The The Best of New Mexico Kitchens

If you have ever wanted to duplicate the food from your favorite New Mexico restaurant in your kitchen, this book is for you.

Probably the most unusual southwestern cookbook ever compiled, it features an assortment of recipes as eclectic as the state's cultures, many of them contributed by well-known New Mexico chefs.

The recipe for refried beans comes from Philomena's restaurant in Los Alamos: it is followed by instructions for preparing the world-famous chile served at the Owl Bar & Cafe in San Antonio.

Also represented are dishes like poulet marengo from more glamorous Santa Fe restaurants such as La Tertulia and the Pink Adobe, along with such obscure regional specialties as Hobbs barbecued ribs, Silver City sausage, and Carlsbad casserole. The book concludes with a selection of recipes donated by some of the state's best known citizens.

Now you can make lentil soup the way Frank Waters does, atole a la Rudolfo Anaya, and chile rellenos in tempura batter according to the instructions provided by Roy Nakayama, New Mexico State University's world-famous chile expert.

For your friends who are not lucky enough to live in New Mexico, a list of mail-order sources for New Mexico cooking supplies is included.