Recipe Reviews: Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Recipe Reviews for Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

2009-12-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

For the holidays in 2005, I asked my parents for a Mexican cookbook (and gave them a number of choices of books I've heard recommended). They bought me:

Mexican Everyday
by Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless
2005
W. W. Norton & Company
Buy from: Amazon, Frontera Grill (Bayless's company)

Below are the dishes I've cooked so far, by category, by star rating (out of five) within each category. Within each star rating, the ordering is arbitrary -- it doesn't mean anything. Click on the dish's name for a review.

A list of what I've cooked most recently appears on the right side of the blog under the heading "Recent Dishes."

Salads

Picture	Name	Rating
	Roasted Poblano-Potato Salad with Flaked Tuna	5 stars
	Smoky-Chipotle-Vinegar Dressing	4 stars
	Roasted Mushroom Salad with Spinach and Chorizo	3.5 stars
	Jicama Salad with Watercress, Romaine, and Lime-Cilantro Dressing	3.5 stars
	Skirt Steak Salad with "Wilted" Greens, Tomato, and Lime	3 stars

Soups

Picture	Name	Rating
	Mushroom-Potato Crema with Roasted Poblanos	4.5 stars
	Red Chileatole with Mushrooms, Chicken, and Zucchini	4.5 stars
	Classic Tortilla Soup with All the Trimmings	4 stars
	Red Chile Seafood Soup	4 stars
	Creamy Corn Soup with Ham and Poblano Chile	4 stars

Salsas

Picture	Name	Rating
	Smoky Chipotle Salsa with Pan-Roasted Tomatillos	5 stars
	Toasty Arbol Chile Salsa	4 stars
	Roasted Fresh Chile (Jalapeno) Salsa	4 stars
	Chunky Fresh Tomato Salsa	3 stars, but could easily be 4

Main Courses

Picture	Name	Rating
	Snapper (well, actually halibut) with Zucchini and Toasty Garlic Mojo	5 stars
	Red Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans	5 stars
	Mexican Beans with Chorizo and Greens	5 stars
	Tomatillo-Sauced Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms	5 stars
	Jalapeno-Baked Fish (halibut) with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes	5 stars
	Chipotle Shrimp	4.5 stars
	Seared Salmon with Spinach and Creamy Roasted Peppers	4.5 stars
	Salmon in Luxurious Green Sesame Pipián / Pipian	4.5 stars
	Chicken in Oaxacan Yellow Mole with Green Beans and Chayote	4.5 stars
	Zucchini-Mushroom Tacos with Chorizo	4.5 stars
	Crusty Black Bean-Chorizo Subs (tortas)	4.5 stars
	Toasty Arbol Chile Salsa in Spicy Baked Chicken with Mango	4.5 stars
	Tomato-and-Jalapeno-Sauced Enchiladas with Sour Cream and Aged Cheese	4.5 stars
	Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos with Avocado, Red-Skin Potatoes and Romaine	4 stars
	Bistec a la Mexicana	4 stars
	Smoky Chipotle Salsa Sauteed with Chicken and Onion	4 stars
	Pork Tenderloin (actually top loin) a la Mexicana	4 stars
	Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots, and Jalapenos	4 stars
	Chipotle Beef or Chicken Tacos with Caramelized Onions	4 stars
	Quick-Seared Poblano Beef Tips	4 stars
	Chicken with Roasted Peppers and Salsa Verde	3.5 stars
	Trout with Macadamias, Serrano and Green Beans	3.5 stars (4 star fish, 3 star mixture)
	Seafood Salad Tacos with Tomato, Radish and Habanero (salsa)	3.5 stars
	Chorizo, Potato and Mushroom Tacos	3 stars, maybe 4 stars with salsa
	Red Chile Enchiladas with Chicken and Melted Cheese	3 stars
	Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos	3 stars
	Red Chile Steak with Beans	3? stars

Rub for Meat / Grilled Dishes

Picture	Name	Rating
	Garlicky Ancho Chile Rub	4 stars

Side Dishes

Picture	Name	Rating
	Classic Mexican Red Rice	3 stars
	Fried Beans	3 stars (but made without the pork/bacon fat)

Desserts

Picture	Name	Rating
	Skillet Fruit Crisp	4 stars
	Pineapple Skillet Upside-Down Cake	3 stars

Techniques

Name	Rating
Reheating Corn Tortillas in the Oven	5 stars
Reheating Corn Tortillas on the Stovetop	5 stars
Reheating Corn Tortillas in the Rice Cooker / Steamer	5 stars
Reheating Corn Tortillas in the Microwave	4 stars

Questions? Comments? Thoughts? Post a comment to the relevant page for the particular recipe (or this page itself) or e-mail me: my first initial followed by pearson42 AT yahoo.com. My name is Mark.

Additional keywords: review, reactions, thoughts, changes, revisions, change, revision, descriptions, kitchen, cook, cooking, recipes, Mexican food.

Salmon in Luxurious Green Sesame Pipián / Pipian Review

2009-08-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale) (hard to estimate because I didn't analyze it in detail)
p. 235-237

Good. (Sorry I can't say more; I didn't take many tasting notes the night of the dinner.)

When I tasted the salsa beforehand, I thought it was perhaps too spicy, but when I made it into the sauce, it wasn't quite as spicy as I thought it would be, though it still definitely had a kick. (Maybe cut back on the peppers slightly next time?)

