Mexican Everyday (Recipes Featured on Season 4 of the PBS-TV series "Mexico One Plate at a Time")
by Rick Bayless
List Price:
Our Price: $17.95
You Save: $12.00 (40%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $15.41 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Rick BaylessPhotographer: Christopher Hirsheimer
Contributor: Deann Groen Bayless
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-11-07
ISBN: 039306154X
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Accessories:
- Rick Bayless 12-Inch Skillet With Lid, Sol
- Rick Bayless Bean And Soup Bowl, Sol
- Rick Bayless Bean and Soup Pot, Sol
- Rick Bayless Cacerola, Sol
- Rick Bayless Cazuela, Sol
Book Reviews of Mexican Everyday (Recipes Featured on Season 4 of the PBS-TV series "Mexico One Plate at a Time")
Book Review: Superb Introduction to Simpler Mexican Dishes. Buy It!
Summary: 5 Stars
`Mexican Everyday' by quadruple threat celebrity chef Rick Bayless is a must-buy for all dedicated foodies, lovers of Mexican food, fans of fast recipes, dieters (more on this later) and the cookbook collectors among us. Before I opened this book, I respected Bayless for being an accomplished home-grown American chef in Chicago, a leading expert and writer on authentic Mexican cooking, a respected TV chef educator on PBS in the tradition of St. Julia rather than on the commercial Food Network and, lastly, the author of a truly great `cook with kids' book, `Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures'. About the only thing Rick has not accomplished is to beat Bobby Flay on `Iron Chef America', although he did loose by only one point.
Just as I did when I opened Jacques Pepin's `Fast Food My Way', I expected to find a `sell-out' book in one way or another. My worst fear was that this was just copied from recipes in his other books. At best, I feared it was simply a cash-in on Rachael Ray's popular '30 Minute Meal' formula. I am here to report that it is none of these, but a culinary and intellectual revelation surpassed by few other true cookbooks.
Bayless' success in this book is grounded in his total mastery of his subject. He knows things so well; there is no hint of any misstatement, certainly none that I can detect in the world of chemistry or technique. I will simply assume his pronouncements on authenticity are authoritative. This great facility with his material even overcomes Bayless' former clumsiness with writing. He seems to have found his voice or a better copy editor.
The introduction is a total surprise to the reader when Bayless launches into a discussion of his weight problem, and how he began dealing it with yoga, weight training, and portion control. None of these reflections make Bayless a weight watchers expert, but the things he personally learned on his journey to loosing excess weight is a great lesson and inspiration for anyone with a weight problem. But what does all this have to do with fast Mexican food.
The starting point is Bayless' statement that many classic Mexican dishes have a lot of `extras' loaded on top of its basics. This is the first time I have ever heard this statement and I must say that my knowledge of Italian and French cooking indicates that the same is NOT necessarily true of these European cuisines. I do suspect that it may be true of Thai cooking, but that's just a hypothesis at the moment. So, Bayless' first step at slimming down both himself and cooking times was to remove much of the traditional frills such as moles and red chile sauces. He then gives a masterfully concise list of things to pare down recipes and speed up prep times by citing which techniques can be speeded up or simplified with things such as the rice cooker, microwave oven, food processor, and blender. In spite of this, Bayless also states that in a pinch, you can do everything in this book with a really basic set of tools. The one oddity in his recommendations is the fact that he is virtually the only major chef I have read who endorses the use of a garlic press.
The `second' introduction is a rundown of pantry items for Mexican cooking. Aside from a few brand recommendations, I suspect his earlier books cover this material in far greater detail, but it is well done for the Mexican cooking newbie.
The Table of Contents is done in the very best way for a book of this size. Every recipe name and page number is given in the Contents in English. The Spanish name in smaller type is given on the page with each recipe. Almost as good is the fact that each chapter is intelligently divided into sub-subjects as follows:
Chapter 1: Salads and Other Easy to Make Sides
Dressings
Vegetable Salads
Beans and Rice
Chapter 2: Contemporary Main-Dish Salads
Chapter 3: Classic Main Dish Soups
Chapter 4: Quick Meals from the Grill: Seasonings, Salsas, and Skills
Rubs and Marinades
Classic Salsas
Grilling Springboards:Classic to Contemporary
Chapter 5: Soft Tacos, Enchiladas, Tostadas and Tortas
Chapter 6: Seafood, Poultry and Meat Main Dishes
Chapter 7: Desserts (five recipes)
Each recipe ends with some `riffs' which, like fellow Chicagoan Charlie Trotter, are jazz-influenced improvisations on the original recipe. Unlike Trotter premium cookbook prices, this fine volume retails for $29.50. It would be a good buy even at the typical $35.
One thing I especially respect about Bayless' book is the way he is so true to the sense of his title in that this book deals with things Mexican cooks actually do everyday when they are pressed for time, without bypassing the need for some basic cooking skills such as roasting peppers or harvesting the flesh from a fresh avocado. Part of this `everyday' doctrine is the statement that regular weekend and holiday feasting is as much a part of sensible weight control as is everyday portion control.
