Mesa Mexicana

`Mesa Mexicana' and `too hot tamales' are the two books currently available from the chef / teaching / restauranteur team known as the `too hot tamales' of early Food Network fame, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. They recently went up against Bobby Flay on `Iron Chef America'. Not that it really matters, but I don't remember who won or what the secret ingredient was. What is important is that it was easily one of the most entertaining and memorable `Iron Chef America' episodes, comparable to the very first one featuring Chicago Mexican cuisine expert Rick Bayless and the competition featuring Oriental fusion master, Ming Tsai of `Blue Ginger'. What I do remember is the imprint of the iron on the back of Susan Feniger's blouse and the inventive recipe they did for Scotch eggs. The first impression of both of these books is not inspiring. The layout is ordinary, leaning toward the garish. The photographs are in a grainy black and white and too small to easily make sense of what is happening, not to mention the fact that most are missing captions. In `too hot tamales', it is even difficult to tell which of these two delightful ladies is Mary Sue and which is Susan, from the lack of clear identification on the photographs. The flyleaf of `Mesa Mexicana' clears this up. Mary Sue is the taller with blond hair and Susan is the shorter with dark hair. They also neglect to give a good picture of co-author, Helene Siegel, whose voice seems to be strong in the prefaces and introductions. Based on the strong `Iron Chef America' appearance, I decided to check out the books from this duo, even though their Food Network show was before my time. I figured two gals with this much energy and a strong showing against the indomitable Bobby must have something to say. At the outset, the book `too hot tamales' did not impress, until I got to the chapters on soups. At this point, the authors' observations seemed to come alive. This was not nearly as strong as what I saw in Deborah Madison's recent book on soups, but the comparison showed that Mary Sue and Susan clearly had something important to say. That is not to say that `too hot tamales' is the better book. `Mesa Mexicana' is actually the better of the two for anyone who is not familiar with Mexican cooking. Having determined that these books have something to say, the next big question is why get these books instead one from the heavy hitters of Mexican cuisine, Rick Bayless or Diana Kennedy. For starters, both Bayless and Kennedy's best books are more strongly oriented toward teaching Mexican cooking, either by technique or by region. Milliken and Feniger's books are more for fun, without straying too far from strong roots in genuine Mexican cooking technique. If all you want are some good, snappy recipes without being tied to the grill (as you are with many of Bobby Flay's recipes), Milliken and Feniger may be your best choice. They are certainly your best choice if you are attracted to entertaining with

I have made several recipes from this cookbook and have had loved them all. The salsas are now staples on my table as are the skirt steak, the flans (yum!) and the tortilla soup. Many of the recipes appear on the menu at their restaurant, Border Grill. When prepared to specs, they taste just like the real thing. This makes me happy because Border Grill is one of my favorite restaurants. Great Mexican cooking takes time, but as this cookbook shows us, it is not complicated. The book is beautiful, the recipes clear, and the results fabulous.

Mary Sue Miliken and Susan Feniger are two of the top chefs in LA. Their "Border Grill" in Santa Monica (4th and Broadway) is a noisy, splashy, foodie haven with superb drinks, a decent wine/beer list, and amazing food. Mesa Mexicana offers recipes that one might easily see on Border Grill's menu. For those of us who grew up equating Mexican food with Tex-Mex, Miliken and Feniger's inventive take on traditional Mexican cuisine is a revelation.As a cookbook, Mesa Mexicana is interesting, has an attractive layout, and, by the minimal standards of the genre, is well-written. One would not want to use it on an everyday basis. Many of the recipes involve a fairly intensive amount of prep work and/or require specialized ingredients. For the hobbyist chef with access to a decent Mexican grocer and time on his/her hands, however, it is an inspiring and provocative work. Highly recommended on that qualified basis.

This book is "A" number 1! I have hundreds of cookbooks and feel that if you get one good recipe out of a cookbook you made a good purchase! Mesa Mexicana is wonderful because the recipes are authentic, easy to find ingredients, and the end result is fabulous! I've tried several and have made each again. If your a carnitas lover, try their recipe. The lard will frighten you, but in the end will delight you! On to the tamales!

I was impressed by the simplicity of these recipes. Unlike others I've tried, this book calls for simple ingredients that can easily be found at your local grocery store (even in rural Idaho). The authors walk you through the basics of making your own tortillas and salsas. You then can incorporate these into more complicated recipes. Above all... the food turns out delicious even in the hands of a novice.