I thought the cilantro garnish and peas garnish both looked good--complemented the green of the sauce--and I think did something in terms of taste. Also, the sesame seed garnish wasn't noticeable in terms of flavor.

It's an easy recipe if you have a bottled salsa or have made the salsa already. I made the salsa using the book's recipe ahead of time.

Notes on the preparation:

I increased the salsa recipe by 33% (4/3rds) to get closer to the two cups of salsa required by this recipe. It still didn't quite have the two cups of salsa this recipe called for, but I was close: 1.8 cups perhaps.
For the salsa, I used two large serrano peppers with seeds.
I used medium-salt chicken broth; when I added salt to taste as directed in the middle of the recipe, I found I needed less than 1/2 teaspoon.

Jicama Salad with Watercress, Romaine, and Lime-Cilantro Dressing Review

2008-06-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

3.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 70-72

I must first admit I'm not really a salad person. All the same, I'm not much of a fan of this salad. It was decent. I felt the peppery bite of the watercress was too strong compared to the other flavors. (Perhaps next time go with the suggestion in the riffs section of using arugula instead? Indeed, I liked the dressing better when I used some leftover dressing with ordinary salad greens. In addition, I think the dressing aged well, making me give the final rating of 3.5 stars.) Also, the dressing, basically lime-cilantro, didn't excite me much. In any case, I must admit I like the salad's crunch.

I used two-thirds olive oil, one-third vegetable oil because I was worried about the overwhelming fruitiness of my olive oil. I needn't have worried. In fact, I didn't detect much of the fruitiness of my olive oil; I should have used all olive oil for that.

Incidentally, the recipe suggests using either two serranos or a jalapeno; I did the former.

Garlicky Ancho Chile Rub Review

2007-12-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 137

Having had no experience grilling steak previously, I was surprised how perfectly medium rare the steak turned out. Yay! (I used a thin flank steak.)

Nevertheless, I gave the rub a low rating only because I put the suggested amount on (1.5 tablespoons) but thought it was too little--the effect was more subtle than I'd like. Next time I'll use more.

Later, I used a lot of rub on brisket. It turned out pretty well, though might've been a bit too strong. Incidentally, the brisket was a bit dry, but that's simply a consequence of how I cooked it.

Also, next time I think I'll use garlic powder instead of minced garlic. As garlic is the only fresh ingredient, if I use powder, the rub will be a dry spice mix and keep much longer.

on grill before being cooked

Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos Review

2007-04-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

3 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 198-199

Your basic fajita. Fairly straightforward/boring. Smells decent. Since the recipe involves cooking each ingredient (chicken, onion, and peppers) separately, it's way more work than it deserves.

The lime-pepper marinate for the chicken failed to make it more than marginally interesting. Either there wasn't enough marinate or it was too mild.

The recipe suggests adding some salsa to the tortillas. I skipped it, as I wanted to evaluate the dish on its own merits.

Incidentally, when I added salt to taste at the pepper and onion stage, I found I only needed two-thirds of a teaspoon, not the one teaspoon the recipe suggested might be required. However, when the recipe said to add more salt if necessary at the end, implying that no salt is usually needed, I found it needed some. I think I ended up adding a teaspoon in total.

Note: only serves three at most. It might serve more if the tortillas had salsa, thus making them more substantial, complex, and satisfying.

Roasted Poblano-Potato Salad with Flaked Tuna Review

2007-04-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 94-95

An awesome non-mayo-based potato salad. Perhaps one of the best such potato salads I've ever eaten.

Although it's slightly oily, I quickly ceased noticing so it can't be a big deal. Still, next time I'll cut down on the oil a bit.

At first, I thought I'd only give the recipe 4.5 stars because I was disappointed it didn't have much tuna and the tuna flavor that appeared was dominated by other flavors. However, I decided that I shouldn't cut my rating simply because my expectations were inappropriate. Leftovers had a stronger tuna odor, although still lacked much tuna flavor. I'm not sure if I'll bother adding more tuna next time I make this dish. Consider this as a warning to simply think of the dish as a potato salad, nothing more.

I liked the crunch of the onions.

I served it over romaine lettuce, sometimes on whole leaves and sometimes on shredded lettuce. The former looks good. However, I don't believe the lettuce contributed to the dish. If anything, it distracted. In fact, in the future I think I'll skip it entirely. Or maybe use a whole lettuce leaf for presentation but advise my guests not to bother eating it with the potato salad.

Note: although in the section for "main dish salads," it didn't feel like the type of dish one wants to eat as the sole or primary portion of a meal.

Red Chileatole with Mushrooms, Chicken, and Zucchini Review

2007-03-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 127-128

The broth has a good, dark, deep, earthy, and spicy chile flavor. And it smells wonderful while simmering! As the recipe remarks, I imagine you can use it successfully as a base for virtually any vegetables or meat.

For these particular ingredients:
* I liked the zucchini, though next time I'll cut it in bigger chunks so it's more noticeable and distinctive.
* I enjoyed the taste of the shiitakes, though they're a bit too chewy for me. (Whenever I cook shiitakes in soup, they always end up like this. Maybe that's simply how they are.)
* I used a few white mushrooms. These didn't taste right.
* The chicken is chicken. It's nice for texture and protein, but adds no flavor.
* I couldn't find epazote. I almost used parsley as a substitute but realized at the last minute that recipe says to substitute flat-leaf parsley and mine wasn't flat-leaf. I only added a negligible amount.

