From America's leading authority on definitive Mexican cooking comes a brand-new collection of recipes based on six classic, versatile salsas, each featuring the flavor of a diffferent chili. Salsas That Cook is a breakthrough in contemporary American cooking. Here, Mexico's classic salsas get put to work in our kitchens in the same way we use a variety of international condiments, from teriyaki sauce to balsamic vinegar, to enliven and redefine the flavor of many American favorites. While most of us have enjoyed salsas as chip dips, salsas show great versatility when weaving complex flavor into simple dishes, from pasta to potatoes to meats, fish and vegetables. Salsas embody the essence of Mexican flavor: the lusciousness of slow-roasted tomatoes, the full-flavored spice of chiles, the fragrance of cilantro and the mellow sweetness of garlic. Rick Bayless, the country's leading progenitor of real Mexican cooking, writes the six salsa recipes with such detail and personality that even beginning cooks will turn out masterful creations. The uniqueness of this book, though, is in the way these six salsas are used. Here they give their pizzazz to chile-glazed roast chicken, grilled pork tenderloin and seared sea scallops with jalapeño cream. Familiar Mexican favorites have always used salsas for vitality, and many are here, from tangy guacamole to tortilla soup and grilled chicken tacos. In Salsas That Cook, the magic of Mexico transcends all borders. There's a lot more going on with salsa than its traditional role as a dip or dunk for corn chips. Rick Bayless, author of the bestselling Mexican Kitchen, is on a mission to prove to home cooks everywhere that this spicy sauce adds oomph to pasta, zest to meats, passion to potatoes, and invigoration to vegetables. Bayless takes six salsas (which can be made in the comfort of your own home or bought via mail order) and then uses them in more than 50 recipes, including a fiery tequila chaser! His Layered Tortilla Lasagna with Greens and Cheese captures a piece of both Italy and Mexico for one tasty little number. Chipolte-Cascabel Salsa is the key ingredient, which is combined with tortillas, three cheeses, heavy cream, corn, spinach, and mushrooms. Following the simple step-by-step instructions, you can concoct this as a main course for 8 or as appetizers for 16 in less than an hour. Even salad benefits from a brush with salsa. Particularly captivating is Bayless's Poblano Roasted Vegetable Salad with Peppery Watercress. Here a colorful combination of beets, fennel, watercress, potatoes, salted farmer cheese, and the Roasted Poblano Tomato salsa make for a wild and wonderful salad. Even desserts put in an appearance, although they are salsa-free! Full-color photographs and many innovative ideas for spicing up mealtimes make Salsas That Cook a flavorsome addition to the home kitchen. --Naomi Gesinger Bayless, chef/owner of Chicago's Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, is also the author of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen (LJ 11/15/96) and the now-classic Authentic Mexican (LJ 12/86). His latest book is less ambitious than either of these but more conducive to spur-of-the-moment cooking, for here are 60 easy recipes that get their bold flavors from prepared salsa?preferably prepared ahead at home, using one of the six recipes Bayless provides, but in most cases, high-quality store-bought will also do the trick. He encourages readers to think of salsa as a flavoring ingredient, not just a condiment, and he adds it to Green Chili Crab Cakes, Peppery Pan-Seared Steaks, and even Macaroni and Cheese. Bayless says these are the kind of dishes he cooks for casual entertaining, and his inviting recipes should inspire others to do the same. For most collections. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. Rick Bayless is the coauthor of Authentic Mexican and Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, for which he won the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award. He is also co-owner, with his wife, Deann, of two award-winning restaurants in Chicago and is a partner in Frontera Foods.