The New Southwest

By:  Meagan Micozzi of ScarlettaBakes.com

 

Reviewed by: Nicole

 

Note:  PR by the Book graciously supplied me with one copy of The New Southwest for review.  No other compensation was received.  The review in this post is honest and my own.

 

Gift Guide Age Recommendation:­  14+

 

Review

My husband and I are fans of Mexican food.  We vacation there as often as possible.  But, the American versions we have tried all rely heavily on cilantro.  I don’t mind, but my husband finds cilantro to taste “soapy.”  He hates it so much that he has actually researched why it tastes soapy to him.

 

My husband looked through this cookbook expecting to automatically exclude half of them due to the use of cilantro.  He was quite surprised, and happy, to find that Micozzi does not rely on cilantro.  She uses parsley in its place because she too has found cilantro to be a divisive herb.

 

I had to wait quite a while to look the cookbook over myself.  My husband handed it to me and said “I want to make everything in here.”  After looking it over, I have to agree.  Every recipe looks amazing.  And, the variety in the recipes is exceptional.  Salsas, Sauces, Breads, Tortillas, Main Dishes, Grilled Items, Desserts, etc.

 

I chose to make Chile-Rubbed Pork Chops.  I have never made a pork chop quite like this.  I’m much more of a sauce covered pork chop kinda girl.  Or, I make sure to cook them with a fruit of some stripe.  These are not saucy or sweet.  They are dry rubbed with a chile based spice mix.  With it being freezing here in my part of the USA, I used my indoor grill plate.  I was nervous the entire time I grilled them.  Would I like them?  Would my husband like them?

 

The answer to both of these questions was a resounding “Yes!”  My husband told me that these are the best pork chops he has EVER had.  I have been instructed to not only make these again, but to also start cooking every recipe in this cookbook!

 

Who would like this gift?

 

Anyone who enjoys flavors of the Southwest will like this cookbook.  If you know someone who enjoys Mexican food and complains about the cost of eating out, or someone who likes flavors of California cuisine and can’t find a restaurant that specializes in it… this is definitely the book for them!

Where to Buy

The New Southwest is currently available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble’s BN.com or IndieBound.