25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Looks good--they know their Mexican food!!, October 4, 2003
This review is from: El Charro Café Cookbook: Flavors of Tucson from America's Oldest Family-Operated Mexican Restaurant (Hardcover)
I have eaten at El Charro in Tucson, and the food is fantastic. I spent some time looking at this book and plan to buy it. I was concerned that the book wouldn't clearly indicate how the food got to be some darn good. In other words, the recipes wouldn't have anything out of the ordinary--the secret was in the kitchen staff's know-how. Thankfully, these recipes have some obvious differences from typical Mexican cookbook recipes. For example, El Charro uses tons of garlic--they blend it with water to make a puree that finds its way into most of their recipes. I'm certain this "garlic dosing" contributes to their greatness. Another item that caught my eye is the use of condensed milk in their refried beans--I've never seen that before. Having eaten them I can say it works! Last point: make sure you try the barbacoa recipe. El Charro's barbacoa enchiladas were so delicious I nearly fell off my chair in the dining room. They use pickling spice in the recipe--another gem. The food is great....and the book is different enough to warrant adding this to the shelf next to Rick Bayless and Diana Kennedy.
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30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Why buy this derivative when the real thing is available?, March 9, 2005
This review is from: El Charro Café Cookbook: Flavors of Tucson from America's Oldest Family-Operated Mexican Restaurant (Hardcover)
Having been an early fan of Jane and Michael Stern, it is disappointing to see that they've simply "copied" (not quite the right word, but it suffices) another and better book, while leaving out the better parts. Face it, the full title of this book is "The Flores Family's El Charro Cafe Cookbook"..."with recipes by Carlotta Flores", and that book is available here at amazon.com. The Stern derivative simply reorganizes the order of the recipes in Sra. Flores' book and omits most of the "notitas" and cultural material.
Do yourself a favor and buy the original (ISBN: 1555611214), which we use regularly, taking advantage of the helpful "notitas" and learning something more about Tucson and Arizona border culture.
Here's the product description of the original:
El Charro Café is famous throughout the United States and the world for its vibrant, fresh Mexican food and fiesta-like atmosphere. In this beautifully illustrated color hardcover cookbook, owner and chef Carlotta Flores shares her recipes, her family history and her love of this flavorful cuisine.
Carlotta includes prized family recipes as well as those that make El Charro a Tucson delight and tradition. She tells stories of the four generations of her family who have worked at El Charro since its beginnings in 1922, making it the oldest family-run restaurant in the Southwest.
A glossary of Spanish terms and foods helps you learn your way around a Mexican menu. You'll learn the secrets to making authentic, traditional Sonoran Mexican dishes and also ways to make light, healthy and equally delicious newer ones. You'll absorb tortilla etiquette along with the recipes for El Charro's savory sauces and soups.
Photographs of the patio and restaurant are interspersed with "notitas" (little notes and tips) and Carlotta's stories. The heart of the book: Wonderful recipes, including all the classic dishes you expect from a Mexican restaurant as well as ones that may be new to you such as Puerco con Mangos (pork with mango sauce), Tacos de Camaron (shrimp tacos), Almendrado (almond meringue pudding), and Capirotada (Lenten bread pudding).
Vegetable dishes such as Rajitas de Nopalitas y Cebollitas (sautéed prickly pear with onions and green chile), Enchiladas de Hongos (mushroom enchiladas), Papas Molidas de Navidad (mashed potatoes with green chile and salsa) will open your eyes and tastebuds.
A book so representative of Tucson that is was chosen for the City of Tucson's Millennium Time Capsule.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating, colorful, and (I'm sure) delicious, May 27, 2003
This review is from: El Charro Café Cookbook: Flavors of Tucson from America's Oldest Family-Operated Mexican Restaurant (Hardcover)
As American regional cuisines go, Southern and "Mexican" are my two favorites. And while I found the Sterns' "Blue Willow Inn Cookbook" somewhat disappointing (not their fault, I think), this trip to Tucson was much more satisfying. Not Tex-Mex or New Mexico-Mexican, the Sterns classify El Charro Café as "Tucson-Mexican," a fascinating and unique blend that makes this "Roadfood Cookbook" well worth the vicarious trip.
Part of the advantage here is that the charro culture celebrated at El Charro Café is much more foreign to most Americans than is the Southern comfort food of the Blue Willow Inn. A good percentage of the value of this book is in introducing that culture to the wider reading public (who knew there was so much history and significance behind the stereotypical black outfits generally associated with mariachi bands?). But there's a lot of value in the delicious-sounding recipes too. Far from the "fried and covered in cheese" nature of "Mexican food" as it's often presented to us, these menu items are varied, colorful, and generally pretty healthy.
So hit the road again, Stern fans. Grab a tostada grande and a glass of sangria, and let our favorite foodie writers take us on another culinary adventure.
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