The Border Cookbook : Authentic Home Cooking of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico
- Book Review,
by Cheryl Alters Jamison
From Publishers Weekly
The authors of Texas Home Cooking and Smoke and Spice turn their assiduous attention to border food (called norte?o in Spanish) which, served from Northern Mexico through the American Southwest, uniquely fuses Native American, Spanish and Western settlers' fare. The introduction points to norte?o's distinctive characteristics?including large wheat tortillas, flame-cooked beef and the generous use of cheeses?and discusses culinary offshoots like Tex-Mex, Sonoran and New Mexican cuisines. The 300 recipes drawing from all of these traditions are arranged by primary ingredient rather than by style (e.g., cheese enchiladas are found in the chapter about cheese; beef enchiladas appear in "Ranch-Country Beef"). Appetizers and accompaniments include regional salsas and the secrets behind perfect guacamole and refried beans. Meat and seafood dishes comprise the bulk of the recipes, from Red Caldwell's South Texas Fajitas to Pinata Pollo, chicken breasts "stuffed with treats," including chorizo, jalape?o and goat cheese. Sidebars detail the history and cultures from which recipes originated; further information about ingredients like nopales (cactus pads) and chiltepins (pea-sized hot chiles) is listed in a glossary. This Bible of border cuisine is as accessible as it is thorough. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The prolific authors of Smoke and Spice (LJ 4/15/94) and Texas Home Cooking (LJ 11/15/93), among other titles, now explore another aspect of the cooking of their favorite region. Here are the hearty, flavorful dishes prepared by home cooks on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border, from Texas to Southern California and down into northern Mexico. There are recipes as traditional as posole and newer ones, too, such as fajitas the way they were meant to be, not the versions often served up as Tex-Mex cuisine. Many recipes include different regional variations, and lengthy sidebars provide the culinary and cultural context. Recommended for most collections. [HomeStyle Bks. selection.]Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
The Jamisons' concentration on border foodstuffs yields a cornucopia of unusual recipes--more than 300. Their erudition is helpfully displayed in factual sidebars and notes on regional variations for many of their dishes. Informative, too, are the recipe notes, culled from on-site visits, a network of experts, and a wide-ranging search for indigenous cookbooks. Barbara Jacobs
Midwest Book Review
Home cooking from the American southwest and north Mexico include some real winners; from Oysters Corona and Tomatillo Swordfish Steaks to Chorizo, Onion and Olive Enchiladas. No fancy photos here; but the book's packed with plenty of appealing dishes.
The New York Times
They dont just cook these dishes; they know everything about them.
Book Description
Over 300 recipes explore the common elements and regional differences of border cooking.
From the Back Cover
From the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific, from Sonora north to Sonoma, the border region is the source of a boundless variety of spectacular food. The Border Cookbook celebrate the simple pleasures of Southwestern and Northern Mexican home-style cooking with more than 300 delectable, easy-to-prepare dishes, for special occasions and for soul-satisfying everyday eating. The Border Cookbook is the finest collection of recipes from this great culinary area of the Americas. -From the Foreword by Mark Miller A must for every culinary library! -Rosalea Murphy, author of The Pink Adobe Cookbook The Jamisons have captured the rustic flavors of authentic border dishes found only at family tables and culinary pit stops along the border. -Jacqueline Higuera McMahan, author of California Rancho Cooking The Jamisons write with a no-holds-barred enthusiasm about border cooking. I know, from experience, that their food tastes exuberant, but knowing the foods story makes it that much better. -Deborah Madison, author of The Greens Cookbook Who could be better on the border beat than Cheryl and Bill Jamison-indefatigable investigators, talented cooks, and unswerving aficionados? Like their other cookbooks, The Border Cookbook is a must for lovers of American spice and verve. -Rick Bayless, author of Authentic Mexican Brimming with historical vignettes, tantalizing recipes, and poignant anecdotes. -Barbara Pool Fenzl, author of Southwest the Beautiful Cookbook Cheryl and Bill Jamison make everyday home cooking an exciting adventure. The scents and flavors of authentic border dishes practically jump off the pages of this fine, big book. An outstanding achievement. -Dean Fearing, author of Dean Fearings Southwest Cuisine
About the Author
Eminent authorities on American regional cooking, Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison have written Smoke & Spice and The Border Cookbook, both winners of James Beard Book Awards, Sublime Smoke, Texas Home Cooking, Born to Grill and The Rancho de Chimay Cookbook. They live in Santa Fe. As well, the Jamisons are the national spokespeople for the American Pork Council.
