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Pati's Mexican Table: The Secrets of Real Mexican Home Cooking Hardcover – Illustrated, March 5, 2013
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The host of the highly popular and award-winning PBS show Pati's Mexican Table shares everyday Mexican dishes, from the traditional to creative twists.
Pati Jinich has a mission. She’s out to prove that Mexican home cooking is quicker and far easier than most Americans think.
Surprising in their simplicity and freshness, Pati's recipes incorporate produce and grains. Most important, they fit perfectly into an everyday family cooking schedule and use just a handful of ingredients, most of which are already in your pantry. Many are homey specialties that Pati learned from her mother and grandmother, some are creative spins on classics, while others are not well known outside of Mexico.
Dishes like Chicken à la Trash (it’s delicious!), a one-pot meal that Pati gleaned from a Mexican restaurant cook; Mexican Meatballs with Mint and Chipotle; Sweet and Salty Salmon; and Mexican-Style Pasta can revitalize your daily repertoire. You’ll find plenty of vegetarian fare, from Classic Avocado Soup, to Divorced Eggs (with red and green salsa), to Oaxaca-Style Mushroom and Cheese Quesadillas.
Your friends and family will enjoy Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Pickled Ancho Chile Vinaigrette; Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Aioli; and Chicken Tinga—(you can use rotisserie chicken), which makes a tasty filling for tortas and tostadas. Pati also shares exciting dishes for the holidays and other special occasions, including Mexican Thanksgiving Turkey with Chorizo, Pecan, Apple, and Corn Bread Stuffing; Spiral-Cut Beef Tenderloin; and Red Pozole (“a Mexican party in a bowl”), which she served on her wedding day. Desserts like Triple Orange Mexican Wedding Cookies, Scribble Cookies (sandwich cookies filled with chocolate), and little Apricot-Lime Glazed Mini Pound Cakes are sophisticated yet simple to make.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarvest
- Publication dateMarch 5, 2013
- Dimensions8 x 1.04 x 10 inches
- ISBN-100547636474
- ISBN-13978-0547636474
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"The book is filled with bright, fresh flavors and dishes that are wonderful in their simplicity." — Publisher's Weekly
"Pati Jinich is a breath of fresh air in the food world. She's warm, beyond smart, she's funny and a generous and gifted cook. She knows Mexican food as her heritage and as a scholar, but knows, too, the realities of being a working mother. She never gave up on the tastes she grew up with, but she's got an uncanny way of streamlining how she recreates them. This is one of those books you'll be cooking and learning from for a long time." — Lynne Rossetto Kasper, Splendid Table host
"Pati Jinich has created the most delicious guidebook to the magnificent market-driven home cooking of Mexico that I've ever seen. This book makes it simple to create fresh and tasty Mexican food and inspires me to make soft fresh torillas, pickle my own jalapeños, and delight in Chicken Tinga with my family. This book will become a family heirloom at my house forever." — Mario Batali
From the Inside Flap
Her dishes are not blanketed with cheese, or heavy and fried, or based on complex sauces. Nor are they necessarily highly spicy. Surprising in their simplicity and freshness, they incorporate produce and grains. Most important, they fit perfectly into an everyday family cooking schedule and use just a handful of ingredients, most of which are already in your pantry. Many are homey specialties that Pati learned from her mother and grandmother, some are creative spins on classics, while others are not well known outside of Mexico.
Dishes like Chicken a la Trash (it s delicious!), a one-pot meal that Pati gleaned from a Mexican restaurant cook; Mexican Meatballs with Mint and Chipotle; Sweet and Salty Salmon; and Mexican-Style Pasta can revitalize your daily repertoire. You ll find plenty of vegetarian fare, from Classic Avocado Soup, to Divorced Eggs (with red and green salsa), to Oaxaca-Style Mushroom and Cheese Quesadillas.