Incidentally, I added only three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt at the end, not the one teaspoon the recipe thought might be appropriate. This might be because the chicken broth I used contained salt.

Chicken in Oaxacan Yellow Mole with Green Beans and Chayote Review

2007-02-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 255-257

The mole sauce has a nice, smooth, luxurious combination of sweetness and spiciness while still remaining light. It also has a nice chile pepper aroma. Although thinner than most moles I've had, this broth/sauce really is the focus of the dish, providing flavoring to the green beans, chayote, and chicken that sit in it.

Even better, it's easy to make, a surprising feature of a mole. And it's healthy too!

I used cilantro, as I couldn't find any hoja santa. I think the cilantro added something to the dish.

Incidentally, when adding salt to taste, I only used one-third of a teaspoon, not the one-half to one teaspoon the recipe thought might be required. This is probably because both my chicken broth and my diced tomatoes had non-trivial quantities of salt.

Roasted Mushroom Salad with Spinach and Chorizo Review

2007-02-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

3.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 109-110

A fine salad. I was pretty tempted to simply ignore the spinach and salad dressing and simply eat the roasted chorizo, mushroom, and onion mixture with a fork.

Undoubtably, the best feature was the chorizo. Warm chorizo was nice, especially the slightly burnt pieces. The leftover chorizo wasn't quite as good because, while still spicy, was no longer crisp.

The roasted red onions were delightfully sweet.

The mushrooms weren't exciting / didn't do much. I used oysters, shiitakes, and a drop of golden chanterelles. The shiitakes were fine; oysters didn't do anything; the chanterelles were chewy. Of these, I guess I'd use only shiitakes next time.

The limey sweetness of the dressing was fine and inoffensive but nothing more.

The recipe is easy to cook, though crumbling the chorizo takes a while.

topped but unmixed salad
(the picture at the top of this page is after mixing)

chorizo, mushrooms, and onions -- before roasting

chorizo, mushrooms, and onions -- after roasting

Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos with Avocado, Red-Skin Potatoes and Romaine Review

2007-01-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 200-201

A very pretty salad with a nicely balanced and blended set of textures. I don't usually appreciate salads yet was pleasantly surprised how well it turned out. As another bonus, it's surprisingly easy to cook, as the salad dressing doesn't require a blender, as many dressings do.

The crispness of the romaine spine went especially well. I can't imagine a better type of salad green for this dish.

The avocado topping adds something subtle.

I used white vinegar. I was worried three tablespoons would be too much since white vinegar is a pretty assertive form of vinegar. Happily, it was the right amount.

I didn't need to add any salt. I guess I salted the potatoes generously enough that the one teaspoon the recipe calls for later was unnecessary.

I used Yukon gold potatoes.

Note: Only serves three at most, as the tortilla filling is light enough that eating four tortillas for a meal feels natural.

Skillet Fruit Crisp Review

2007-01-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 304-305

A fairly good layer of soft, diced apples covered with much streusel. Personally, I'm not a big fan of streusel in general and think everything I get that has streusel has too much; this dish was no different. The streusel itself was only okay, probably because it didn't end up crispy, as it is supposed to be. Despite baking the dish for 25 minutes -the recipe only calls for 10-15 minutes-, only small parts of the top was crispy.

I used spicy pumpkin seeds from Andronico's. These were very good and greatly contributed to the dish.

I like this recipe but the next time I'll try it with less streusel, maybe half the amount. I'll also try it with other fruit besides apples and with other seeds or nuts, and probably more of them. Basically, sauteing fruit in a little butter, topping with a little sugar, and finally baking with something crunchy seems like a good basis for many desserts.

The crisp is easy to make, though dicing dicing the apples takes a while.

The main disappointing feature of the crisp and all the variations I'm thinking about is that they have no structural integrity. It's impossible to serve without simply scooping the crisp out in spoonfuls.

Other comments regarding ingredients:
* I used red delicious apples.
* Two pounds of apples was about five small apples.
* I used whole wheat flour.
* I used one quarter of a teaspoon salt, not the larger amount suggested. This amount seemed right, possibly because I used some salted butter and the pumpkin seeds seemed like they were already salted.

Regarding leftovers, whatever crispness there was to the streusel right out of the oven is gone by the next day. Still, I enjoyed the leftovers both at room temperature and warmed up.

Skirt Steak Salad with "Wilted" Greens, Tomato, and Lime Review

2006-12-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

3 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 111-114

A fairly boring salad. The steak had good flavor, both from the searing and from being on top when I poured the sauce over the salad, though searing the steak to proper doneness was a pain. I had to put the steak back on the stove for substantially more time than the recipe called for since it was still red on the inside. The dressing was pretty unexciting, tasting mostly of lime.

I used escarole. I never managed to get a wilted look or feel to them, despite when having leftovers, reheating the dressing until it was quite hot and pouring it over the greens. One guest said the dressing went with the salad and went with the steak but the steak and salad didn't go together. I'm inclined to agree that they didn't match well.

I used water, not beef broth.

