Mexican Everyday

I love cookbook so much that I gave one to my daughter for Christmas. These are beautiful, approachable, doable recipes. I have already written all over and starred lots of my favorites. I now feel like my red chicken enchiladas are better than what I can get at a local restaurant.

My husband and I decided to focus on Mexican cooking this month, instead of trying to cook ALL the cuisines. And thanks to this cookbook, we started off with a bang!The Mexican red rice is SO easy and straightforward, and makes lots- enough for several tasty meals. We used brown rice instead of white, and corrected for cooking times and increased liquids, and it turned out perfectly.The roasted fresh chili salsa is delicious, but very, very hot, using the peppers we had! (a mix of jalapenos and Fresno red chilis) next time I'll make it with all jalapenos.And these went with Grilled Chicken Legs with Tangy Yucatan Spices and Seasonal Veg. We did take some liberties here- we made the marinade and tossed the drumsticks and thighs in it (3 of each), then sealed them and sous-vided them at 165F for 3 hours before grilling. We made the sauce as specified, an added the juices from the sous vide to it. Since it's spring and we could get really great asparagus, we served it with that. Delicious!Our anniversary is in a couple of days and we'll be making Chipotle Shrimp for that- hopefully, with some scallops thrown into the mix!Very recommended! I look forward to trying yet more recipes from this cookbook!

This book works perfectly in my household: I do 95% of the cooking, and most of these recipes are simple enough for me to prepare on a weeknight (which is the point of this book). The recipes are simple enough for an experienced cook to throw together without putting forth too much effort. My wife doesn't do much cooking, so for her these recipes are more for a weekend project, but she has been able to follow a couple of the recipes to make a nice Sunday evening dinner.Not all of the recipes we've tried were great, but we love the recipes for the Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos and the bean-chorizo mixture that goes on the tortas. My wife finds the way the directions are written to be very frustrating, but I haven't been bothered by that. Some of the ingredients can be tricky to find if you don't live near a good, well-stocked Mexican grocer, but the recipes have enough suggested adaptations that it wouldn't be hard to assemble most of the dishes with items commonly available at non-ethnic grocery stores.This book's strong point is that it shows how Mexican food on weeknights can go well beyond seasoned ground beef tacos. Experienced cooks will be able to use this collection for delicious low-effort meals, and less experienced cooks will be able to put together some weekend meals that won't take all day.

Oh boy, Rick Bayless has done it again.I love Mexican food and consider myself very fortunate to live in a Mexican-American neighborhood. From my neighbor's tamale days to the taco trucks and multiple hole-in-the-wall restaurants, I am constantly surrounded by the aromas of that glorious cuisine. But I was intimidated by all of the effort (and heritage) that went into preparing the _real_ Mexican food that I craved.Enter Rick Bayless. His previous books gave me a bedrock where I could build my own Mexican cuisine. I've developed a reputation among family and friends as a great Mexican cook (thanks, Rick!)--and even humbly swap salsas and moles with my neighbors.The one problem: Most of the recipes in Bayless' earlier books are much too involved for everyday meals. Like most of us, I don't usually have the luxury of spending an hour or two roasting chiles and tomatillos, soaking dried chiles or pressing fresh tortillas.That's why "Mexican Everyday" hits the bulls-eye. I've prepared several of the recipes in the last two weeks and they've all been remarkably quick/easy and very tasty. They may not always be truly "authentic," but they do have that spirit and vitality that makes Mexican food so special.And don't miss the philosophy behind the recipes. Reading the Introduction is a pre-requisite for understanding each one--and provides a very healthy perspective on eating in general.And now it's time for dinner--my fifth night in a row of homemade Mexican!

As with his other books, this one is no disappointment. Although many of his books have duplicate recipes, each one has something to offer. This one simplifies the recipe where it can be done but keeps the food true to its roots. One of my biggest complaints about "quick and easy" cookbooks is that the recipes usually lack flavor or predominately use prepackaged ingredients. If that is what I wanted, then I would go out to eat at a your typical or chain restaurant.So far I have made several of the salsas, salads and main dishes. All of which were excellent. The slow-cooker Conchinita Pibil is excellent. Some people may ask how a six hour process is "Mexican Everyday". With a slow cooker, you invest a few minutes in the beginning and the rest of the time the food is doing its own thing. Everyone needs to slow down and enjoy the process of cooking their own food.On a final note, this book stands out from his others for a couple of reasons. The layout, typeface and overall design is phenomenal. Photographs are used very effectively as well. Lastly..... and I know this may sound weird.....but the paper that this book is printed on is very unique. It is heavy and smooth and just has that special feel to it. Pick up a copy and see for yourself.

