Publishers Weekly
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Fry, a native Texan now living in Atlanta who runs a group of 11 restaurants, and food writer Dupuy (The United Tastes of Texas) offer up 85 recipes in this solid and enticing book. Tex-Mex, the authors write, is a cuisine that "doesn't require skill as much as it demands soul" and is lovable for its "rich simplicity." It also requires a good amount of eggs and cheese, as exemplified by a breakfast dish called migas, a scramble made crunchy with the addition of tortilla chips. When it comes to chile con carne, adding beans would be an "atrocity," but mixing bacon in with the ground chuck is fine. A chapter devoted to tacos deconstructs the family favorite, from the shell-be it crispy, soft, or puffy-to the fillings (including carnitas and braised beef barbacoa) and the toppings (especially salsas). For tamales, corn husks need to be soaked overnight before being filled with beef or spicy pork; meanwhile, albóndigas-spicy meatballs-are stuffed with Oaxaca cheese. Short histories of classic foods like queso and fajitas are woven throughout, as are tantalizing photos of colorful sauces and salt-rimmed margaritas. Fry and Dupuy add an exciting kick to border cuisine. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal
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Fry, a chef and owner of several restaurants in the Atlanta area, and his coauthor Dupuy, both native Texans, want you to take Tex-Mex cuisine seriously. It's more than jarred salsa, canned refried beans, and fast food slogans. Its origins may be a bit murky, and the terminology can be confusing (just how does Cali-Mex fit into it, anyway?), but, when done right, the food is delicious. Inspirational photographs and the book's charming design adds to the fun. All of the recipes are doable for the home cook, though there are some chef-like touches, such as making large batches of spice pastes and tortillas from scratch, and using compound butters on grilled oysters. The section on grilling is particularly serious-and delicious-looking. Throughout, Fry intersperses short vignettes on Tex-Mex dishes, ingredients, and techniques. While Rob Walsh's The Tex-Mex Cookbook has a more historical focus, Fry's is up-to-date with today's palate and includes additional recipes for traditional Mexican dishes and flavors, which have become more mainstream. VERDICT For anyone looking to up their taco and enchilada game.-Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.