Customer Reviews

The Feast of Santa Fe: Cooking of the American Southwest

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is no doubt in my mind or on my tongue that this cook book has absolutely the best recipes for SW Territorial Cuisine. When you dine in Santa Fe or Taos, this is the food you eat in private homes or at the best restaurants. The meals are totally authentic. Dent takes you through time and tradition providing descriptions of ingredients and preparation methods that are sure to get your juices flowing! There isn't a better reference. I've given over a dozen of these books to people who have commented on my enchiladas and green chile. Go for it without hesitation!

Dent has assembled a wide-ranging collection of Southwestern recipes, and his discussions of their history and derivation are often excellent. He's a pleasant writer to read, and even if you're not a "serious" cook the book is highly educational. His instructions are usually clear, although sometimes they're buried in a matrix of anecdotes that makes them difficult to follow. However, if you're looking for Santa Fe cooking as done by a native's abuelita (granny), this isn't quite it: some of the recipes bear little or no relation to the "standard" version. For instance, he tells you how to make carne adovada with pork chops, but here it's usually prepared as a stew of pork meat and red chile. And how can he discuss beans without mentioning "epazote," an herb widely grown in the Southwest and used as a mild seasoning and (ahem) anti-gas agent? In general, this is the best book I know of on Santa Fe cooking, but it's not 100% authentic.

A good cookbook must be a regional one. Huntley Dent's book, The Feast of Santa Fe, is the gem in this class. Most important, all the recipes I have tried in this book have been a success.

The author is straightforward when advising extra effort when a shortcut will not do, such as grinding your own chili powder. Dent is equally candid when convenience is more practical, such as purchasing flour tortillas instead of making them.

I appreciate the author telling how to best prepare the fillings for burritos and enchiladas. The resulting quality you will be hard pressed to find even in the most prestigious New Mexican restaurants. The sauce recipes found in the book are certainly a match for those establishments.

There have been some recipes I tried with a less than authentic but convenient substitute suggested by Dent; the result was still quite good. A perfect example is Chorizo made with kielbasa. It was so easy. The flavor is very New Mexican. Dent's real specialty is in authenticity. There is a recipe for authentic Spanish rice that is easy to make and authentic. This is certainly better than what is served in restaurants.

The book offers so much. I still have some suggested techniques to try with chili sauces. So many recipes are offered with multiple variations. I'm sure it will take years for me to try them all. But I am determined, this is a fun book.

This is only cookbook that I have ever sat down and read cover to cover, like a novel. It is so rich in culture, entertaining, and mouth-watering, I simply couldn't put it down. I have enjoyed the recipes, and especially appreciate how they work out when followed correctly. I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who loves the cuisine of the Santa Fe region!

I have had this book a few years now. Every recipe has been great. The spare ribs with peanuts and chipotle chile sauce are wonderful and completely different. The carne adovado is wonderful served over spaghetti noodles instead of the usual spaghetti sauce. If you are tired of making the same old thing, buy this book.

I have used this cookbook for over 5 years and I still find new things to try. Today I showed this book to my in-laws and they were so excited to see long forgotten recipies from their childhood. I will now buy another copy to give my father-in-law otherwise he will have me make all his favorites everytime he visits.

I have had this cookbook for a number of years and the poor book is stained in many places because of frequent use. The recipes are wonderful. My husband's absolute favorite recipe is in here, it is for a black bean stew which sounds simple but has many complex flavors. The recipes are well-explained (perhaps a bit too detailed but may be good for less experienced cooks). I have never recommended a cookbook on amazon but would highly recommend this one. Have fun cooking from it!

I recently purchased and test 7 Santa Fe and NM cookbooks. I'm from the area and a trip to Santa Fe got me started. This is the best read and has the best traditional NM recipes. It also has the best explanations of the history of the food. If you want to cook traditional NM food get this book.

I read "The Food of Santa Fe", most recently, prior to visiting New Mexico for a vacation - I had owned it for years and previously only made some recipes. This more thorough reading provided a short course in NM history and its influence on the cuisine, information that impacted where and what I ate on my trip and how I recreated those regional dishes when I returned home (all with great results). This recent copy is a gift to the friends we stayed with so they could enjoy the foods of their adopted region in the same way we did; a result of Mr. Dent's enjoyable weaving of history and story with the recipes of the three cultures that converged on the region. I would highly recommend this book for enthusiasts of NM (Santa Fe)foods and cooking and the Southwest region of this country.

I have lived in New Mexico for decades including all parts of the state. Although there are subtle regional variations in New Mexican food across the state, this book does the best at establishing a firm foundation for classical New Mexican food. The book contains basic recipes that people really use in their own homes and that are served at some of the very best authentic restaurants. There is little to no influence of California, Texas, Arizona or other state cookery in this book. Be ware that some other "New Mexican Cookbooks" are really California cookery with a different title. If you want true New mexican food, this is the place to find it. New Mexico is the KING of "Mexican" food in the USA. I highly recommend this book. If you are to have one book on Mexican food, it should be this one.