Thus, Bayless has essentially followed in Pepin's footsteps by giving us a collection of authentic but trimmed down recipes from a great world cuisine. And, all this is done with a recipe writing style that is better than most I have seen. The list of ingredients is done with lots of clarifying details regarding preparation, quality, and choices, such as in the selection of the best vinegar for a dish, when several may be good.
Note that rather than giving a list of sources at the back of the book, Internet sources are in the leading section on Mexican pantry items.
This is an excellent book. Possibly it's very best audience is those who want to start out in Mexican cooking but are intimidated by the work involved in many Mexican staples described by Senor Bayless and Senorita Diane Kennedy.
More Mexican Everyday (Recipes Featured on Season 4 of the PBS-TV series "Mexico One Plate at a Time") reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Summary of Mexican Everyday (Recipes Featured on Season 4 of the PBS-TV series "Mexico One Plate at a Time")
At last, a cookbook that brings Mexican food within easy reach: named to Food & Wine Magazine?s Year?s 25 Best Cookbooks as part of its annual Best of the Best cookbook.
In his previous books, Rick Bayless transformed America's understanding of Mexican cuisine, introducing authentic dishes and cooking methods as he walked readers through Mexican markets and street stalls. As much as Rick loves the bold flavors of Mexican foods, he understands that preparing many Mexican specialties requires more time than most of us have. Mexican Everyday is written with the time sensitivities of modern life in mind. It is a collection of 90 full-flavored recipes?like Green Chile Chicken Tacos, Shrimp Ceviche Salad, Chipotle Steak with Black Beans?that meet three criteria for "everyday" food: 1) most need less than 30 minutes' involvement; 2) they have the fresh, clean taste of simple, authentic preparations; and 3) they are nutritionally balanced, full-featured meals?no elaborate side dishes required. Companion to a thirteen-part public television series, this book provides dishes you can eat with family and friends, day in and day out.Mexican Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Mexican Books
Cajun Cookingby Marjie Lambert
Book Sales; Published: 2003-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.88
Price in other shops:
Mexican Favoritesby Susanna Palazuelos
Time-Life Books; Published: 1993-01; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops:
The Food and Cooking of Mexico: A Vibrant Cuisine: The Traditions, Ingredients and over 150 Recipesby Jane Milton
Anness; Published: 2005-08-09; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops:
Better Homes and Gardens: Simple Mexican CookingBetter Homes & Gardens Books; Published: 1996-08; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops:
Cuisines of Hidden Mexico: A Culinary Journey to Guerrero and Michoacn (Wiley Culinary Journeys)by Bruce Kraig, Dudley Nieto
Wiley; Published: 1995-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.80
Price in other shops:
Mexican Family Cookingby Aida Gabilondo
Ballantine Books; Published: 1992-02-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.29
Price in other shops:
Mexican Everyday (Recipes Featured on Season 4 of the PBS-TV series "Mexico One Plate at a Time")by Rick Bayless
W. W. Norton; Published: 2005-11-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.75
Price in other shops:
The Burrito Bookby Patti Jean Birosik
Avon Books (P); Published: 1991-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.60
Price in other shops:
Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexicoby Susana Trilling
Ballantine Books; Published: 1999-11-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $89.98
![The Best of Beautiful Cookbooks: France, Italy & Mexico [Gift Boxed Set] Image](/images/The-Best-of-Beautiful-Cookbooks-France-Italy-Mexico-Gift-Boxed-Set-000255464X-X.jpg)
The Best of Beautiful Cookbooks: France, Italy & Mexico [Gift Boxed Set]by Susanna Palazuelos, E. Scotto
Harpercollins; Published: 1994-08-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.00
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures: Recipes and Storiesby Rick Bayless, Lanie Bayless
Published: 2004-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.80
Price in other shops:
Simple Food, Big Flavor: Unforgettable Mexican-Inspired Recipes from My Kitchen to Yoursby Aaron Sanchez
Atria Books; Published: 2011-10-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.90
Price in other shops:
Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchenby Bobby Flay
Clarkson Potter; Published: 2007-10-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.33
Price in other shops:
The Essential Cuisines of Mexicoby Diana Kennedy
Clarkson Potter; Published: 2009-10-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.22
Price in other shops:
Salsas That Cook : Using Classic Salsas To Enliven Our Favorite Dishesby Rick Bayless
Scribner; Published: 1998-11-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.74
Price in other shops:
Fiesta at Rick's: Fabulous Food for Great Times with Friendsby Rick Bayless
W. W. Norton & Company; Published: 2010-07-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.90
Price in other shops:
Truly Mexican: Essential Recipes and Techniques for Authentic Mexican Cookingby Roberto Santibanez
Wiley; Published: 2011-04-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.95
Price in other shops:
Mexico One Plate At A Timeby Rick Bayless
Scribner; Published: 2000-10-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.67
Price in other shops:
Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisineby Rick Bayless
Scribner; Published: 1996-10-21; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.20
Price in other shops:
Authentic Mexican 20th Anniversary Ed: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexicoby Rick Bayless
William Morrow Cookbooks; Published: 2007-04-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.38
Price in other shops: