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A review by rmardel
Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
4.0
Before I can review this book I have to admit that I am a big fan of Diana Kennedy. I have all her books. I have cooked extensively from all of them, and although I am not a purist and do not always cook everything the classic traditional way she describes, I can do so when I am in the mood to put in the time. I also have several of Rick Bayless's other books, which I have also used, and I am a fan of his restaurants, where I have eaten several times. And being a bit of a Diana Kennedy and mexican food snob, I'll admit that when I received this book, I was not particularly impressed. Mexican Everyday takes quite a few liberties with traditional Mexican techniques and flavors. But I didn't really give the book a chance.
To my mind this is not Bayless's best book, but it may be his most accessible, at least of the books I have read. And I do find the book inspiring. Reading this book filled with me with all kinds of ideas for making things I would not have made had I not read the book, and although I don't find all his techniques for simplifying things agree with me, or there are some things I do differently, I have to admit that I will use this book again. So far there are many recipes that I have been inspired to make, and many that I will make again and again, using my own techniques and changing them, often a good bit. So far there is only one recipe that I have liked pretty much as it is written, a recipe for slow-braised lamb Jalisco-style. I am not saying the recipes are bad; they aren't. I am not saying they don't work; they work beautifully. I am merely saying that that the actual execution does not really resonate with me although many of the ideas do.
So in the end, I think I rate this book pretty highly, even if I change most of the recipes. It seems pretty evident that I am more interested in ideas and inspiration than I am in a formula that I must follow exactly.
To my mind this is not Bayless's best book, but it may be his most accessible, at least of the books I have read. And I do find the book inspiring. Reading this book filled with me with all kinds of ideas for making things I would not have made had I not read the book, and although I don't find all his techniques for simplifying things agree with me, or there are some things I do differently, I have to admit that I will use this book again. So far there are many recipes that I have been inspired to make, and many that I will make again and again, using my own techniques and changing them, often a good bit. So far there is only one recipe that I have liked pretty much as it is written, a recipe for slow-braised lamb Jalisco-style. I am not saying the recipes are bad; they aren't. I am not saying they don't work; they work beautifully. I am merely saying that that the actual execution does not really resonate with me although many of the ideas do.
So in the end, I think I rate this book pretty highly, even if I change most of the recipes. It seems pretty evident that I am more interested in ideas and inspiration than I am in a formula that I must follow exactly.