This was a really great cookbook and look into the differences in many Mexican dishes I've eaten in the past. I will definitely be purchasing this for the library and making a lot of these recipes.

I received an ARC of “Spicy Salsas & Moles: A Cookbook for Lovers of Mexican Heat” by Ericka Sanchez and Nicole Presley from NetGalley and Familius in exchange for an honest review.

If you love Mexican food or Tex-Mex cuisine, then You. Need. This. Book! I absolutely HAD to read this book. Summer is in full swing now, but in spring, I planted—for the very first time, mind you—Gigante Verde Tomatillo seeds. Right now, the tomatillo plants are massive and are loaded with fruits. Along with my yearly planting of spicy hot peppers, I am ready to make salsas and moles. The cover of this book screamed at me because in my mind, there is absolutely nothing more beautiful than seeing salsa in a molcajete.

Besides the Introduction and How-To’s, the authors include the following chapters in the book: Cooked Salsas, Fresh Salsas, Enchilada Salsas, Sweet and Spicy Salsas, Curtidos and Escabeches, Moles and Pipianes, and Make It Spicy. If things couldn’t get any better, the cooking duo even included a recipe for homemade tortilla chips.

Not long ago, I finally purchased a tortilla press. Now I use maseca and don’t buy tortillas anymore. But the authors have inspired me to (finally!) purchase a molcajete with the step-by-step directions they provided on how to prepare and season a new molcajete.

The stunning photographs included in this book are brilliant. With a photo for every single dish, the authors don’t leave anything to the readers’ imagination; they don’t have to because I was drooling the entire time that I was reviewing this book.

Since reviewing this book, I’ve decided that I can’t live without it and will be purchasing a hard copy for my personal library. There were SOOOO many recipes for tomatillos that I will desperately need now that my tomatillos harvest is nearing. But besides that, the authors included recipes for commonly-known dishes like Pico de Gallo and Creamy Avocado Salsa, while also including not well known recipes like Tamarind Salsa and No Avocado-Avocado Salsa.

What I absolutely love about this book is that not only is there truly is a dish for everyone, but there is a dish for everywhere! And I’m not just talking spice levels, either. For example, in states like Georgia or North Carolina, raw peanuts are readily available, so those residents can try Red Pipian. However, where I live, only roasted peanuts are available, so I can easily make Peanut Mole.

With a prep time, yield, and spice level for every dish, this gorgeously illustrated book is a must-have for anyone and everyone who loves salsa and mole. I 100% recommend this book!

Spicy Salsas & Moles, by Ericka Sanchez and Nicole Presley is a sweet little book covering, you guessed it, spicy salsas and moles!

The authors take turns presenting recipes in multiple salsa and sauce categories, including: Cooked Salsas, Fresh Salsas, Enchilada Sauces, Sweet and Spicy Salsas, Curtidos and Escabeches, Moles and Pipianes, and a short section called Make it Spicy, which includes recipes for things such as pickled jalapenos and hot honey...yum!

While it might be easy to think one can get such recipes from the internet, I have to say that this truly feels like an authentic offering, with special and unique family recipes that are tried, true, and well loved, and that is certainly much harder to find.

Each and every recipe is accompanied by gorgeous photography, as well as notes on prep time, cook time, yield, and spice level. The spice level is indicated visually by a number of peppers to indicate heat level (1 pepper = least amount of spice, 6 peppers = hot!). And while there are a handful of recipes on the lower end of the spice level, the majority are on the spicy side (3 peppers and up), which makes this book true to it's name! I would like to add however that these recipes are not all about bringing the heat; a review and analysis of of each one reveals that these recipes have been creatively developed with balance and flavor in mind as well. My only caveat is that there are a wide range of chilies called for in these recipes, many that, depending on where you live, may or may not be readily available at your local supermarket. However a local Mexican market or online source will be very helpful in this regard.

I would recommend this lovely book to anyone who enjoys authentic Mexican flavor and would like to venture beyond the more well known and anglicized recipes. I am especially excited for the authentic enchilada sauces and mole recipes, and look forward to trying these first.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spicy Salsas & Moles is a well written and appealing specialty cookbook with recipes developed and curated by Ericka Sanchez & Nicole Presley. Due out 3rd Sept 2024 from Familius Publishing, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This collection is packed with authentic salsas and moles, some with a USA fusion twist, but many directly from Mexico. The recipes are grouped roughly thematically: cooked salsas, fresh salsas, enchilada salsas, sweet & spicy salsas (there's a recipe for an absolutely -gorgeous- mango and habañero salsa here), curtidos and escabeches (relishes & pickles), moles & pipianes (sauces/pastes), and spicy condiments & addons. Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (imperial (US) measurements only), step by step instructions, and highlighted text boxes with prep time, yield, cooking time, and heat level. Nutritional info not included. Special tools and ingredients are also listed. The ingredients are mostly easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. Some specialty equipment and ingredients will require a trip to an international grocery store or farmer's market.

The photography is clear and in color. All of the recipes are accompanied by finish/serving photos. The photos which are included in the cookbook are well done, appealing, and (for tutorial photos) easy to follow.

Four and a half stars. It would make an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, for home use, or for gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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I love this cookbook.

I had a couple stay with me years ago & she made mole polenta.
I've been trying to find out how to replicate and it I am trying this recipe!!!
I was so excited to have found this.
I've become (mildly) obsessed with mango and guac so these will be put to the test.

I'm heading out to buy a physical copy to keep at home!

Easy to follow recipes! This book contains such a wide variety of salsas, it actually blew my mind. So many I've never even heard of.

Highly recommend this if you're into stuff like this and especially if you love Mexican food!

Thank you to Netgalley, Familius, Ericka Sanchez and Nicole Presley for giving me an ARC of this delightful cookbook.

Very thorough and beautiful book. The pictures are well done, recipes detailed and varied. Would definitely recommend it