Salsas That Cook: Using Classic Salsas To Enliven Our Favorite Dishes [Deckle Edge] [Paperback]

There's a lot more going on with salsa than its traditional role as a dip or dunk for corn chips. Rick Bayless, author of the bestselling Mexican Kitchen, is on a mission to prove to home cooks everywhere that this spicy sauce adds oomph to pasta, zest to meats, passion to potatoes, and invigoration to vegetables. Bayless takes six salsas (which can be made in the comfort of your own home or bought via mail order) and then uses them in more than 50 recipes, including a fiery tequila chaser! His Layered Tortilla Lasagna with Greens and Cheese captures a piece of both Italy and Mexico for one tasty little number. Chipolte-Cascabel Salsa is the key ingredient, which is combined with tortillas, three cheeses, heavy cream, corn, spinach, and mushrooms. Following the simple step-by-step instructions, you can concoct this as a main course for 8 or as appetizers for 16 in less than an hour. Even salad benefits from a brush with salsa. Particularly captivating is Bayless's Poblano Roasted Vegetable Salad with Peppery Watercress. Here a colorful combination of beets, fennel, watercress, potatoes, salted farmer cheese, and the Roasted Poblano Tomato salsa make for a wild and wonderful salad. Even desserts put in an appearance, although they are salsa-free!

Full-color photographs and many innovative ideas for spicing up mealtimes make Salsas That Cook a flavorsome addition to the home kitchen. --Naomi Gesinger

Bayless (Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, winner of the 1997 Julia Child Cookbook of the Year Award) courts the many cooks short on time with recipes that incorporate six salsas (such as the Roasted Jalape?o-Tomato Salsa or Chipotle-Cascabel Salsa with Roasted Tomatoes and Tomatillos), which can be prepared either in advance and refrigerated or purchased (Bayless recommends his own brand). Mexican-inspired dishes like Open-Face Quesadillas with Mushrooms, Olives, Salsa and Greens and Chilaquiles (tortilla casserole) with Spinach, Zucchini and Aged Cheese naturally work well. Also particularly successful are more familiar dishes to which salsa adds zip: Chipotle Mashed Potatoes, Slow-Grilled Turkey Breast with Mediterranean Salsa, Smoky Glazed Ham for a Crowd. The inclusion of salsa in every dish is usually a harmless gimmick; although in the introduction Bayless claims these dishes are quickly assembled by those who have salsa on hand, some entrees like Robust Beef Brisket with Red Chile and Winter Vegetables require long periods in the oven. Bayless offers sweet desserts that complement the spicy entrees like Frontera's Chocolate Pecan Bars and Texas Sheet Cake. Good Cook alternate.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bayless, chef/owner of Chicago's Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, is also the author of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen (LJ 11/15/96) and the now-classic Authentic Mexican (LJ 12/86). His latest book is less ambitious than either of these but more conducive to spur-of-the-moment cooking, for here are 60 easy recipes that get their bold flavors from prepared salsa?preferably prepared ahead at home, using one of the six recipes Bayless provides, but in most cases, high-quality store-bought will also do the trick. He encourages readers to think of salsa as a flavoring ingredient, not just a condiment, and he adds it to Green Chili Crab Cakes, Peppery Pan-Seared Steaks, and even Macaroni and Cheese. Bayless says these are the kind of dishes he cooks for casual entertaining, and his inviting recipes should inspire others to do the same. For most collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM AMERICA'S LEADING AUTHORITY ON DEFINITIVE MEXICAN COOKING COMES A BRAND-NEW COLLECTION OF RECIPES BASED ON SIX CLASSIC, VERSATILE SALSAS, EACH FEATURING THE FLAVOR OF A DIFFERENT CHILE.

Salsas That Cook is a breakthrough in contemporary American cooking. Here, Mexico's classic salsas get put to work in our kitchens in the same way we use a variety of international condiments, from teriyaki sauce to balsamic vinegar, to enliven and redefine the flavor of many American favorites. While most of us have enjoyed salsas as chip dips, salsas show great versatility when weaving complex flavor into simple dishes, from pasta to potatoes to meats, fish and vegetables.

Salsas embody the essence of Mexican flavor: the lusciousness of slow-roasted tomatoes, the full-flavored spice of chiles, the fragrance of cilantro and the mellow sweetness of garlic. Rick Bayless, the country's leading progenitor of real Mexican cooking, writes the six salsa recipes with such detail and personality that even beginning cooks will turn out masterful creations.

