Mexican Food the PBS Way

Since I've had more time to experiment with food, I have found myself perusing the shelves of the public library for new and interesting ideas for meals. Last week, I checked out two books after doing a pretty extensive internet search on the best authentic Mexican cookbooks. With that said, I'm about to write a review of two cookbooks without ever actually cooking any of the recipes. This blog entry isn't nearly as useless as it sounds, really.

When searching for the perfect cookbook, my first thought was to check out the reviews for Rick Bayless' many editions, since I used to love watching his show on PBS (his shows have sort of strayed off the cooking bit lately and tend to be a little new-age-self-finding for my taste). I seem to remember purchasing one of his cookbooks for my mom a long time ago that had a really simple, yet delicious recipe for red Mexican rice. Bayless has traveled extensively throughout Mexico and really takes pride in sharing the customs and food culture experienced over the years.

After contemplating over which one of his books to request from the library, I decided on Mexican Everyday, because many reviewers said that the recipes were authentic, but the ingredients list was simple enough to find just about anywhere. I feel like I can't really give this book an adequate review, because it just doesn't live up to my initial search -- authentic Mexican recipes. While Bayless uses traditional ingredients and techniques, I feel the recipes contained within the book are sort of pared down for the average cook; something you'd turn to for a quick, yet tasty, weeknight meal. There are a lot of sections that are "rifts" on a traditional application, such as "rifts on yellow mole". This time around, I'm not interested in a rift on anything, I want the real deal (even if it takes me 5 hours to prepare). Don't get me wrong, the recipes look delicious, but it's going back to the library for someone else to enjoy. I think I'll try Mexican Everyday again when I'm back to work full time, or otherwise occupied during the day.

The second book I picked up looks like it's right on target. Susana Trilling's Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico is also a companion book to a PBS television series. The book is divided into the seven regions of the state of Oaxaca and provides a wonderful context to situate the culture, food, and varied ingredients. I actually sat down yesterday and read the book almost entirely from cover to cover. For each recipe, Trilling gives a brief description of how she first encountered a food, or how it is traditionally prepared and eaten, and what other foods and drink should accompany the different courses. Her index of Mexican terms and descriptions of essential ingredients is an invaluable resource.

One of my favorite chapters was her section called "Traditions Evolve," where Trilling talks about her own variations on traditional recipes that incorporate her cooking background as well as her husband's. I also appreciated that she included this at the end after I was able to absorb all of the regional variations from Mexico and have a better understanding of the cuisine. I can certainly relate to this section, as I rarely cook a meal without altering it in some way that usually swerves toward Cajun or Southern-style preparation.

So why all the talk about these two recipe books that I have yet to put into use? Well, Jesse has been away since Friday on a business trip, which means he's eaten rich restaurant food (or take-out) for nearly a week. For the past three days, I have been in the throws of planning my first authentic Mexican meal and have hardly cooked a thing for myself. As a result, I am dying to get back into the kitchen. Also, it's a way to show my love and help him kick-start the post-work-trip detox. I won't tell you which recipes I'm going to make, because Jesse probably will read the blog before getting home tomorrow.

Stay tuned for photos and more!