Your friends and family will enjoy Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Pickled Ancho Chile Vinaigrette; Crab Cakes with Jalapeno Aioli; and Chicken Tinga (you can use rotisserie chicken), which makes a tasty filling for tortas and tostadas. Pati also shares exciting dishes for the holidays and other special occasions, including Mexican Thanksgiving Turkey with Chorizo, Pecan, Apple, and Corn Bread Stuffing; Spiral-Cut Beef Tenderloin; and Red Pozole ( a Mexican party in a bowl ), which she served on her wedding day.Desserts like Triple Orange Mexican Wedding Cookies, Scribble Cookies
(sandwich cookies filled with chocolate), and little Apricot-Lime Glazed Mini Pound Cakes are sophisticated yet simple to make.
"
From the Back Cover
Her dishes are not blanketed with cheese, or heavy and fried, or based on complex sauces. Nor are they necessarily highly spicy. Surprising in their simplicity and freshness, they incorporate produce and grains. Most important, they fit perfectly into an everyday family cooking schedule and use just a handful of ingredients, most of which are already in your pantry. Many are homey specialties that Pati learned from her mother and grandmother, some are creative spins on classics, while others are not well known outside of Mexico.
Dishes like Chicken à la Trash (it’s delicious!), a one-pot meal that Pati gleaned from a Mexican restaurant cook; Mexican Meatballs with Mint and Chipotle; Sweet and Salty Salmon; and Mexican-Style Pasta can revitalize your daily repertoire. You’ll find plenty of vegetarian fare, from Classic Avocado Soup, to Divorced Eggs (with red and green salsa), to Oaxaca-Style Mushroom and Cheese Quesadillas.
Your friends and family will enjoy Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Pickled Ancho Chile Vinaigrette; Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Aioli; and Chicken Tinga — (you can use rotisserie chicken), which makes a tasty filling for tortas and tostadas. Pati also shares exciting dishes for the holidays and other special occasions, including Mexican Thanksgiving Turkey with Chorizo, Pecan, Apple, and Corn Bread Stuffing; Spiral-Cut Beef Tenderloin; and Red Pozole (“a Mexican party in a bowl”), which she served on her wedding day.Desserts like Triple Orange Mexican Wedding Cookies, Scribble Cookies
(sandwich cookies filled with chocolate), and little Apricot-Lime Glazed Mini Pound Cakes are sophisticated yet simple to make.
About the Author
PATI JINICH (pronounced HEEN-ich) is the author of Pati Jinich Treasures of the Mexican Table and the host of the three-time James Beard Award-winning PBS series Pati's Mexican Table, now in its tenth season. Named one of the "100 Greatest Cooks of All-Time" by Epicurious and Bon Appétit, she has won a Gracie Award for her television work and is a four-time Emmy nominee and two-time IACP Award winner. She is the resident chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute and has appeared on NPR's Splendid Table and All Things Considered, NBC's Today, CBS's The Talk, ABC's Good Morning America, and Food Network. Born and raised in Mexico City, she lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband and three boys.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction
SHOW UP IN MY KITCHEN ANY DAY OF THE YEAR, AND YOU'll FIND SOFT CORN TORTILLAS, refried beans, at least two different salsas, the fresh Mexican cheese called queso fresco, ripe avocados, and fresh fruit'essential ingredients for countless spur-of-the-moment meals. You are always welcome to join me, because I always cook more than we can manage to eat at one sitting'not out of carelessness, but because that is the practical way of Mexican kitchens.
Salsas are the maracas of my kitchen: They shake things up whenever I need an extra kick of flavor. They can be the base of a dish or the final stroke of genius, a condiment with mucho potencial: not always hot, but fruity often, salty, tangy, vinegary, or crunchy. Avocados are almost equally versatile: They can be pounded into chunky guacamole, of course, but also whizzed into a silky soup; tucked into thick, crusty rolls with potatoes and chorizo for a hearty torta, a Mexican sandwich; or buzzed together with milk, cream, and lime juice for an incomparably creamy salad dressing. Soft, mild, and teasingly salty, queso fresco can be sliced into sticks, or diced, or crumbled on top of soups, salads, tostadas, tacos, and enchiladas. The beans are waiting to be slathered on a roll when my voracious boys'I call them monsters'come home from school or play. And as for tortillas, they are the building blocks for so many dishes from breakfast to dinner every day of the week: wrapped around eggs, enfolding steak for tacos, holding together a casserole. Crisp them, and they become the sturdy base for ceviche tostadas or perfect scoops for salsas. Cut them smaller, and they are a crisp garnish for soups. And with fruits of all kinds'watermelon, mango, pineapple, and more'I make some of the most refreshing drinks ever, with and without alcohol.