Excerpted from The Border Cookbook : Authentic Home Cooking of the Americam Southwest and Northern Mexico by Cheryl Alters Jamison, Bill Jamison. Copyright © 1995. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Classic Chile Con Queso serves 4 to 6 Ersatz versions of chile con queso, usually made with processed American cheese or canned cheese soup, have sullied the reputation of this fine dish. This rendition goes back to the original inspiration, using the cheese as a supporting flavor to green chiles. 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 4 small tomatoes, preferably Roma or Italian plum, chopped 2 to 3 mild green chiles, preferably poblano, New Mexican, or Anaheim, roasted and sliced into thin strips about 1-inch long 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons crme frache 1/4 cup water 8 ounces asadero or Monterey jack cheese, cut in small, thin slices Salt to taste Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saut for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and poblanos, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in the crme frache and the water and bring to a boil, uncovered. Sprinkle in the cheese, stir quickly, cover the pan, and remove it from the heat. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir again if needed to help the cheese melt evenly, and add salt to taste. Chile con queso is best served immediately, or kept heated over a warming tray or in a chafing dish for more leisurely munching. Accompany with tortilla chips. Tex-Mex Truckstop Enchiladas serves 4 Nothing is more surely and purely Tex-Mex than these chili-crowned beef enchiladas FILLING 1 pound chili-grind lean ground beef 1/2 medium onion, minced 1/2 cup beef stock 1/3 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen 1/3 cup chopped roasted mild green chile, preferably New Mexican or poblano, fresh or frozen Salt to taste 1/2 recipe Tex-Mex Chili Gravy, warmed Vegetable oil for pan-frying 12 to 16 corn tortillas Grated mild cheddar cheese, chopped onion, and minced fresh jalapeo or serrano, for garnish In a medium skillet, fry the ground beef with the onion until the meat is grey. Pour off any excess fat. Add the stock, corn green chile, and salt and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. (The filling can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day. Reheat the filling before proceeding.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a medium baking dish. Heat 1/2 to 1-inch of oil in a small skillet until the oil ripples. With tongs, dunk a tortilla in the oil long enough for it to go limp, a matter of seconds. Dont let the tortilla turn crisp. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and drain them. With tongs, dip a tortilla in the gravy liquid to lightly coat it. Lay the tortilla on a plate, sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling over it, and roll it up snug. Transfer the enchilada to the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Top the enchiladas with the remaining chili gravy, seeing that each enchilada is submerged in the sauce, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and the sauce is bubbly. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle immediately with cheese, onion, and jalapeo. Using a spatula, serve hot. Tex-Mex Chili Gravy Makes 6 cups The key to a true Tex-Mex combination plate, this chili con carne gravy covers enchiladas, tamales, and in some kitchen at some time somewhere, almost anything else with a Lone Star soul. 3 ounces dried red chiles, about 12, preferably a combination of 8 ancho and 4 New Mexican 4 cups beef stock 1 pound chili-grind ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped fine 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons bacon drippings (optional) 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon masa harina Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Break the stems off the chile pods and discard the seeds. Place the pods in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them for about 5 minutes. Watch the pods closely because they can scorch easily. Break each chile into several pieces. In a blender, pure the pods with the stock. You should be able to see tiny pieces of chile pulp, but they should be bound in a smooth, thick liquid. Set the pure aside. In a medium saucepan or skillet, brown the meat with the onion and garlic. Drain the mixture of excess fat. Add the bacon drippings, if you like, and return the pan to heat. When the bacon drippings have melted, add the cumin, oregano, salt, and pured chiles. Simmer the mixture for about 50 minutes, until the meat is tender and the liquid has thickened slightly. In a small bowl mix the masa harina with 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid, and stir the mixture back into the gravy. Simmer the gravy for an additional 10 minutes.
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