I used a quarter of a teaspoon of salt in the dressing, not half a teaspoon. I did use a quarter of teaspoon pepper, as suggested.

I couldn't find ripe avocados so I had to leave them out.

I topped the salad with parmesan cheese as the recipe recommended, but it didn't do anything for me.

Quick-Seared Poblano Beef Tips Review

2006-12-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 292-293

A decent meat-and-potatoes recipe. Satisfying though not exciting, this recipe would have rated only 3.5 star had not the nicely seared, medium rare chunks of rib-eye steak tasted so good.

The recipe is simple but takes a while. I needed to let the potatoes and onions simmer longer to brown them; I'm glad I did, as they ended with a more complex flavor. Incidentally, I used water for the liquid, not beer or wine or broth.

The cilantro garnish doesn't add anything; rather, I think it may even detract.

Crusty Black Bean-Chorizo Subs (tortas) Review

2006-12-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 225-227

Satisfying and simple home cooking. Very easy to cook. Refrigerates well. To reheat, all one needs is a fresh roll (and avocado and cheese, if you don't happen to still have some in the fridge).

From experimenting, I have much advice on how to make good sandwiches with this filling.
* Cheese (queso fresco) is an important topping. However, if you get a bite with beans and big chunk of cold cheese, it detracts. I'd advise putting on some of the beans, adding the cheese, covering the cheese with more beans, then closing up the sandwich and waiting a tad. This will give the cheese time to warm up.
* The richness of an avocado also contributes significantly. However, I'd advise that instead of putting avocado slices on the sandwich as the recipe suggests, cutting the avocado into small chunks. This prevents bites from hitting the edge of an avocado and dragging the whole avocado out with it, yielding an unbalanced bite. This is more of a problem with not quite ripe avocados that are still pretty hard, but I'd advise doing it for all avocados, ripe or not.
* The recipe suggests adding hot sauce. Since I didn't feel it was necessary, I didn't add any.
* When reheating the bean mixture to make leftovers, realize that the refrigerated mixture shrinks a lot when heated. i.e., you probably want at least a cup of cold beans to get the half a cup of warm beans needed per sandwich.
* The sandwich is better warm. I found that when I'm halfway done, briefly microwaving the whole thing (bread, beans, cheese, and all) isn't a bad idea.
* I tried a number of different kinds of bread. They all worked well. For pictures, see below.

I also have comments about the process of making the bean mixture:
* Mashing beans is hard. A plastic spoon/spatula is too flexible and thus ineffective. Cooking in a non-stick skillet precludes using a metal potato masher. I ended up doing my best mashing beans with a wooden spatula against the skillet, but this was fairly ineffective. It didn't end up looking much like "soft mashed potatoes" but did have a similar consistency.
* Next time, perhaps don't add all the liquid from the cans of beans. The recipe calls for simmering and mashing the beans for ten minutes. It took at least double that to boil off most of the liquid from the beans.
* "Salt to taste" was for me only a handful of salt, despite using low sodium black beans that had only 130mg sodium (5% RDA) per serving.

I could've easily given this five stars, as I imagine it could be a recipe on a regular rotation in a family and when someone leaves the household, he'll never find his family's exact preparation of this dish elsewhere. When he returns home, this is what he'll crave as good home cooking. Sadly, I don't feel comfortable giving such a unsophisticated dish five stars, so four and a half it is.

The recipe provided enough filling for four sandwiches. I ate each of these on different bread, mostly because it was hard to find short, crusty sandwich rolls so I had to make do with what I could find. Below are pictures of each instance and occasional comments on how well each type of bread worked.

on Safeway crusty roll. This roll is closest to the type of roll that is supposed to be used.

on Safeway ciabatta roll. The softness of the roll is a refreshing change, making it easy to squish it to soak up juices.

on Safeway ciabatta roll with toppings.

on Draeger's sweet mini baguette. A tough outer shell is useful, making is easy to prevent the filling from escaping out the back of the sandwich.

on part of a Trader Joe's crusty roll.

Zucchini-Mushroom Tacos with Chorizo Review

2006-12-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 208-209

Satisfying tacos with well balanced and well blended flavors. Each ingredient adds something, subtle though it usually is. (The strongest ingredient is the zucchini.) The final cheese topping also contributes. I enjoyed it well enough that hot sauce seemed entirely unnecessary and so I didn't add any.

As I implied, since the chorizo only adds one note of many to the dish, it can be omitted without great loss, making the tacos vegetarian.

Incidentally, I found 1/2 teaspoon of salt was appropriate, the amount the recipe suggested.

Note: Only serves two and a half (9 tortillas), not four.

I photographed many of the steps involved in preparing this dish.

Chorizo and onions

Chorizo, onions, and mushrooms

Chorizo, onions, and mushrooms, with chipotle tomato sauce

Chorizo, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini, with chipotle tomato sauce

Mexican Beans with Chorizo and Greens Review

2006-11-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 284-285

A warming, filling, and satisfying stew-like/chili-like dish. Tasty. Good on a cold evening. And, best yet, it's healthy and easy and fast to make.

Both of the toppings (cheese, green onions) contribute to the dish, though it's still good without them. The cheese melts nicely. Incidentally, I used goat cheese. The green onions add flavor and a little crunch.

I used spinach, not Swiss chard. When the spinach wilts, it releases a lot of water. Remember not to use that water, else the dish will be too liquidy.

