Cookbook Review – Mexican Made Easy by Food Network Chef Marcela Valladolid

I’ve always been a huge fan of the Food Network. I’d say I probably watch more of their shows than anything on tv. Of course that doesn’t mean I can cook well. Because of that I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to try. I love cooking and experimenting with new things and then serving it to my unsuspecting family. They’re not nearly as adventurous as I am when it comes to eating.  What I’ve discovered though, at least pertaining to my children is that if they see me eat it, they’re far more likely to give it a shot. Something else I noticed? If it looks pretty, it has a far better chance at being consumed.

Ooh how I love pretty food. I think I might even have a secret desire to be a food photographer, or maybe even a food blogger. The Holy Grail to me? Finding food that looks good, tastes good, and photographs well. Which I did last weekend when I was finally feeling well enough (I’ve been sick the past few weeks) to try out a recipe from my new cookbook, Mexican Made Easy: Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Flavor by Marcela Valladolid. It features 100 easy make-at-home recipes & 80 stunning photographs that get your taste buds watering.

Believe it or not I had never made homemade salsa. When I found a recipe for Grilled Corn Pico de Gallo in Chef Marcela’s cookbook I decided to go for it. I was heading out to buy some fresh vegetables from a local farm’s produce stand anyway. Her recipe was simple and to the point. Grilled fresh corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, Serrano peppers, salt, pepper, & a splash of lime juice. Chill. The result? Oh my gosh.  I’ll never think of jarred salsa the same.

You can see below we enjoyed the salsa on homemade carnitas (minus the lard). I put some pork in the oven & let it cook for several hours, shredded it, threw it on a white corn tortilla & topped them with lettuce and the homemade salsa. Heaven! and it was super cheap and easy!

I can’t wait to try more recipes like this. Quick and simple. Chef Marcela has tons of them in her book.

Some featured recipes in Mexican Made Easy include:

More About Chef Marcela

Marcela Valladolid is the host of Mexican Made Easy on Food Network. Raised in Tijuana, Mexico, she attended the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and then the Ritz Escoffier School in Paris before working at Bon Appétit magazine. Her first cookbook, Fresh Mexico, was published in 2009. She lives in San Diego with her son, Fausto. Her website is chefmarcela.com.   You can follower her on Twitter @ChefMarcela, or connect on Facebook.

Where To Purchase

Mexican Made Easy: Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Flavor features 100 recipes & 80 sumptuous color photographs. Is published by Clarkson Potter & debuted on September 27, 2011.

You can find Mexican Made Easy on Amazon.com for only $15.98 & in Barnes & Noble stores as well as online.

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