Cooking the Mexican Way

by Rosa Coronado

Introduces fundamentals of Mexican cooking, including special ingredients and cooking utensils. Also provides recipes for suggested dishes.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking

45 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1989

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this cookbook used at a book sale and I have only made one recipe from it - Enchiladas con Pollo - but they were the best enchiladas I have ever made. It didn't look like much work but it turned out to be a lot of work. I still make my chicken enchiladas in much the same way although I generally take short cuts with the chicken filling by doing something in the crock pot and I generally don't make my own sauce.

Some of these other recipes look good though: Tostadas con Carne and also Mango with Cinnamon (I mean, I could easily get together a can of mangoes, some shredded coconut and some cinnamon - why don't I?)

[Mrs. Garza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more than just a cookbook with recipes. History, culture and geography information abounds to make this a very good read on the country known as Mexico.

[Meera Chakkera · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun book to read. makes me want to do some cooking . very interesting!

[Arielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very nice and simple cookbook demonstrating how to prepare popular authentic Mexican dishes and staples. There are a variety of recipes for all tastes and diets. This book is suitable for a novice and established cooks alike. I especially liked the cultural notes at the bottom of each dish's entry, which tie into the sections written about heritage and festival foods.

"The Land and the People" and "Mexican Heritage" left a lot to be desired for me. There was equal emphasis on the Spanish and indigenous roots of Mexican cuisine and nothing about the African roots of Mexican cuisine (ingredients like rice, yams, tamarinds, etc. brought over during the slave trade). However, I understand this is a cookbook and not a history book. I was very pleased with the "Holidays and Festivals" section detailing the use of different dishes and ingredients for certain times of the year.

The recipes themselves are easy to follow and amend. For example, the Salsa Cruda is a a couple ingredients away from Pico de Gallo and the enchiladas recipe is completely customizable. Oftentimes, a number of variations are offered in text for different versions of the same dishes and meals. I can't say that this book would do you much good if you are already quite experienced with preparing Mexican cuisine as the recipe selection is comprised of common dishes. There was not much new information in here for me but it was a nice collection and overview. I do believe it would be very helpful for those building their skill-set in the kitchen and those who want to connect to their culture through food.

Another note would be that this cookbook is very concise. There are not much in the ways of breakfast and dessert ideas. The lone breakfast entry is a preparation for Mexican hot chocolate (the tablets found at the supermercado). Despite its length, there are a large variety of recipes that will make your mouth water.

[3Patricia Royce]

HUNGY