Mexico One Plate At A Time

by Rick Bayless

Rick Bayless has been acclaimed widely as America's foremost proponent of Mexico's thrillingly diverse cuisine. In this companion book to his 26-part Public Television series, he takes us, with boyish enthusiasm, through Mexican markets, street stalls and home kitchens to bring us the great dishes of Mexico, one “plate” at a time.

Rick Bayless has been acclaimed widely as America's foremost proponent of Mexico's thrillingly diverse cuisine. In this companion book to his 26-part Public Television series, he takes us, with boyish enthusiasm, through Mexican markets, street stalls and home kitchens to bring us the great dishes of Mexico, one “plate” at a time. And each “plate” Rick presents here is a Mexican classic. Take guacamole, for instance. After teaching us the essentials for a perfect, classic guacamole, Rick shows how to spin contemporary interpretations, like his Roasted Poblano Guacamole with garlic and parsley. Rick's cuisine is always lively, but rooted in strong traditions.

Always the teacher, Rick begins each “plate” with some never-before-found features: traditional benchmarks (Rick's idea of the best guacamole), when to think of the recipes (weeknight dinners or casual party food), and advice for American cooks (Rick's insight into the ingredients that make the dish). He rounds out each “plate” with suggestions for working ahead.

To complete the journey into the Mexican mindset, Rick, with help from his testers, ends each “plate” with a question-and-answer section detailing just about everything a home cook might want to know: What are the best cuts of beef for grilled tacos? The best cheeses for quesadillas? Is one grill better than another? Rick draws from his years of living in Mexico, pulling us into the Mexican kitchen, to teach us how to create authentic Mexican dishes in our American kitchens.

Rick is an Indiana Jones of the stove, a Julia Child of Mexican cuisine in black jeans and a T-shirt. Rick's goal: to enable folks all across the United States to create dishes that weave in the rich tapestry of Mexican flavor with ingredients that are widely available. He always provides ingredients that make the dish authentic, but he also delivers with the right substitute if an ingredient is hard to find.

Experience food you can't wait to make in a new and user-friendly cookbook that contains the full range of dishes—Starters, Snacks and Light Meals; Soups, Stews and Sides; Entrées; Desserts and Drinks. Rick serves up such classic Mexican plates as Tomatillo-Braised Pork Loin, Quick-Fried Shrimp with Sweet Toasty Garlic, Chiles Rellenos, Cheesy Enchiladas Suizas, and Mexican Vanilla-Scented Flan.

And for an exciting taste of the unexpected, try Rick's contemporary interpretations of the classics—Crispy Potato Sopes with Goat Cheese and Fresh Herbs, Grilled Salmon with Lemon-and-Thyme-Scented Salsa Veracruzana, Broiled Flank Steak with Tomato-Poblano Salsa and Rustic Cajeta Apple Tarts with Berry “Salsa.” Food and friends, food and family. Good cooking, for Rick, is the unspoken animator of friends and family as they gather to share a meal. Rick's recipes lend themselves to weeknight family meals or celebrations. Take part in a tamalada, the tamal -making party before the party, or the ritual of a barbacoa, an earthy experience that Rick has made possible with a kettle grill in the backyard.

24 color photographs of finished dishes Photographs of Mexican location shots throughout

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Foodie, Food and Drink

374 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2000

About the author

Rick Bayless has written six cookbooks, including Mexican Everyday and Fiesta at Rick's. His product line of prepared foods is sold coast to coast. With his wife Deann he owns and operates Chicago’s casual Frontera Grill, named “Outstanding Restaurant” by the James Beard Foundation, and the four-star fine-dining Topolobampo. XOCO, a Leed-certified quick-serve restaurant, opened in 2009. He is the host of the public television series Mexico—One Plate at a Time.

Reviews

[Cami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply my absolute favorite cookbook.
I plan to make nearly everything in it. I have obvious favorites that we make several times a year.
As an author/cook, Bayless is completely entertaining and helpful. He even includes notes on what the completed dish should be like, with great, understandable descriptions.
Honestly, he has made me a better cook. In fact, I blame this book for setting me on the path of really good cooking, taking it above and beyond what I knew from my childhood. I also thank him for bringing the poblano pepper into my life! YUM!
To try: tomatillo-braised pork, the guacamole, the salsa-verde, the avocado-feta tortilla soup, the shredded chicken/tangy romaine tostadas, etc.
If your mouth is watering I've seen many of his books at libraries, though it is very worth purchasing!

