Read Tu Casa Mi Casa Mexican Recipes for the Home Cook Enrique Olvera Peter Meehan Daniela SotoInnes Gonzalo Goût Luis Arellano 9780714878058 Books

Product details Flexibound 240 pages Publisher Phaidon Press (March 27, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 0714878057

Tu Casa Mi Casa Mexican Recipes for the Home Cook Enrique Olvera Peter Meehan Daniela SotoInnes Gonzalo Goût Luis Arellano 9780714878058 Books Reviews

• First things first, this is not hardback, as pictured. Phaidon usually makes the most attractive, nicest cookbooks, but this feels cheap and should be half the price. $31 is outrageous.
  
  This would be a nice book if you've never cooked Mexican food before, never bought a Mexican cookbook, and want bare bones, simple recipes. There is nothing unique or intriguing about this book--it could have been written 30 years ago. These are the most common recipes that you've seen over and over again.
  
  Save your money and buy a Rick Bayless book for $2 used or another Mexican author.
• First, a couple of PRELIMINARIES. I, for one, was not bothered by the "flexicover." Hardcovers are a little more durable, but (a) they're also more expensive, and (b) aren't always as easy to use in the kitchen. My copy also arrived in perfect condition, which brings up A GENERAL POINT it's a little misleading to rate the book on how it arrives, since that reflects on and doesn't speak to the quality of the book or whether someone should buy it. If yours arrives in horrible condition, return it for another.
  
  ONTO THE BOOK. To be honest, after I read the first 30 pages, I wanted to write a review and give it two stars. The book is riddled with errors in translation and grammar - at least one per page - which IS distracting and, I thought, indicated that this book was slapped together last minute. (I've noticed the lack of editing in other Phaidon books, too.) I was also disappointed by the "Basics" section, since, as others have pointed out, there are only a handful of recipes, which you can find anywhere, and you are only given brief recipes (like on a notecard) with a briefer cultural introduction to how pervasive the dish is. There is little to no instruction on what to look for, guidance for what can go wrong, why, or how to adjust, and there is the annoying refrain that repeats throughout the book basically, 'this dish is endlessly versatile, you can make it however you want.' Great, so what did I buy this book for? I was disappointed in the salsa section, especially after the authors suggest that the salsa is everything.
  
  WHY FOUR STARS, NOT TWO? This book really comes into its own in the middle sections ("Breakfast" and "Weekday Meals.") True to its title, the book aims to bring Mexican food into your house, which you are more likely to do if you think these are dishes that (a) you CAN make and (b) you MIGHT actually make or are excited to try. They are relatively simple recipes that do capture the spirit of Mexican cuisine, often with a modern twist, and that seem like something I actually want to make on a Tuesday night or Sunday morning and that aren't just a selection of side dishes. In some cases, like the Quinoa salad, they are also potentially healthful.
  
  SUMMARY. I understand why some are disappointed with the book. Enrique Olvera is something of an ambassador of Mexican cuisine and the expectations are set high for anything with his name on it. If this is your first book on Mexican cuisine, and you don't already have the basics down, this is probably not the place to start. There are few instructions and little guidance for a cuisine that can be technically frustrating for the novice. But if you are familiar with the basics, ingredients, and flavors, this book is full of helpful reminders of how to combine them in traditional, yet slightly novel ways that look approachable and potentially part of the regular repertoire. And the pictures are pretty - not surprisingly for a Phaidon book.
• If you are looking for a book that contains simple recipes all in one place then this book is for you. Other than that I am very disappointed with this cookbook. The cover is very flimsy and arrived bent and dented. The pictures are nice but there is nothing special about any of the recipes. I could have done a quick internet search and found most of these recipe online. I had high hopes for this book but I seriously over estimated what this book would be. I wish I could like it but I don’t. Not impressed
• I waited 6 months for this book - pre ordering based on the reputation of the chef and publisher. The description on the order and pictures was that it was a hard cover but was delivered as a "flexicover". I am sending this back. Enrique Olvera's name is associated with this and it this makes him and this process look like amateurs. Every other Phaidon book I have is top notch - it seems like something happened here.
• It seems people were expecting Pujol level recipes in this book, but this isn't written to help you make chef quality food. This is a book about how to make basic Mexican dishes at home in the way Olvera grew up. With that as the theme, this book serves its' purpose well. From tortillas to squash blossom soup, from Mole to Lentil salad, this is a very handy book to quickly see a method and recipe that will produce authentic and tasty Mexican food. The book has nice colorful pictures throughout and is easy to read. I only docked a star because a hardcover would have made the book last longer and be more presentable, but as a Mexican cook book for home cooks, this book is a winner.
• First off, like many of the others, I was expecting a better book with different style, I was let down. This book makes Enrique look mediocre. Also, not sure, how hires their delivery staff, but this book was SHOVED into my mailbox. Look at the damage present.
• As a Mexican myself I was expecting more variety in this cookbook, dishes that were new, recipes that I have not tried or even heard of for me to make. Oh well!!! Its fine I'm still keeping it, just hoping that Gabriela Camara's book will be have some dishes that are new and exciting!!!
• My copy arrived on Wednesday, March 27th 2019 and it’s been fun looking over the recipes and I already marked a few I’m definitely going to try out! The only thing I was very disappointed about, the book arrived damaged from the front cover. Looks like it was bent over and it cracked. Disappointed in this because of the cost of the book. It deserves the stars as it should based on me reviewing it but that crack is a bummer.