From My Mexican Kitchen: Techniques and Ingredients

by Diana Kennedy

Diana Kennedy has been called the “ultimate authority, the high priestess” of Mexican cooking, and with good reason. For more than forty years she has traveled through her beloved adoptive country, researching and recording its truly extraordinary cuisine. Now Diana turns her attention to the book she readily admits “should have been written years ago.”

Diana’s objective in From My Mexican Techniques and Ingredients is to provide a guide to better understanding the ingredients Mexico has to offer and how best to prepare them. Her execution is little short of brilliant.

The book is invaluable to the novice eager for an introduction to Mexican cooking, but it is equally important for the aficionados interested in refining and expanding their knowledge and skills.

From My Mexican Kitchen takes readers and cooks on a tour of the primary ingredients of the cuisine, from achiote and avocado leaves to hoja santa, huauzontle, and the sour tunas called xoconostles—which are increasingly available in the United States. Diana unravels the dizzying array of fresh and dried chiles, explaining their uses and preparation; vibrant color photographs at last take the guesswork out of identifying them!

Step-by-step photographs and Diana’s trademark instructions (peppered with her over-the-shoulder asides) lead us through the proper techniques for making moles, tamales, tortillas, and much more. Some chiles rellenos, frijoles de olla, salsa de jitomate, fresh corn tamales from Michoacán, and bolillos (Mexican bread rolls). These recipes provide a solid grounding for the new Mexican cook, and Diana then sends readers to her earlier work for more advanced regional recipes.

Brilliantly photographed, with a text at once lively and authoritative, Diana Kennedy’s From My Mexican Kitchen is the one book anyone interested in this food cannot afford to be without.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2003

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a most informative book on ingredients for a gringa .. the book serves more of a visual reference than anything else as very few recipes are included.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A skills book and an ingredient encyclopedia WITH pictures. As many mention, the focus is technique and skills rather than laden with recipes. But that is what I love about this book.

[Lindsey Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is an intriguing exploration of Mexican ingredients, techniques and recipes ... but I put those items in that particular order for a reason. While Kennedy's information is in-depth and filled with love for her subject, she writes in a fashion that so emphasizes the difficulty of getting perfect authenticity that it makes a reader despair of even starting. Certainly, for a midwesterner (even in a foodie area), it seems a hopeless task to create Mexican cuisine up to Kennedy's standards. There is a difference, I think, between showcasing authentic ingredients and methods to give a reader a true appreciation for the complexities of a cuisine versus presenting rigorous standards in a fashion that makes a reader feel as if any shortcut should be censored ... and I feel that this book, however well-meaning, tends to give the latter impression.

For someone who is deeply committed to Mexican cuisine, this is doubtless a wonderful resource, but it is not a book for beginners, or even intermediate-level cooks who don't have access to extremely specialized grocers. (I know the location of a Mexican market, but I'm fairly confident they don't carry half the ingredients mentioned within.) For me, I found the contents entertaining and educational, but not applicable - I simply couldn't make most of the dishes included. The layout of the recipes further hampers the functionality: a single dish often refers to components in two other places.

In sum, I'm not really sure who this book is for.

[Dray · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better Mexican cookbooks i have had the pleasure to read. well organized and a deep dive into the basics.

[Arturo Pacheco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic cookbook! Delicious recipes, definitions, and techniques all easily laid out. Color photos. A gem.

[Felisa Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The greatest joy of the book is the author’s tangible love for food. She matches her acerbic tendencies with sparkling enthusiasm and a touching attention to detail. On aguacates criollos: “The flavor is incomparable: aniselike, nutty, and altogether delicious. Of course there are always exceptions, but it would be unlikely to find these avocados in markets outside Mexico because once ripe they spoil very quickly. But make sure you try them when you get there!” On tequelite: “This is a creeping vine with fleshy stems and leaves that are shaped like large teardrops. The face of the leaves is dark green in color with lighter veins and a matte, very slightly abrasive surface. The underside is a very light lime green outlined with a slightly darker edge and central vein. It is like touching—as I am now—a very cool (in temperature) piece of suede.” On creams: “I mention natas here because you should at least try them—if you haven’t already done so—and forget about cholesterol when you are next having breakfast in a Mexican market.”

For my full review see

http://thepeoplesguidetomexico.com/bl...

[Carole]

This book focuses on techniques and ingredients used in Mexican cooking. There are some recipes, but this is not overall a recipe book. I am fascinated by the information on how each ingredient is used differently depending on the region. I already knew that what most Americans think of as "Mexican" food is nothing like real Mexican cuisine, but the incredible diversity of the cuisine was not something I had completely realized. It's truly something a person could study for a lifetime.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to learn how to cook Mexican food. This is a great resource. There are not many recipes, bit it teaches you of the skills you need for recipes you might find in other books.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up near the US/Mexico border and later working in Mexico for a couple of years, I fell in love with the food. This is a fantastic reference for authentic Mexican cooking!