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Salsas and Tacos, new edition: The Santa Fe School of Cooking
A hot little book with big taste to spice up your meals.
New Mexican Cuisine is a unique and delicious melting pot of Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and American Cowboy cultures, techniques, and flavors. Susan Curtis, founder of the Santa Fe School of Cooking, brought together a team of powerhouse cooking instructors to gather the best and boldest recipes ever to fill a tortilla.
Enjoy over 50 recipes from familiar classics like Roasted Tomato Salsa and Pork Carnitas Tacos to fresh takes such as Creamy Chicken and Almond Tacos, Grapefruit-Orange Salsa, Tomatillo-Papaya Salsa, and Apple Pie Tacos.
Growing up on a cattle ranch in Idaho, Susan Curtis developed a love of the land and locally harvested foods. She took that love with her when she moved to New Mexico in 1978, and founded the Santa Fe School of Cooking in 1989. The school is thriving and has garnered acclaim in publications such as the New York Times and the Boston Globe. Susan has co-authored several cookbooks, including The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook.
New Mexican Cuisine is a unique and delicious melting pot of Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and American Cowboy cultures, techniques, and flavors. Susan Curtis, founder of the Santa Fe School of Cooking, brought together a team of powerhouse cooking instructors to gather the best and boldest recipes ever to fill a tortilla.
Enjoy over 50 recipes from familiar classics like Roasted Tomato Salsa and Pork Carnitas Tacos to fresh takes such as Creamy Chicken and Almond Tacos, Grapefruit-Orange Salsa, Tomatillo-Papaya Salsa, and Apple Pie Tacos.
Growing up on a cattle ranch in Idaho, Susan Curtis developed a love of the land and locally harvested foods. She took that love with her when she moved to New Mexico in 1978, and founded the Santa Fe School of Cooking in 1989. The school is thriving and has garnered acclaim in publications such as the New York Times and the Boston Globe. Susan has co-authored several cookbooks, including The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 31, 2019
I checked this out of the library on a whim because it certainly is nice to look at, filled with beautiful photos, but after reading the recipes I am doubtful I'll make any of them. (I own probably ten Mexican cookbooks) This is from a cooking school, and a salsa recipe might have 16 ingredients. Or how about "Kumquat-Habanero Relish" made with mint leaves and macadamia nuts, which they recommend for "oysters on the half shell" or "goose"? Yeah, right. Or how about "Huitlacoche-Roasted Corn Relish? What is that? Well, learn something new every day, huitlacoche is grey/black fungus that grows on corn, or "corn smut". (you can get it on Amazon for $12 a jar if you are interested) Oh well, like I said, nice pictures.
March 22, 2019
What is it about tacos that make them so beloved? And, what about salsa? It would seem almost criminal to have one and not the other. I can't answer for my sister but speaking for myself, tacos represent the best of all possible meal options. Part DIY, with both fresh and cooked elements, tacos and salsa always taste delicious. To be honest, I can't ever remember having a bad one. Seriously! Tacos are a very equal opportunity meal -- suitable for almost any dietary need. Tacos offer a way for anyone to have a favourite type and to enjoy them how'd they'd like.
So, is it any wonder that I was excited to receive the Salsas and Tacos by Susan D. Curtis from The Santa Fe School of Cooking? This compact 7"x 7" cookbook offers over 50 different recipes to suit most taco cravings. The recipes are organized into 3 main sections: Spicy Salsas for Topping and Dips, Taco Fillings Bold on Taste, and, Extras. At the beginning of the cookbook a brief explanation with a description of important ingredients is given and at the end of the book a short list of resources is offered to help aid in finding ingredients which may be more challenging to source.
Cooking through Salsas and Tacos I've found that the relative heat or spiciness of a recipe is easily tailored to your personal taste. My family, for example, prefers a very mild take on anything spicy, so I was able to make each recipe with this in mind. What I appreciate the most about this book is how much flavour is in the recipes. Take the Tropical Fruit Salsa, for example, it's full of bright, ripe papaya, pineapple, and mangos which is complimented by zest and juice from three different types of citrus along with mint, cilantro and ginger. This salsa tastes like summer! I found that this recipe really suited my 5-year-old well because it was almost like a fruit salad but with some umami and savory elements. We enjoyed it with some of the Guacamole (also made from a recipe in the book) and corn tortilla chips.
The salsa section was more plant-based friendly than the chapter on taco fillings. Since I cook for my family of vegetarians, I'm always looking to see how many or which recipes are vegetarian. Out of the 20 filling recipes within this chapter 6 are vegetarian or vegan (with one of these being a recipe for a dessert taco filling). And, of the 5 savoury fillings, none of them included any type of pulse in the ingredient list. No beans of any sort, which, to be honest, surprised me. However, the vegetarian fillings rely on ingredients such as: squash, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, spinach, and bell peppers. I made the recipe for Roasted Wild Mushroom Tacos w/ Queso Fresco and they were delicious! In this taco, the mushrooms are the star as there isn't any other big ingredients. The mushrooms offer a meaty and satisfying texture.
