Cookbooks: Mexican Food

I hate Taco Bell..! I think they have almost single-handedly ruined an entire generation’s viewpoint on what Mexican food truly is. Yeah, I know… Everyone has made that late night food binge run for 12 tacos and a beef burrito. I confess my guilt.

Fortunately for my taste buds, over the years in travels to Mexico as well as dining at some authentic Mexican restaurants, I have developed a great love and appreciation for true Mexican cuisine. It has that earthy, rustic quality that really gets the taste-buds working.

In researching Mexican cookbooks, one chef stands out as the most knowledgeable, most accessible out there: Rick Bayless.

From simple salsas to elaborate mole sauces, entrees, desserts and beverages, this guy knows his stuff..! You can tell he has a true passion for what he is doing by not only how he takes you through these recipes, but how he infuses the Mexican culture into the food. I have been cooking recipes from his books for several years now, with nothing but delicious results. Along with his shows on PBS, Rick has a pair of restaurants in Chicago, of which Frontera Grill just won Outstanding Restaurant from the James Beard Foundation 2007.

If you like to cook and if you love Mexican food, The Connoisseur recommends you go to www.rickbayless.com and take a look. Order a cookbook or try one of the recipes online and let me know your results. Your taste buds will thank you..!