• robm on January 11, 2011

  Not the newest, but still one of the best books on Mexican cooking ever published. Clear, straightforward recipes that are easy to follow and result in authentic-tasting Mexican food! This is one of my "go-to" cookbooks when I'm in the mood for Mexican! Excellent and highly recommended! For anyone intimidated by Diana Kennedy's books, this is an ideal alternative. Ortiz takes a more relaxed approach and offers good substitutes for ingredients difficult to find outside of Mexico or areas with large Mexican populations. I grew up in Mexico City and Ortiz's food tastes like the dishes I remember from those days! By the way, you're also likely to want her equally fine books on Latin American and Caribbean cooking!

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Minced beef tacos (Tacos de picadillo)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    This can be made with ground pork as well as ground beef.

• Green enchiladas (Enchiladas verdes)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    Really liked this. Substitute queso fresca or mozzarella for the parmesan.

• Northern-style corn soup (Sopa de elote del norte)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    Very tasty soup. I puree only 3/4 of the corn and add the rest at the end for some texture. Garnish with sliced green onions.

• Dry soup of tortillas with spicy pork sausages (Sopa seca de tortilla con chorizos)

  • kbrooks on May 02, 2026

    We didn't like this at all. Stodgy.

• Yellow rice (Arroz amarillo)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    So so.

• Mexican-style rice (Arroz a la Mexicana)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    Made as written. Result was mushy and bland. Won't bother making again.

• White rice (Arroz blanco)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    Flavorful rice.

• Poblano peppers with potatoes (Poblanos con papas)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    We really like this. Increased cheese to 1/2 cup and used sharp cheddar. Pull or rub off poblano skins instead of rinsing to preserve the flavor. Recipe calls for baking potatoes, but I have used Yukon golds successfully.

• Swiss chard with potatoes and chick peas (Acelgas con papas y garbanzos)

  • kbrooks on May 02, 2026

    Okay side dish. Felt like too many ingredients that didn't quite come together.

• Green bean salad (Ensalada de ejotes)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    Cooked the beach tender crisp. Added crisp chopped bacon before serving. This is a favorite.

• Swiss chard with cream (Acelgas con crema)

  • kbrooks on June 13, 2025

    I streamlined this a bit. Didn't peel and puree the poblanos. Instead I chopped them and sautéed them with the butter and onions. Didn't blanch the chard leaves. Instead I removed the stems,coarsely chopped, rinsed well and added to the sautéed veggies and cooked down until tender. Tipped out the excess liquid from the pan and folded in the crema just before serving. The flavors were great without all the separate steps. Will definitely repeat!

• Another cauliflower salad (Otra ensalada de coliflor)

  • kbrooks on May 08, 2026

    Okay. Won't make again.

• Seasoned chopped beef (Picadillo)

  • kbrooks on May 02, 2026

    Excellent picadillo. Great filling for tacos. Works with ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey.

• Pork with pineapple (Puerco con piña)

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    Easy stew. Mostly hands off once everything is in the pot. We don't change anything in the recipe. Serve with rice.

• Red adobo of pork (Adobo rojo de cerdo)

  • JKDLady on July 14, 2015

    Absolutely outstanding. A bit time consuming, but simple. I did add 1.5 cups of broth and cooked it with the bone. I cut the meat off the bone, but threw it in. Needed 2 hours.

• Pork chops with apples (Lomo de puerco con manzanas)

  • kbrooks on May 02, 2026

    Nice pork chops. I season ahead of time with a pork dry rub from The Meat Cookbook.

• Margarita

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    Perfect classic margarita

• Bloody Maria

  • kbrooks on March 17, 2025

    Outstanding cocktail!