Mexico One Plate at a Time

The EYE eats first. Too few pictures of what it should look like. Cookbooks are picture books for grown-ups. I really hope, Rick will will redo all of his books - with pictures.

When I was growing up my idea of Mexican food was having to eat those terrible Mexican TV Dinners - YUCK. (The same went for Chinese food.) As a young and middle aged adult I refused to go to a Mexican restaurant based upon my childhood cuisine nightmares. Now I am married to someone who loves food from all around the world. He has been responsible for introducing me to many ethnic foods that I would have otherwise never tried. Several years ago my husband and I went on a vacation to a place about an hour south of Cancun on the coast near Tulum Beach...Puerta Aventura. It was a 5-star all-inclusive hotel. Among other things that impressed me was the exquisite food. We both must have gained ten pounds on that trip. That was my first taste of good Mexican food. What an eye opener.Not long ago I was watching FoodTV and saw Rick Bayless, heard about his book, heard the rave reviews on it, and watched several popular chefs prepare authentic Mexican regional cuisine. I was fascinated and wanted to try it out. So I bought this book. Let me tell you folks, if you have never had good Mexican food, this is THE PLACE to start. If you have only eaten it in restaurants, this is THE BOOK to start cooking it.I began with his Classic Guacamole (to die for), then his Shrimp Ceviche (double to die for) and went on from there. Just the reading and learning itself is a treat. In addition to the recipes, Bayless often goes into detail about the source or inspiration of the recipe; for instance, he talks about the Tortilla Soup...it's his Mom's tortilla soup and he gives the background of the many uses for tortillas. I didn't know this stuff! He also includes a section on the many types of equipment, spices, herbs, tools and anything else you can think of in preparing and seasoning. There is also a section giving Internet sites to shop for the supplies you will need.Now I am the proud owner of an electric tortilla press and let me tell you, once you eat a homemade tortilla, there is no turning back to the store bought kind.Thank you Rick Bayless for writing a book that helps people like me learn the joys of cooking and eating this wonderful food.

I own both "Authentic Mexican" and "Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen," and I had reservations about buying this one as well, and I did not regret it.There is significant overlap in the recipes among the books, but I like the layout and organization on this one the best. This one would certainly be the best one for a beginner.

Rick Bayless's cookbooks are among the best because he is not content to supply recipes and instructions: he authentically cares what appears on your table and provides thoughtful conversation regarding each preparation. He anticipates problems for household cooks. He leads beginners through preparations unique to Mexican cooking. He is a teacher in the very best sense of the word! Remember that high school teacher or college prof who made all the difference? Rick Bayless's Mexico One Plate at a Time wants to be that kind of a cookbook.

Mexico One Plate at a Time has many easy recipes for beginnersyet contains tons of tips and tricks in the question and answersection for experts. Overall the recipes seem to be a little simplerand stripped down than those in Bayless' first two books, which isprobably good for beginners as well as for those of us who are timestarved. For anyone who has ever tasted the famous duck tacos atFrontera Grill there is a similar recipe in the new book (I am on myway to the store to get a duck now!). Another great thing about thebook is that you can find a recipe for any mood that you might be in -the recipes range from causal to dressy and each dish has atraditional and contemporary version.