I used beans without salt and found I need to add 1/2 teaspoon salt at the end, the amount recipe suggested might be needed.

Only serves three, not four.

Mushroom-Potato Crema with Roasted Poblanos Review

2006-11-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale) (might be five stars with better mushroom selections)
p. 132-133

Very good: tasty, creamy, interesting, healthy, and fairly easy to make.

Some notes on particular ingredients:

* I used a mixture of shiitake, oyster, and (white) button mushrooms. The shiitake were by far the most obvious. While they gave the soup some meatiness and substance, they were too big and too chewy and so too assertive. The oysters were almost airy and ephemeral. I happened to cut the buttons smaller than the others, so they practically disappeared into the soup. Next time I may want more oysters, larger chunks of buttons (or some other similarly innocuous and earthy mushroom like crimini), and fewer shiitakes, which I should cut into smaller chunks, not the long slices I used this time. I'd also wish the shiitakes were less chewy, but I don't know how to fix that.
* I used heavy whipping cream.
* The cilantro garnish adds a nice fragrance and taste.
* I only needed to add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, not the 1 1/2 the recipe suggested might be necessary.
* I didn't have any epazote so I skipped it to apparently no ill effect.
* I used my ordinary, standard sized blender, not an immersion blender. Everything that required blending fit in the jug, saving me from transferring and blending multiple times.

It may sound as if I want to make a lot of changes to this recipe. While that's true, the recipe as it stands was quite good. I was debating giving it five stars despite all the suggestions but decided on 4.5 given that some improvements could be made.

Additional keyword: shitake

Red Chile Seafood Soup Review

2006-10-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 129-131

Satisfying, simple, fairly refreshing, but not thrilling. Somewhat boring if this is the only dish at a meal.

The seafood matches the flavor of the broth well. Also, each of suggested extras -cilantro, squeeze of lime, uncooked white onion- improve the dish. I didn't have epazote, an optional ingredient; it's absence wasn't noticeable to me.

The recipe is easy to follow and quite forgiving. Just don't add the salt blindly. One teaspoon was enough this time; the one and a half suggested would be too much.

Improvements:
* I'd prefer a higher soup to stuff ratio. Each bowl felt mostly like stuff in a little broth.
* The potatoes, cut as directed, were too big. Each had to be split with a soup spoon into two or three pieces before eating. Instead, cut them smaller in the first place (and hope they don't fall apart during cooking).

Reheating Corn Tortillas in the Oven Review

2006-09-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 221, among others (mentioned in some recipe instructions)

An easy and dependable choice for heating small or large quantities of tortillas: simply brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil, stack in piles of two, and put in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for 3 minutes. To brush with oil, I pour a little oil on a paper towel and simply wipe the tortillas with them. And, no, I don't know why the recipe recommends stacking them in piles of two.

Tomato-and-Jalapeno-Sauced Enchiladas with Sour Cream and Aged Cheese Review

2006-09-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 220-221

A good choice for a light meal. Its quality comes partially from its simple elegance: a sauced tortilla with toppings. It presents well too.

As for the particular toppings, the chicken and onion both worked well. It's easy to eat when the chicken is finely shredded. The onion definitely also contributes more and makes eating easier when diced, not sliced. The cilantro added something, though it was definitely subtle. The Mexican crema was also subtle; my first serving I couldn't notice it, but the second one I thought it did contribute. This probably varies depending on the type and quality of cream. The cheese I used was a mix of cheddar and asadero -neither is aged as recommended by the recipe- and it definitely didn't work.

This recipe certainly turned out better than the americanized enchilada recipe in this cookbook, probably mostly because this one uses more sauce. The other doesn't use enough to impart much flavor.

Another plus: the dish is easy to make.

standard presentation, with toppings already partially added

arranged like a pizza

arranged like a pizza with toppings distributed

Red Chile Enchiladas with Chicken and Melted Cheese Review

2006-08-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

3 stars (3.5 stars taste; 3 stars ingredient balance) (on a 5 star scale)
p. 222-224

Disappointing. Decent but not particularly good. The chicken, since it's only tossed with the sauce, has no flavor of its own. There isn't nearly enough sauce to lend as much flavor to the enchiladas as I desire. I tried it with and without cheese and with and without sliced onions. Cheese definitely is important. Even the onion, intended to be "only" a garnish, adds something. Cilantro probably would have too, as the recipe suggested, though I didn't have any at hand. With these items contributing flavor, it's even more noticeable that the chicken only adds mass, not taste. If only it had been marinated or cooked in something...

Making the sauce was trouble. Simmering until it is the consistency of tomato paste is a mess because when bubbles break in a liquid that thick, they spray out of sauce pan. Also, simmering down to this stage took substantially longer (ten minutes longer?) than the recipe claims. Then one is supposed to add two cups of chicken broth. I only added one because that already made it more liquidy than enchilada sauce should be (in my opinion). Finally, when the recipe says to add salt to taste and estimates one and a half teaspoons, I found no salt was necessary. (Glad I tasted it first!)

