Chef and teacher Rick Bayless provides the inspiration and guidance that home cooks have needed, from essential recipes and explorations of Mexico's many chiles to quick-to-prepare everyday dishes and pull-out-the-stops celebration fare. He begins by introducing the building blocks of Mexican cooking. Cultural background and practical tips help readers to understand these preparations and make them their own. He includes familiar American recipes with innovative Mexican accents, details the simple techniques for getting the best out of every kind of chile, and guides us through a range of richly flavored regional Mexican dishes, combining down-home appeal and convivial informality with simple culinary elegance.--From publisher description.