Flavors of the Southwest / Oser, Robert

Southwestern cooking is much more than the Americanization of Mexican foods. Both cuisines are based on a fusion of Spanish and Native American ingredients and cooking methods, but immigrants to the U.S. at the turn of the century brought ingredients and dishes from their native lands to the kitchens of the American Southwest. The result is a unique regional cuisine that is growing in popularity due to its bold flavors and festive presentation.

Currently, Southwestern cuisine is embodying today’s revolution in cooking and eating, substituting vegetarian foods such as tofu and tempeh in traditional meat dishes, as well as incorporating shitake and Portobello mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar for other traditional ingredients. Flavors of the Southwest breaks down the limits of how Southwestern cuisine is defined, offering new ideas for delicious, healthful recipes that are also easy to prepare.