Ingredients are easy to source, and I think that these recipes are flexible enough that you can omit or substitute ingredients where you see fit. As I mentioned before my husband and daughter prefer very mild dishes and I was able to accommodate them. With spring starting and summer is not too far off, I think that this cookbook will be an asset when the CSA boxes start up or more produce starts to fill out farmer's market stalls. With the salsa ingredients -- the fresher and more vibrant the better!
My daughter and I also tried making Flour Tortillas to use in the Apple Pie Taco recipe. While I own a small tortilla press, I found that rolling them was just as easy and my daughter loved the practice. Although I haven't tried it yet, there is a recipe for Corn Tortillas that would be great for anyone that follows a gluten-free diet. The Apple Pie Tacos -- warm apple filling nestled into a butter-crisped tortilla sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon and topped with a dollop of whipped cream -- were an enormous hit and such an easy dessert to put together.
Whether you're looking to add to your Taco Tuesday (or even Meatless Monday) repertoire or just interested in using fresh and vibrant fruits and vegetables in different ways then this would be a good cookbook for you. I know that I'll be using this as a primary resource for salsa recipes.
Please note that this is an excerpt of a review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Raincoast Books and Gibbs Smith for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
So, is it any wonder that I was excited to receive the Salsas and Tacos by Susan D. Curtis from The Santa Fe School of Cooking? This compact 7"x 7" cookbook offers over 50 different recipes to suit most taco cravings. The recipes are organized into 3 main sections: Spicy Salsas for Topping and Dips, Taco Fillings Bold on Taste, and, Extras. At the beginning of the cookbook a brief explanation with a description of important ingredients is given and at the end of the book a short list of resources is offered to help aid in finding ingredients which may be more challenging to source.
Cooking through Salsas and Tacos I've found that the relative heat or spiciness of a recipe is easily tailored to your personal taste. My family, for example, prefers a very mild take on anything spicy, so I was able to make each recipe with this in mind. What I appreciate the most about this book is how much flavour is in the recipes. Take the Tropical Fruit Salsa, for example, it's full of bright, ripe papaya, pineapple, and mangos which is complimented by zest and juice from three different types of citrus along with mint, cilantro and ginger. This salsa tastes like summer! I found that this recipe really suited my 5-year-old well because it was almost like a fruit salad but with some umami and savory elements. We enjoyed it with some of the Guacamole (also made from a recipe in the book) and corn tortilla chips.
The salsa section was more plant-based friendly than the chapter on taco fillings. Since I cook for my family of vegetarians, I'm always looking to see how many or which recipes are vegetarian. Out of the 20 filling recipes within this chapter 6 are vegetarian or vegan (with one of these being a recipe for a dessert taco filling). And, of the 5 savoury fillings, none of them included any type of pulse in the ingredient list. No beans of any sort, which, to be honest, surprised me. However, the vegetarian fillings rely on ingredients such as: squash, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, spinach, and bell peppers. I made the recipe for Roasted Wild Mushroom Tacos w/ Queso Fresco and they were delicious! In this taco, the mushrooms are the star as there isn't any other big ingredients. The mushrooms offer a meaty and satisfying texture.
Ingredients are easy to source, and I think that these recipes are flexible enough that you can omit or substitute ingredients where you see fit. As I mentioned before my husband and daughter prefer very mild dishes and I was able to accommodate them. With spring starting and summer is not too far off, I think that this cookbook will be an asset when the CSA boxes start up or more produce starts to fill out farmer's market stalls. With the salsa ingredients -- the fresher and more vibrant the better!
My daughter and I also tried making Flour Tortillas to use in the Apple Pie Taco recipe. While I own a small tortilla press, I found that rolling them was just as easy and my daughter loved the practice. Although I haven't tried it yet, there is a recipe for Corn Tortillas that would be great for anyone that follows a gluten-free diet. The Apple Pie Tacos -- warm apple filling nestled into a butter-crisped tortilla sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon and topped with a dollop of whipped cream -- were an enormous hit and such an easy dessert to put together.
Whether you're looking to add to your Taco Tuesday (or even Meatless Monday) repertoire or just interested in using fresh and vibrant fruits and vegetables in different ways then this would be a good cookbook for you. I know that I'll be using this as a primary resource for salsa recipes.
Please note that this is an excerpt of a review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Raincoast Books and Gibbs Smith for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
September 13, 2020
Wonderful book
This book has wonderful recipes, great photos and it is easy to follow the recipes. You're enjoy making the we dishes and love the food.
This book has wonderful recipes, great photos and it is easy to follow the recipes. You're enjoy making the we dishes and love the food.
May 4, 2021
Groovy shit
And tasty treats and was born in NM of Teixan parents . So9 words : well then fuck off !
And tasty treats and was born in NM of Teixan parents . So9 words : well then fuck off !
November 20, 2024
Good ideas.
June 3, 2007
Some simple, good salsa recipes and tacos. A short read, but something to get you started in the art and pleasure of making, and eating, fresh salsas.
August 31, 2010
Made the Roasted Tomato Salsa from this book and loved it. I appreciated the extensive glossary and simple definitions of cooking with spice. I will try other recipes in the future.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews