Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook

by Teresa Cordero-Cordell, Robert Cordell

This is a celebration of the food and culture of the US-Mexico border region. This comprehensive book contains over 250 recipes - from enchiladas, quesadillas, and margaritas to more exotic delights like Cactus Salad (Ensalada de Nopalitos), Lobster and Tequila (Langosta y Tequila), and Watermelon Sorbet. Also included are special sections that relate popular legends, a glossary of chillies and cooking terms, and a Mexican pantry list.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, Nonfiction, Food

377 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2004

Reviews

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just started reading this. So far, it appears to be a gringo-ized version of Mexican cooking. Translated, this means "WHERE THE F--- ARE THE SPICES?".

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So I finished it. What Cordell calls border food is also known as Tex-Mex and, in my part of the border (Arizona and California), simply Southwestern. The Cordells appear to be talking about the border food surrounding the area of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. I can attest that the Mexican-American cuisine in that area is nothing short of fantastic. Yet this particular cookbook appears a bit watered down. I suspect this book was edited for more northern tastes. A cook familiar with this type of cooking need only to look at the salsa and enchilada recipes, and especially that bland Carne Asada recipe, to know something is missing. Yet there still seems to be some worthwhile recipes in here. I'm eager to try the Margarita French Toast and the Cilantro-Lime Shrimp which is a fusion of Mexican and Asian cuisines. Some of the grilling recipes look really good. There are also some cute articles about border culture including articles about the music and, of all things, the Chupacabra. No recipe for slow-roasted Chupacabra though.

Overall, entertaining cookbook to read cover to cover but the recipes are only for novices who haven't stared a Viejo Ropa in the face and lived to tell about it.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook" by Teresa Cordero-Cordell, and Robert Cordell is an excellent, informative book filled with great recipes! I also enjoy the commentary and other information found in the book, but I do wish that is did have colorful photos. Since I am not an exceptional cook, I do sometimes rely on photos to confirm that I am making the recipe correctly. This will not detract from the rating for the book, though as the authors seem more interested in the taste of the foods they present rather than their aesthetic appeal. I have been able to make numerous recipes in this book, and all have turned out great. I also like that the authors chose recipes with readily available ingredients, as it can be difficult to locate some more scarce ingredients in the area I live in.

[Fostergrants · Rating 1 out of 5]

this just was not what i wanted. no pictures. very over-simplified tex mex - lite on the mex. no passion or flavor or SPICE. the tortilla recipe was a flop. there are what i consider to be key ingredients completely left out. this book killed my appetite!

[Judith Lund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book

The recipes are easy and interesting but the book has no hyper text so it's hard to get around. I hope a better version comes out.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I use this cookbook for ideas