Reviews for The Good Life: New Mexico Traditions and Food

The average rating for The Good Life: New Mexico Traditions and Food based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-10-12 00:00:00 Bob Smith I read about this book in Huntley Dent's excellent Feast of Santa Fe. It's been on my "to read" list for a really long time and then I realized that the library had it, just when I was casting around for something food-ish to read. This is a charming book with the first half made up of stories about a typical New Mexican family and their food preparation. Though not written for children, there was something in it that reminded me of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder with their fascinating details of pioneer life. It covers harvesting chiles, special events like weddings or wakes, and various other food-centric events. The last half has the recipes, in typical old fashioned brevity. There are no lengthy instructions, but simple directions. There is something freeing in this if one thinks about it. The cook is not left to match up to another cook's standards, but to give it a try themselves. And if they like the results, they are free to try to improve it or match it next time. It is a brief book but I enjoyed it a lot.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-06-22 00:00:00 Patrick H Jones An interesting little book. Essentially a cookbook, there is actually a short story at the beginning to illustrate when these recipes were traditionally used, how items were made, and the amount of work that could go into one day's cooking and the planning needed when harvesting wild plants. This story could easily be read by children. The recipes are fascinating. There are some I will never try, but I do want to get some rennet and try the basic cheese recipe. Several of the recipes using cheese sound delicious, as do some of the sandwiches, the sponge cake, etc. I may never follow these exactly, but I have some new ideas. I absolutely love broiled/peeled/chopped Anaheim chiles. Next time I get some I think I will be having a cheese and green chile sandwich (p. 70). Yum.