[Maze Branch Oak Park Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful way to spend a January afternoon - eating Mexican food! The large group that attended this discussion ensured that we were able to sample a cross section of recipes as follows...

1. Meal in a Bowl/Ranch Style Chicken Soup - definitely the soup that you want when you're feeling under the weather. Just enough spice to make it interesting but not overpowering. Thumbs up all the way around.
2. Horchata - a refreshing almond/cinnamon/rice drink. Thumbs up all the way around.
3. Smoked Salmon Black Bean Tostadas - we LOVED the tortillas and thought this would make a great Super Bowl snack. Thumbs up all the way around.
4. Rice with Roasted Poblano, Spinach and Cheese - another winner - great side dish - made with black rice it is visually alluring. Thumbs up all the way around.
5. Mexican Chocolate Streusel Cake - really moist and not too sweet - most participants gave it a big thumbs up; one thought it was just okay.
6. Cheese Casserole with Chorizo and Roasted Peppers - chicken andouille sausage substituted instead of chorizo - most participants gave it a big thumbs up; one thought it was just okay.
7. Salmon Ceviche - generous quantity - thumbs up all the way around.
8. Chipotle Chilquiles (Tortilla Casserole) - this recipe should be served immediately but the nature of our discussion means that the food sits for a little while before it is eaten. The tortillas couldn't stay as crisp as desired. Consequently, I think this situation resulted in the mix of thumbs up and just okay reviews.
9. Shrimp Ceviche - refreshing mix of marinade and vegetables. Totally different marinade than the one called for with the salmon ceviche. Thumbs up all the way around.
10. Chorizo and Chile Casserole - really good - thumbs up all the way around.
11. Cheese and Mushroom Quesadilla - this recipe was made at home. We enjoyed the quesadilla best when accompanied with Bayless' recommended salsa.

We enjoyed all the recipes that we tried with no unfavorable reviews! Quite an accomplishment.

Overall, we would have preferred more pictures and less prose in this cookbook. Readers may want to rewrite the recipes that they intend to make multiple times to delete unnecessary information. (Bayless makes proficient use of the word "or".) Recipes often seemed more complicated at first glance than they actually were.

Bayless takes each recipe to a level of detail and presentation that most home cooks do not attempt. The embellishments (extra cilantro, lime wedges, etc) that he suggests are recommended for optimum flavor enjoyment; however, the martini glasses (or lack thereof) will not affect the taste of your meal.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are good recipes and the author includes feedback based on testing alternative ingredients for those without access to Mexican markets. Not as hard core as his Authentic Mexican 20th Anniversary Ed: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, he has a recipe for tortillas that doesn't start from dried corn and lime. Being single, I would probably just go a local joint for the recipes included, most of these won't scale down well and I'm spoiled by the local Mexican places.

I also noticed that his recipes now just list salt and not the amount like his earlier books, he must of heard from enough non-salt-heads, what's up with all the salt?

[Crystal]

Cookbook
I'm reading through a lot of his books. This one is the earliest I found at my library. Great explanations and knowledge of the overarching food culture. This is more than just recipes.
Lots of tortillas with fresh corn batter in this book. I think I might have to give it a try.
This cookbook only had a few pictures of the finished dishes.

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO! :D

I had given this book a 3 star rating after being gutted that it didn't have Huevos Mexicanos or a version of - I had had this dish in Costa Rica and have been trying to track down a legit and traditional, unAmericanized recipe for it. I gave up, eventually. I'm just going to have to tinker...

Anyway, it took a few years for me to warm back up to this one and dig it out. We made the "Mexican-Style Zucchini Tacos" / Tacos de Calabacitas a la Mexicana (who else's style would it be in a book with this particular title?!) and WOW! :D

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Tex-Mex. But this was... very authentic, not full of cumin and Old El Paso (again - big, big fan of both!). Sadly, I haven't grown epazote in my garden this year (guess what I'll be searching for in a moment!), so default to cilantro (koriander/coriander)... but jeez. Even using feta in place of all the real Mex. cheeses, this was MUY SABOR! (Apologies to any Spanish-speaking readers - I have not learned this language, clearly!). ;) Edit: It's totally "Muy Sabroso", isn't it? The enchiladas are in the oven now, and I have a chance to reflect upon my review and cringe...!

