In the vibrant and elegantly written Mexican Modern, Fiona Dunlop brings us today's Mexican cuisine, one that is alive with both the old and the new. Since its beginning, Mexican cooking has been one of the most sophisticated cuisines of the world, at times subtle, at times fiery. To those living outside of Mexico, the cuisine has seemed static, buried by the concept of Tex-Mex. As Dunlop tells us, the cuisine is "light years" from Tex-Mex, and, within Mexico, today's daring young chefs are building a "nuevo" cuisine that respects tradition while infusing the classic with new influences. This is an exciting book, one that brings such surprises and delights as a Shrimp-
Filled Avocado Ravioli or a Morelian Gaspacho made with fruit and jicama then enlivened with chili. These recipes are ground-breaking, but Mexico is a country of "street food" as well, and nothing replaces the pleasure of these foods. Acknowledging their enduring popularity, Dunlop includes recipes for the street foods even as she brings the new to our palates. Mexican Modern is an exciting blend, of recipes, just as the cuisine itself is an exciting blend of ingredients.
Understanding regional differences, many of which are still under-explored, Dunlop has sought out the trailblazing chefs in six major culinary centers of Mexican cuisines: Mexico city, Veracruz, Puebla, Michoacán and Yucatán. Attentive to the chefs who are creating this nuevo cuisine, Dunlop generously profiles each chef, all of whom speak with pride of their native cuisine and the adventure of working with classic recipes while taking them forward. Global zeal inspires chefs everywhere, and Mexico is no exception.
In Mexico City, Dunlop finds today's chefs scoffing at the heavily cream-laced foods in favor of a revival of indigenous ingredients. These are the gifts of the New World that rocked the old world and changed cooking forever. Among them are the turkey, the great blend of peppers with various degrees of heat, zucchini and their graceful blossoms. There are recipes such as a "Nationalist" Guacamole that goes beyond mashed avocado to include ricotta cheese and fresh pomegranate seeds or Fried Squid Rings with Capers and Potatoes.
In Veracruz Dunlop relishes steamy seafood offerings such as a Seafood Broth and the classic Red Snapper Veracruz, but includes such recipes as Scrambled Eggs with Yucca Blossoms or Sweet Potato and Pineapple Purée, a recipe that would give zip to any Thanksgiving table. Puebla is the home of Mole, "that almost mythical dark sauce," and Dunlop includes a definitive version of Mole, but also includes one that uses grilled ingredients - tomatillos, onion, and garlic. In Michoacán, the home of hunters and fishermen, she finds Marinated Shrimp, a form of Seviche as well as a Filo Pastry with Ricotta and Zucchini Flowers or a Mestizo Soup that is rich with the native ingredients of corn, zucchini flowers and mushrooms.
In Oaxaca, Dunlop finds chefs making such dishes such as Tuna with Soy Sauce, Ceviche-Stuffed Chilies with Passion Fruit Sauce and Duck with Shallots, Thyme, and Wild Mushrooms. In the Yucatan, she finds Cream of Cilantro Soup as a starting course, one that can be followed by a classic Slow-Baked Pork or a more innovative Grilled Pork in Orange Marinade, possibly a Marinated Turkey in Spicy Onion Broth.
Desserts go beyond region, though they reflect the region. There are recipes for Vanilla Cream, Green Fig Dessert, Morelian Cheesecake with Guava, Orange Mousse with Mezcal, Candied Papaya and Cheese.
Mixed in with the innovative are the street foods such as Sweetcorn Tamales, Quesadillas Entomatadas or Buñuelos with Brown Sugar Syrup. While the nuevo cuisine is the joy of the sophisticate, street foods will always be a part of the Mexican cuisine cherished by natives and visitors alike.
Dunlop includes a glossary of terms, a Scoville Scale for measuring the heat of peppers a, a list of suppliers, and a list of restaurants that are breaking from tradition while still upholding it. Adding to the vibrancy of the book, there are color photographs from Jean-Blaise Hall throughout, some of the luscious dishes, others of the chef's regional scenes and street life.
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