Cookbooks

Essential Mexican Cookbooks

If you’re looking for a book or three to help you dive into Mexican cooking, we suggest you start with one or all of these:

Featured
TU CASA MI CASA
TU CASA MI CASA

Whether you’re sharpening Mexican cooking skills you’ve long practiced or you’re just starting out, this primer from star chef Enrique Olvera and his team will help you take it to the next level. The opening section on The Basics is particularly strong. Note that the book was published just before heirloom masa harina came onto the market, so be sure to extrapolate its use into ‘Tu Casa’’s recipes. Read our review.

$37 at Bookshop - buy now

$36 at Amazon - buy now

THE ESSENTIAL CUISINES OF MEXICO
THE ESSENTIAL CUISINES OF MEXICO

This 2000 title remixes three classics from the great Diana Kennedy: ‘The Cuisines of Mexico,’ ‘The Tortilla Book’ and ‘Mexican Regional Cooking.’ If you’re looking for one reference, this would be it. Read more.

$26 at Bookshop - buy now

$25 at Amazon - buy now

MASA
MASA

Subtitled “Techniques, Recipes, and Reflections on a Timeless Staple,” this important title by Masienda founder Jorge Gaviria tells us everything we need to know about one of the most essential ingredients in the world — including how to shape it into tortillas, tlacoyos, sopes, and 26 other shapes. A must for chefs and enthusiasts. Review coming soon.

$33 at Bookshop - buy now

$32 at Amazon - buy now

Also highly recommended:

These books are great for expanding your repertoire. Whether you’re a beginner, an experienced home cook or a chef, there’s something here for you.

Featured
THE MEXICAN HOME KITCHEN
THE MEXICAN HOME KITCHEN

If you’re looking for an abuelita or a Mexican mama to hold your hand has you navigate the basics of Mexican cooking, this is your book. Author Mely Martínez — creator of the popular bilingual ‘Mexico in My Kitchen’ blog — makes it all deliciously approachable. Read our review.

$26 at Bookshop - buy now

$17 at Amazon - buy now

TREASURES OF THE MEXICAN TABLE
TREASURES OF THE MEXICAN TABLE

PBS star Pati Jinich’s third book spotlights dishes — classic and more personal — that Jinich turned up all over Mexico. Marvelously inspiring, it’s more for experienced cooks than beginners. Read our review.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$25 at Amazon - buy now

MEXICO FROM THE INSIDE OUT
MEXICO FROM THE INSIDE OUT

This stunning 2015 book from Mexican super-chef Enrique Olvera is amazing at so many levels. “Inside Out” refers to inside the restaurant and outside (at home). Still, there are recipes in the “inside” section that are eminently do-able at home. Photos are gorgeous and there’s an excellent glossary of dishes at the end. Would be a great gift for anyone who has visited (or is about to visit) Pujol in Mexico City — or who loves to cook. Read more.

$60 at Bookshop - buy now

$165 at Amazon - buy now

MY MEXICO CITY KITCHEN
MY MEXICO CITY KITCHEN

We have not yet cooked from this beautiful seafood-centric book from Gabriela Cámara, star chef of Mexico City’s Contramar and San Francisco’s Cala, though we refer to it frequently. We hope to review it soon — watch this space!

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$21 at Amazon - buy now

AMÁ: A MODERN TEX-MEX KITCHEN
AMÁ: A MODERN TEX-MEX KITCHEN

This beautiful book from L.A. chef Josef Centeno, who grew up in San Antonio, Texas, mixes up deliciously inventive cheffy spins on Tex-Mex with soulful faves from his family. Follow those, and you’ll learn a lot along the way. Read our review.

$28 at Bookshop - buy now

$18 at Amazon - buy now

TACOS: RECIPES AND PROVOCATIONS
TACOS: RECIPES AND PROVOCATIONS

Alex Stupak, chef-owner of NYC’s Empellon restaurants, and Jordana Rothman teamed up on this inspiring 2015 book. It’s rather cheffy, but the recipes work, and they’re very good. Read more.

$30 at Bookshop - buy now

$22 at Amazon - buy now

TRULY TEXAS MEXICAN
TRULY TEXAS MEXICAN

If you want to understand the real roots of Tex-Mex — before its cultural appropriation — you need Adán Medrano’s important 2014 book. Read more.

$28 at Bookshop - buy now

$60 at Amazon - buy now