#TheUltimateTortillaPressCookbook #NetGalley

This book is fabulous. Dotty teaches us how to make homemade tortillas with natural ingredients. Also, the book contains facts about tortillas and over 100 delicious recipes. Very good to try with margaritas.

TITLE: I wish this book had been available when I first got interested in making my own tortillas

If you do not have another cookbook dealing with tortillas, this is a great, all-encompassing, book that covers all the basics: From choosing equipment, to recipes for making tortillas, and how to fill them and top them. There is nothing exceptionally innovative, unusual or exotic in these recipes, but that is not a bad thing: This book will give you a firm base for your own experimentation with tortilla flavors and fillings. And if you don’t care to experiment, this book will still give you plenty of recipes and combinations to work with for years to come.

The author has a personable style of writing, and it is obvious that she enjoys teaching and is earnest about conveying instructions precisely.

Seems like she covers all the bases and does not assume any experience level. But while not making any assumption about how much a reader may or may not know, she is able to avoid talking down to those more experienced.

Covers both corn and flour tortilla-making techniques--separate from the recipes. So, if you are at the stage where you've already tried to make your own tortillas, yet aren't succeeding too well, this books will definitely help you out. The author instills confidence, too! (Be forewarned, though: You may still end up deciding that it's easier to buy hand-made and flavored tortillas in a grocery store or restaurant......)

Interspersed among the recipes are good tips for all kinds of situations. For instance, how to keep lots of tortillas hot; how to assemble, how to roll and fold, how to fry a bowl shape.

There are recipes for basic corn and flour tortillas, plus many ideas for additions to the basics. Also a recipe for nixtamal.

There are recipes for blue corn tortillas, gorditas and sopes, gluten-free flour tortillas, sweet potato and squash tortillas, rice, bean, and grain tortillas.

There is a chapter for rolled and folded tortillas, with lots of “reasonable” filling recipes, but none too far-fetched. There's a good assortment of sauces and salsas.

There is a chapter on what else to use tortillas for: Nachos, chips, chalupas, flautas, quesadillas. Tacos, burritos, chimichangas and gorditas have their own chapter. So do enchaladas, fajitas and salads. So, you can see--everything possible is covered.

I was also very happy to see a chapter on soups—soups that “beg” for a side of tortillas, in the words of the author. We love soup in our house and there are some nice ones included here.

Page layout, type style and size, numbered and spaced instructions/steps: All make it easy on the eyes and easy for the brain to follow. There are well-done four-color pictures, too.

Having personally gone through the process of choosing and buying a tortilla press, I think this author gives good advice, and that advice—if you take it—will save you time and money: In my experience, aluminum presses break, the CucinaPro electric is nifty, but still needs a comal to cook the tortilla properly, (and I’ve given my CucinaPro away). Cast iron, (Victoria), in my opinion, is really the way to go. And I’ve not tried the Saachi SA1650 Electric Tortilla Maker.

*I received a temporary download of this cookbook from the publisher prior to its publication.

Homemade tortillas are nothing like the store bought variety, and, thanks to Dottie Griffith in her excellent cookbook, The Ultimate Tortilla Press Cookbook: 125 Recipes for All Kinds of Make-Your-Own Tortillas--and for Burritos, Enchiladas, Tacos, and More, anyone can make them successfully at home. While the book shows how to make corn tortillas which are generally thought of as more difficult, there is a primer on flour tortillas as well. The step-by-step instructions are excellent, and there are several recipes for different varieties such as Blue Corn Tortillas, Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Flour Tortillas, and Black Bean Tortillas. There are several recipes for tortillas made with different grains, as well as gluten-free tortillas.

Besides tortillas, the book features fillings, sauces, salsas, and specialty items such as Ground Beef Filling, Beef Brisket Filling, and Fajita Filling. There is also a recipe for homemade chorizo sausage. Also included are recipes for basic beans, an excellent New Mexico Red Chili Sauce, Mole, and a delicious tomatillo salsa which can be prepared either cooked or uncooked (we like the cooked version and it lasts longer in the refrigerator). There are several other salsas, too, as well as sauces for dozens of yummy Mexican main dishes.

For those who love Mexican-style munchies, the book features recipes for Nachos, Flautas, Quesadillas, and other snack-type specialties. The recipes are easy to follow and are cook-friendly so that almost anyone can successfully make them. Interesting articles like The History of Tortillas, and trivia make the book a fun read, too.

