El Charro Cafe Cookbook: Restaurant Tucson, Arizona

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Description: The colorful history of El Charro Cafe and the recipes for vibrant, exciting Mexican food make this book as unique and entertaining as the restaurant itself. It is rumored that in the 1940s founder Monica Flin sat on the El Charro patio, sipping martinis from teacups and playing cards with John Wayne, who was in Tucson to film westerns. Today the restaurant is run by Carlotta Flores—Monica's great-neice -- her husband, Ray, and children, Raymon, Marques, and Candace. 

A number of favorite dishes originated or were made popular by El Charro. Monica Flin's taitada grande is a staple in many Mexican restaurants in Arizona. The El Charro chimichanga -- which Monica is said to have invented -- is "definitely the best and biggest in town," according to Gourmet magazine. And the topopo salad, another El Charro creation, is a festival of textures and tastes. But what El Charro is perhaps best known for is its signature dish, carne seca, beef cured in open metal cages high above the restaurant s patio. 

What's unusual is that El Charro's recipes are available in heart-healthful versions that are every bit as satisfying as their fat-filled counterparts. "Fitness fare is our way of life," says Carlotta Flores. 

Reading El Charro Cafe Cookbook is like a visit to this Tucson institution. Here are delicious Sonoran-Mexican recipes, vintage pictures from the early days of Tucson, and fascinating anecdotes about the restaurant and its founder. It's a book that's wonderful for reading, for cooking, and for savoring each delicious page. 

 

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Condition: Good condition.