Mexican Family Cooking

Rating:
Summary: "Salt, Pepper and Love"
Review: Don't pass up a chance to buy this cookbook if you really want to learn about what you are cooking and if you love Mexican cooking. This is every mothers cookbook to her son or daughter, chock full of great family recipes, short stories and love. Mrs. Gabilondo taught me all about chilis in 8 short pages full of illustrations-I have never had to refer to any other book for this information. Her book is my bible. It is now a worn, jacketless hardback I purchased in 1986. When the man of my dreams appeared I cooked him her recipes for Cheese and Potato Chowder and Minced Steak Burritos. We are now married and I have used this book to cook his family favorites as he is hispanic. The recipes have become part of my life. You have all the different sauce and salsa recipes in this book you will ever need and frankly it is the only book for mexican cooking you will ever need. If you think making tamales would be too hard the simple illustrations make it much easier-trust me. (My in-laws have even taught my two young daughters 3 and 5 to make tamales and they are better at it than I am!) The recipes for Chicken and Rice, Tamales, and Chicken Mole I have made for up to 50 people and more and Mrs. Gabilondos' recipes still hold. Also, all my husbands family and friend have raved over the results-and they know what they are talking about. My personal favorite was making the Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic as there is a great story behind the great meal that I will leave to my children in the notes I will put in their copies of Mexican Family Cooking by Aida Gabilondo. They will not be leaving home without it. I have made more than half of the recipes in this book and most are every day family meals now. I love to just pick it up and read it for the recipes, stories and because of the love imbued in it by the author.

Rating:
Summary: BUY TWO... Or Three...
Review: My best instincts told me my mother would love this book, so I purchased two copies of the first edition hardback in '86. Working from this wonderful mix of recipes and reminiscence, the flavorful bounty from this book has graced both our tables for more than a decade. My third copy was purchased the day after my aunt came to visit. Born and raised in Mexico, she wasn't expecting her niece in North Carolina to serve the best Chile Verde she'd ever tasted. Compliments led to confessions, and I brought out this cherished book. Once she'd read the first few pages I knew I would give it to her. Plan to share this book with your family.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best ethnic cookbooks I have used.
Review: This book offers step-by-step instructions for making authentic Spanish dishes. Aida avoids unobtainable or proprietary ingredients in
the recipes. We have found the "Green rice" and the "Chicken and Spices" particularly good.

My only regret is this is the only book by Mrs. Gabilondo.