Quite honestly, this is a “must have” cookbook with step-by-step basics, mouthwatering meal ideas, and almost anything imaginable to put on a tortilla. Highly recommended, this book will be used constantly.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Some great ideas here! My tortilla press is in storage from my move, so I haven't been able to recipe test yet, but I will.

Finally! The perfect guide to making this ancient food.

If like me, you came to tortillas simply because they were on a supermarket shelf or were being offered in a restaurant and therefore you had absolutely no idea how to make them then stress no more!

Dotty Griffith has produced a truly wonderful recipe book on how to make flatbreads (of all descriptions) and taken the mystery out of producing them. As she says at the beginning of the book, “Pre-Columbian tortilla history goes back an estimated 10,000 years to the Mesoamerica, where Mayans made tortillas from ground corn. The Aztecs continued the tradition, as did the Incas of South America.”

The recipes include making this wonderful flatbread using so many different methods and of course, the fillings that we love to wrap the tortillas, burritos, enchiladas or tacos around. There is even a section on puddings!

The reason the word “Press” is in the title is because one needs to use a press, either a manual one or an electric one to get the bread – flat.

This is an absolute must for people who like me, might not like bread, and find this type of “bread” far more satisfying.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Part one gives a short history of the tortilla, plus an introductory guide to help you decide which kind of press you need in your kitchen. Everything you need to know to make homemade tortillas right in your own kitchen. This section also provides lots of different recipes and variations for making your own tortillas.

Part two is filled with mouthwatering recipes that you can prepare using your homemade tortillas. Of course, store bought tortillas can be substituted in these recipes. I think the recipe section alone is worth the price of the book, regardless of if you ever learn how to make your own tortillas.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to make their own tortillas at home, and anyone looking for fantastic recipes for Mexican dishes. I received this as a free ARC from Quarto Publishing Group - Harvard Common Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Everything you need to know about making and using tortillas. Loved the pictures they were beautiful. I plan to buy this for my sister for her birthday

The title says it all, the ultimate guide to make your tortillas! Flour tortillas? covered. Corn tortillas? covered. New and interesting combinations? yep. Recipes where I can use my freshly made tortillas? yum, yes!. This is a practical book that teaches you everything you wish to know. From tortilla press options to meal recipes.

The first part covers the history of tortillas. It is explained in a fun and interesting way that reminded me of a Good Eats episode (I loved that show). Then it introduces the tortilla press and the new and old alternatives for achieving flat tortillas. It explains how to make them and provides recipes for traditional corn and flour tortillas as well as variations that can be made from the basic recipes. Once all the tortilla know-how is covered, it presents tortilla friendly recipes: from salsas, snacks and main meals, to soups and desserts. Not all recipes include tortillas in it, sometimes they are recipes that go really well accompanied by tortillas. Expect to find traditional recipes like burritos, nachos, enchiladas, sopes, gorditas, fajitas, etc.

Is it the real thing?

Pretty much, yes!. It even includes the recipe for homemade nixtamal, so you can't get more authentic than that. Corn and Flour tortilla recipes are extremely simple with few ingredients, period. Even a recipe on how to prepare a glass of water will taste different in different places depending on your water source. So, it will taste as authentic as your ingredients are. One thing is for sure, home made will always taste better than anything you pull out from a plastic bag that has been sitting on a shelf for weeks.

This book is suitable for tortilla lovers who want fresh home-made tortillas because they can't get tortillas anywhere else, because they want better flavor than the ones from store, or because they want to experiment with new flavor-infused tortilla variations. Perfect gift if you want to hint someone to make tortillas for you. Even better if you include a press and the ingredients. I requested an eArc from Quarto Publishing Group – Harvard Common Press via NetGalley, Thank you!

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. My husband is Hispanic and we eat a lot of tortillas, but I never thought about trying to make them before. Have been sick with the flu recently, so have not had a chance to make anything yet. The recipes look good and seem easy to follow, with ingredients that look readily available in my area.

The Ultimate Tortilla Press Cookbook is a wonderful cookery book explaining how to make flour tortillas, and how to use them in dishes with a large selection of recipes to choose from, be it for breakfast, soup, dinner or a dessert.

The book is split into two parts. Part 1 deals with the history of the tortilla, how to make them and which press to use for the best results.

Part 2 of this book covers the filling foundations, snacks & starters, tacos plus burritos, mains, soups and desserts.

