E-Book Content
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico Twentieth-Anniversary Edition
RICK BAYLESS with Deann Groen Bayless Illustrations by John Sandford Photographs by Christopher Hirsheimer
Cook’s mask with hinged mouth
To the memory of Gladys Augusta Potter, my grandmother, who taught me that you can bring a lot more than food to the dinner table
Contents
Preface to the Twentieth-Anniversary Edition
7
Acknowledgments
11
Introduction
13
Sauces and Condiments
37
Basic Meat Preparations, Flavorings and Broths
67
Tortillas
95
Appetizers and Salads
113
Light and Hearty Soups
132
Eggs
161
Snacks Made of Corn Masa
173
Tacos
175
Turnovers
215
Turnover Fillings
222
Enchiladas and Their Relatives
232
Other Snacks
249
Tamales
271
Moles
302
Fish and Shellfish
324
Poultry
351
Meat
375
Rice, Beans and Vegetables
411
Desserts
444
Drinks
482
Glossary of Mexican Ingredients and Equipment
513
Finding Mexican Ingredients
556
Selected Bibliography
558
Index
563
About the Authors Cover Copyright About the Publisher
PREFACE TO THE TWENTIETH-ANNIVERSARY EDITION
In the mid-eighties, when my wife, Deann, and I were living in
Mexico—traveling through every one of that country’s thirty-one states, exploring age-old markets, working with local cooks to learn the dishes that had stood the test of time—I knew just what kind of cookbook was in the making. I was crafting firsthand reports of who was cooking what in Mexico, and exactly where they were doing it. I was amassing historical, geographical and social context for Mexico’s regional cooking. And I was capturing vivid verbal snapshots of authentic ingredients and traditional techniques that seemed to be getting nudged out as more shoppers (yes, even in Mexico) opted for the less diverse packaged stuff at mega-stores like Aurrerá and Wal-Mart. Clearly, I was writing a cookbook for Americans who would describe themselves as adventurous and dedicated cooks—definite fans of Mexican food. And I assumed (or at least hoped) that they had traveled (or hoped to travel) through Mexico, and had a hankering for the non-Americanized real thing. That didn’t mean, however, that this motivated group wouldn’t end up bewildered as they sorted through the great variety of Mexico’s regional dishes and ingredients. What those adventurous, dedicated souls needed, I resolved, was a cookbook that clearly explained the steps to traditional flavor within the context of both their American kitchens and the native kitchens of those who had created the traditions. Having lived for several years in Mexico after finishing an undergraduate degree in Spanish language and literature, followed by graduate studies in linguistics and anthropology, I was offering to become their guide and translator. Little did I know how food and culture would evolve in the United States over the next twenty years. Hispanics, the majority of them Mexican, have become the fastest-growing immigrant group in North America. Which means two things: most non-Hispanic Americans
8 / Rick Bayless and Deann Groen Bayless don’t have to travel south of the border to encounter a taste of real Mexico (there are “authentic” grocery stores and ma-and-pa restaurants catering to Mexicans popping up as fast as Starbucks), and oncerare ingredients like chipotle chiles, tomatillos and key limes are now available in American grocery stores.