Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I acquired this book while living in San Francisco, where cheap delicious fresh Mexican food was so readily available that I never bothered making it in my own kitchen. Now, living in the Midwest, I'm delighted to have Victoria Wise as a guide.
I would emphasize the term "guide" because Wise's book encourages and at times necessitates taking matters into your own hands. The prefatory remarks that frame each recipe prove helpful and engaging. Another Amazon.com viewer faults Wise for including tomato paste and water in a recipe for "Fresh Tomato Salsa." However, the reviewer neglects to mention that both ingredients are marked optional: "a little sugar or tomato paste is included if the tomatoes need sweetening or thickening," and add water "as needed, depending on how juicy the tomatoes are." The book teaches rather than directs. Thankfully so: "Savory Chickpea and Walnut Empanada Filling" proved delicious, though only after I increased the spices (doubling! the cumin) to suit my taste.
Like many cookbooks published by Chronicle, the recipes are heavily inflected by California cuisine. Witness "An Unclassic Tostada" comprised of black beans, Golden Rice, and mango. Or a twist on the Caesar: a salad of romaine with creamy Roquefort dressing and cornmeal chili strips. "Authentic cuisine" simply does not exist anywhere, and Wise keeps this always in mind. The introduction emphasizes the many influences present in Mexican cooking, and each recipe's prefatory remarks nicely contextualize the dish-- reporting on her research and acknowledging elements gleaned from "upscale turista restaurants" and one-man stands in Coyouacan.
The dough for empanadas is mind-blowing: shockingly easy and simple but always a hit at parties. Wise's thoughtful book keeps Mexican food alive and interesting...even when tomatoes aren't at their ideal juiciest.
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"An exciting new perspective on a cherished cuisine" (The San Francisco Chronicle), the Vegetarian Table series celebrates the rich diversity of flavors, fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, and the variety of enticing spices found all over the world, providing the perfect opportunity for indulging the vegetarian palate. Lavishly illustrated with stunning full-color photography and text by some of the finest food writers in the industry, this popular Chronicle Books series is now available in paperback. Featuring distinctive vegetarian recipes for appetizers, soups and salads, pastas and noodles, main dishes, breads, and desserts, the cuisines are as delicious as they are exotic. The Vegetarian Table series offers an enticing and nutritious way to bring the sumptuous food and flavors from around the globe to any vegetarian table-wherever it may be.
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