I'm not sure that many Americans really understand Mexican home cooking. For me, it's the everyday food I feed my family: the dishes I hanker for, the ones that make me feel at home and that, ironically, I mostly learned how to make while being away from the country where I grew up eating them. That food isn't taco salads, nachos slathered with cheese, or overstuffed burritos. Nor, for the most part, is it the complex mole sauces that take days to prepare. There are, however, other traditional dishes that I serve over and over again, because they are fabulous, as well as new dishes with creative spins that keep Mexican cooking evolving.
Mexican home cooking is beautiful in its simplicity, tremendously convenient, and wholesome. Out of our kitchens come some of the tastiest salads, soups, and cookies that you will ever find. Our food also includes a boatload of vegetarian options: casseroles of black beans and tortillas in chile sauce, plantain quesadillas stuffed with refried beans, eggs poached in delicious salsas. Not every dish has chile in it, nor is a dish necessarily spicy when it does. For me, the best part is that this cooking fits our American lifestyle like a glove.
I didn't set out to be an obsessed food professional, but I'm a Jewish-Mexican mother, so the obsessive part comes naturally. Originally I trained as an academic and got a job in Washington, D.C., at a policy think tank, where I focused on Mexican politics and history. Eventually, though, I listened to my husband, who kept asking why I persisted in working there when all I talked about were the foods of Mexico and all I did in my spare time was cook.
It wasn't an easy decision to switch careers. I can still hear my dad's jokes about how I wasted so many years: quemándome las pestañas como rata de biblioteca, which, loosely translated, means 'burning the midnight oil as a bookworm," or, more literally, 'burning my eyelashes as a library mouse.' Yet I have no regrets. Those were not wasted years'they gave me great research skills and a deeper understanding
of Mexico.
Today I'm a chef, food writer, and cooking teacher with a TV show, Pati's Mexican Table, on National Public Television. But most of the time, I'm an overloaded soccer mom with three kids and a powerful blender. I continually travel between the Mexican, American, and Spanglish worlds. When I say, 'We are Mexican," my boys always correct me, 'mami, you are Mexican, we are American.' So we compromise: We are Mexican-American, we speak English, and we try to hold onto the Spanish, but truthfully most of what we do is embrace a Spanglish life. Food is the natural meeting point of our cultures.
On the weekends, we start our days late so we have time for a full breakfast with one or another version of eggs, like Scrambled Egg Packets with Black Bean Sauce. Sobre mesa, 'after table," we linger, sipping coffee and nibbling on crumbs of pound cake or cookies or slices of fruit.
We want our kids to have opinions about what they eat, and we urge them to choose their favorites. My boys always insist that their classic breaded fried chicken cutlets, Milanesas, be dressed with salty crumbled cheese and ground dried chile. They love green beans sprinkled with toasted pistachios and seasoned with orange. On cold days, they devour bowls of Mexican Alphabet Soup. On holidays, our table truly shows our dual cultures. Our Thanksgiving turkey gets rubbed with a pungent spicy paste from the Yucatán and is roasted in fragrant banana leaves, then served with a stuffing of chorizo, pecans, apples, and corn bread.
In this book, you will find recipes and ideas that have come to my table from many paths. I have been welcomed into homes and kitchens all across Mexico over the years, and a number of the recipes you will find here have been deeply influenced by those home cooks. My go-to Passover brisket recipe, for example, is my take on
Berenice Flores's carne enchilada from the Purépecha region in Michoacán. I grew
up in Mexico City, a place that hums with food opportunities. Many of the dishes we now eat weekly, like Ancho Chile Burgers and Mexican Pasta, are foods I enjoyed there at home, in restaurants, or on the street. I searched out other recipes to satisfy requests from viewers of my television show and students. I worked for months to nail down the best version of Pickled Jalapeños and Carrots, and I perfected Piggy Cookies after getting dozens of requests for this traditional recipe. Now my family can't live without them.