Furthermore, the amount of sauce and chicken this recipe uses are entirely inappropriate. The half a pound of chicken made about seven corn tortillas, not the dozen the recipe claims. Also, the chicken needed more sauce than the recipe says, and the enchiladas needed lots more sauce than suggested. I used the sauce conservatively but it still only lasted about nine tortillas. Even if there were an extra cup of liquid in the sauce and even without a good amount of chicken (more chicken requires more sauce), I don't think the sauce could've lasted to the dozen tortillas the recipe claims.

After cooking more chicken in an attempt to use up my dozen tortillas and quickly running out of sauce, I tried substituting (bottled) taco sauce. This did not work. The taco sauce clashed with the enchilada sauce where they touched and in general the taco sauce didn't work well with the chicken. (I imagine it works much better with stir fried meats, not boiled ones.)

This recipe did teach me one good transferable skill: knowledge of how to make shredded chicken without a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken available: simply gently simmer a chicken breast for a few minutes (three to eight depending on thickness), then shred with a fork. Easy as pie.

I definitely prefer AllRecipes.com's Chicken Enchiladas recipe.

Chicken with Roasted Peppers and Salsa Verde Review

2006-08-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

3.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 270-272

Decent but unexciting. Citrusy, sour, and sweet. And a bit fruity from the poblanos. Maybe I would have liked it more if the sauce were thicker or creamer; as it was it didn't do much for me. (Perhaps next time add less chicken broth and more cream?) I tried pouring the sauce over noodles, but that didn't appeal to me either. Pouring it over rice worked a little better.

Probably could be cooked efficiently because one can prep for the next step while the previous one is cooking. I'm not experienced with this recipe enough to do that so it took a while to make.

Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots, and Jalapenos Review

2006-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 258-260

A solid roasted chicken recipe. Sure, it's just roasted chicken with stuff, but the stuff works fairly well together (especially for leftovers, as the zip in the sauce becomes more assertive).

When serving, slice the chicken open many times and pour sauce along the edges of each slice. It definitely adds flavor the chicken and remedies the chicken from any possible overcooking/dryness.

Incidentally, an escabeche is a spicy marinate based on vinegar.

Bistec a la Mexicana Review

2006-07-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 145

A simple but fulfilling dish with an amazingly good taste to work ratio.

Surprisingly, my complaint about the salsa this dish is based on (chunky fresh tomato salsa) being too spicy didn't effect this dish in any way. The recipe calls for reducing and rehydrating the salsa; doing so probably creates balance even when the salsa wasn't originally so.

Chunky Fresh Tomato Salsa Review

2006-07-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

3 stars, but could easily be 4 (on a 5 star scale)
p. 144-145

I want my basic tomato salsa to be cool and refreshing. This looked right but didn't taste right -- it was way too spicy. I used two serranos with seeds but not stems. Next time I'll use one or less, or maybe just chop them finely myself and add them to taste at the end.

On the plus side, it's really easy to make.

Pork Tenderloin (actually top loin) a la Mexicana Review

2006-06-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 282-283

A flavorful easy-to-make stew with a short ingredient list. Each ingredient contributes. (My apartment-mate points out that the sweetness of the pepper and the onions does not overpower the dish because, likely, they are balanced by the acidity of the tomatoes.) I didn't like the pork -- I thought it was a little tough/chewy and that I overcooked it, but my apartment-mate says that that is just the texture of the pork. We both agree the cubes should be smaller. (I had made them smaller then the recommended one-inch cubes, but they should be still smaller so cutting isn't required nor do they dominate a bite.) Maybe I'll use chicken or a meaty fish like catfish next time.

Seared Salmon with Spinach and Creamy Roasted Peppers Review

2006-06-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 241-244

The seared salmon itself was great! Salt and pepper and the browned exterior combined to made a tasty exterior while leaving a juicy interior.

The spinach and cream sauce was pretty good, but not as good as the salmon. It was slightly better to eat the salmon separately from the sauce and spinach. Yet the sauce and spinach wasn't bad; it was like a creamed spinach dish and also smelled really good when cooking.

Incidentally, I used regular flour, not masa harina (Mexican corn "flour").

Pineapple Skillet Upside-Down Cake Review

2006-06-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

3 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 300-303

Not too exciting. Decent. The cake is boring but fine enough. Pineapple is pineapple. The dish makes me feel good about eating it often, because it's healthy (1/2 whole wheat flour and not too sweet). The recipe took a whole pineapple to get the whole three cups of pineapple cubes needed.

Creamy Corn Soup with Ham and Poblano Chile Review

2006-05-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 121-122

Interesting and decent. Smooth and creamy. Quite sweet -- cannot be used as a main dish for precisely this reason, that it gets overwhelming. (Perhaps this is why it is so surprisingly filling?)

I used ham (rather than chicken) and the recommended salt quantity and the whole dish ended up too salty. Be careful; the recommended amount might be more appropriate for chicken.

The fruitiness of the poblano really does add something.

I filtered the (large amount of) pulp. Had I left it in, the soup wouldn't be so creamy. But it still might be good, just with texture. Trying the pulp directly shows that it is even sweeter than the soup itself!

Seafood Salad Tacos with Tomato, Radish and Habanero (salsa) Review

2006-05-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

3.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 202-204

A decent refreshing summery dish of cold ingredients in a warm wrapper. Primary flavors come from the onion and cilantro, then the tomato. The radish is so minor as to be forgettable. Shrimp is a nice unassertive filling. As I couldn't find habaneros, I used habanero salsa (made by Frontera, the publishers of this cookbook). The salsa added some zest though made the tacos watery; I can see using a habanero directly being better. My apartment-mate frequently skipped the salsa; I occasionally did but then added it back when I realized I like some zest in my meal. I also tried adding goat cheese to the unsauced tacos; it didn't help or hurt.

