Cookbook Reviews: Mod Mex: Cooking Vibrant Fiesta Flavors at Home

Mod Mex: Cooking Vibrant Fiesta Flavors at Home is a wonderful cookbook that hits the senses the minute you open it up.

The cookbook features recipes from the famous Dos Caminos restaurants in New York, where the exective chefs have taken authentic Mexican ingredients and recipes and given them a bit of a twist to create amazing modern takes on tradtional favorites.

The recipes are a delight for anyone who loves Mexican food, and much more than just tacos. There are delicious recipes for Mexican sauces and marinades, ceviche, empanadas, masa, salsas, meat and fish recipes and tempting desserts.

Here is a sample of just a few of the wonderful recipes you will find in Mod Mex:

• Yucatan Style Snapper with Achiote and Citrus Salsalita
• Cucumber and Tomatillo Gazpacho
• Sesame Seared Tuna with Pink Grapefruit Salsita and Habanero Ginger Vinaigrette
• Coconut-Citrus Marinated Lobster Ceviche
• Pork Carnitas Tacos with Serrano Chile Salsa
• Pumpkin Seed Crusted Salmon
• Roasted Chicken Enchiladas al Pastor

This is a gorgeous book full of beautiful full color images of many recipes. Not only do they show you exactly how your dish should look, the authors often provide pictures of the cooking process so you can see for example, exactly how to properly roll a tamale.

They also provide you with information about useful equipment, plus many tips for cooking Mexican food, such as how to toast and rehydrate chiles. There are sidebars throughout the book that offer tips on day-before preparation, recipe variations and cultural insights too.

There are so many wonderful recipes in this book it was difficult to select three that I would share with you. Here are three varied and delicious recipes from the book:

• Shrimp Empanadas with Chipotles, Tomatoes and Cilantro
• Short Ribs in Tres Chiles Broth
• Churros or Mexican Doughnut Recipe

Cookbook Reviews

Here are what purchasers are saying about Mod Mex:

From R Baker:
I bought this after seeing Scott on the "Today Show", where he cooked his Mexican twist on French Toast. The cookbook does NOT disappoint! The recipes are interesting variations on classics. There are detailed instructions will lots of photographs. I am in LOVE with this cookbook!

Sylvia L wrote:
I bought this book for my husband. He likes it very much that he is trying several recipes. This book is pretty much well done. Congratulations to everyone who collaborated in this awesome mexican culinary book. Thanks to the chef and author of this book Scott Linquist who traveled to my country to learn and taste the real mexican food.

James S says:
A very user friendly cookbook ideally suited for cooking good things at home. A perfect gift for your friends who love to cook. Scott's restaurant is a "must do" when you travel to New York City.

Julie says:
I had the pleasure of attending a Scott Linquist cooking demo and one of the things made was guacamole. Now guacamole is how I judge a Mexican restaurant. The quality of the guacamole, usually reflects the quality of the rest of the menu. Needless to say I have tasted a lot of guacamole and was prepared to be unimpressed but I have to tell you it was the best guacamole I have ever tasted. On the strength of this alone I bought a copy of his cookbook Mod Mex half expecting the recipes to be intricate and complicated. I was pleasantly surprised to find not only clear easy to follow recipes but also loads of step by step pictures showing the techniques key to making each dish such as how to wrap a tamale properly.

If you love Mexican food this is a great addition to your collection both for it's fresh modern take on classic recipes but also it's detailed pictures of the proper way to prepare them.

And From Janet Stocks (She admits she is prejudiced. She's the Author's mom!)
This is a great cookbook for Mexican food lovers. It is simple to follow and has great illustrations. Of course, I am a little predjudiced! Be careful with the chiles, though. I'm a little wimpy so I had to cut down the amount on some recipes!

About the Authors:

Chef Scott Linquist is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He is known for having a flair for flavor that has been praised by Food & Wine, the New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, New York magazine, and more. The techniques and recipes he presents are culled from more than 15 years of studying Mexican food and culture.

Joanna Pruess is a N.Y.Award-winning cookbook author who has written eight cookbooks and is often praised for her clear writing and well-tested recipes.