"On the byways of Baja, there isn't a burrito in sight. Any day, in any town, you can choose from a vast array of made-to-order tacos and salsas, fresh-from-the-ocean seafood cocktels, grilled corn, succulent fruits skewered with lime and chili powder, vivid fruit juices, piping-hot cinnamon churros, neon-bright candies that stick in your teeth, and frozen treats with names like Angel's Kiss…and that's just the beginning."
--from Chapter 1
Join acclaimed chef and seasoned Baja traveler Deborah Schneider for an intriguing and appetizing journey through the Baja California region of Mexico, from the dusty towns south of the U.S. border all the way down to breezy Cabo San Lucas at the peninsula's southern tip.
Featuring more than 150 tantalizing recipes as well as vivid stories and images, this deliciously unorthodox cookbook transports you to the real Baja, with all its vibrant flavor and brilliant color, a place still largely undiscovered by los turistas.
The famous Baja fish taco is here, of course, in a mixture of authentic recipes and Schneider's own Baja-inspired dishes--ingenious creations for which Bon Appétit magazine named her "the reigning queen of San Diego chefs."
No matter how far north of the border you may be, with Schneider's easy-to-follow recipes, now you can feast on uniquely Baja delights like Clams in Tequila Butter, One-Pan Paella, Garlic Cilantro Steak, and Chocolate-Jalapeño Truffles. Enjoy.
DEBORAH M. SCHNEIDER, CEC, is the executive chef at Jsix in the stylish Hotel Solamar in San Diego. A seasoned food writer, chef Schneider regularly publishes articles in The San Diego Union-Tribune and regional magazines. She has lived and cooked on the border, in San Diego, California, for 22 years.
At this point I'm pretty sure I was Mexican in a past life. I've written 5 Mexican cookbooks, and I currently indulge my passion for Mexican food as muse and Executive Chef for SOL Mexican Cocina in Newport Beach, and SOL Mexican Cocina in hip Scottsdale,inspired by the laid-back surf culture of Baja California. When not at the restaurant, I can be found in San Diego, Tijuana or Tecate, haunting taco stands and markets, or cooking up a storm at home.I've been a working chef for 30 years and I still love to travel, cook and learn. What a wonderful adventure!
I blog at 1000tacos.com, write whenever I can, and even have my own youtube channel where I show you how to whip up all your Mexican favorites. Visit me on Facebook or check out SOL online - links are below, after the cookbooks.
DEB'S COOKBOOKS
THE MEXICAN SLOW COOKER (2012) is my latest, and you'll love it! Imagine, great-tasting traditional Mexican food (think rich moles, juicy tacos, savory tamales, homey soups and delicious stews) cooked in your favorite time-saving tool - the slow cooker.
¡BAJA! COOKING ON THE EDGE (Rodale,2006) introduces you to the foods and wines of Baja California. This gorgeous book, with photos by Maren Caruso, won numerous accolades, such as inclusion in Food & Wine Magazine's Best of the Best of 2006.
COOKING WITH THE SEASONS AT RANCHO LA PUERTA (Stewart,Tabori & Chang, 2008) was co-authored with Deborah Szekely, founder of the legendary fitness resort, and was nominated for a James Beard Award.
If you're ready for that cocktail now, AMOR Y TACOS is a great party book, full of inpired fresh-fruit tequila drinks, tasty antojitos and fun, simple tacos with a modern twist. Photos by the amazing Sara Remington take you to the fun side of the border.
I also co-authored WILLIAMS SONOMA'S ESSENTIALS OF LATIN COOKING (April 2010.)
