Rating: 
Summary: Yummy but time consuming
Review: We love mexican food and heard rave reviews about this book. Be warned, though - you'll need some time to prepare most of these recipes. If you have time on your hands and want to prepare meals that are very authentic then this is a great cookbook. However, when it's 6:00 and you are trying to throw something together for dinner, this is not the cookbook to use. My other gripe is that he is very long-winded in his instructions. This lends to the authenticity of each recipe, but it can be hard to follow. Everything we have made has been delicious but we have learned to plan ahead!
Rating: 
Summary: Bayless makes a new convert
Review: When I was growing up my idea of Mexican food was having to eat those terrible Mexican TV Dinners - YUCK. (The same went for Chinese food.) As a young and middle aged adult I refused to go to a Mexican restaurant based upon my childhood cuisine nightmares. Now I am married to someone who loves food from all around the world. He has been responsible for introducing me to many ethnic foods that I would have otherwise never tried. Several years ago my husband and I went on a vacation to a place about an hour south of Cancun on the coast near Tulum Beach...Puerta Aventura. It was a 5-star all-inclusive hotel. Among other things that impressed me was the exquisite food. We both must have gained ten pounds on that trip. That was my first taste of good Mexican food. What an eye opener. Not long ago I was watching FoodTV and saw Rick Bayless, heard about his book, heard the rave reviews on it, and watched several popular chefs prepare authentic Mexican regional cuisine. I was fascinated and wanted to try it out. So I bought this book. Let me tell you folks, if you have never had good Mexican food, this is THE PLACE to start. If you have only eaten it in restaurants, this is THE BOOK to start cooking it. I began with his Classic Guacamole (to die for), then his Shrimp Ceviche (double to die for) and went on from there. Just the reading and learning itself is a treat. In addition to the recipes, Bayless often goes into detail about the source or inspiration of the recipe; for instance, he talks about the Tortilla Soup...it's his Mom's tortilla soup and he gives the background of the many uses for tortillas. I didn't know this stuff! He also includes a section on the many types of equipment, spices, herbs, tools and anything else you can think of in preparing and seasoning. There is also a section giving Internet sites to shop for the supplies you will need. Now I am the proud owner of an electric tortilla press and let me tell you, once you eat a homemade tortilla, there is no turning back to the store bought kind. Thank you Rick Bayless for writing a book that helps people like me learn the joys of cooking and eating this wonderful food.
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