Thankfully, today the ingredients I use the most are widely available at the grocery store or with just a click online. Many, like tomatillos, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, and queso fresco are used in a number of recipes, making it worthwhile to stock up. That said, I always offer substitutes for specialty ingredients when possible.
In this book, I also share Mexican cooks' tricks'simple lessons that were passed down from my grandmother to my mother and then to me. Many of the dishes in this book are even tastier when made ahead, adding to their convenience. All are magnets for bringing people to the table.
There is a saying that holds true for every meal in a Mexican home: 'tiramos la casa por la ventana' ('We throw the house through the window'), sparing no amount of money, time, or effort to supply a table full of soulful food. People may literally sell their furniture so they can feed an entire town for a wedding or a quinceañera, a daughter's fifteenth birthday party. Our food is abundant, accommodating, and much simpler than you might think. Sharing it with my new country has become my mission.
A few recipes from the book:
traditional tomatopico de gallo
1 pound ripe tomatoes, halved, cored, and chopped (about 3 cups)
½ cup finely chopped white onion
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, halved, seeded if desired, and finely chopped, or to taste
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and top part of stems
2'3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
(optional)
1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
There are endless variations on pico de gallo, the trademark chunky raw salsa of Mexico. As you travel throughout the country, you will find picos made from vegetables like cucumber and jicama, all kinds of fruits, and even nuts and seeds. All are delicious. This traditional version is a combination of tomato, onion, cilantro, and chile with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and some salt. Sometimes I add the oil, sometimes I don't. Try it both ways and see which you like best. Then consider this recipe a starting point and branch out from here.
Pico de gallo translates as 'rooster's beak.' Why? It's a mystery to me, and to every Mexican cook and culinary expert I've asked.
Place the tomatoes, onion, chile, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil (if using), and salt in a bowl and toss well. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
&1; MEXICAN COOK's TRICK: Acidic fruits and vegetables taste much richer and fuller when served at room temperature, so take the chill off any refrigerated salsa before serving.
" CALDO DE POLLO "
&1; MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS BROTH AND 6 CUPS SHREDDED CHICKEN &1; PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES &1; COOKING TIME: 50 MINUTES &1; BROTH CAN BE REFRIGERATED FOR UP TO 4 DAYS OR FROZEN FOR UP TO 6 MONTHS; CHICKEN CAN BE COVERED AND REFRIGERATED FOR UP TO 3 DAYS &1;
1 3-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces, or about 3 pounds mixed chicken parts
3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 white onion, halved
3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
1 garlic clove
5'6 black peppercorns
5'6 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
3½ quarts water
I like to make caldo de pollo every Sunday, because it sets the right affectionate tone in the house as it wraps the entire place in its aroma, and it's also the backbone of a streamlined week of eating. You get a batch of rich-tasting chicken broth that can be used in soups, stews, rice, and pasta dishes, plus generous amounts of moist cooked chicken that can be shredded or cut up for salads, sandwiches, tacos, tortas, casseroles, or Chicken Tinga (page 000). Drop everything into the pot, cover with water, and go.
1. Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, skim off any foam, and simmer, partially covered, for 50 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.
2. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl. Strain the broth into a container, cool, and refrigerate. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred or cut the meat into chunks for future use and refrigerate if not using right away.
&1; MEXICAN COOK's TRICK: Caldo de pollo cooks for less than an hour, much less time than a typical French stock. The Mexican way brings you a gentle, tasty broth, but most important, it allows the chicken meat to have a life of its own, since the briefer cooking doesn't suck out all the flavor, texture, and nutrients.
