Salsa daddy

Martinez follows up his award-winning Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico with this paean to Mexican salsas. The book offers many traditional dips, arranged by mode of preparation, along with new twists that encourage home cooks to unleash their imaginations. He calls salsa the gateway to Mexican cooking, and his book aims to help readers gain a deeper familiarity with the basics of salsa, like types of chilis, their uses, and how they can be interchanged to enhance the flavors of different salsas. Martinez covers the basics (tomato salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole) and also introduces new ways to use fruits like kiwi, plums, and oranges in fascinating and delicious salsa combinations. Expanding on the classic pairing of salsa and chips, Martinez also explores salsas as additions to sandwiches, seafood, pasta dishes, and more. A special focus on moles and other sauces, along with a chapter on simple, salsa-based meals, such as a meatball and salsa sub, round out Martinez's thorough exploration. VERDICT A solid volume featuring an expansive take on Mexican cooking, with stunning photographs. A good addition for all collections and one that will stand the test of time.--Ron Block