I've never eaten authentic Tex-Mex. And yes, three IS such a thing. I've
always considered Tex-Mex as Americanized Mexican food, you know, like
breaded jalepeno poppers dipped in barbecue sauce. It's not.In the author's own words,"Real Tex-Mex is...the result of a culture clash. German immigrants brought their smoky sausages and creamy potato salads to Texas, and these food traditions were soon merged with the cowboys' simple prairie grub and the Mexicans' beautiful food culture- which in turn was a fusion between the Spanish and American Indian cuisines. The result became simple food that is easy to like and makes you happy."
Living in the Southern USA (and having a Mexican brother in law) we eat our share of authentic Mexican food and I enjoy making buckets of pico de gallo in the summertime and I have to say, my sister's tostadas and enchiladas are to die for. But we never go to Mexican restaurants (ore rarely) because they are simply not authentic. If you've had the real thing, imitation doesn't satisfy. So this book attracted me because it's Tex-Mex FROM SCRATCH. Yes, please.
I love all the salsa and pickle variations and for those who've never made their own corn or wheat tortillas there's recipes for that as well. There's drinks, desserts and of course tons of meat barbecuing tips. I'm vegetarian so I skimmed those recipes but the spice combinations and cooking suggestions for these look really good, and a couple I want to try and vary for vegetable or fish dishes.
Funny enough, the author is a Brit (While visiting Texas he fell in love with the cuisine)and he's written this book for a British audience so there are substitutions suggested for things like Queso Fresca and Tomatillos.This would probably help any reader who doesnt live near a Latino community, even in the States.
Highly Recommended
*I received an ecopy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
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