Guest Author - Martha McKinnon
If you have any doubt about the current popularity of salsa in the US, all it takes is a trip down the grocery store condiment aisle for confirmation. A recent search for salsa recipe books on Amazon.com turned up dozens and dozens of books dedicated to the topic of salsa recipes with names like the Salsa Lovers Cookbook, 50 Best Salsas, Salsas That Cook, and Nueva Salsa.
I noticed that my ever-expanding cookbook collection didn't include a dedicated salsa cookbook, as I perused its overloaded shelves recently. That problem was resolved this weekend, when I attended the biggest used book sale I've ever seen. I picked up a copy of The Great Salsa Book by Mark Miller, founder of the acclaimed Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, for $.50. A little research revealed that this book, which was first published in 1994, is the most popular salsa cookbook on Amazon, still selling for more than $11 (new), with used copies available at significant discounts.
Although, I didn't need Amazon to tell me that this 160-page salsa cookbook with one hundred recipes and accompanying photos was a winner, a little validation is always nice. The Great Salsa Book includes recipes for authentic Mexican salsas, as well as salsas with Mediterranean, Asian, Caribbean, and North African flavors. Each salsa recipe also includes serving suggestions and a heat scale that ranges from 0 to 10.
The Great Salsa Book begins with a brief introduction in which Miller talks about the basics of salsa and it's growing popularity, provides a history of his love affair with salsas, and then guides you with tips on creating your own salsas. The remainder of the book is dedicated to salsa recipes organized into the following categories:
*Tomato and Tomatillo Salsas
*Chile Salsas
*Tropical Salsas
*Fruit Salsas
*Bean Salsas
*Garden Salsas
*Nut, Seed, and Herb Salsas
*Ocean Salsas
*Exotic Salsas
Just scanning the Great Salsa Book causes me to salivate as I realize how a few simple fresh ingredients, thoughtfully combined, can add incredible flavor to the most basic of foods. With a few salsa recipes tucked away in your files, you never have to subject yourself to plain grilled chicken or fish again. I can hardly wait for next Thanksgiving when I plan to add cranberry-orange salsa to the traditional offerings.
A chef who clearly believes in using only the best ingredients and cooking from scratch wrote these recipes. This is illustrated in the Bean Salsas chapter, where each recipe begins with instructions for preparing dried beans. Of course, it would be easy to substitute rinsed canned beans.
Here’s a Recipe from The Great Salsa Book for you to try.
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Tropical Mango Salsa
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger juice
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon arbol chile powder or cayenne powder
In a medium size-mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly blended.
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The Great Salsa Book at Amazon