" PESCADO RODRIGO "
&1; SERVES 6 &1; PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES &1; COOKING TIME: 10 MINUTES &1; SAUCE CAN BE MADE UP TO 24 HOURS AHEAD, COVERED, AND REFRIGERATED (MIX WELL BEFORE USING) &1;
SAUCE
½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and light green parts only)
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons seeded (if desired) and chopped jalapeño or serrano chile, or to taste
1 tablespoon Maggi sauce (see page 000) or soy sauce
Kosher or coarse sea salt
6 tilapia fillets (about 6 ounces each), or other mild white fish fillets, such as sea bass, grouper, red snapper, or rockfish, rinsed and patted dry
¼ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
All-purpose flour for dusting
Vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas, store-bought or homemade (page 000), warmed
Pescado rodrigo is a beloved dish in Mexico City, and I make it at least a couple of times a month. Fresh tilapia or other mild white fish, seared until crispy, then drizzled with a chunky citrus sauce, is the seafood to stuff into corn tortillas for tacos. This recipe comes from the Bellinghausen, a Mexico City restaurant established in 1915 and cherished by many families, including ours. Its classic hacienda style, complete with tiles and a working fountain, is so dignified that my sisters and I used to dress to the nines to eat there on Sundays. The menu never changes; it doesn't need to.
The fish can also be served whole, with tortillas alongside.
1. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: In a small bowl, combine the scallions, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, jalapeño, and Maggi sauce, and stir to mix well. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. Season with salt if necessary to taste before serving.
2. Sprinkle the fish fillets with the salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a large plate and coat each fillet thoroughly on both sides.
3. Heat ¼ inch of vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the fish, in batches to avoid crowding, and sear for about 3 minutes, until thoroughly browned on the bottom. Don't fiddle with the fillets; let them brown completely so they release easily from the pan. Turn and sear for about 3 minutes on the second side. The fish is ready when the thickest part is cooked through and it flakes easily with a fork. Put the fish on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in a low (250°F) oven.
4. Transfer the fish to a platter and pour the sauce on top. Or you can do as I do and flake the fish and serve it drizzled with the sauce, ready to make tacos. Serve with corn tortillas.
Product details
- Publisher : Harvest; Illustrated edition (March 5, 2013)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0547636474
- ISBN-13 : 978-0547636474
- Item Weight : 2.38 pounds
- Dimensions : 8 x 1.04 x 10 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #35,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #23 in Mexican Cooking, Food & Wine
- #186 in Entertaining & Holiday Cooking
- #258 in Celebrity & TV Show Cookbooks
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

A self-described "overloaded soccer mom with three kids and a powerful blender," Pati Jinich is on a mission to show the world that true home Mexican cooking isn't what they've come to expect. Pati was born and raised in Mexico City and comes from a family of accomplished cooks. She has resided in the Washington, DC, area for the past 20 years, where she and her husband are raising their three boys.
Pati didn't set out to be a chef. As a child, Pati could be found reading and dreaming of becoming a writer. She was professionally trained as a policy analyst with a graduate degree from ITAM in Mexico City and later on at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. It was out of nostalgia for the foods she grew up eating in Mexico, and a few nudges from her husband, that she left her career as a policy analyst to pursue her passion for food.
In 2007, she launched an ongoing series of culinary programs comprised of informative talks, cooking demonstrations, and tasting dinners at the Mexican Cultural Institute, where she is the resident chef. Pati's success and popularity, both with event attendees and the media, transferred into a nationally aired PBS series, called "Pati's Mexican Table," which is currently on its 11th season. Through the show, she is able to familiarize a far broader audience with not only Mexican ingredients and cooking, but also with the many regional cultures, traditions and histories that, together, form Mexico's diverse and evolving cuisine both inside and outside of Mexico.
"Pati's Mexican Table" has received three James Beard Awards — for Best Culinary Television Program in 2020 and 2019, and for Outstanding Personality/TV Host in 2018. It also received a Gracie Award for On-Air Talent Lifestyle in 2020, an IACP Award for Culinary Television Series, and three Imagen Awards in 2020, 2018 and 2016. Additionally, the series has earned three Daytime Emmy nominations — Outstanding Culinary Host in 2019 and 2016, and Outstanding Culinary Series in 2016.
In October 2021, Pati made her PBS primetime debut with her two-part docuseries “La Frontera with Pati Jinich," which highlights the fascinating, yet misunderstood, US-Mexico border region where countries and cultures collide. "La Frontera" earned an M.F.K Fisher Prize in 2022, and Pati received a Gracie Award for her work as a producer on "La Frontera" in 2022.
