Like Kennedy's other books, The Art of Mexican Cooking requires commitment from the reader and a well-stocked pantry. It's hard (at least in Hong Kong) to make some of the recipes - those requiring dried corn husks, certain herbs, exotic ingredients such as nopales (cactus paddles), cuitlacoche (corn fungus) and specific types of fresh and dried chillies - and the time involved can be daunting. The dishes, however, are mouthwatering and there are several of them that can be made with ingredients found here.
Handmade corn tortillas - even using packaged masa harina (flour) instead of fresh stone-ground dough - are better than the hard, packaged types, although the latter are fine for some of the other dishes, such as enchiladas (the tortillas are softened in hot, oily sauce before being rolled or folded) and tostadas (they're fried until crisp then topped with meat and vegetables). And if you're willing to make substitutions for some of the harder-to-find ingredients (most of the chillies, for instance), then even more of the recipes will be within your grasp (although it wouldn't be wise to invite Kennedy to dinner; she's reportedly a purist about the food of her adopted country).