Some of the recipes are familiar such as chicken fajitas, others such as puffy tacos are new to me and do look appetizing. Some of the dishes use numerous recipes from the book, so at times you may have to make many dishes for one meal.

There is colour photography, measurements in metric & imperial and little 'cheesy' jokes. Some of the ingredients are American, such as ground beef (beef mince) and zucchini (courgette).

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

The tortillas we buy in our supermarkets in Europe are nothing like the soft and flavoursome tortillas I have eaten from street vendors in the USA. So I was delighted to try recipes from this book.

The book starts with a brief history of tortillas, then gives descriptions of types of presses. I liked the personal comment from the author as to recommendations based on her own experience.

The step by step instructions for making corn and flour based tortillas were clear and easy to follow. As a European reader, I was delighted to have both metric and imperial measures. I made the wheat tortillas using duck fat (what a great suggestion!) and they were superb.

A wide range of recipes is provided for different tortillas and tacos, using a range of flours, including flavoured flours with suggested uses linked to recipes later in the book. Useful hints and ideas pepper this section too, such as suggestions for reheating tortillas and tacos.

The final sections bring all that you have learnt together to make a range of dishes – with fillings, sides, sauces and salsas. The range of recipes is very good and includes soups, stews and salads. I tried the chicken fajita recipe and based on its success (it was moist, succulent and very tasty) I have bookmarked a number more to try.

I’m no Mexican or Tex-Mex expert by any means, but the only disappointment was the dessert section. I found it a little contrived and I am not tempted to try any of those recipes.

Wow! This is a wonderful book. You learn so much and the details are helpful. You'll find instructions as well as yummy recipes. We recommend this book. Everything you need to know is found within the pages.

Author Dorothy Griffith has written a witty tortilla cookbook that tells the history of tortillas, how to make tortillas and recipes using your homemade tortillas. I smiled when I read about Texas Tech students being tossed out of a game if they toss a flour tortilla after a kickoff. The author has included historical tidbits such as this throughout her cookbook.

You will find recipes and tips on how to make your own tortillas. You will also find recipes using your homemade breads. Some of the recipes you'll find include:

Fried Tortilla Chips
Baja Fish Tacos
Mexican Stye Breakfast Potatoes
Pork Enchiladas
Veggie Enchiladas
Pinto or Black Bean Soup
Flour Tortillas "Noodles" Alfredo
Cinnamon Sugar Flour Tortilla Crisps

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

I've been thinking about buying a tortilla press for almost a year now, and this is the book that has finally convinced me! Having tried home-made tortillas from a friend, I was impressed with the superior flavour and texture, but... isn't it really complicated? Is this going to be another faddy gadget cluttering up my kitchen?!

Not so! Step forward The Ultimate Tortilla Press Cookbook. Along with 125 recipes - for different types of wrap and so much more Mexican food, from soup to desert! - we're treated to a history of tortillas, variations for different dietary needs, and all the information that I needed to decide that, yes: a tortilla press is for me!

This book is a good overview of cooking tortillas and using them in recipes.
It begins with recipes for cooking about a dozen tortillas, including some with additional ingredients like spinach and others that are gluten free. This section even talks about nixtamalization.
This section was a lot smaller than I liked as I am only interested in cooking tortillas and not in using them to make other things, but I think I am in the minority here. The book then has countless recipes for using tortillas. All of the recipes in the book are well described and accompanied by beautiful pictures.

Excellent mix of tortilla and complimentary recipes. Authentic flavors and a nice mix of technical skills needed.

A super helpful book for tortilla-lovers! I've made corn tortillas over the years but this book takes corn tortillas above and beyond. Fried patties, gorditas and sopes, flour, gluten-free -- and so many more. Not only are there tortilla recipes, but filling recipes to accompany, which is fantastic; a simple but comprehensive tortilla book for sure.

Thank you Net galley. An interesting cookbook that not only has delicious recipes but also promotes experimentation and creative cookery by the user. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this cookbook. Now, I must admit that i did not make Lol the recipient, however, the two I did make were very good. As, I did not have a tortilla press, I did not make any homemade tortilla’s, but I do plan on trying in the future. The recipes were easy to make and had easy to get ingredients. I appreciate pictures in a cookbook and this had lots. Overall, a really good cookbook.

A huge resource for the making of tortillas in a variety of flavors. Full of innovative and classic recipes, the choosing and use of a tortilla press. As I live in British Columbia, there is not a lot of choice of tortillas available, and I will definitely be purchasing and enjoying using a press.