Jane Butel's Tex-Mex Cookbook

Rating:
Summary: More Mex than Tex, but an okay general survey
Review: Although she goes to some length in the introduction to explain what exactly it is that separates authentic Tex-Mex from 'Old' Mexican cuisine or Southwest US interpretations of Mexican themes, the recipes Jane Butel gives us in this collection still draw heavily from throughout the southwest.

Those recipes include not only the standards -- enchiladas, tamales, fajitas -- but also variations (like huevos rancheros 'California style,' with iceberg lettuce instead of tortillas *blech*), new creations, and even some of her own family recipes. The suggested menus are good starting points for thinking about your own fiesta, while the 'equipment and ingredients' chapter is a sound introduction for folks unfamiliar with this type of cuisine. The instructions for making a margarita (seemed like a good thing to test) are straightforward, though the mention of adding one-quarter of an egg white for a 'frothy' mix struck me as sacrilegious, if not downright nauseating.

In all, an okay cookbook for people determined to have something about 'Mexican food' (as understood in the US) on their shelves. But us real Tex-Mex devotees are left wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: Good cook-book overall, though title may mislead
Review: The recipes in this book sample (not cover) the range of Mexican-inspired American cooking found in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. I suspect that it is not the thing for residents of any of those states who are religious about their cuisine, but it is a great sampler cookbook for we deprived northeasterners who sometimes don't know the difference between tex-mex and old mexican, let alone think that it means something between Taco Bell and Don Pablo's.

The recipes in this book range from the very simple (caseroles made from leftover tortilla chips and canned sauces) to the more involved "real" dishes.

If you live in Pennsylvania and suspect that you could make a better, more authentic enchilada sauce than you enjoy at chi-chi's, you won't be disappointed. If you are looking for comprehensive looks at the cooking of Texas or Mexico, then you're out of luck.

The recipes themselves are clear and easy to follow. Freezing suggestions are a nice addition, and many (not all) of the recipes include introductory text (something I always want in a cookbook), but photographs are lacking and the index is not terribly special (another feature I look closely at when rating a cook book).

Overall, this is a solid 3-star cook book that I am getting a lot of enjoyment out of.

Rating:
Summary: Not Very "Tex Mex"
Review: The recipes may produce some tasty dishes, but you really need to be in New Mexico to work with this cookbook as it calls for New Mexico style green chiles and the types of dried chile powder found in New Mexico.

Not really a Tex Mex book, in my opinion. I've lived in Texas all my life and even the Tex Mex section recipes look strange to my eye.