As lovers of Southwestern and Tex-Mex cuisines — oh, no, they are not the same at all — Suzi and I are fans of Jane Butel who for 35 years has been writing books about both these monuments to chiles and spice. We enjoy all of her many books but particularly this one: Fiesta for Four Seasons. In this volume from 1996, Jane took extra step. There are recipes here, of course, but now organized by season into complete meals.
For example, this post is going up on April 9 and it’s raining outside — which is better than snowing. In Jane’s chapter for Spring, you find A Spicy Lunch for a Rainy Day complete with
Strawberry Spritzers
Black Bean Salsa with Tortilla Toasts
Herb-Based Grilled Rib Lamb Chops with Mint Tomatillo Salsa on Seared Red Chard
Roasted Garlicky Mashed Potatoes with Wild Mushrooms
Deep Dish Apple Pie
Espresso
Peach pie in April? Jane is always pragmatic and, yes, frozen peaches are in play. Beyond the recipes here, Jane provides you a complete game plan for this feast. What to do on the preceding day, two hours before, and at serving time. If you are a kitchen novice or nervous about entertaining, this book is nirvana and salvation, all in one volume.
You can, of course, pick and choose recipes. Here are some of the Southwestern ideas that so typify Jane’s culinary taste:
Tomatillo-Cilantro Cream Soup
Texas Frontier Cake [buttermilk and cocoa of course!]
Sweet Red Peppered Rice
Jalapeno Martinis
Breakfast Burritos with Blue Corn Crepes and Blue Cheese-Chile Sauce
Green-Chile-Laced Queso Fundido
Green Chile Relleno Salad
Chipotle Corn Flans
Tortilla Avocado Soup
Whether you simply sample a recipe here and there, or go for the whole meal concept, this is a cookbook that will give you food with distinction and probably some heat. Jane’s focus is devoted to teaching this regional cuisine. She’s been succeeding for decades and Fiestas for Four Seasons is surely proof.
I’ll be posting some recipes from this book for you, but you should consider tracking down a copy. On Amazon, the used ones start at a mere $0.01 and new at $4.91. You can spend $4.91 at Starbucks and still feel hungry. With Jane, I promise warm satisfaction.