The food of Oaxaca Recipes and stories from Mexico's culinary capital

Review by Booklist Review

Every region of Mexico proudly claims its own unique cooking style, but the southern state of Oaxaca offers some of the nation's best food; UNESCO has even declared Oaxacan food an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Ruiz grew up in a Oaxacan family dogged by tragedy, but he persevered and became a hotel chef before launching his own local restaurant chain. He celebrates the cooking of Oaxaca, relying on the freshest local ingredients as the cuisine's fundamental stars. In that vein, he explains in detail how to make masa at home, nixtamalizing raw corn to produce dough for tortillas, tamales, and more. Beans and chiles also figure prominently in Oaxacan dishes. Ruiz employs all these and other vegetables in both simple and complex creations, and he makes use of the huge variety of herbs and spices abundant in Oaxaca. Where ingredients may be difficult to source in the U.S., he offers substitutions where possible. Color photographs show not only Ruiz' handiworks, but the vibrant cultural milieu that they nourish.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this celebratory cookbook, chef Ruiz showcases more than 50 recipes that display the "enormous gastronomic wealth" Oaxaca has to offer. He divides his recipes into three sections: the first part focuses on the food Ruiz's family made during his childhood, such as corn tortillas and bean tamales; the second features seafood recipes inspired by the Oaxacan coast, like margarita scallop cocktails and pescadillas (fried tortillas stuffed with tuna); and the last consists of dishes from his restaurants, among them ceviche-stuffed chile in passion fruit salsa, and Oaxacan chocolate mousse. Some dishes require ingredients that may prove hard to find, such as the herb chepil, or offputting, as with chapulines (grasshoppers) for grilled steaks with chapulin salsa. Along with the recipes are essays that add vibrant cultural context (on cacao: it was once used as currency in Oaxaca, and today hot chocolate is the traditional drink first served to guests at a wedding), and a list of recommended restaurants. This is perfect for experienced home cooks looking to try their hand at Oaxacan fare. (Mar.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

In this wide-ranging collection, chef Ruiz celebrates the vibrant food of his home state, often considered to be the culinary capital of Mexico, with a collection of recipes that focus on the theme of community. For Ruiz, food represents customs that have been passed down through generations. After a foreword by chef Enrique Olvera, which helps bring to life the rich heritage of Oaxaca State, Ruiz shares his personal story, with insight into his difficult childhood and ultimately turning to cooking as a means to cope with grief. From here, community becomes a recurring subject, with Ruiz noting that recipes are drawn from times and places in his life that have significantly affected him. Eschewing formalities such as breakfast or dinner, the author presents these series of complex dishes as they are, noting that they can be eaten whenever home cooks feel inspired to do so. Vivid illustrations highlight dishes such as heirloom tomato salad and lamb chips in pitiona sauce. VERDICT A rich resource showcasing Oaxacan cuisine that will have readers coming back for the shared stories.--Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Jícama Tacos These "tacos" are actually made with jícama slices instead of tortillas. The jícama must be cut paper-thin so that it can be rolled. A trick we use at the restaurant, when the jícama is tough, is to cut it and then coat the slices with melted butter, place them on a sheet pan, and bake them for 5 minutes or until softened. Jícama is in season from September through May, during which time it is at its juiciest and sweetest. Serves 4 Time: 45 minutes For the tacos 30 very thin slices of jícama (from a whole jícama that is more oval than round in shape, peeled and cut with a mandoline or knife) 1/2 cup chapulines 1 cup Oaxacan string cheese, shredded and chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter For the salsa 6 mil tomates or tomatillos, boiled in water for 8 to 10 minutes or until they soften and turn yellowish green 2 tablespoons onion, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped, stem included 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon salt For the guacamole 1 avocado 1 tablespoon onion, roughly chopped 1/2 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped, stem included 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup water For the huitlacoche 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup diced onion2 cloves garlic, minced 11/2 cups huitlacoche4 epazote leaves, sliced (or dried, if fresh is not available) Pinch of salt To serve 1/4 cup queso fresco (or feta cheese), crumbled (for garnish) 2 corn tortillas, julienned and fried (for garnish) 20 cherry tomatoes (for garnish) 10 radish slices (for garnish) Cilantro sprouts (for garnish) To make the tacos, place the jícama slices in a bowl filled with ice water and set aside. Before using, pat them dry with a clean dish cloth. Meanwhile, to make the salsa, purée all the ingredients in a blender and set aside. To make the guacamole, blend all the ingredients and the 1/4 cup water in a blender and set aside. To make the huitlacoche, heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic, huitlacoche, epazote, and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside. To assemble the tacos, take two jícama slices and place one over the other so that their edges overlap, forming a longer, oblong shape. Make a horizontal line of filling using: 1 tablespoon huitlacoche, 1 tablespoon chapulines, and 1 tablespoon of string cheese. The filling should be placed off-center, toward the lower third of the jícama. Roll up the tacos starting from the edge closest to you. In batches of no more than three, brown the tacos in a pan with a little butter. Seal each taco by placing the side of the taco with the end of the jícama slice in first; this will prevent it from unraveling as you turn to cook it. Let it brown for about 2 minutes without moving it, then turn it over and repeat so that it browns on all sides. Repeat for the remaining tacos. To serve, pour some salsa onto the middle of each plate and place three tacos on top. Garnish with guacamole, queso fresco (or feta), tortilla strips, cherry tomatoes, radish slices, and cilantro sprouts. Excerpted from The Food of Oaxaca: Recipes and Stories from Mexico's Culinary Capital by Alejandro Ruiz, Carla Altesor All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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