As a former chef, I look for well-written instructions as well as creative dishes in a cookbook, and this book has both in spades. It has many "basics" such as their salsas, ranchero, and chipotle sauces which are then used in combinations to create other dishes. The book also has simple charts that help novices to this cuisine create their own masterpieces by "mixing and matching" ingredients. There are many classic recipes for enchiladas as well as edgier dishes such as grilled pineapple salsa and seared ahi salad. YUM!

For party-givers, there are plenty of novel ideas of how to host a Cinco de Mayo party, complete with their Taquini and appetizer recipes, as well as decoration ideas.

Plus, the book does generously give away Chevy's trade secrets, such as the secret ingredient in their carnitas (you'll be surprised!) and is written with a sense of humor which makes reading fun but not forced.

Finally, the book is visually stunning -- excellent layout and typography make this an ideal book for a gift -- or for yourself, like I'm about to do!

18 of 18 found the following review helpful:

Absolutely delicious.....and THEN SOME!!  Feb 11, 2003
By M. Jolley "Freakin' Gypsy"
I recently moved from my home state of California, where authentic Panaderias were just a hop, skip, and a jump away. When I moved to Nebraska, the Mexican food was and still is absoultely tasteless, greasy, and horrible.
I purchased this book a few weeks ago, basing my judgement on all the many times I have eaten at Chevy's back home.
I have been searching for a good Pico de Gallo recipe for about 2 years and found one in this recipe book. It only took me about 10 minutes to make and when I dipped my tortilla chip into this chunky salsa, I literally fell on the floor and could not believe how good it was!! (I ate the whole batch in about 30 minutes) Also, I could not believe that I made this! Mexican cooking has always been intimidating to me, because of all of the time, patience, and effort that goes into preparing authentic mexican dishes.
This cook book is colorful, filled with delicious recipes, beautiful photos, and helpful tips and tricks that make cooking Mexican, from scratch no less, easier that I thought could be done!! Also, there aren't many Mexican specialty grocery stores in Nebraska and I have found all of the ingredients listed in the recipes in the Hispanic Foods isle at my grocery store.

If you love fresh Mexican food, made from fresh ingredients, GET THIS BOOK!!

16 of 16 found the following review helpful:

Highly recommended!  Oct 05, 2000
By tanaya hale
As a LOVER of Chevy's restaraunt food...I HAD to have this book when it came out! It has all ready earned its keep on my cookbook shelf. I was so pleased to see all my Chevys favorites from the salsa, to their Margaritas. I have used this book on at least a dozen occasions in the past two months...that is a big workout for a cookbook in my house! You will be pleased with the layout as well as the step by step instructions. Alot of the the recipes are time consuming but well worth it. They even give their secret to having a fluffy masa in your tamales. Just because I have this book does not mean I won't be visiting my favorite restaraunt, but it does mean that if I have that fresh salsa and chip craving at midnight I can take care of it myself. :) Big thumbs up!

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

I love this cookbook!  Oct 25, 2000
By Karen C. Greenlee
Most of my favorite foods all in one place! Yum! Most of the recipes are easy to prepare & the basics can be prepared ahead of time. I'm a vegetarian and don't often buy non-vegetarian cookbooks, but this is one I did. There are a number of vegetarian recipes and the condiments, salsas, sauces, etc. can be used in other recipes, including those of your own creation. I've tried several recipes, and they've all turned out great!

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Authentic flavors and easy to use.  Apr 09, 2002

We were recently in the Phoenix area and ate dinner at Chevy's, where I saw the cookbook on display. I brought it home and we have been eating terrific Fresh Mex food for 2 weeks now! I have other southwestern/Mexican cookbooks, and I think this one is the best. It is very user-friendly, and the recipes are versatile. They lend themselves well to creative improvisation as well, if one is so inclined. The book does a good job of explaining some ingredients previously unknown to me, and even tells you how to cheat with canned goods, if you don't want to be a purist about "fresh mex". A great little book that packs a lot of information in it for the size and the price.

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