Since 1979, Los Barrios restaurant in San Antonio, Texas—the heart of Tex-Mex cuisine—has been serving up casero, or home-style, cooking that has charmed food critics and earned an impressive following. Founded with a small investment and a lot of spirit, Los Barrios built its reputation on the authenticity of its cuisine. The Los Barrios Family Cookbook offers these reputation-making recipes—from simple but impressive traditional Mex-ican dishes, many of which have been handed down and perfected through the generations, to modern Tex-Mex favorites—to fans of Southwest cuisine across the country.

Included are recipes for Mexican essentials: Homemade Flour Tortillas, Tamales, and Pico de Gallo; Barrios family specialties, such as Mama Viola’s Chicken Rice Soup and Acapulco-Style Ceviche; and the classics—Chiles Rellenos, Chalu-pas, and Enchiladas Verdes. All the recipes contain easy-to-find ingredients, and special cooking tips will help you prepare dishes at home that will be as delicious as those served in the restaurant. The Los Barrios Family Cookbook is a comprehensive and indispensable resource for food that explodes with flavor. ¡Buen provecho!

Average Customer Review: ( 20 customer reviews )
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That said...well, I'm a bit biased about Blanco Road's best eatery.

The cookbook, though, is a letdown. We bought it while paying for a meal and had it autographed (Diana was our cashier) immediately. The book has some great stories, but the recipes are watered down versions of what's on the menu. We attempted to replicate our fave foods at home (y somos talentosos en la cocina). We couldn't with the book.

It's a fun read, but it's not going to enable you to make tasty, Los Barrios-like mole at home.

31 of 36 found the following review helpful:

Good, basic Tex-MexAug 29, 2002
By Jennifer Barger
One of the people who reviewed this book below hasn't even read the book or been to the restuarant. Giving something one star under these circumstances makes no sense, and isn't useful to anyone.

Anyway, I'm a San Antonio native (now in D.C.), and I like this book. It gives really easy, very basic recipes for simple, slightly north of the border cuisine. No, you won't get mango burritos or anything wildly trendy, but you will get easy
recipes for green enchiladas and fajitas-worth the price of the book alone. I've got a large collection of Mexican and Tex Mex cookbooks, and this one gets used often.

12 of 13 found the following review helpful:

Excellent if its what you're looking for...Jul 03, 2006
By Paul Webber
I was looking for a cookbook that dealt in the basics (I had never prepared a poblano pepper for roasting before), but that also had some interesting dishes. I have never been to the restaurant so I didn't have anything to compare my results to ( not that I should anyway) and I wanted something that had a good feel to it.

Overall, I am impressed with the book for someone like myself, new to cooking actual meals, and have already created homemade corn tortillas, pico de gallo, eggs mexicana and the chicken breasts in creamy poblano sauce. My family seems pleased with the results (my tortillas were a bit thick), and I'm going to continue to use the book until I outgrow it (it may be a while).

If you are a more experienced cook, especially in Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes, then this may be a little simple for you, but if you are fairly new to the cuisine then please consider it.

Have you made nachos as a family meal but not your own pico de gallo? Then this is your book.

10 of 11 found the following review helpful:

Amazing Recipes=Amazing Tastes!Jan 20, 2004

My husband purchased this cookbook for me, because he was so impressed with how easy the recipes were. He knew of the restaurant, but we had never gone there. Now I want him to take us there! (We live in San Antonio, fortunately!) The recipes are amazing, because they require simple ingredients and do not require anything complicated. I already tried out the "Chicken Chiptotle" recipe, and my husband said it was one of the best things I have made, and I agree! It was so mouth-watering delicious! There are many other recipes in there that I want to try out. In all, the cookbook is a must-have in your kitchen! Some of the recipes may be a bit complicated, but MOST of them are very easy to do. There are appetizers, soups/salads, main entrees, side dishes, desserts, and beverage recipes. The personal comments that come with each recipes are heart-touching and makes you feel close to the author of the book. Again, a must-have cookbook!

9 of 10 found the following review helpful:

Some background info helps...Jan 18, 2006
By Andi
There's a reason why this is a Tex-mex cookbook from San Antonio, and not "authentic mexican cuisine" from Guadalajara. Tex-mex combines some of the great meals you can get south of the border with American ingredients (such as American & velveeta). Let's face it, these products melt better. So I'd stay away from this cookbook if you're looking for Mexican food instead of Tex-mex.

Also, one should keep in mind that it's not the authors back in the kitchen, and that the food has to be prepared back there to feed the hundreds of people that go through the restaurants everyday. So this will be a factor when you go to fix this in your kitchen. If you want food from Los Barrios, I'd say to go to one of the restaurants. But if you want help creating your own, the cookbook is a great place to start!

Oh, and if you like the Chimichurri, ask anyone at either of the restaurants and they'll tell you it's a secret family recipe. (But if you really want a recipe for Chimichurri, search online. That's how my aunt got her recipe.)

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