The Art of Mexican Cooking: Traditional Mexican Cooking for aficionados

by Diana Kennedy
Clarkson Potter, 512 pp., $30

One complaint often lodged against Diana Kennedy’s cookbooks is that the recipes are too difficult and feature too many “obscure” ingredients. With all due respect to such naysayers, they have missed the point of her life’s work. Kennedy’s books have never been about quick meals or the “flavor of the moment.” Instead, she has dedicated her life to recording, preserving, and honoring the foodways of one of the richest, most diverse culinary cultures in the world. This much-needed reprint of the 1989 classic features every recipe from the original, as well as a new introduction that addresses the changes in the perception of Mexican food in the last 20 years. Kennedy starts with a chapter titled “Corn,” which explains the nixtamal process for grinding the basic dough for tortillas – Mexican cooking was about “slow food” long before the term came into vogue. The author shares a treasure trove of recipes collected from friends in all of Mexico’s geographical regions and all walks of life, from botanas to main dishes, soups, salads, and desserts. The last chapter on seasonings and other ingredients describes herbs, spices, chiles, and many other flavorings and products used in traditional Mexican cuisine. The only thing missing is color photographs, but the writing is so evocative and descriptive, the dishes come alive without them. This book – all of Kennedy’s books, for that matter – is a gastronomic time capsule to be enjoyed and appreciated for generations to come. For the true aficionado, this will be a much-appreciated keepsake gift.

This article appears in December 5 • 2008.

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Mexico City native Claudia Alarcón has made Austin home since 1984. She worked her way through college in the local restaurant industry, graduating from the University of Texas in 1999. She has been a Chronicle contributor for 15 years and presents lectures and workshops on topics related to the foodways of Mexico, both locally and internationally.