Once again Marilyn Tausend does not disappoint! I own the Spanish edition of this book and have given the English edition to friends visiting Mexico and wanted a "real authentic Mexican cuisine" cookbook. She does a great job on explaining the traditions and festivities that go hand-in-hand with a lot of foods in Mexico. The Christmas punch is a family favorite served annually at our Posadas and Christmas meals. (Recipe tip: remove the seeds from the Guavaba fruit before adding to the punch.)

Even if you don't relish roasting and peeling a Poblano Chili, just reading the recipes and looking at the tantalizing photographs will make your taste buds tingle. This book is so beautiful, it would even look lovely on your coffee table. Mrs. Tausend's work, replete with interesting historical explanations, is a true portrayal of Mexico's rich cuisine and culture. If this book is not enough for you, then I recommend that you accompany Mrs. Tausend on one of her wonderful culinary trips to various parts of Mexico for a "hands on" experience of Mexico and its unparalled cuisine.

Favorite cooking tip: many of the Mexican chili salsas can be made in large batches and then frozen in smaller portions for use at a later time.

This book is a wonderful followup to her collaborative work "Mexico The Beautiful". I was afraid that many of the wonderfully authentic recipes from her other books might be duplicated here, but that's not the case. As usual, she's managed to come up with very authentic recipes (I have lived in Mexico for many years now and have studied the cuisines) that I had been hoping to find, such as Quail in Rose Petal Sauce of "Like Water For Chocolate" fame, Cream of Chile Poblano, and Torta Azteca, among others. The instructions are easy to understand, the photography is brilliant, the ingredients are relatively easy to find and Ms. Tausend again did her research right because these recipes taste like the real thing! This is not another taco/enchilada/burrito cookbook, there are many truly fascinating and hard-to-find dishes in this book. I'm so glad I bought it! If you're looking for another great Mexican cooking aid, this is the one to get after Mexico the Beautiful!