Tortillas, Tiswin & T-Bones is Gregory McNamee's absorbing survey of the ever-evolving and infinitely interesting cuisine of the American Southwest.
Tucson resident McNamee (The Ancient Southwest; Moveable Feasts) marshals research of times prehistoric to present, pulling from a mélange of fields and sources: anthropology, archeology, cookbooks and a variety of writers, chefs and other historians.
Corn, beans, squash and chiles are the foundation of Southwestern cuisine, and after compiling a history of these, McNamee examines other foods indigenous to the Americas, as well as many introduced via European conquest and colonialism. His scope even includes fusion dishes served by modern food trucks touting flavor combinations from across the globe. But the first recipe he offers? Roast Mastodon: "Skin, butcher, fillet and roast."
Equal parts authority and respect propel McNamee's writing as he investigates the web of forces that have flavored and shaped Southwestern cuisine over millennia, resulting in the ubiquity of the taco and the "Southwesternization of the American palate." He notes the 1992 shift that marked salsa outselling ketchup, as well as other relatively contemporary movements, like the story of Duncan Hines or Doritos, Michelle Obama's fondness for nachos as a Super Bowl snack, and "precolonization" menus created by Native American chefs.
In his chapter "Drink," McNamee's recipe for a margarita ends: "Imbibe. Enjoy. Repeat if desired." The same applies for his project. Engaging prose and endlessly surprising anecdotes make this collection, while thick with facts, refreshingly readable--a work to enjoy and inspire. --Katie Weed, freelance writer and reviewer