A Cook's Tour of Mexico: Authentic Recipes from the Country's Best Open-Air Markets, City Fondas, and Home Kitchens

I love spicy food and can enjoy Tex Mex, but I adore Southwestern and real Mexican. And this book is as real Mexican as they come. It is, as it says, a tour of the regions of Mexico and their unique cuisine. It is a beautiful book that is fun to read. You can read it as a travel (and eating) guide. Even if you read it as a travel guide, try making one recipe (say Mole Coloradito de Pollo -- which can be enjoyed without the pollo for the vegetarians in the crowd) -- and you see how the line between gourmet and traditional Mexican food is a figment of someone's imagination. Some of the ingredients are hard to find at the super market and some of the recipes are very involved (including the mole coloradito). OK, so it is not an everyday suburban cookbook. It is still one you will never forget.

We've just returned from our first visit to Oaxaca. The xeroxed copy of the Oaxaca section from Cooks Tour was the second most used reference (the street map was first). Since we bought this book nearly a decade ago, it's been the basic resource for information on fondas, markets, local specialties etc. Some of the recipes are such staples that I've forgotten their source until I run across them when using the book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This is a very fine collection of unpretentious, delicious recipes - wonderful food as cooked by real Mexicans. The descriptions of local markets and fondas are rendered with affection, humor and a healthy dose of common sense. In short, a book that should be in the collection of every Mexican cooking aficionado.

This book rocks! I don't know if Mr. Sando is used to Taco Bell or what? The food I have made form this book has all been superb. The flavor is authentic. Some of the recipies are simple and some quite involved! Not every recipe needs a list of 20+ ingredients and 3 pages of instructions to be wonderfully flavorful. The many types of moles are some of the best I have ever had. Anyone who looks in cookbooks for travel tips is delusional. Great cookbook!

This is a great cookbook. I've traveled a lot in Mexico and cooked a lot of Mexican food, using the classic cookbooks like Diana Kennedy's. The recipes that I've tried in this one are uniformly terrific. Just as important, the accompanying narratives and photos draw you back into the whole sensual experience of Mexico, so both the cooking and the eating take on an added dimension of rich experience.