Just making the "Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken, Tomatoes and Green Chile" / Enchiladas Suizas for supper now (writing review while browning onions and blackening jalapeños) with leftover roast chicken.

Downsides to this book, so far:
- no Huevos Mexicanos (PLEASE comment if you're Latinx and have a good ethnic recipe for this, because I have not found it! Was simple - a fried / shallow poached egg and a red tomato sauce, and that was it... but obviously there was a trick, because THE FLAVOUR!)
- it's book-like with lots of text and doesn't function well on the counter-top. Also, as much as the info here is useful and wonderful, sometimes I just want to JUMP TO RECIPE. It's possible here, but yeah, index-wise and that sort of thing... a bit weak
- Fahrenheit, U.S. fl. oz., inches, and all sorts of measurements from the 1700s that were upgraded to metric system everywhere else in the world. It's so handy to have a smart phone on hand to make the conversions.

Upsides:
- wow, the FLAVOUR of those zucchini tacos! Have you ever had 'Mexican' without cumin or beans?! If not, this is your book to track down online, secondhand (unless it's still in print)
- Rick Bayless seems to know what he's doing and has put in the mileage in Mexico to back it up
- "Season with salt, usually about 1/2 tsp". Curse every other recipe writer who doesn't think to give ball-parks on open-ended quantities! Appreciated. Although,

a slightly soupy consistency - not as thick as spaghetti sauce

This is confusing to me, because this is an American-Italian reference and not an Italian-Italian, Euro-Italian one. I'm having to guess if he means like a jar of Barilla Arrabbiata sauce or something? :S But the attempt to relate and compare to something commonplace is appreciated, even if it confused me (in this case).
- my copy looks just like the one above, sans-jacket, but it's not autographed or anything (the previous owner was fond of yellow highlighter, sadly). It looks good on kitchen shelves. I'm going to start hiding my 'remedial' cookbooks in behind, to boost confidence in my dinner test subjects victims guests.

I also ordered a copy of From Lupita's Hill to celebrate the day, and brought out the sombreros. It's not cultural misappropriation if we all take part, right? I hope? Well - feel free to lap up the maple syrup and add "eh?" to the end of most sentences on July 1st - I'd be honoured to know others were celebrating Canada Day (might need a plaid shirt, a craft beer, and a hockey game on in the background to make it legit, eh?). Imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery after all. ;)

Mexico - you have a wonderful cuisine! <3

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some people you can just "hear" when reading, as if the author is right there with you; for me, this was the book in which it felt like I was having a private class on all the dishes in this book. Rick Bayless is amazing, from giving you insight and background on the dishes (Tostadas and Tamales were my favorites) to giving you various dishes. He gives you several recipes, but leaves it open enough that the reader and cook have a sense of confidence that they could not only master it, but be creative. Worth the read and I already have recipes I can't wait to try - recipes that aren't as "Americanized" (United States) as we know some "Mexican" dishes we know here in the States.

[Nancie Lafferty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific recipes with detailed explanations of their history and the choices of ingredients and preparation methods. Common questions about hows and whys are also included. An excellent introduction to an assortment of Mexican dishes.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

So thorough and in depth, and actually in a better format than many cookbooks of this era.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good cookbook on classic mexican dishes. Wish it had more nopales. I like the explanation on boackground provided.

[Bonita Readers Advisory]

Recommended on lots of lists, Bayless teaches about Mexican cooking and culture.

[Robin Tobin (On the back porch reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook has become dearer to me with time. As time and food change and evolve, I have come to understand a appreciate this beautiful cuisine

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

First book by Rick Bayless was a game changer back in the day, but now is quite basic. His later cookbooks are so much better.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recipes and explanations. Highly recommend.

[SuRoXi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know some cooking recipes but i have never tried to cook
Now,thanks to this cookbook,i know more recipes and maybe i could try cook. :3

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still need a copy of this one. I read it when I was doing research on Mexican cooking for a class in culinary school. Chef Bayless knows what he's talking about. This man even convinced me to make my own lard - and prior to culinary school, I'd been a vegetarian for 16 years. But you know what? Lard is, in some ways, actually better for you than either butter or margarine. It has half the cholesterol of butter and it is full of UNsaturated fats. You know, the good kind. If you render it yourself, or buy some that has been rendered without hydrogenation, then you don't have to worry about that little bit of nastiness either. Here's more info: http://porkknifeandspoon.com/2009/04/...