Tomatillo-Sauced Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms Review

2006-05-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 215-219

Very good. Both the sauce and the filling taste good apart and work well together. Although it requires lots of preparation time, the dish is not very complicated. I served it topped with sliced red onions, chopped cilantro, and crumbled goat cheese and it looked quite pretty. The former added a nice crispness and the latter added creaminess (like feta but better), though don't add too much or else it drowns the other flavors.

I used a mix of oyster and shitake mushrooms; the shitake added some nice meatiness but the oyster didn't contribute anything as near as I could tell.

The tomatillo sauce ended up thinner than I think was intended -- I should probably have simmered it longer or added less chicken broth. There was more than enough tomatillo sauce, which worked out fine because it works well as a salsa (if one doesn't mind that it is a bit thinner than most salsas).

I prefer fairly amply filled tortillas in general (moving the focus from the sauce to the filling probably more than the recipe intended) and as such the quantity of filling was woefully inadequate. This made nine lightly filled tortillas (and oodles more sauce).

Reheating Corn Tortillas on the Stovetop Review

2006-05-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
not listed, but would be on p. 214 if it were

Use low or at most medium-low heat. No oil needed. Keep an eye on them, else they end up dry and hard to bend. Otherwise, works the best of all the methods I've tried: no risk of sogginess, piping hot, and relatively fast with little required cleanup. However, can only do one (or at most a few) at a time, depending on the size of the skillet.

Chorizo, Potato and Mushroom Tacos Review

2006-05-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

3 stars, maybe 4 stars with salsa (on a 5 star scale)
p. 189-190

Decent. I used oyster mushrooms. This dish is fine for soft taco filling, but really has little character. For instance, I couldn't distinguish the mushrooms; also, the sausage and its flavor was too subtle. Chopped cilantro did add a nice color and flavor. (Note: maybe I should've browned the potatoes.)

Salsa (bottled: La Costena Home Style Mexican Salsa Medium) helped; the sausage flavor came out a little more.

Chipotle Beef Tacos with Caramelized Onions Review

2006-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 194-197

Decent, but then how can one go wrong with soft tacos of steak and onions? The salsa definitely adds the zest to the dish. Note that I followed the directions to put a light patina on the steak; this probably wasn't enough.

Cooking this recipe wasn't complicated yet requires care and practice. In particular, the steak ended up undercooked in the center, so much so that one required finishing (after slicing) in the microwave. (The other was done enough that I was willing to eat it only because I cooked it; if served it at a restaurant I would probably have sent it back.) Also, I failed to make the onion caramelize correctly -- I got them to turn golden but by that point they were no longer crunchy/crispy.

This dish requires too much heat to use non-stick. Using non-stick creates weird odors during cooking.

Update on May 13 2006: I used the leftover marinate on chicken. It turned out really spicy, so spicy my tongue was burning and (to some extent) my nose was running. Tried both by itself and wrapped in a corn tortilla with stir-fried sliced onions and chopped cilantro. Both was were fine, nothing more.

Red Chile Steak with Beans Review

2006-04-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

3? stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 278-281

[I accidentally deleted my original review. This review comes from my memory as of May 31, 2006.]

Not bad; a fairly standard chile. Not spicy. Perhaps the most unusual feature of this dish is that the dark sauce covers everything and makes it hard to tell from appearance alone whether a bite will be meat, tomato, or beans.

Toasty Arbol Chile Salsa in Spicy Baked Chicken with Mango Review

2006-04-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 156-157

Tasty. Mashed mangoes really do add something. The first few bites of leftovers were really spicy, but then I got used to it.

I reviewed toasty arbol chile salsa itself separately.

Toasty Arbol Chile Salsa Review

2006-04-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 156-157

Definitely toasty and quite spicy. (The spiciness mostly comes as an aftershock.) Besides toasty and spicy, it's hard to describe.

The recipe also suggested baking chicken with it and mangoes to make a main course. I tried that too.

Classic Tortilla Soup with All the Trimmings Review

2006-02-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 123-126

Quite good.

The soup feels as if it lacks substance. The tortilla chips, slightly broken, complement it very well in texture and substance and make up some missing substance. The avocado doesn't add much (if anything). The cheese adds a nice flavor but ends up making little gooey chunks as it melts in the soup; that can be odd. (I'm not sure if I like it.) Together both do add some richness to the dish. I didn't bother with the lime; it didn't feel necessary. In any case, the soup should probably be made with more chicken than the 1.25 pounds the recipe calls for.

I mistakenly cooked the chicken separately and then added to soup. Upon re-reading the recipe, one simply cubes the chicken and boils it with the soup.

When it says to stir the puree constantly while the sauce boils down, listen! The issue is not with burning the sauce or anything but rather the viscosity of the sauce causes the bubbles to explode when boiling, sending juices well over the top of a very high-sided pot and making a mess. Stirring constantly decreases this effect.

