Cookbooks

Doña Tomás: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking

by Thomas Schnetz, Dona Savitsky, et al.

Ten Speed, 216 pp., $29.95

Chef Thomas Schnetz and partner Dona Savitsky have studied the regional cooking of Mexico, including dishes from Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Yucatán, paying tribute to the huge diversity of Mexican cuisines. Although the book's title refers to "discovering authentic Mexican cooking," to my mind, it does much more than that. Both chefs seek to present and preserve traditional Mexican dishes, while at the same time contributing to the culinary evolution by adding contemporary personal touches.

The restaurant – and hence the recipes in the cookbook – emphasizes the use of fresh local produce and organic ingredients wherever possible. The recipes are easy to follow, accompanied by beautiful food photos that literally make the mouth water. A recipe that has caught my attention is the pozole de pato (duck stew). While some might consider this dish untraditional or pretentious, to me it represents 600 years of Mexican culinary history. The Mexican people of what is now Mexico City have been cooking delectable stews with all sorts of waterfowl, including duck, since the 1400s, long before the Spanish brought us the miracle of pork. Flavored with epazote and hoja santa, this rich hominy stew sounds as though it would be heavenly on a cold Sunday morning after a long Saturday night. The book is divided into "course" chapters: "Breakfast," "Lunch," "Salads and Sides," "Dinner and Broths and Sauces." The first chapter, "Basics," is a compendium of terms, description of ingredients and utensils, and cooking techniques. I recommend this book as an excellent gift for those with a real curiosity for traditional Mexican cooking and those seeking a view into what Mexican food in America could be. I can't wait to get my apron on.