While I was born and raised in the Southern US on grits and fried catfish, my husband was raised in Mexico City on pozole and pombazos and anything picosa.
We've been together for almost six years, and he hasn't been back home at all in that time, not even for a quick visit. We still live in the south, so our choices as far as authentic Mexican are quite slim. There are some taquerias around that cater to the local Mexican community, but they're usually overpriced and carry only the most basic dishes (tacos, tortas, huevos, etc). So when my sister gave me this book for Christmas, I couldn't wait to try it.
I've been cooking "Mexican-style" for a while. That involved adding a lot of salsa to things, or making things like tostadas or tortas or mole (out of the can! for shame!) or milanesa. And I'm no stranger to most of the ingredients in the book, but I just haven't ever had anyone to show me how to cook actual dishes that aren't considered Mexican take out.
The first dish I made was Chilaquiles Verdes and the salsa I made for it, according to my husband, was as good as his own sainted mother's salsa--which, if you can imagine, is quite the compliment.
For me, this book has allowed me to bring a little of Mexico to our table and to help my husband a little bit in his homesickness. He's also very proud of the fact that his gabacha wife can cook authentic mexican food.
As for those who wonder about the availability of the ingredients, most of them are available in your local grocery store. I live in a medium sized college town, and I can obtain Chiles Guajillos dried in bags at Walmart, as well as a plethora of fresh chiles (poblanos, verdes, jalapenos, serranos, etc). I would say if you have a noticeable Mexican immigrant population, the ingredients can be found in your area--try different grocery stores and the local tiendas (Mexican grocery stores).
Provecho! |
Authentic Mexican 20th Anniversary Ed: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico Books In Print, Audio Books.