Pati's most recent cookbook, "Treasures of the Mexican Table," was a New York Times bestseller and won a prestigious IACP Award for Best International Cookbook in 2022. It has more than 150 treasured recipes from Pati's travels throughout Mexico over the past decade. Many of these dishes are local specialties, heirlooms passed down through generations, unknown outside of their original regions. Others have become national sensations. Together, these essential recipes paint a vivid picture of the richness of Mexico.
Her first cookbook, "Pati's Mexican Table," brings wholesome, simple Mexican meals into the homes of families everywhere. She acts as a tour guide and interpreter, telling stories about her homeland's history, evolution, and rich culture, while also sharing her upbringing, travels, and conversations with cooks across both her native and adopted countries. Furthermore, as a mom of three growing boys, Pati intimately understands the thrills — and spills — of cooking everyday meals for picky eaters and offers the practical tips and advice she's acquired during her many years of cooking professionally.
In her second cookbook, entitled "Mexican Today," she shares easy, generous dishes, both traditional ones and her own new spins. Her food draws everyone together — a family at the end of a working day, a book club, or a neighborhood potluck. And throughout, she is an infectious cheerleader, sharing stories of the food, people, and places behind the recipe.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the recipes in the book delicious and easy to follow. The directions are clear and concise, making the recipes less labor-intensive. They appreciate the explanations of special ingredients and substitutions for difficult-to-find ones. The pictures are nice and bright, inspiring the home cook. Customers consider the book a great value and worth the wait. The color palette is appealing and fresh, presenting a new tableau. Customers love Pati's personal touches and find the book charming.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the recipes in the book. They find the recipes delicious and easy to follow. The steps are simple, and the food comes out so well. Many readers consider it a good cookbook for beginners and contemporary flavors using ingredients they can find in a large grocery store.
"Love the recipes in this book!!!" Read more
"So, so,many great things in here to try. Since there are only two of us, I try to halve most of the recipes...." Read more
"...The recipes are easy to follow and never disappoint. Pati is an amazing cook, and her recipes definitely show her talent...." Read more
"First off, I love Pati's PBS series and it has inspired me to be a better cook...." Read more
Customers find the recipes in the book simple and tasty. The directions are clear and concise. The steps are easy, and the food is less labor-intensive compared to typical Bayless recipes. The book is enjoyable to read, with great pictures showing how the food should look when done. Readers appreciate the cook's tips and find it a beautiful introduction to real Mexican homestyle food.
"...many tips -- the book is very readable and Pati has included a lot of background information on Mexican cooking techniques, shortcuts, substitutes..." Read more
"...Am so glad I purchased this book. The recipes are easy to follow and never disappoint...." Read more
"...the first weekend I had the book and they were both great and easy to follow and made nice additions to a Mexican-themed party...." Read more
"...She is such a happy and positive person and her recipes are easy to make...." Read more
Customers appreciate the authentic ingredients and clear substitutions in the book. They find the recipes easy to follow and realistic.
"...on Mexican cooking techniques, shortcuts, substitutes for difficult-to-find ingredients, how to stage preparation..." Read more
"...All the recipes I've looked through so far look very do-able and realistic...." Read more
"...after the numerous Mexican Cook's Tricks and the extensive descriptions of Mexican ingredients...." Read more
"...If your looking for authentic fresh made Mexican, and not American Mexican give this book a try...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's pictures. They find the photos and descriptions engaging, making them want to try the recipes. The illustrations inspire home cooks and provide detailed instructions. However, some readers would like more step-by-step pictures and bread recipes. Overall, the book provides a nice reflection of the author's cooking style and includes simple to follow instructions.
"This cookbook has great pictures and recipes pretty easy to follow. The book was for a gift and appreciated very much...." Read more
"...and substitutions it is just a wonderful book overall and the pictures are amazing" Read more
"...The book is also just enoyable to read. The photos are fantastic, and the book is written in a fun and engaging style...." Read more
"...start to finish; the charming introduction by the author, the beautiful photographs and the recipes themselves have depth, yet are easy to follow...." Read more
Customers find the book offers good value for money. They find it useful and well worth the wait. The recipes are simple and straightforward, with mouthwatering results.
