ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My sincere thanks to my editor at Clarkson Potter, Roy Finamore, who recognized the value of putting my first three books together in one volume. He has been a joy to work with. And for Lauren Shakely, who supported him so enthusiastically.

My deep appreciation and thanks to Frances McCullough, my editor and friend of now thirty years, who has guided me through the labyrinth of publishing, calmed my idiosyncrasies (or tried to), and given shape to my manuscripts.

It is impossible to thank adequately all those who have contributed one way or another to my traveling and writing life in Mexico for so many years. I have tried to attribute wherever possible the names of the persons who gave me each recipe and would like them to know how much pleasure their recipes have given to so many people all over the world.

Copyediting is always an unenviable task, but I would like to thank Carole Berglie for her painstaking and sympathetic approach to this hefty manuscript, and designer Jane Treuhaft for fitting it admirably into these pages.

And to Marike Janzen, who patiently and carefully typed the final manuscript.