cookbook in your library. A couple Thanksgiving's ago we did most of the menu suggested for fall/Thanksgiving and while I wondered if it would be overkill, it wasn't. I've never enjoyed Thanksgiving so much in my life. Provided you use good quality ingredient, the flavors are subtle, well melded, and just roll around on your palate. Yum.



5. My opinion regarding the beautiful photography was shared by a previous post. It's a pity they didn't caption the locations. That aside this book offers not only imaginative recipes using regional ingredients but they are generally simple to prepare. The bonus is the lovely picture presentation of the serving.

5 comments about Southwest Slow Cooking.

1. Not sure why some reviews say this cookbook doesn't provide them with authentic dishes or that there's too much post-prep.
   
   I live in Arizona, have eaten southwest food here and in New Mexico, and compared to what restaurants serve you and what has been shared with me by folks who cook with these ingredients regularly, this book has the southwestern flavors famous in both Arizona and New Mexico. The chiles from New Mexico are the best, and here in Flagstaff we can buy boxes of whole roasted Hatch New Mexico chiles, which to me have made the difference in the way these dishes taste. We buy 50 lbs of whole roasted greens every August and freeze them, peeled or not, stems attached or removed, neither matters. I also get dried red chiles from Northern New Mexico and their flavor is spectacular. Dried red chile pods once reconstituted make fabulous dishes. You don't need canned red or green sauces if you use these. And for those who may not be able to get these products, try Penzey's Spices, they have an online store and their dried chiles rival the dried New Mexico chiles. Their Mexican Oregano is worth every penney.
   
   As for "canned this, canned that..." comment, we all have the ability to choose and you can choose to use fresh ingredients. The ladies who put this cookbook together offer shortcuts using canned ingredients because we can't all get the fresh stuff Mexico and some of America's big cities offer. I personally have tried multiple recipes in this book and shared with lots of friends and we all agree, these are some of the best dishes any of us have ever had. The two Posole recipes are to die for. So is the green chile and so many others.
   
   I agree there are garnishes that require work, but if you are already prepping the night before to make the dish, why not prep your garnishes as well? Having limes on hand, chopping some cilantro and cabbage and radishes and having those ready does mean you can come home to dinner. I also don't precook any of the meats where the recipe calls for it. I just turn the crock pot on high and put in the liquid and cover, then finish getting ready for work and last thing I do is dump the ingredients (from bowls prepped the night before) into the hot liquid and stir, turn to low and go!
   
   For those who have no imagination, and have forgotten that any cookbook is an open invitation to make changes to make it your own, the way you like, changing fresh to packaged and vice versa, no cookbook will be good enough.



2. Southwest Slow Cooking is my husbands favorite cookbook and leisure read. He has made almost every recipe and we have enjoyed eating them. The authors have many healthful tips and great use of fresh foods and herbs. We have gifted a copy to his daughter, an avid gardener and cook. The Flagstaff Wings are the tops!



3. I have tried the majority of the recipes in this book and have found it to be one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes are generally great as-listed, and healthy, too! I have had a lot of fun with it by playing around with the ingredients and blending ideas from one recipe to another. Some of the ingredients are difficult to track down, but the authors have generally provided viable alternatives that are more readily available. I regularly bring one of these meals to family get-togethers and they have become favorites with my extended family. Our favorites: Tortilla Soup(!), Hot Artichoke Dip, and the Mango Habanero Pork Chops.



4. I HAVE OWNED THIS BOOK FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS. I WAS AND CONTINUE TO BE IMPRESSED WITH HOW LITTLE TIME IS INVOLVED, THAT I PURCHASED ANOTHER FOR MY DAUGHTER FOR CHRISTMAS THIS PAST YEAR (09).
   
   IT IS EASY, AND THE MEALS ARE GREAT. I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU CAN JUST PUT THE INGREDIENTS INTO A CROCK POT,SET IT, AND WALK AWAY TO DO FUN THINGS WHILE A GREAT MEAL IS COOKING. ANYONE WITH LITTLE TIME IN A DAY CAN DO THIS. YOU WILL LOVE IT AS I DO!!



5. This is the best slow cooking cookbook I've ever had. All the recipies are great and crowd pleasers! If you love southwest food and want to be introduced to new ways of cooking...buy this! I am a huge fan!

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.