THE GRUB REPORT: Cooking the Books: Mexico One Plate at a Time
A cookbook focusing on the cuisine of a particular country or region is always a gamble. With a quick perusal, the flavor combinations that represent a far-off land are always seductive, but the question always remains as to how practical the recipes are. Are they able to be adapted to your weekly dinner routine, or is the book destined to produce a "one off" meal and retire to the boneyard of discarded culinary tomes?
In order to avoid such a travesty, it's wise to choose a cookbook that can easily mesh with what you are already doing in the kitchen. I suggest a book featuring ingredients and techniques that you are familiar with, and, outside of Italian, no other regional cuisine has had more effect on the American palate than Mexican. So it only makes since that building a base knowledge of Mexican cuisine would behoove anyone, and few other books can assist you in this effort better than Rick Bayless' Mexico One Plate at a Time
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In order to avoid such a travesty, it's wise to choose a cookbook that can easily mesh with what you are already doing in the kitchen. I suggest a book featuring ingredients and techniques that you are familiar with, and, outside of Italian, no other regional cuisine has had more effect on the American palate than Mexican. So it only makes since that building a base knowledge of Mexican cuisine would behoove anyone, and few other books can assist you in this effort better than Rick Bayless' Mexico One Plate at a Time
.As a fan of Bayless' own TV programs and appearances on others', it was easy imagine that his books would be a wellspring of information on all things edible south of the Rio Grande, but what came as a surprise was how well rounded the book was. Not only does he explore foods from the border towns all the way down to the Yucatan, but he does so in a way that assures you that home cooking down Mexico way is not so different than home cooking 'round these parts.
Sure, he expounds on the virtues of obscure chile varieties and other produce peculiar to the open air markets of Central America, but he also goes to lengths to explain how the flavor combinations might be approximated for those home cooks who don't have access to a wide variety of Central American produce. One of the most interesting features of the book is Bayless' inclusion of two different recipes for many of the ingredients and techniques he covers.
The first is the most basic, the "tradicional" version of a Mexican classic. The second is a modern version that might take aspects of the first and riff on them like a jazz musician drawing upon influences far and wide. In this, Bayless makes his book into more than just a simple cookbook. It is a kitchen reference that allows you to build up a base knowledge and then push the limits of what you can do.
With one (admittedly extended) check out from the public library, I've already worked a few of the recipes into my own repertoire. In fact, I've stocked up on the piloncillo just because I loved the super-simple arroz con leche recipe that much! I'm confident that if you check it out, you’ll soon be making space for it on your own shelf. I know I have.
Originally posted to The Grub Report by Steve Gibson on September 17, 2007 11:57 PM
Sure, he expounds on the virtues of obscure chile varieties and other produce peculiar to the open air markets of Central America, but he also goes to lengths to explain how the flavor combinations might be approximated for those home cooks who don't have access to a wide variety of Central American produce. One of the most interesting features of the book is Bayless' inclusion of two different recipes for many of the ingredients and techniques he covers.
The first is the most basic, the "tradicional" version of a Mexican classic. The second is a modern version that might take aspects of the first and riff on them like a jazz musician drawing upon influences far and wide. In this, Bayless makes his book into more than just a simple cookbook. It is a kitchen reference that allows you to build up a base knowledge and then push the limits of what you can do.
With one (admittedly extended) check out from the public library, I've already worked a few of the recipes into my own repertoire. In fact, I've stocked up on the piloncillo just because I loved the super-simple arroz con leche recipe that much! I'm confident that if you check it out, you’ll soon be making space for it on your own shelf. I know I have.
Originally posted to The Grub Report by Steve Gibson on September 17, 2007 11:57 PM
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