Salsas That Cook : Using Classic Salsas To Enliven Our Favorite Dishes - Softcover

Bayless, Rick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0684856948 ISBN 13: 9780684856940

Publisher: Scribner, 1998

Synopsis

From America's leading authority on definitive Mexican cooking comes a brand-new collection of recipes based on six classic, versatile salsas, each featuring the flavor of a diffferent chili.

Salsas That Cook is a breakthrough in contemporary American cooking. Here, Mexico's classic salsas get put to work in our kitchens in the same way we use a variety of international condiments, from teriyaki sauce to balsamic vinegar, to enliven and redefine the flavor of many American favorites. While most of us have enjoyed salsas as chip dips, salsas show great versatility when weaving complex flavor into simple dishes, from pasta to potatoes to meats, fish and vegetables.

Salsas embody the essence of Mexican flavor: the lusciousness of slow-roasted tomatoes, the full-flavored spice of chiles, the fragrance of cilantro and the mellow sweetness of garlic. Rick Bayless, the country's leading progenitor of real Mexican cooking, writes the six salsa recipes with such detail and personality that even beginning cooks will turn out masterful creations.

The uniqueness of this book, though, is in the way these six salsas are used. Here they give their pizzazz to chile-glazed roast chicken, grilled pork tenderloin and seared sea scallops with jalapeņo cream. Familiar Mexican favorites have always used salsas for vitality, and many are here, from tangy guacamole to tortilla soup and grilled chicken tacos. In Salsas That Cook, the magic of Mexico transcends all borders.

About this title

Review

There's a lot more going on with salsa than its traditional role as a dip or dunk for corn chips. Rick Bayless, author of the bestselling Mexican Kitchen, is on a mission to prove to home cooks everywhere that this spicy sauce adds oomph to pasta, zest to meats, passion to potatoes, and invigoration to vegetables. Bayless takes six salsas (which can be made in the comfort of your own home or bought via mail order) and then uses them in more than 50 recipes, including a fiery tequila chaser! His Layered Tortilla Lasagna with Greens and Cheese captures a piece of both Italy and Mexico for one tasty little number. Chipolte-Cascabel Salsa is the key ingredient, which is combined with tortillas, three cheeses, heavy cream, corn, spinach, and mushrooms. Following the simple step-by-step instructions, you can concoct this as a main course for 8 or as appetizers for 16 in less than an hour. Even salad benefits from a brush with salsa. Particularly captivating is Bayless's Poblano Roasted Vegetable Salad with Peppery Watercress. Here a colorful combination of beets, fennel, watercress, potatoes, salted farmer cheese, and the Roasted Poblano Tomato salsa make for a wild and wonderful salad. Even desserts put in an appearance, although they are salsa-free!

Full-color photographs and many innovative ideas for spicing up mealtimes make Salsas That Cook a flavorsome addition to the home kitchen. --Naomi Gesinger

About the Author

Rick Bayless is the coauthor of Authentic Mexican and Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, for which he won the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award. He is also co-owner, with his wife, Deann, of two award-winning restaurants in Chicago and is a partner in Frontera Foods.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scribner
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0684856948
• ISBN 13: 9780684856940
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128