The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook (Paperback)

by Susan D. Curtis (Author), Valerie Santagto (Photographer), Susan Curtis (Author) "The Santa Fe School of Cooking, opened in 1989, blends the traditions, lore, and flavors of the Southwest to offer guests a relaxed approach to..." (more)
Key Phrases: ground canela, ground red chile, chile pods, New Mexico, New Mexican, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
**Cookbook That Beautifully Captures < The Spirit and The Flavors of Santa Fe

From the Inside Flap
Contents Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction All About Chiles Appetizers: Fiesta Fare Centerpiece Soups Salads that Sing Memorable Main Courses Southwestern Breads and Muffins Spicy Sauces, Sizzling Salsas, and Snappy Relishes Side Dishes, Santa Fe Style Sweet Endings: Southwestern Desserts Celebration Beverages Where to Find it: Sources for Southwestern Ingredients Index

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879058730
• ISBN-13: 978-0879058739
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #101,897 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #22 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > U.S. Regional > Southwest
  #26 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Mexican

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful introduction to the world of New Mexico's cuisine!, January 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook (Hardcover)

This is a super introduction to the habit-forming, varied cuisine of New Mexico! The recipes are tested in the Cooking School, so you can be sure that they are workable. Since I have attended three classes at the school, it is with confidence that I recommend this book. The recipe for New Mexican Green Chile and Cabbage Soup with Sausage alone is worth the price! There is a good list of sources for Southwestern ingredients in the back. My only criticism is that I find the layout of the index to be confusing.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars festive and colorful, October 30, 2003

By	Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This useful book combines contemporary cuisine with its emphasis on color, freshness and health (lime marinated grilled salmon, quesadillas with goat cheese and roasted peppers, jicama salad with watercress, radish and chiles) with hearty traditional foods (enchiladas suizas with tomatillo and cilantro salsa, green chile and cabbage soup with sausage, chiles rellenos, black bean soup).

Curtis, owner of the school, scatters cooking tips throughout the book, paired with appropriate recipes - describing the character and history of blue corn with blue corn pancakes, giving the traditional version of carne adovada, a pork stew, along with the school version, using a comal (griddle) for making tortillas. Illustrated with Santa Fe scenes, gardens, ingredients and dishes, this is a festive book chock full of detail.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Collectible Santa Fe Cookbook, January 28, 2006

By	Rebecca Johnson "SeasonedwithLove.com" (Washington State) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"The heart and soul of the School is the agriculture upon which the food is based. Many of the traditional methods of growing and processing regional foods - posole, atole, chicos - are almost lost arts. The Cooking School serves as a vehicle to expose and sustain traditional lifestyles." ~Introduction

The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook is filled with pictures from the school and some of them are rather amusing, like the picture of the goats next to the recipe for Open-faced Quesadillas with Goat Cheese and Roast Peppers. Pictures of peppers roasting over an open grill and blue corn being crushed in a molcajete gives this cookbook a warm sunny personality.

I was especially appreciative of the section on the types of chiles. De Arbol, Serrano and Jalapeño are familiar, but Pasilla and Moritas are definitely new to me.

Delicious Recipes Include:

Blue Corn Pancakes
Guacamole
Black Bean Soup
Wild Mint and Lamb Soup
Jicama Salad with Watercress, Radishes, and Chiles
Chicken Enchiladas
Grilled Shrimp in Achiote Marinade
Sopaipillas
Spiced Winter Pears with Ginger Crème Sauce

The Indian Fry Bread is easy to make and makes you feel a different connection to the earth and culture. It is different to fry bread and makes you feel like you are participating in some ancient breadmaking ritual as you pat out the dough by hand (Or you can roll it out, but I learned how to make it that way from my father's sister).

The recipes for Fresh Tortillas will take your cooking to new levels or homemade bliss and there is also a recipe for Green Chile Sauce and the smoky dipping sauce called Chipotle. Spiced Bananas with Rum and a recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake make this truly collectible. Each recipe has a story and there are cooks notes and plenty of pictures that will make you wish you were gathering the produce and walking through sunny fields of corn. I've walked barefoot in New Mexico and fell in love with the Sopaipillas and the warm earth and even survived a hailstorm in my "just purchased" car. Fortunately we found shelter fast.

This cookbook brought back so many memories! It might inspire a vacation to New Mexico.

~The Rebecca Review