Sand In Your Shoes

Rating:
Summary: ...and the sand is HOT
Review: I came across this book at Daquiri Dicks in Puerto Vallarta after eating a fantastic meal there. These recipes are all winners. This book is so entertaining, I read it for enjoyment! Rafael takes the reader carefully and with care through each recipe, never assuming we know too much, nor condesending as though we don't. The recipes are simple, and simply wonderful. I have friends and party-goers begging for these recipes (little do they know where I got them) , and unless they read this, they never will!

Rating:
Summary: I have read every recipe and every essay...
Review: in this book and totally love it! I actually helped with the print production as the book was going to press and so was obligated to read it. However, I am the owner of over 200 cookbooks and feel totally qualified to state that this book is a "must have." The essays alone are worth the purchase! The recipes are varied, not just Mexican cuisine but Asian-inspired and European as well, and range from the basics (Sopa de Tortilla) to exotic appetizers (Spicy Yellow Prawns.) My favorite chapter is the chapter on Pastas. Don't miss the essay on why "Making Pasta is a Lot Like Making Love." Rafael is a wonderful chef and humorist. Also, if you are ever in Puerto Vallarta, do not miss Daquiri Dick's. You can actually taste many of these recipes first-hand. Some of my favorites and ones I've actually tasted: Romesco (they served it with an asparagus/prociutto appetizer,) House Caesar Dressing, Green Pozole of Duck, Rigatoni Pablano, Lobster Tacos, Grilled Black Cod over Cous-Cous with a Tequila-Citrus Sauce.

Rating:
Summary: Great Cookbook With Spirit and Soul
Review: There must be a million cookbooks to buy, and many of us have a good number of them. Nazario has put together a true work of love. The book not only has wonderful, seductive recipes, but also embraces the reader's heart with personal stories. Recipes are fun to read, and Nazario shows you how to make them as a close friend would. His work reveals deep talents from cooking to teaching to entertaining. My guess is that he would be more fun to watch and learn from than many of the celebrity chefs we regularly see on television. I recommend that anyone who loves food should get this cookbook and immediately make his polenta. It is a revelation, and introduces polenta to a level that you may not have know existed. You won't stop trying his recipes after this one! The chef is obviously one who truly understands how different foods, seasonings and techniques work together. More importantly, as a reader, it gets passed to us. All of us would-be chefs dream of achieving the holy connection with food that great chefs have, and this book will shed light on the path to get there and entertain you at the same time. Get this cookbook? Sure, but don't just put it in your collection. Start cooking!

Rating:
Summary: Great Cookbook With Spirit and Soul
Review: There must be a million cookbooks to buy, and many of us have a good number of them. Nazario has put together a true work of love. The book not only has wonderful, seductive recipes, but also embraces the reader's heart with personal stories. Recipes are fun to read, and Nazario shows you how to make them as a close friend would. His work reveals deep talents from cooking to teaching to entertaining. My guess is that he would be more fun to watch and learn from than many of the celebrity chefs we regularly see on television. I recommend that anyone who loves food should get this cookbook and immediately make his polenta. It is a revelation, and introduces polenta to a level that you may not have know existed. You won't stop trying his recipes after this one! The chef is obviously one who truly understands how different foods, seasonings and techniques work together. More importantly, as a reader, it gets passed to us. All of us would-be chefs dream of achieving the holy connection with food that great chefs have, and this book will shed light on the path to get there and entertain you at the same time. Get this cookbook? Sure, but don't just put it in your collection. Start cooking!