Baja!: Cooking on the Edge

Schneider delivers on her subtitle with kicky prose and more than 150 authentic recipes that evoke a sense of place and introduce home cooks to the cuisine of this peninsula. There's an entire chapter devoted to street food such as Fish Tacos, Carne Asada Tacos and Tamales with Shrimp "Chorizo" and Fresh Corn. Within that chapter, there's a section dedicated to salsas, which includes a chili primer (and the author's own fun chili reaction scale—a habanero, she says, will make you "burn, cry, gasp, gulp beer, run from room"). The seafood chapter features Fisherman's Sashimi, Campfire-Grilled Chorizo with Orange Chipotle Glaze, and Clams in Tequila Butter. Plenty of dishes in the book are worthy of dinner parties—such as the Sauteed Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Fennel, Olives, and Dried Fruit; the Peppered Lamb Loin with Figs in Port Wine and Orange; and the Pan-Roasted Duck with Green Olives and Raisins. Sweets like Churros and Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding with Apples round out the assortment of options. (June)