I Love Cookbooks

Ah, cookbooks! I bought a new Mexican cookbook about border foods, namely Tex-Mex, Arizonan, Californian, and New Mexican recipes and their derivations. The real margarita, the authentic sauce for enchiladas specific to each state, the historically accurate way to make chile verde and posole along with excellent modern recipes for each. I’m vibrating with chile thoughts. We had chicken enchiladas with green chile sauce last night. The sauce was so simple, just simmered chiles, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. And the tortillas were softened in oil, with no attempt to cut calories. I’m still smiling.

Tonight I’m in a Portuguese frame of mind, and we had bacalhau (salt cod) the traditional Azorean way with fried potatoes and onions. For tomorrow evening I’ve been marinating pork chops for “carne de vinha e alhos.” They are soaked in white wine, cider vinegar, bay leaves, and garlic for a couple of days, then boiled, and browned just before serving. It’s the same marinade that I use for Portuguese turkey. Jean Anderson’s “The Food of Portugal” is excellent. I notice that she has written a couple of books about preserving.

What is your best bread cookbook? I am looking for better methods and recipes for whole grain breads.