Customer Reviews

Best from New Mexico Kitchens

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

 

 

The publishing history of this interesting cookbook is a little confusing. I purchased a spiral bound version, the 19th printing, October 2008. It is copyrighted 1978, not 1979 as in the product description here. I bought my copy at the National Park store in the Rio Grande Gorge region, and it appears to be the same book as offered here and on the "New Mexico Magazine" website.

Amazon notes this difference: "You originally clicked on the Paperback edition (1979) from Univ of New Mexico Pr. You are looking at the Spiral-bound edition (1978) from New Mexico Magazine. If you add this book to your cart, you'll get the edition you originally clicked on."

The covers of the two versions are different, but the contents are the same. The spiral bound version is superior to the perfect bound version while cooking; it lays flat and it seems to be widely available in New Mexican stores. Check on the Other Versions box for the binding you want.

Whatever its publishing history, this book is filled with interesting recipes and factoids about food. For example,

"Chile peppers are incorporated into many dishes in New Mexico. Even though chile is classified as a fruit, it and frijoles (pinto beans) are honored as New Mexico's state vegetables."

John Crenshaw contributed a very interesting essay on "Chile -- New Mexico's Fiery Soul", and there are many short essays on various ingredients:

"In the Portales area, they grow more Valencia peanuts than anywhere in the United States. Around Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley, the pecan is king -- the big, crisp sweet kernels end up in pies, cakes, candies and breads all over the country. And on the dry hillsides throughout the state, people have gathered wild pinon nuts from the gnarled little pines for thousands of years.

Is it any wonder, then, that New Mexicans love to make desserts using nuts?"

Here's Wilma Skinner's prize winning pie made from Valencia peanuts from Portales:

4 eggs

1 cup corn syrup

3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flaked coconut

1 peanut butter pie crust shell

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add corn syrup, sugar and vanilla, beating after each addition. Stir in the peanuts and coconut. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

Piecrust

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/3 cup ice water

Sift flour and salt into bowl. Add shortening and peanut butter. Cut into flour until texture of cornmeal. Add water and stir with fork until mixture balls up. Chill. Roll out on floured board. Makes 2 8- inch crusts.

Most of the recipes in this collection are relatively simple to make, as is this one. Following them will teach you quite a bit about New Mexico and yield some delicious dishes.

Robert C. Ross 2009

I learned how to prepare native New Mexican Dishes directly from this book! As a native New Mexico myself with centuries of Hispanic and Native blood coursing through my veins, I have the most vivid and positive memories of my mother's cooking. With this book, I have come quite close to duplicating her best native dishes. I have prepared Posole, frijoles, chile verde and colorado con puerco y vacca. Without this book, I would forever be unable to satisfy the taste from my childhood that quickly transports me with nostalgic smells back to the savory tastes of my culture that I am far away from in Indiana.

I give this a 5 star rating, provided you can obtain the chile from New Mexico!

Browsing thru my latest edition of New Mexico magazine, I came across the latest edition of this cookbook. Naturally I turned to Amazon for what was available and selected a 1978 editon for a couple of bucks. This is a siimple to follow cookbook that has the basics: red chile sauce, enchiladas, etc. I particularly enjoyed the references to then currant restaurants in New Mexico. An online check showed some of them still in business, but a lot of them are closed now.

If you are truly into New Mexico cooking and are willing to cook, this book is great. There is no pretense as to the recipes -- just tried and true New Mexico cooking. This book has less "fluff" than its followup cookbook.