"...The cookbook is extremely approachable and well-organized. Worth the purchase just for the sauces and salsas section...." Read more
"...because it works so well on four levels, each of which is worth the price of the book: 1...." Read more
"...The were rather expensive but we'll worth the money!" Read more
"...her love of food and family is inspiring and for that alone, it is worth the book and my loyalty to her show on PBS...." Read more
Customers appreciate the appealing pictures of the finished products. They find the recipes fresh and new.
"...of what I am attempting, and to inspire me to try something that looks appealing. I'd give the book 5 stars if it satisfied my visual needs!" Read more
"...Many with colorful photos! If you ever watch Patti’s Table or just interested in this type of cuisine, I would highly recommend this cookbook!" Read more
"...Love this book, it's colorful and interesting." Read more
"...Patti, however, presents a fresh and new tableau and of the 11 recipes I have tried so far, they have all been 5 star...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's charm and personal touches. They appreciate the great photos, personal touches, and doable recipes for a wide range of dishes. The book has a warm and homey atmosphere, with informative and personal advice and judgements from the author.
"...The introductions to each recipe are informative and personal and her advice and judgements are level-headed...." Read more
"I love the show. The book is well written and charming as well. Very simple recipes to start- simple salsas, green and red...." Read more
"Finally an easy to follow and do, very nice!" Read more
"...I really enjoy the way the cookbook is laid out and the additional personal comments that Pati includes with references to her family...." Read more
Customers find the book's advice helpful and practical for Mexican cooking. They say it's a good addition to their cookbook collection and a perfect spot to visit or live.
"...the basics and a few special dishes, this cookbook is a great addition to anyone's kitchen who's looking to cook more Mexican food...." Read more
"...The focus on practical, casual recipes is great. The book is also just enoyable to read...." Read more
"...that that are native to Mexico are all very inspiring and helpful. I love the design style of the book with its warm and homey atmosphere...." Read more
"...really like that she gives little cooks tips in the text, they are very helpful and interesting. I hope she makes more cookbooks!!!" Read more
Reviews with images
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Best Cookbook Ever
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2024I've watched Pati Jinich's Mexican Table on TV and got tired of trying to scribble down the recipes as I watched, so I ordered the cook book. Very happy to have it, as many of my favorite recipes are there. I did not expect so many tips -- the book is very readable and Pati has included a lot of background information on Mexican cooking techniques, shortcuts, substitutes for difficult-to-find ingredients, how to stage preparation (what portions can be completed ahead of time), how to use leftovers, and so on. If you love the easy conversational tone of the shows, you'll recognize Pati's voice throughout the book. Instructions are easy to follow but conversational, as if Pati is guiding you through. If you like precise cooking times, it's not there -- rather, she instructs on approx. times and how to tell when a preparation step is complete. For example, there's no temperature listed for how hot oil should be for softening a corn tortilla, but a description of what the proper temperature looks like when you touch the tortilla to the oil.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2025Love the recipes in this book!!!
- Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2024So, so,many great things in here to try. Since there are only two of us, I try to halve most of the recipes. Give this a try, you will love the education behind a lot of the ingredients and flavors in Mexican food.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2024We have used so many recipes in this book, and all of them have been so delicious! Am so glad I purchased this book. The recipes are easy to follow and never disappoint. Pati is an amazing cook, and her recipes definitely show her talent. If you like tex mex food, you will love this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2023First off, I love Pati's PBS series and it has inspired me to be a better cook. I purchased the cookbook so that I would have all the ingredient and instructions available while cooking. The end result is delicious food! The book itself needs more pictures of the dishes so that I have an idea of what I am attempting, and to inspire me to try something that looks appealing. I'd give the book 5 stars if it satisfied my visual needs!
- Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022I picked this up when it was on special as a friend has recommended Pati Jinich's cookbooks to me and this was a great purchase! I haven't watched Pati on PBS yet, but I'm going to seek out her show.
