July
2002
Like the produce it encourages its readers to use, this cookbook's style is
fresh and festive. The instruction is lively, yet easy to follow.
Annotated with helpful, "Fresh Mex Tips" throughout, the brightly
illustrated book includes everything from drinks and appetizers to desserts.
In the "How to Use this Book" section, the authors claim the book contains
"about 2,867 recipes" on its 123 pages. They explain that many of the basic
recipes are building blocks for the dishes included later in the book. They
hope readers are inspired to develop original "fresh mex" creations by first
mastering the essentials, beans, rice and salsas.
Cooks are encouraged to read the recipes through before beginning as almost
every recipe contains one or more of the "fundamental" components from the
first chapter of the book. These fundamentals include Tomatillo Salsa
Verde, New Mexico Red Chile Sauce, Chipotle Puree and about twenty others.
Emphasizing that using fresh produce and limiting canned ingredients
requires a commitment of time, the "Day in the Life" section of the book
details the prep work Chevy's Chef and staff perform daily. The work is
time-consuming, but not complicated; mostly chopping, mincing, roasting and
blending. Fresh, highly flavored dishes are the worthwhile result.
The authors themselves sum up the theme of their collection best. "Fresh
Mex is a philosophy of cooking. But if you've been to Chevy's or Rio Bravo,
you know that it's also something more. It's fun. Because when we say
"fresh" we're not just talking about a perfectly ripe tomato or a beautiful
piece of fish. We're talking about a casual, open-minded, unstuffy
attitude."
And the same is true of Chevy's & Rio Bravo FRESH MEX COOKBOOK. It's
clearly yet casually and enthusiastically written. The overriding message
is clear. Make everyday a flavorful fiesta!