Tomato and Sweet Corn Soup
When I was a little boy my favorite soup was always Campbell’s Tomato, served with a grilled cheese. The Lime Crema, with or without the lime zest, is also nice with fish.
The Elote Cafe Cookbook V2
Elote Cafe Cookbook V2 replaces/updates the Elote Cafe Notebook. The original review is below.
Editor’s Note: This second volume has an extensive section on margaritas and tequila-based drinks including Elote Cafe’s not-so-basic Fresh Lime Mix (featuring orange juice to give it a tropical note), a variety of other mixes with custom half-shot floaters and melded margaritas that can be made in large batches for entertaining.
To order, see elotecafe.com.
Chef Smedstad’s The Elote Cafe Notebook is a 10-years-in-the-making follow-up to his first book, the Elote Cafe Cookbook. Both of his books feature dishes from the cafe (including many of his daily specials), but the new notebook also includes a major chapter on cocktails (revolving around tequila and margaritas).
After observing his Elote Cafe customers’ imbibing habits, Smedstad’s bartending advice is to create a goodsized drink: “The reality is that about 90% of the people who come in my restaurant are looking for a generously poured drink that will get them by for more than a couple of minutes. The variations are practically endless (you should see my notebook scratchings) but always remember, make them large with lots of ice and plenty of booze.”
That quirky sense of humor and observation is evident throughout the oft-times rambling notebook, but that randomness works. One minute you’re in Smedstad’s North Dakota grandmother’s kitchen making just-picked corn cakes, in the next you’re cooking Mexican-influenced smoked pork cheeks in cascabel chile sauce and in the third you’re putting them both together with buttermilk cumin drizzle and spicy cabbage kale garnish. Whew!
But don’t worry, most of the recipes are much simpler and easier for a home cook to tackle. Smedstad told me he’d really gotten into heirloom beans in the Notebook, and that’s evident with a whole chapter devoted to just rice, beans and corn. There are plenty of small dishes and snacks along with the substantial mains.
And, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that the book’s design is as fun and quirky as its text. From the corn-tortilla-textured cover to the brightly colored, bygone-era, sultry Mexican movie posters dotting the pages, you can tell that editor, designer, producer Carol Haralson was happy to be along for the show.
Find it
350 Jordan Rd.
Sedona, AZ
86336
928.203.0105
Communities Near You
Related Stories & Recipes
Frozen Margaritas
When it’s 100°-plus out here in Arizona, sometimes an ice cream bucket filled with frozen margaritas can help.