Mexican cookbooks

Hi all, I would like to have some advices on cookbooks on Mexican cooking. I’m looking for authentic cooking, and maybe with ingredients not too difficult to find. Which books you use?

Does anybody own the Phaidon Mexico: the cookbook? What’s your opinion on it?

Thanks a lot

I reccomend any Rick Bayless book. Every day Mexican would be a good one he is the US’s ultimate Mexican cooking nerd and very instructive and informative in addition to recipies. The Julia Child of Mexican cooking.

Edit I see you are in France no idea how mexican ingredients are to get but if you can find chilis avocado masa and cilantro you should be good to go. These items used to be harder to find in the northeastern US but thankfully our increasing central American population they are now easy. SE Asian markets may be a place to find some of these things too.

Fun fact Rick Bayless has what may be the worlds largest collection of Mexican cookbooks used as a reference for his restaurant and teaching.

America’s most celebrated author of Mexican cookbooks is Diane Kennedy. She’s been writing about and studying Mexican cuisine since the early 1970s, and the Mexican government thinks enough of her work that they awarded her the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor Mexico awards to non-citizens. She’s world class and then some.

Secondly, I recommend Rick Bayless. He’s written lots of cookbooks. I especially like his book, "Mexico One Plate At A Time’ which is a compilation of the recipes from his PBS tv show of the same name. You can watch a lot of those shows here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rick+bayless%2C+mexico+one+plate+at+a+time

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While I am by no means an expert on Mexican cooking, I have happened upon Pati’s Mexican Table on TV a few times and find her to be enjoyable. Details including cookbook here: http://patismexicantable.com/about/

I also like “Mexican Everyday” by Bayless.

Thanks all, very helpful advices, I will check out all the books to see which one suits me.

@JTPhilly There’s a Mexican grocery here in France. I can check certain fresh ingredients in either Asian markets like you suggested, or some creole shops.

There is a fine dining Mexican place I once came across in Paris, has a dusty appearance in the window display, doesn’t seem very clean and appetising to me. There is another tourist trap in Odeon, they heat up some pre cooked or frozen food…

Thanks for the hints!

I need inspiration to cook a Mexican meal and my mind is going in a thousand different directions. I need to focus and a cookbook might help a bit.

I’ll look for Rick Bayless and Diane Kennedy. I must admit I was hoping for a Mexican author. We constantly hear that half the kitchens of america are staffed by Mexican labour so there’s bound to be a Mexican Julia Child or Marcella Hazan out there. Why are everybody american or english?

Anybody know of an authentic Mexican cookbook coming from someone who was born in Mexico? I’m a bit weary of those american celebrity chefs and I’d rather read something from a 90 year old mexican grandmother than from “The chef from the top 3 Mexican restaurant in america”. I’m not looking for New York’s elites favourite Mexican dish, I’m looking for a soulful approach and a narrative that can inspire me to try something new. A story that piques my curiosity.

Anybody came across something like that?

Thanks in advance!

How about Enrique Olvera’s book?

Thanks I’ll take a look! (shame his book is not available on kindle!)

Anyone own this cookbook? How do you like it compared to cookbooks from Rick Bayless?

I have this on my amazon wishlist. I don’t own it yet, but the biggest criticism in the comment section is that the mole requires 25b ingredients. That moment, I knew that I would buy it one of these days.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0399578285

Bayless is just wonderful. These are recipes that you can actually make, and they will always be great. Kennedy is very dogmatic and woe to you the cook if you can’t locate the exact ingredient that some grandmother in Mexico uses.