DEB'S LINKS
MEXICO ONE BITE AT A TIME! http://1000tacos.com/
DEB ON FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/ChefDeborahSchneider
CHECK OUT SOL COCINA http://www.solcocina.com/
LEARN TO COOK IT 1000tacos.com tv coming soon
ALL THAT, BACK THEN My professional background is heavy on BIG jobs, including 3 seasons with Premier Foods at Del Mar Fairgrounds and Race Track, where I oversaw dining for thousands at the annual Del Mar Thoroughbred Meet. I opened the popular Jsix/Jbar in downtown San Diego. I spent 6 years as Executive Chef of the four-star Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines. Other stops in my career include the venerable Grant Grill of San Diego's U.S. Grant Hotel, local Zagat favorite Dobson's Restaurant and La Gran Tapa, all in San Diego. I write food features for print media (remember them?) and I love to teach cooking classes (YouTube channel coming soon.)
I received my CEC ranking (Certified Executive Chef) in 2001 from the American Culinary Federation, recognizing over 20 years of professional cooking and other accomplishments.
Before I stared cooking professionally, I was Executive Editor of a specialty publishing house in Toronto where I designed magazines, wrote and edited copy, and oversaw production of souvenir books for clients as diverse as the Toronto Blue Jays, Canadian Opera Company, Stratford Shakespearean Festival and Winnipeg Jets hockey team.
In the early 1980's I spent 8 months on a BMW motorcycle touring France, Spain, the Canary Islands, North Africa, Italy and Greece. While living in Athens, I spent a year working as chef on a succession of luxurious charter yachts. I later worked as a yacht chef in Florida and the Caribbean before switching coasts and settling in San Diego in 1983. I reside in Pacific Beach, California with my husband Barry,a surfing animal and an omnivorous and uncomplaining diner. Both my kids can cook - my proudest accomplishment.
As a native Southern California, and now cruising sailor of Baja and other Mexican locales, I've always wanted to get my hands on some of the recipes for the basic dishes that I enjoyed in Baja. Do you know the secret to making crunchy fish tacos? Have you ever wondered what was that white creamy sauce on fish tacos? Well, finally you can have the recipe for Mayonesa Secret Sauce on page 47!
This book also "spills the beans" about, well, the beans. I've now made several pots of mouth-watering mexican style beans that are actually better than what is served in the US resturants. No, I'm not a great cook - the recipes are simple.
All of the marinades and sauces that I've made from this book have been tasty and very easy to prepare. Using fresh ingredients is the key - no canned stuff. The tastes are "clean" and not heavy. The descriptions of chilis and what to make with them has made it so that I now can shop for these and make wonderful homemade dishes.
Color photos of the landscape, the markets and the cooks illustrate this lively and innovative paean to the Mexican cooking of the Baja California region in California chef Schneider's first book.
Salsas and sauces sparkle throughout as Schneider leads off with street food and moves on to seafood from the coast, Nuevo cooking from the wine country, and vegetables from the farms. In addition to the numerous tomato, tomatillo, avocado and chile salsas, sauces marry unexpected ingredients in contrasty, complementary combinations, like the red wine sauce for duck that includes raisins and green olives.
Main dishes include Sautéed Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Fennel, Olives and Dried Fruit; Fish Baked in Banana Leaves with Achiote and Sour Orange; and Chicken with Honey, Cumin and Red Wine Lentils. For dessert, try Coconut Macaroons or Cream Cheese Flan with Orange Sage Honey.
Strong flavors predominate in the vegetable dishes as well - Jicama with Lime, Salt and Ground Guajillo Chile; Spinach and Watercress Salad with Strawberries and Balsamic Vinaigrette; Pickled Jalapenos; Corn and Poblano Soup. There are a number of tacos (several versions of fish tacos) and quesadillas and a whole chart of suggested combinations.
Along the way Schneider shares her love of the place in boxed asides on the ingredients, techniques, customs and sights as well as personal anecdotes from her travels. This is a vivid, energetic book about a Mexican tradition long influenced by Indian and Asian influxes. It should appeal to anyone looking for innovation in traditional Mexican cooking.
I collect cookbooks, and lately it's been hard to find anything new. I'm excited about Baja. It's authentic, and the quick and easy recipes use fresh ingredients. I live 50 miles from Baja, but I don't often go down there. I'm so glad that I can make these dishes at home now! Free yourself from repetive "Tex-Mex." Buy this book.