The uniqueness of this book, though, is in the way these six salsas are used. Here they give their pizzazz to chile-glazed roast chicken, grilled pork tenderloin and seared sea scallops with jalapeño cream. Familiar Mexican favorites have always used salsas for vitality, and many are here, from tangy guacamole to tortilla soup and grilled chicken tacos. In Salsas That Cook, the magic of Mexico transcends all borders.

Rick Bayless is the coauthor of Authentic Mexican and Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, for which he won the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award. He is also co-owner, with his wife, Deann, of two award-winning restaurants in Chicago and is a partner in Frontera Foods.

Roasted Jalapeño-Tomato salsa with fresh cilantro

This is our salsa closest to the classic home-style Mexican salsa de molcajete that's made from roasted garlic and chiles pounded in a lava-rock mortar (molcajete) with roasted tomatoes. Even though we've updated the equipment for the modern American kitchen, that perfect blend of sweetness (roasted garlic and tomatoes) and raciness (roasted jalapeños) is what you'll spoon out. The final addition of fresh cilantro and a drizzle of vinegar focuses the whole experience: This is just what most Americans wish they were getting when they open a jar with that ubiquitous "salsa" label. Made with plum tomatoes, your salsa will have a more homogeneous texture -- just right for using the salsa as an ingredient in other dishes. Because round tomatoes give a looser texture, choose them when you want a condiment to set on the table.

FOR 2 1/2 CUPS

Ripe tomatoes, preferably plum

1 1/2 pounds (about 10 medium plum)

Fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed

2 to 3 (1 to 1 1/2 ounces)

White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 small (2 ounces)

Garlic cloves, peeled

4

Water

about 1/4 cup

Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

1/3 cup

Salt

1 generous teaspoon

Cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons

FOR 5 CUPS

Ripe tomatoes, preferably plum

3 pounds (about 20 medium plum)

Fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed

4 to 6 (2 to 3 ounces)

White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 small (4 ounces)

Garlic cloves, peeled

8

Water

about 1/2 cup

Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

2/3 Cup

Salt

2 generous teaspoons

Cider vinegar

1 tablespoon

FOR 7 1/2 CUPS

Ripe tomatoes, preferably plum

4 1/2 pounds (about 3O medium plum)

Fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed

6 to 9 (3 to 4 1/2 ounces)

White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 medium (6 ounces)

Garlic cloves, peeled

12

Water

about 1/4 cup

Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

I cup

Salt

1 generous tablespoon

Cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons

0. Heat the broiler. Lay the whole tomatoes and jalapeños out on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Set the pan 4 inches below the broiler and broil for about 6 minutes, until darkly roasted -- even blackened in spots -- on one side (the tomato skins will split and curl in places). With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatoes and chiles and roast the other side for another 6 minutes or so. The goal is not simply to char the tomatoes and chiles but to cook them through while developing nice roasty flavors. Set aside to cool.

1. Turn the oven down to 425 degrees. Separate the onions into rings. On a similar pan or baking sheet, combine the onion and garlic. Roast in the oven, stirring carefully every couple of minutes, until the onions are beautifully browned and wilted (even have a touch of char on some of the edges) and the garlic is soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes total. Cool to room temperature.

2. For a little less rustic texture or if you're canning the salsa, pull off the peels from the cooled tomatoes and cut out the "cores" where the stems were attached, working over your baking sheet so as not to waste any juices. In a food processor, pulse the jalapeños (no need to peel or seed them) with the onion and garlic until moderately finely chopped, scraping everything down with a spatula as needed to keep it all moving around. Scoop into a big bowl. Without washing the processor, coarsely puree the tomatoes -- with all the juice that has accumulated around them -- and add them to the bowl. Stir in enough water to give the salsa an easily spoonabie consistency. Stir in the cilantro.

3. Taste and season with salt and vinegar, remembering that this condiment should be a little feisty in its seasoning. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour it into a bowl and it's ready, or refrigerate it covered and use within 5 days. If you're canning or freezing the salsa, please see page 21.

Variation:

Roasted Habanero-Tomato Salsa:

To make this very spicy, distinctively flavored salsa, replace the jalapeños with 2/4/6 stemmed habanero chiles (here I prefer the fruitier flavor of the orange habaneros to the less ripe -- even grassy -- flavor of the greens).

