AMÁ: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen

“The only thing authentic about Tex-Mex cuisine is that it isn’t authentic,” writes Centeno (Bäco), the chef-owner of L.A. restaurants Bäco Mercat and Bar Amá, in this superb take on the cuisine. He proves his point with the inclusion of such classics as tortilla soup; chicken-fried steak with bacon gravy; Tex-Mex roast turkey, which involves brining the bird in a combination of beer, dark brown sugar, chiles and herbs, then basting with chile butter; and a decadent take on the classic fried ice cream—a vanilla bean semifreddo cloaked in crushed cereal and fried, then bathed in a dulce de leche sauce. Imaginative riffs include turmeric-finger chicken fajitas; beef cheek barbacoa enchiladas; lobster diablo, which incorporates crema, hot sauce, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses; and corn quesadillas with poblano, cilantro, and greens onions that gets a creamy boost from buffalo mozzarella, paired with a sharp white cheddar. Centeno’s artful and accessible mix of high and low techniques (Mom’s Rice is a riff on red rice that gets a boost from V8; Velveeta is a key component in his queso) emphasize flavor over pretentiousness. Anyone thinking of taking a stab at Tex-Mex would do well to pick this up. (Oct.)