Overall this is a nice recipe book. The recipes are interesting and seem easy enough to follow, thought I personally prefer a more visual book.

The Tequila Diet by Chef Dave Martin is very entertaining. Full of recipes and unique ideas of how to use tequila. Very bright, fun and delicious recepies.

The Tequila Diet
Author: Chef Dave Martin
⭐️⭐️⭐️

The recipes in this book do sound tasty and the photos are great and make the food look good but there are so many other Mexican cookbooks that are much better. Also, I was a bit turned off from this book because it seems like it's sponsored by a tequila brand and overall feels like a gimmick. As someone who doesn't watch/have any interest in Top Chef there just wasn't enough for me to be interested in adding this book to my collection.

Thanks to NetGalley, BookBaby, and Dave Martin for an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this. Will I lose weight going on a Tequila diet? Probably not - especially with all these great recipes to indulge in! But I will enjoy cooking with it and being introduced to different Tequilas.

This cookbook was great and gives me a new appreciation for Tequila. (Don't worry y'all it's not an actual diet, but if it was it would be delicious). I'm going to have to stock up on tequila before I try any of these recipes.

I got a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Credibility/research: 5, I'm supposed to know Dave Martin from Bravo's Top Chef, but lacking that, all I have is his word that he's a chef who loves Mexican dishes. The writing is a little juvenile and he comes across as a shill for el Baston del Rey tequila brand, neglecting to give us a general education in tequila (the centerpiece of the entire cookbook) and focusing only on one brand of tequila.

Authenticity/uniqueness: 6, this is the first cookbook based around tequila that I've come across, and it includes both cocktails and food. However, the addition to tequila in the recipes at times seems to serve no purpose, so in reality this is a cookbook about Mexican cuisine, through the filter of Southern California restaurants.

Writing: 6, I appreciated the food pairing notes with each cocktail recipe- something I haven't seen before with a liquor-focused cookbook, but which helps round out the concept of centering an experience around a single ingredient. And some of these recipes are definitely unique! Though I refute his claim of having the best mole negro recipe.

Personal Impact: 6, I'm tempted to try a couple of the cocktail recipes. Were I in better health, a few of the main dish recipes would tempt me, and some of the salsas. I grew up in SoCal, and my mom loved to make Mexican and Oaxacan dishes, so a lot of these I already know how to make (but in different ways than presented here). I don't think this one is going to stick with me much, but as cookbooks go, it's good.

Intrigue: 7, while I'm curious about things like pancakes made with 2 Tblsp tequila, I'm also frustrated that Martin never says *why* he's adding tequila to seemingly mundane things. Is this just schtick, or does it serve an actual purpose for texture or flavor? Mostly it seems too small an amount of tequila to impart flavor, so I'm guessing schtick. I'm grateful for the inclusion of Instant Pot workaround for some (but only some) of the recipes, which makes it more likely I can attempt them. And things like the Hatch Green Chili Truffles? I might have to try making those out of sheer curiosity.

Logic/informativeness: 6, seems more recipe and balancing flavors than understanding about the culture, the origin of the recipe, anything about tequila itself, etc. If you're interested in making Mexican dishes, this is one of a hundred cookbooks you could pick up and be on your way. Personally, I like a bit more meat in my recipe collections.

Enjoyment: 6, it's not bad? But I was disappointed at the lack of information about tequila, the narrow focus on one brand of tequila, and the lack of reasoning behind the inclusion of a tiny bit of tequila in each recipe.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for review. This in no way influenced my impressions of the book.

This is a beautiful book and I'm really conflicted about rating it. I'm a huge tequila fan. I have a yeast allergy so there are few alcohols I can drink. I basically survive on tequila and bacon, y'all. J/K (or am I? :D)

Cons: 1. Despite the author's anecdotal premise, using tequila in your recipes is NOT going to make you lose weight. 2. There were a lot of grammar, punctuation, and other typos. Hopefully, this is rectified in the final version. 3. It would be nice to have listed on the recipe pages what page the photo could be found. 4. He's definitely trying to sell a specific brand of tequila but...if it's good for sipping, I ain't using it in my cooking. C'mon, Chef Moneybags. 5. He uses Better than Bullion. Ew. At least he lists the amount of stock is makes so we can substitute.

Pros: 1. There are lots of photos--some are grouped together so you get more recipes than using a photo per page. 2. The recipes look fantastic, and from what I know of similar recipes, I would say these will be good. 3. I like the background information, tips, and pairings listed for many recipes. 4. He obviously loves Mexican food and has spent time doing some research. 5. There are method options for some of the recipes (pressure cooker or stove top.)

I'm probably going to buy this in print, so let's go 3.5 stars for now. If the recipes turn out amazing, I'll have to overlook the faults and rate up.

My husband is from Mexico and we have various types of tequila at all time in our home. This book allowed me to learn more and share my new found knowledge with family and friends. I have already purchased two copies for friends for Christmas.

Thank you to Chef Dave Martin for creating this cook book. I'll be getting a hard copy. There are many mouthwatering recipes using tequila and some you can create while drinking tequila, heh. Who knew it has health benefits? ; ) I have not tried any of the recipes but I am ready to dive in! They do not look too complicated and the ingredients are not hard to source. I googled the tequila brand he uses and unfortunately it is out my price range but I'm sure the recipes will turn out using another brand.


Thank you to NetGalley and Book Baby for allowing me an ARC copy for my honest review.

4 out of 5 stars

For anyone who wants to try adding a little (or a lot) of a tequila kick to their cooking.  I enjoyed the beautiful photos and the author's personable writing style.  Another plus is the availability of ingredients: I know I have found almost all the items at the larger chain grocery stores in my area ( I believe there were a couple of meat items that I would have to get at a traditional butcher shop). 

I realize the author probably has an endorsement deal with the tequila brand he was pushing, but I did try a couple of the recipes with my good old "standard" tequila and they turned out just fine (Sorry, but $65+ bottles of tequila are not in my budget for drinking, let alone for cooking).   

Overall, a great addition for fans of fresh Mexican flavors and, of course, tequila.

The good: some of these recipes look and sound really delicious, especially the drinks! The photos in the book are lovely and make the food and beverages look appetizing, and the recipes appear easy to follow.

The not-so-good: the book seems a little over-sponsored by the particular tequila brand, and I'm not buying tequila as any kind of health miracle. It seems shoehorned into some places (tequila in pancakes?) but -- that's the point of the book. It's not the kind of cookbook I'd buy and keep and use often, but for a fun gimmick, it'd be worth checking out of the library.

Stop the presses! Tequila can help me lose weight??!! This fun cookbook explores the ways that tequila can actually be a healthy drink choice. Loads of drink recipes but also packed with traditional Mexican food recipes as well (both with and without tequila).

Love this cook book. I’m a huge fan of tequila and this perfect. Easy to follow for all cook levels and great taste. Thank you!

This book is a delight, and being a person whose favorite spirit is tequila and a big top chef fan, I was very interested to read this. I am excited to make the cucumber ranch water and a number of the other cocktails. It is important to understand that this book is also promoting a certain brand of tequila who I am assuming sponsored Chef Dave Martin in writing the book. I plan to buy the spirit so I can try the recipes with it. Also important to note that loosing weight while drink tequila is a result of drinking tequila INSTEAD of wine, as the example shows in the book - lower calorie, lower sugar. I am happy to take The Tequila Diet in the playful spirit it is intended and not get into the whether the health benefits of drinking tequila will work for everyone. Recipes look great, and I love the illustrations throughout the book. Looking forward to making some recipes and see how they come together. Don't expect the recipes to be light health food - they are Chef Dave's take on a number of Mexican classics, and other recipes adapted to incorporate tequila.

In “The Tequila Diet,” “Top Chef” alum Dave Martin shares recipes for Mexican foods and cocktails that use the spirit as an ingredient. The recipes range from traditional fare to more unique takes. There were many interesting looking meals. I want to try making both the French Toast with Tequila Syrup & Salted Whipped Cream and the Chilaquiles for myself and my husband for breakfast one day! However, I found the cocktails section a bit lacking with a little over a dozen drinks. I wish there were at least 5 to 10 more cocktail recipes.

Thank you to NetGalley and BookBaby for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted online on June 29, 2022, to Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4814292685.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting recipe book.

The book includes recipes using tequila for cocktails, dinners, and even breakfasts. I was hoping for more pictures - I would have liked to see more of the finished products. The tequila pancakes and some of the dinner recipes seem interesting. The recipes are in cups.

Overall an interesting read.

What a fun book and it will be fun to use and to make some of the wonderful recipes in this one. I loved the Tequila history and how it is incorporated in the book through recipes. I don't currently have any tequila at home but will now go and buy a bottle just so I can try out some of these recipes.

I enjoy books like this as they are a bit different from the normal cookbooks and they are a lot of fun.

Everything looks so delicious! I already love tequila and am delighted to have discovered so many different ways of incorporate it into my diet. I'm very curious to try the syrup option for pancakes. That is so creative. The only thing that would make this book better is if I had the chef there to cook it all for me, but this is clearly the next best thing!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Filled with tons of recipes and all of them look delicious 😋! Pictures are really pretty also.

As well as delicious recipes, this book also gives such a good history of tequila, Mexico's famous spirit. Can't wait to try some of the dishes too!