[.ca] Salsas That Cook: Using Classic Salsas To Enliven Our ... (ISBN 0684856948)

From Amazon.com:
There's a lot more going on with salsa than its traditional role as a dip or dunk for corn chips. Rick Bayless, author of the bestselling Mexican Kitchen, is on a mission to prove to home cooks everywhere that this spicy sauce adds oomph to pasta, zest to meats, passion to potatoes, and invigoration to vegetables. Bayless takes six salsas (which can be made in the comfort of your own home or bought via mail order) and then uses them in more than 50 recipes, including a fiery tequila chaser! His Layered Tortilla Lasagna with Greens and Cheese captures a piece of both Italy and Mexico for one tasty little number. Chipolte-Cascabel Salsa is the key ingredient, which is combined with tortillas, three cheeses, heavy cream, corn, spinach, and mushrooms. Following the simple step-by-step instructions, you can concoct this as a main course for 8 or as appetizers for 16 in less than an hour. Even salad benefits from a brush with salsa. Particularly captivating is Bayless's Poblano Roasted Vegetable Salad with Peppery Watercress. Here a colorful combination of beets, fennel, watercress, potatoes, salted farmer cheese, and the Roasted Poblano Tomato salsa make for a wild and wonderful salad. Even desserts put in an appearance, although they are salsa-free! Full-color photographs and many innovative ideas for spicing up mealtimes make Salsas That Cook a flavorsome addition to the home kitchen. --Naomi Gesinger

Less Than Expected:
Rick Bayless is probably the biggest inspiration toward the popularity of "REAL" or traditional Mexican cooking in the U.S. He has several very popular shows on PBS and is quite active in promoting PBS with live appearances and tours showing how to prepare delicious Mexican food. I was disappointed as I mentioned in my first review of this book, because almost it's entire content including most of the recipes were previously included in his past cook books. The recipes are delicious. Granted. The other problem is the poor binding of this edition. The pages are falling out. If you own Mr Bayless' previous books, you have the contents of this book. I am a fan of Mr Bayless, but I have been disappointed in this endeavor. I used to purchase any item with his byline sight unseen. I will at least thumb through any future cookbooks before future purchase.

Beware Poor Binding Quality:
I'd rate this book at 4 stars for the recipes; great flavors that are relatively simple to prepare with a lot of variety. They're presented in a compact, well organized format. Unfortunately, the quality of the books construction merits only 1 star! My copy started losing pages a few days after purchase. I returned it for a replacement but the new copy is no better. The book is of simple glue bound construction and it just won't hold up. Buy a hole punch and a binder to go along with it and you'll own a cookbook that presents a great introduction to Bayless's interesting style.

Mr. Bayless is THE expert, but...:
I've been inspired by Rick Bayless's teaching, both from his PBS series' and his cookbooks. I also own his previous books - this is pretty much a rehash of recipes for salsas and dishes from the hardbound books. He even includes his "Onions and garlic are the fabric that runs through Mexican cooking..." quote from his previous books. If you own his other books or you watch his PBS cooking shows, there's nothing new to learn in this book. Other than having recipes written down in it. Again, I enjoy Mexican food and Rick Bayless, but I was disappointed.

Buy it!:
I have all of Rick Bayless' books, and his recipes are outstanding. I regularly use a dozen recipes from this book, all to rave reviews, esp. breakfast enchiladas, tinga, guacamole, scallops, and beef tips. A little extra work, but well worth it. If you're in a hurry, order carry out. Instructions are clear. I bought a few as well-appreciated gifts as well. Don't miss it!

Add some salsa to your repertoire!:
The dishes I have prepared from this so far have all turned out to be new favorites. This book has a fresh new approach that results in food that tastes exciting and different. It is one of my favorites from a large library of cookbooks.