Seasonal Southwest Cooking: Contemporary Recipes & Menus for Every Occasion [Hardcover]

Barbara Pool Fenzl (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Celebrity chef and author Barbara Pool Fenzl reveals the secrets and insights gained from her impressive culinary career and 36 years of Southwest living. In this beautiful compilation, she presents over 150 original recipes that burst with the colors, textures and flavors of the region--truly a masterpiece that pays homage to her Southwest home. Fenzl offers complete seasonal menus to give entertainers ideas for serving sensational meals to groups of two to twenty. Share these elegantly simple meals with friends and family and enjoy all of the Southwest's seasons.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Seasonal Southwest Cooking is a spectacular book that brilliantly combines the bold, dramatic landscapes of the Southwest with the passionate flavors of its cuisine. Centered upon special occasions and holidays, the book offers easy ways to add the vibrant seasonings of the Southwest to any meals. The recipes combine traditional cuisine with a fresh, innovative blend of new ideas and techniques. It is definitely a celebration from the heart. -- Mark Miller, Author of The Great Chile Book and The Great Salsa Book

About the Author

BARBARA POOL FENZL is a major figure on the American Culinary stage. She is the owner of Les Gourmettes Cooking School in Phoenix, established in 1983, and is a renowned cooking teacher in both the United States and in the Périgord region of France. She is the host of the PBS series "Savor the Southwest" and is a regular guest on regional television programs. Barbara is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit and other national publications.

A leader in the food community, Barbara is past president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, benefactor and past board member of the American Institute of Wine and Food, and a past member of the James Beard Foundation Restaurant Awards Committee. She and her husband, Terry, have lived in Phoenix, Arizona for more than 35 years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Publishing Llc (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873588827
• ISBN-13: 978-0873588829
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara Pool Fenzl is the owner of Les Gourmettes Cooking School in Phoenix, Arizona, and author of three cookbooks focused on the cuisine of the Southwest. She hosted a PBS television series, Savor the Southwest, which aired in over ninety cities, and appears regularly on local television in Phoenix. In addition to her classes in Phoenix, Barbara teaches at La Combe en Périgord in southern France, Rancho La Puerta in Mexico, and the Spa at Lake Austin in Texas.

Barbara is a past president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, was a member of the James Beard Restaurant Awards Committee for ten years, and still serves as a Beard Awards judge from the Southwest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Proof Is In The Pudding, October 24, 2005

By 

John R. Sullivan (Scottsdale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seasonal Southwest Cooking: Contemporary Recipes & Menus for Every Occasion (Hardcover)

"Seasonal Southwest Cooking" by Barbara Pool Fenzl is a gorgeous book that will do your coffee table proud. Christopher Marchetti does what all great food photographers do and makes the results look so delicious we want to try them. Seasonal scenes from some of the best Southwest photographers instill a year-round wanderlust. The author's to-the-point comments on each recipe are helpful and what she calls "bits of culture" enlighten and enchant. (The paragraph on Navajo peaches is a gem.)

But - hey - this is a cookbook and should be judged as such. Well, your coffee table will have to share "Seasonal Southwest Cooking" with the kitchen counter. As a cookbook, "Seasonal Southwest Cooking" shines. The wide-ranging recipes are inspired and the instructions are (thankfully!) straightforward. These recipes are well-conceived and clearly written with successful duplication in mind.

If the proof is in the pudding "Southwest Seasonal Cooking" gives us proof x 2: a how-can-something-so-simple-be-so-good savory 'Southwest Corn Pudding' and a 'Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding' with just enough ancho chile powder to - as some guy might say - kick it up a notch.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make Every Meal a Special Occasion, October 12, 2005

By 

BruPete "Susan" (Glen Ellyn, Il United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seasonal Southwest Cooking: Contemporary Recipes & Menus for Every Occasion (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful cookbook! Dream of the beautiful southwest landscapes and plan wonderful menus for entertaining. I am making my way through all of the recipes and at this point I can highly recommend the Pumpkin Soup, Pecan Salmon with Ancho Chili Sauce, Chicken Breasts with Poblano sauce, Stuffed Filet Mignon with Merlot Habanero sauce. Gratin of the Three sisters and the Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Caramel Sauce - YUM!!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this cookbook!, January 10, 2006

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seasonal Southwest Cooking: Contemporary Recipes & Menus for Every Occasion (Hardcover)

Since I live in Arizona half the year I decided it was time to get into the culture and incorporate Southwest cooking into my repartee of culinary dishes.

Seasonal Southwest Cooking by Barbara Pool Fenzl contains recipes for scrumptious southwestern food that combines ease of preparation with savory tastes and aromas and inviting color and textures.

The Sonoran Pasta is one of my favorite dishes because of flavor, ease of preparation and the sheer number of delectable variations that can be derived from the one recipe.

The salads are both beautiful and scrumptious. My favorite is the Jicama, Orange and Nopalitos Salad.

Gratin of the Three Sisters is a wonderful combination of corn, beans and squash layered in a vegetable casserole. If you are an informative learner, you'll also enjoy reading about the Three Sisters legend.

The Potato Casserole with Mexican Cheese satisfies my insatiable love of potatoes and the Skillet Cornbread is to die for....

But the most wonderful recipe of all is The Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Carmel Sauce. I'm in heaven!

Armchair Interviews says: Seasonal Southwest Cooking is a great addition to your cookbook library. The only drawback is that it is a large book that can be awkward to cook from and so beautiful that you might be tempted to put it on a coffee table and leave it there to thumb through periodically. Don't. It's large and beautiful but filled with delectable recipes and is meant to be used. So use it!