Tex-Mex: Traditions, Innovations, and Comfort Foods from Both Sides of the Border

Fry, a native Texan now living in Atlanta who runs a group of 11 restaurants, and food writer Dupuy (The United Tastes of Texas) offer up 85 recipes in this solid and enticing book. Tex-Mex, the authors write, is a cuisine that “doesn’t require skill as much as it demands soul” and is lovable for its “rich simplicity.” It also requires a good amount of eggs and cheese, as exemplified by a breakfast dish called migas, a scramble made crunchy with the addition of tortilla chips. When it comes to chile con carne, adding beans would be an “atrocity,” but mixing bacon in with the ground chuck is fine. A chapter devoted to tacos deconstructs the family favorite, from the shell—be it crispy, soft, or puffy—to the fillings (including carnitas and braised beef barbacoa) and the toppings (especially salsas). For tamales, corn husks need to be soaked overnight before being filled with beef or spicy pork; meanwhile, albóndigas—spicy meatballs—are stuffed with Oaxaca cheese. Short histories of classic foods like queso and fajitas are woven throughout, as are tantalizing photos of colorful sauces and salt-rimmed margaritas. Fry and Dupuy add an exciting kick to border cuisine. [em](Apr.) [/em]