Authentic Mexican

Rick Bayless (host of the PBS-TV series Cooking Mexican extensively explores Mexican cookery, analyzing particular national characteristics as well as regional variations of the complex cuisine. He traces the history of Mexican food from the humble squash and beans of thousands of years ago to a cuisine that came to include chiles, corn and the orchard bounties (coconut, pineapple, avocados) of the conquering Spanish. Mexican dishes familiar to Americansthe enchiladas, tamales and tacos that are more properly classified with North American Southwestern cookingare included, but the most interesting recipes are the more exotic: Native American-influenced, spice-sweetened food from the Oaxaca region and simple, European-influenced seafood and vegetable dishes of the Gulf states. The author explains how common flavors (tomatoes, chiles, coriander, lime, onion, garlic) are transformed by proportion and cooking method to produce the regional differences. The book is extremely thorough, with over 650 pages, 19 recipe chapters, a glossary, bibliography and ingredients source list (although most are commonplace). The recipes, which are frequently complicated and challenging, are made less intimidating by especially clear and well-organized instructions, and comprehensive, highly readable notes on techniques, ingredients, timing, advance preparation and variations. Illustrations not seen by PW. (November 17)