Other Fresh Chile Possibilities:

Habanero (orange or green), serrano, Santa Fe, Fresno, fresh pequin, Hungarian wax, fresh arbol, cayenne, Tabasco, as well as most small hot fresh chiles.

Dishes You Can Make With This Salsa:

Salsa-Baked Coat Cheese (page 41), Classic Red Tomato Rice (page 62), Breakfast Enchiladas (page 68), Today's Macaroni and Cheese (page 72), Toasty Fideos (Vermicelli) with Roasted Tomato, Black Beans and Chard (page 74), Spicy Jalapeño Beef Tips (page 97). Seared Sea Scallops with Jalapeño Cream (page 106)

Copyright © 1998 by Richard Lane Bayless

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa with serranos, roasted onions and cilantro

The native American husk-covered "tomato" known as tomatillo (it's a relative of the vining little ground cherry that grows wild all over the United States) is tang personified. But when you roast it, you mellow its precocious flavor into zesty richness. Serrano chiles deliver a fresh-green bite, while cilantro adds just the right herbal punch. If you've shied away from green salsas, finding them acrid and briny, try this very fresh tasting roasted tomatillo salsa and you'll be won back.

For 2 cups

Tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 pound (7 medium)

Fresh serrano chiles, stemmed

4 to 5 (3/4 to 1 ounce)

White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 small (4 ounces)

Garlic cloves, peeled

3

Water

about 1/2 cup

Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

1/3 cup

Salt

about 1 teaspoon

Sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon

For 4 cups

Tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 pounds (about 14 medium)

Fresh serrano chiles, stemmed

8 to 10 (1 1/2 to 2 ounces)

White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 large (8 ounces)

Garlic cloves, peeled

6

Water

about 1 cup

Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

2/3 cup

Salt

about 2 teaspoons

Sugar (optional)

2 teaspoons

For 6 cups

Tomatillos, husked and rinsed

3 pounds (21 medium)

Fresh serrano chiles, stemmed

12 to 15 (2 1/2 to 3 ounces)

White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 medium (12 ounces)

Garlic cloves, peeled

9

Water

about 1 1/2 cups

Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

1 cup

Salt

about 1 tablespoon

Sugar (optional)

1 tablespoon

0. Heat the broiler. Lay the whole tomatillos and serranos on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Set the pan 4 inches below the broiler and let roast until the tomatillos are softened and splotchy black in places (the skins will split), about 5 minutes; your goal is to cook the tomatillos through while they roast, which means they'll change from light bright green to olive green on the top side. With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatillos and chiles and roast the other side for another 4 to 5 minutes or so. Set aside to cool.

1. Turn the oven down to 425 degrees. Separate the onion into rings and, on a similar pan or baking sheet, combine them with the garlic. Place in the oven. Stir carefully every couple of minutes, until the onions are beautifully browned. (They're going to look wilted and translucent, even have a touch of char on some of the edges.) The garlic should feel soft and be browned in spots. The total roasting time will be about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

2. In a food processor, place the onion-garlic mixture and the serranos, and pulse until moderately finely chopped, scraping everything down with a spatula as needed to keep it all moving. Scoop the mixture into a large bowl. Without washing the processor, coarsely puree the tomatillos with their juice -- no need to peel off their darkened skin or cut out their cores. Stir them into the chiles. Stir in enough water to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. Stir in the cilantro.

3. Taste and season highly with salt. Taste again and, if you like, add just enough sugar to take the edge off the bright tanginess of the tomatillos. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour it into a bowl and it's ready, or refrigerate it covered and use within 5 days. If you're canning or freezing the salsa, please see page 21.

Other Fresh Chile Possibilities:

Jalapeño, Santa Fe, Fresno, fresh pequin, finger hots, Hungarian wax.

Dishes You Can Make With This Salsa:

Tangy Green Guacamole (page 40), Emerald Corn Chowder (page 53), Tangy Lentil Salad (page 58), Scalloped Potatoes (page 64), Open-Face Chorizo Potato Omelet (page 67), Tomatillo-Baked Chicken Breasts (page 85), Tomatillo-Braised Pork Loin (page 98), Green Chile Crab Cakes (page 107)

Copyright © 1998 by Richard Lane Bayless