Authentic Mexican 20th Anniversary Ed: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico    by Rick Bayless & Deann Groen Bayless Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2007 (2007) Hardcover      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Twenty years ago, Rick Bayless, along with his wife Deann Groen Bayless, published Authentic Mexican Regional Cooking. By so doing, they brought to the American palate flavors and textures that were not in plentiful supply in kitchens or restaurants. They traveled to each of the thirty-one districts of Mexico to discover their authentic regional cooking and ingredients. Now they have updated this wonderful source reference, recognizing that so much of what was foreign to the American cook now is at our fingertips. And, believe me, my fingertips could not move fast enough. There are enough mouth-watering recipes here to last anyone for the rest of their days. Explaining the differences between Mexican and Mexican-American cooking, the cookbook then segues to the Mexican Culinary Heritage and how Mexican food came to be. Ranging from Sauces and Condiments to Enchiladas and Their Relatives to Moles to Desserts, the recipes will have you rushing out to the market to begin your exposure to some really fine cooking and eating. According to the Baylesses, salsa now outsells tomato catsup! Some very fine salsa recipes are offered, along with a list of ingredients for each, as well as time and preparation hints. This holds true for each and every recipe in this chock-full book. I haven't room here to report to you on all the recipes I fell in love with. But here are some examples – Cold Chicken and Avocado with Chile Chipotle; Deep-Fried Cheese Quesadillas; Chile-Marinated Vegetable Tostados; Chile-Bathed Fish Grilled in Cornhusks; Charcoal-Grilled Corn with Cream Cheese and Chile; Sweet Fresh-Cheese Pie. If that isn't enough to set the old taste buds twanging, I don't know what would. Authentic Mexican is a beautiful book that deserves a place of honor on your cookbook shelf. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews