Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico

Discover regional Mexican cuisine with Martínez (a food writer contributing to the New York Times and Bon Appetit) who a few years ago moved from his Texas hometown to Mazatlán, on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Alongside practical recipes for home cooks, Martínez also makes a thorough study of the foodways of each of the seven regions of Mexican cuisine. The 14 salsa recipes that kick off the book are just the beginning; other useful features include make-ahead suggestions, menu pairings, and a primer on chili peppers. Readers will especially appreciate the travelogue of Martínez’s road trip across Mexico, his reflections on authenticity and migration (his grandparents moved from northern Mexico to Texas in 1910), and his quest to bring his favorite fare to home cooks. It’ll be hard to stay out of the kitchen after reading Martínez’s delectable descriptions of dishes and ingredients, next to bright, seductive photography.