Ford Fry’s first book, Tex-Mex ($29.99, Clarkson Potter), fulfills my cookbook checklist of must-haves and even added a new requirement: it’s food-focused, not chef-focused. In all 256 pages of Fry’s cookbook, you will only find two photos of him, which are in the last few pages.

This intentional decision sets the tone that this book is not about the chef/owner of Superica in South End, among many other restaurants. Tex-Mex is about Tex-Mex cuisine, period. What Fry has done is reintroduce the concept of what a cookbook is supposed to be: the food itself, the recipes, and the techniques and ingredients required to achieve the cuisine. His modern spin is in the form of bright, vibrant colors and fonts and brilliant photos and imagery to draw you in and encourage you to start cooking.

(You can purchase Ford Fry’s book, Tex-Mex here.)

Tex-Mex is a no ego cookbook, indicated by the dedication: “This book is dedicated to the many cooks, servers, dishwashers, and table bussers who sustained Texas’ big-city restaurants over the years…” This book is not for Fry, it’s not for his family. It is for the people who have tirelessly kept Tex-Mex alive regardless of fame or fortune but rather for culture and community.

At first glance, the cover of the cookbook pops with neon pink and yellow text over a cover image of fried tacos on paper plates and a beer. There’s little  “chef-y” about this book; its Tex-Mex cuisine is the real deal. There are 11 chapters, three of which focus on the history of Tex-Mex and the ingredients and techniques needed for the cuisine. The remaining chapters are all about the food with little anecdotes about each dish and its history.

Each recipe has a photo, and the explanation of each makes you realize Tex-Mex is an unsung American cuisine that needs to be taken seriously and respected. The attention to detail of simplifying the directions for the recipes is masterful. Fry really knows how to communicate a recipe for a novice or a professional cook.

The standout chapters are Desayuno (breakfast) and Al Carbon (to the coals), both simple straight forward chapters with bold recipes that could have easily been folded into other chapters. Instead, Fry makes a statement that these chapters deserve their own attention. That is what makes Tex-Mex such a great cookbook. Everything is celebrated: the culture, the food, and the emotion that Tex-Mex embodies.

I love this cookbook. It will absolutely stay at the top of my cookbook library and be used regularly. As a kid who grew up in the Southwest enjoying Tex-Mex, Ford Fry has stirred up a lot of food memories I had forgotten, bringing back to life my love of where I’m from. Do yourself a favor and add this cookbook to your library. Use it to celebrate and to make memories while communing over family-style enchiladas, tacos, and a few bebidas, Ford Fry-style. –Justin Burke-Samson

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