Often I can spin a good yarn about my introduction to a cuisine — that first bite of a warm, soft, sugar-dusted crepe on the frost-covered steps of Paris’s Sacre Coeur or the initial, swoon-inducing sip of sweet mint tea in the chaotic main square of Marrakech. Unfortunately, my early experiences with Mexican food aren’t quite as romantic. That life-changing taste of guacamole came not from a bustling taqueria in the Yucatan but at a nondescript Chi Chi’s in Youngstown, Ohio. While neither exotic nor terribly authentic, it kicked off a lifelong love of Mexican fare. Now, when I crave this cuisine, I reach for Rick Bayless’s Authentic Mexican (William Morrow, 2007). Originally published in 1987, this classic cookbook provided me with my first, real taste of Mexican cooking.

Before writing Authentic Mexican, chef and restaurateur Rick Bayless and his wife spent years living, traveling, eating and cooking in Mexico. While there, he developed an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional, regional foods. It’s knowledge that he shares easily in this 384-page tome. Whether you’re a seasoned or novice cook, you’ll find this a highly approachable book.

Over 20 chapters Bayless covers such standard courses as appetizers, soups, salads, fish/meat/poultry, desserts and drinks. He also explores such uniquely Mexican offerings as salsas, tacos, enchiladas, tamales and moles. With each recipe he provides, as he calls them, “traditional variations” and “contemporary recipes” so that home cooks can substitute ingredients with ease. Such is the case with Seviche de Sierra or lime-marinated mackerel with tomato and green chile. Thanks to his handy sidebars, cooks may consider serving the mackerel seviche on crisp tostadas or replacing the fish altogether with shrimp or scallops.

In addition to detailed recipes Bayless offers fascinating histories and anecdotes about regions, meal courses, ingredients and techniques. He also includes a glossary of ingredients and equipment. That’s one of the things that I adore about this book. I not only learn how to make credible Mexican food but also garner an education about Mexico and how its citizens live, cook and eat. If I didn’t love to cook, I could read Authentic Mexican as a culinary history. It’s that thorough and interesting.

Along with color photographs, illustrations accompany the recipes. With this book I never wonder how to roll a corn husk properly or what the grinding stone metate looks like. All the necessary information is right in front of me.

Whether I’m hankering a simple taco or complex mole, I always find what I want in Authentic Mexican. It’s my go-to book for reliable recipes and traditional Mexican fare.