This is the book with the most amazing tomatillo-roasted pork tenderloin recipe. You need a big pot for this one because it cooks partly on the stove-top and partially in the oven, but OH MY!!

I've checked this one out from the library on numerous occasions. It's on my Amazon wish list. It's definitely a winner.

[Zen · Rating 5 out of 5]

...'Masa, masa man! I want to be a MASA man!!!!'

... Or as the case may be a Masa-woman.. I just learned how to make the chalupas, sopas, and tamales (in order form the easiest to the hardest) using the corn flour called masa - a mysterious substance from my Mexican grocery store that I never know what to do with. I also like the rest of the recipes, but since they are pretty basic, I already know how to make my of them.

However - this is an EXCELLENT resource for the beginner Mexican cook.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every recipe is a winner! I cook from this book often.

The shrimp cocktail (Ceviche de Cameron) is awesome and guests are wowed with it.

Other recipes that are excellent, which is what I've now come to expect from Rick, are:

- Caldo de Pollo Ranchero
- Whole Fish Veracruz Style with Tomatoes, Capers, Olives & Herbs
- Tortilla Soup with Pasilla Chile, Fresh Cheese & Avacado
- Beef Short Ribs with Tomatoes, Roasted Poblanos & Herbs
- Tomatillo Braised Pork Loin
- Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken & Green Chile

Rick's recipes never fail and are so.........delicioso!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Bayless's enthusiasm for great food. He gives detailed, lively descriptions of each dish and also super practical FAQs after recipes about different things they tested for the recipes, so I don't have to! My favorite tip is that beans don't have to be soaked ahead of time.

This is a not a health cookbook, so I can't fault it for having cheese, fried food, and encouraging lard for extra flavor, but those are the reasons I didn't try too many of the recipes.

[Libraryassistant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! I had seen the tv show years ago, and even had this out from the library, but it requires more reading than I had time for. It has much explanation of real Mexican food across many regions, plus what sort of fiesta to have with each dish.. and alongside the traditional recipe is a modern take that you might find in a more upscale restaurant— one of his or others he recommends in the new wave of Mexico cuisine.
My mouth is watering, and I want to go cook something!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I try to read as many winners of James Beard awards that I can pick up. Rick Bayless is a master chef and this book does not disappoint. Very well presented - love the traditional and contemporary versions of Mexican cuisine. Some of the ingredients are a little hard to find, but I need to make more of an effort.

[Callina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Rick Bayless's PBS series of the same name, and this book doesn't disappoint--it includes the quintessential authentic Mexican dishes, with traditional recipes for each as well as modern/American "twists," and great narratives to describe everything. It's a great book even just to read, if you simply want to learn about REAL Mexican cooking!

[Becky]

I picked this book up at the library and after making sopas and spotting several other potential meals I decided to get a copy of my own. I like the way the recipes are presented in traditional form, and then simple substitutes are provided for American cooks. Explanations of prep techniques are well done.

[Jodi Rossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

All time best ever Mexican cookbook! I reference it regularly for information on peppers and chili's and cheeses, and just everything delicious. The recipes are clear to follow and every single delectable bite is well worth the effort of cooking it in the traditional way Bayless lays out in the book.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the two Rick Bayless Books that I have not cooked much from but still a great cookbook for learning about Mexican food and cooking. The Arroz con Leche Clásico (Classic Mexican Rice Pudding with Cinnamon and Dried Fruit) was completely delicious however. You can find the recipe and photos here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...

[Dora]

I recommend anything by Rick Bayless because he always includes interesting and useful information. I'm not sure that I've actually made anything from this book, but I always learn something just browsing through it.

Have 2 copies, for some reason, so one is going back to 1/2 price books.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, in the catagory of "cookbooks/coffee table book." We've made a few interesting recipes from it, but nothing that really knocked our socks off or inspired us to remake/reuse...yet.

I vow I will drag this book out and give it a second chance.

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is often my "jumping off" spot for a Mexican dish. I love the fact that he has a traditional recipe, followed by a modern version. This is authentic Mexican and NOT Tex-Mex or "restaurant" Mexican. Rick Bayless knows his stuff!

[Lynnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Rick Bayless, but the recipes are time consuming.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slightly more approachable than Diana Kennedy. Referenced weekly.

[Brian Mcdaniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh.