Customer Reviews

The Sonoran Grill (Cookbooks and Restaurant Guides)

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I had some time to kill while waiting for a flight to take off from Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. I started looking at some cookbooks, and this offering from Mad Coyote Joe was displayed prominently. Once you flip through this book, it's as good as bought!

MCJ is upfront about his background - he's not a trained cook, but he loves the food he makes, knows it backwards and forwards, and has a passion for letting others know about how to make the stuff he loves. Most importantly, the language he uses is clear and concise and is therefore accessible to all levels of readers, including those like me who have to ask our spouses where they keep the butter.

The recipe for Joe's 'Two-Chile Salsa' is alone worth the price of admission. This is the type of dish you bring to a gathering and as the guests gorge themselves you're bound to get an incredulous "*you* made this?"-type of reaction.

Author, Mad Coyote Joe, shows you how to go from mediocre to margaritaville with this easy to follow book, The Sonoran Grill. Packed with his best recipes from the popular southwestern cooking show, The Sonoran Grill, you will never look at grilling food the same way again. This book covers chile peppers, soups, salads, salsas, side dishes, sauces and rubs, main dishes, drinks and desserts...Mexican Green Rice, tequila grilling sauce for fish, grilled coconut shrimp, grill-baked paella, and almond kahlua flan to name a few of his mouthwatering recipes. The recipe for Habanero-lime butter will have you laying down on the floor and screaming with ecstasy and is worth the price of the book alone!

Cookbooks are my hobby and I read dozens of them all the time. Most fail because they are frequently of foods that require complicated preparation and/or are foods that the average American doesn't enjoy. Another failing of most cookbooks is that the author has tried hard to fill the book up with recipes rather than giving a few that are tried, true and tasty. Mad Coyote Joe has obviously tried all of his recipes because everything in his book is delicious besides being easy to prepare. He has also chosen a popular setting for preparation of his culinary masterpieces. Most people like to do barbecue for assembled friends and parties and Joe has given us lots of food presentations with which to impress our friends and families. This cookbook is so good I am going to buy one for everyone on my Christmas list.

Mad Coyote Joe's "The Sonoran Grill" could have been just another Southwestern cookbook. But it isn't. Richly patterned with pictures of succulent dishes and recipes that read like poetry -- "whole slow-smoked suckling pig with citrus-chili negro marinade" -- this cookbook bedazzes the eye and preps the palate for unexplored delights. Meanwhile, Joe settles you comfortably into the Southwest itself, with background stories of his experiences of the peoples and places he loves. Best of all, the book promises, you don't have to be a culinary magician to bring real Southwestern excitement to your backyard grill. Just follow the recipes -- and take your time.

The Sonoran Grill is the printed version of Mad Coyote Joe's great TV show. The author takes you through some great tasting recipes from the desert southwest, and you don't feel like you need to spend years in the kitchen to make each meal a success. You might have to spend a few weekends over the grill, but this book makes doing that even easier. Its a must for the seasoned chef, and those new to the grill. I never used to cook before and now its a big part of my life. You need this one for your backyard.

Honestly, I've never "read" a cookbook before, usually just flip through the pages but the Sonoran Grill is educational as well as a book full of good recipes, easy to understand directions and unique offerings for your guests. The combination of photos and recipes will cause your mouth to water. Once you start reading this cookbook, you'll start making your grocery list, and your guest list for an evening of good food and good friends to enjoy. This is one cookbook that will have tattered and stained pages from constant use. Your family and friends will think you are a genius in the kitchen using Mad Coyote Joe's creative recipes, so take my advice, add Sonoran Grill to your shopping cart!

I have tried most of the recipes in this book, and have repeated many of them over and over again. I have not tried one yet that was not a big hit with the family and friends, all of which are southwestern cuisine fans. The instructions are vague, but I was curiously complimented that Mad Coyote thought I already knew the basics. The flavors from each of the recipes (ie: Black Bean/White Corn Salad and Gazpacho Soup) are outstanding. A great way to impress any dinner party guest.

Mad Coyote Joe hosts "The Sonoran Grill", a popular television cooking show and in this superb regional cookbook showcases 130 of his favorite recipes featuring a Southwestern touch. From Posole (a classic American Indian soup), to Chile Rellenos (a delicious Mexican dish), to Habanero-Lime Butter (perfect for vegetables, potatoes, grilled fish and pork), to Sonoran Mesquite-Smoked Brisket (a true Sonoran dish with a twist!), The Sonoran Grill offers the best of the Southwest suited for transforming even the most novice kitchen cook into a skilled grilling expert!

I live in arizona and make sure to watch the "sonoran grill" on tv everyday. Sorry to those of you outside the arizona area. I dont believe they broadcast anywhere else. Mad coyote joe lives in cavecreek arizona with his wife and children and hosts this great cooking show from his own backyard while throwing scraps at his yellow lab. He is the top authority on everything sonoran. This book is full of his best recipes for fresh,hommade salsa.BBQ rubs and anything else grilled. If you like the flavor of the southwest you'll love this book even if you dont know the show!

Every recipe I have made from this book has never ceased to amaze me and those I serve it to for unique and amazing flavor. The ensalada de orzo diablo is amazing - I make it often and it is received with enthusiasm and even those unsure who may take a little at first (even if to be polite) come back for a big second serving. Don't forget to try the chinese asparagus salad, it's so good!

I collect cookbooks, and many I have never used, or barely used; this book however is well loved, is used frequently, and has the splatter marks to prove it!