The cookbook is extremely approachable and well-organized. Worth the purchase just for the sauces and salsas section. All the recipes I've looked through so far look very do-able and realistic. Not loaded down with a million ingredients each or with items that will send me to 5 different stores looking for them. I like her approach that you can do it all from scratch but there's nothing wrong in using some pre-made ingredients when it makes sense to do so.
I made the pickled carrots and jalapenos and the salsa verde the first weekend I had the book and they were both great and easy to follow and made nice additions to a Mexican-themed party. I look forward to cooking more from this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2024I watch Pati's Mexican Table on my local PBS station. She is such a happy and positive person and her recipes are easy to make. The only constructive feedback would be to add more photographs of the finished products.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2013I preordered this book the day Amazon offered it, expecting a collection of recipes from Pati's PBS programs. When I started reading it, the recipes were the third thing I admired -- right after the numerous Mexican Cook's Tricks and the extensive descriptions of Mexican ingredients. This is my third Mexican cookbook (after Diana Kennedy and Roberto Santibanez), but it should be everyone's introduction to Mexican flavors, techniques, and gusto because it works so well on four levels, each of which is worth the price of the book:
1. Mexican Cook's Tricks -- There is a "trick" at the end of most of the recipes. They are short and most apply more broadly than just the subject recipe: how to cook an egg, prepare enchiladas, marinate meats, prepare chiles. These are as addicting as nachos (or Margaritas): You can't eat just one. After you finish one, you poke around to find more.
2. Mexican Ingredients -- What stops you from reading the "cook's tricks?" There are about 60 green-highlighted sidebars, most of which describe a Mexican ingredient and how it is prepared and enjoyed: tamarind, corn versus flour tortillas, several varieties of chiles, hibiscus flowers, cinnamon, and buying avocados. A few succinctly describe cooking processes for rice and beans. By the time you've read eight or ten of these sidebars you want to cook.
3. Recipes -- The recipes are for home cooking. This is the food that Pati, a busier-than-we-are soccer mom, serves her family. They are not the traditional servant-prepared recipes that Diana Kennedy features. They are contemporary flavors that use ingredients you can find in a large supermarket with a broad selection of Latin products or, better still, one of the small stores that serve Mexican/Central American immigrants you can find even in small towns. I've made several recipes (and others on her website) and have always had good results. The recipes are flexible and you can substitute pork for beef or adjust the chiles and other flavors to taste. One tip: It's efficient to prepare meals from the book over consecutive nights so you can re-purpose the food as Pati does -- salsas, beans, meats, tortillas.
4. Gusto -- What draws these three elements together is Pati herself. Her culinary philosophy and approach to cooking are lively, fresh, and magnetic. The introductions to each recipe are informative and personal and her advice and judgements are level-headed. You can benefit from adapting her style, regardless of what you cook -- Mexican, Chinese, or American.
If you want to cook Mexican for your family, order this book and buy an avocado and a few chiles. But read the book first to learn how to buy the avocado and handle the chiles.
Top reviews from other countries
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Carlos Omar Richkarday SarabiaReviewed in Mexico on May 12, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro 😉
Recetas muy ricas y muy bien explicadas aunque estén en inglés
- Jenny VReviewed in Australia on January 26, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars I Love Pati!
This is the second book of Pati's that I have purchased. She does authentic Mexican recipes which taste amazing. They may take you a bit longer than other recipes but well worth the effort. I have a lot of Mexican cookbooks and Pati is by far the best. I recommend it to anyone wanting to cook authentic Mexican food.
- Diana LampeReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
This is a great book with inspiring and easy to follow recipes.
- bookweaselReviewed in Canada on February 11, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book, cook Mexican
So I have read through the book and cooked two meals from it. My first impression of the book is very high. The recipes worked as anticipated. The book is a good read just as a read. The anecdotes are interesting. The tips and hints are helpful. I am going to use this book often.
For the beginner this book will give you the basics. For the more experienced Mexican cook it is still a nice book to have but expect family recipes not the cuisine of Mexico's finer restaurants.
- Sharon RReviewed in Canada on August 21, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book - my go to Mexican recipe book
I have so many favorite recipes from this book. I have a friend who also has this book and we always try different recipes - a good book that has consistently good results.