Many great recipes.

The rating on this book is really my fault. I was very disappointed with the content. most of the recipes that I really wanted, were not in this book. I found them on his cooking show on tv and recorded them. I was looking for pozole and carnitas and tamales.

The recipes are easy to follow and taste fantastic.

Very disappointed in this book. I was expecting great things as I had read that Bayless was a respected name in Mexican cooking. But this is such a bland book. It's the white bread of Mexican cooking - no complex or interesting recipes at all, no heat, no passion. Some of his salsa recipes actually call for the inclusion of store bought salsa! I mean ... what on earth?Also, why do we have to read through ten pages of his thoughts on yoga? Puzzling.

For our good fortune, Bayless has fought or honeyed his way through Mexican cooks, markets and street stalls and refried his knowledge for our automated robotic kitchens. If you like your food seared with passion, go for it.

Mexican hadn't been my cuisine of choice growing up, always ending up second best when deciding where to go against Italian, French, or the neighbourhood restaurant. Still, I recently got to try two Mexican restaurants in the area - nothing fancy, really, but I was impressed. The flavours were vibrant, had some zest, and was really delicious. I decided I wanted to know more and turned to Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday for instruction.The short version of the review: this book is a terrific introduction into the world of Mexican cooking and perfect for neophytes such as myself. The book begins with a review of peppers, herbs, and spices commonly used in cooking. Plenty of pictures are included so you don't get your jalepenos mixed up with your Anaheims. There is the usual gamut of sections with sections or even entire chapters devoted to Mexican specific food like salsas or tacos. Fair warning: a lot of pages are devoted to salads, as another reviewer had noted. But if read the introductory notes by chef Bayless, you'll see part of his plan for the book was to make it a healthier book to cook from, as he doesn't want his readers to make some of the same mistakes he made with regards to diet and weight.I'll admit, the introductory notes did get a little bit preachy to me, espousing diet and yoga. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but in a cookbook? But I feel his message sets the tone for the rest of the book. The recipes generally do not have a lot of fat to them, and usually ask for leaner cuts of meat, great for those who are trying to eat healthy.In all, I tried a dozen recipes. You will find that many recipes call for the same ingredients. Most supermarkets these days carry chipotles in adobo sauce, canned fire roasted tomatoes and a variety of hot chile peppers, so half the battle has already been won. There are some recipes that may call for something harder to get, but more easily obtainable substitutions are suggested. Proteins are the usual ones found everywhere: chicken, pork, fish, etc, so nothing too difficult to get. The recipes are very approachable and, true to the name of the book, is something that can be put together on a weeknight without much difficulty.So the ingredients are available, and it's easy and quick to cook - what's the catch? Does it taste bad? Though the flavours don't have as much depth as what I had in the restaurants, they do remind me of the food I had there, so although it doesn't match restaurant food, it's close, and certainly adequate for an everyday book. The "luxurious" version of the guacamole (don't be scared - still a cinch to make) was a huge hit at a party, and the Tomato and Jalepeno Sauced Enchiladas with Sour Cream and Cheese was a personal favourite of mine. And it's an amazing way to use up leftover roast chicken, to boot!All in all, if you're looking for a hyper authentic, cheffy Mexican cookbook, this isn't it. But if you're just starting out in Mexican cooking, and looking for simple, healthy, yet flavourful recipes, I highly recommend Mexican Everyday.

This is not a book on how to eat restaurant style food at home every night.It's how to eat the same food commonly served in Mexican households, everyday.A much healthier, more filling, lower cost, and more varied way of eating than you can imagine.I live on the quick salsa recipes he provides! The rice and chicken recipes could feed an army.You like going to Mexican restaurants and cook at home? Buy this book- it will teach you that it can have great variety and flavor, while still being "down home" cooking.

This book is definitely my favorite on Mexican cuisine. It is written in an easy-to-follow way and has practical recipes for a family! I LOVE the different types of salsa recipes too! Very original!