Red Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans Review

2006-02-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 267-269

Very good. Nice bit of spiciness. The ingredients went together well and each tasted flavorful on its own. I needed to add extra chicken broth while cooking to prevent burning.

The recipe suggests serving it with a little salsa. I tried this with a basic but good tomato salsa and found it detracted from the dish; it was more enjoyable on its own.

Addendum:

I've made this a few times since my original post. It’s still good. I like the balance of protein (chicken), starch (rice), and vegetable (onion, broccoli, whatever). (I tried the broccoli elaboration, which worked well.) I've always found no salsa was necessary.

I like that this is a straightforward, forgiving recipe.

Fried Beans Review

2006-01-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

3 stars (but made without the pork/bacon fat) (on a 5 star scale)
p. 84-85

Eh. Too pasty. Not flowing even when heated to melting in the microwave. Like pinto beans that have been mashed, nothing more. (i.e., both taste and texture are not really right) Probably needs substantially more oil/fat, especially meat-based fat.

Reheating Corn Tortillas in the Rice Cooker / Steamer Review

2006-01-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 214

Works quite well. Seems resilient to timing issues: despite not being very accurate with timing, all the tortillas ended up perfect, neither soggy nor dried out in places.

Addendum Apr 26, 2006: If you let the water boil too long (i.e., steam coming out of cooker), they can end up soggy.

Chipotle Shrimp Review

2006-01-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

4.5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 251-243

Quite good. Better served with its sauce on (plain or Mexican) rice than rolled up in corn tortillas with rice: the flavor of the corn tortillas dominate the sauce and shrimp flavor too much.

Served with sauteed chayote (much like zucchini). It didn't add anything significant to the meal, but it didn't detract from it either. I even tried mixing the chayote with the shrimp and rice in the tortillas -- the same conclusions remain.

It would be a 5 star recipe if it ended up being something more than simply shrimp, sauce, and rice. Like if one could figure out some other items (likely vegetables) to add to the mix that would work well...

Roasted Fresh Chile (Jalapeno) Salsa Review

2006-01-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 158-159

Fairly good. Like liquified fresh chiles (though milder).

Smoky Chipotle-Vinegar Dressing Review

2006-01-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 58

Tossed over a spinach and red onion salad.

Pretty good, though likely would work better with a more complex salad.

Classic Mexican Red Rice Review

2006-01-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

3 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 90-91

Okay. A bit bland. But the salsa I used was good quality salsa (La Costena Home Style Mexican Salsa Medium) -- I know because I tried it directly on chips.

Reheating Corn Tortillas in the Microwave Review

2006-01-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 214

Works well. Used very damp paper towels. Be careful of where the paper towel is; the outer tortillas can get soggy. It's also possible small parts of some get dried out and inflexible.

Smoky Chipotle Salsa Sauteed with Chicken and Onion Review

2006-01-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

4 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 149-150

Fine. Not an appropriate result to eat straight, so I wrapped it in corn tortillas. A little cilantro, as suggested, helps. It's decent in this form, but definitely works better as a salsa on chips.

I reviewed the smoky chipotle salsa itself separately.

Smoky Chipotle Salsa with Pan-Roasted Tomatillos Review

2006-01-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 149-150

Very good as a salsa. I've had identical in restaurants (and been happy).

Addendum Apr 26, 2006: I made a half-batch and it didn't come out as well. Not sure why. Could be that I had to use garlic powder instead of roasted garlic, or that I let the tomatillos sit for a while before blending. But the result was still at least four stars anyway.

Addendum Nov 30, 2006: At first, I thought this repetition of the recipe was worse than the first. I had theories (e.g., old tomatillos, too much water). But when I tasted it again a while later with fresh tortilla chips, it was quite good. I withdraw my what-would-have-been less than laudatory review.

The recipe also suggested sauteing the salsa with chicken and onion to make a main course. I tried that too.

Jalapeno-Baked Fish (halibut) with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes Review

2005-12-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 239-240

Quite good. And very easy to make. Very good spicy jalapeno-tomato sauce.

But the potatoes were undercooked, even after microwaving them longer than they were supposed to have been. I didn't think they went particularly well, but my apartment-mate thought the potatoes did match the fish. Next time, if using potatoes -I believe having some starch with this dish is a good thing- be sure to do something so they end up cooked, hopefully roasted.

Snapper (well, actually halibut) with Zucchini and Toasty Garlic Mojo Review

2005-12-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

5 stars (on a 5 star scale)
p. 245-246

Terrific! I love the roasted garlic sauce. And the zucchini really does go well and balance the meal. Be very careful with the garlic though -- it burns easily.

Trout with Macadamias, Serrano and Green Beans Review

2005-12-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

3.5 stars (4 star fish, 3 star mixture) (on a 5 star scale)
p. 247-249

Decent.

The best part of the fried fish. Fish takes longer than 3 minutes to turn golden brown. (Need to wait until oil is hotter? Second batch went faster.

Chicken broth liquid boiled off, so there was no "sauce" to spoon over each fillet, only the bean mixture.

Needs more garlic. I used a garlic press. Perhaps I should've minced them myself and spread them around better. Or maybe I should've used more garlic.

Components don't go that well together. Perhaps serve bean mixture separately?

Macademia nuts don't add much. Perhaps add tomato slices instead?

Lime flavor concentrated in places. Stir better, and spread lime juice while pouring!