Cover Image: The Food of Oaxaca

The Food of Oaxaca

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Member Reviews

"The Food of Oaxaca" by chef Alejandro Ruiz is an exceptional cookbook that delves into the rich and diverse cuisine of Oaxaca, Mexico’s culinary capital. This IACP Cookbook Award winner is a testament to the region's vibrant food culture, brought to life through Ruiz's expertise and passion. The foreword by Enrique Olvera, another esteemed figure in Mexican cuisine, adds further credibility and intrigue to the book.

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Oaxaca has a rich food history, and this cookbook exemplifies that. Beautifully done with recipes that make me feel like I’m traveling to the food center of Mexico.

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Step inside a beautiful homage to a singularly rich Mexican state with Alejandro Ruiz & Carla Altesor's 'The Food of Oaxaca'. The authors capture the depth and breadth of cooking that is found within Oaxaca in a fashion that readers will find transports them to the bustling coasts as the read through these recipes. One of the aspects of 'The Food of Oaxaca' that I particularly loved is that it decouples the idea of Mexican food being a monolith for readers. From the unique spices and preparations all readers will find something new to love within the pages of 'The Food of Oaxaca'. Happy cooking!

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I love seeing a cookbook from a food writer and chef who grew up with that cuisine. This is an absolutely beautiful cookbook, travelogue, and memoir.

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Full of beautiful photos and a detailed portrait of Oaxaca. The recipes look delicious, however, many of the ingredients are difficult to locate.

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This book deserves every praise in the world. A beautiful love letter to the food, culture, and peoples of Oaxaca that fills your heart with joy and hopefully your belly too!

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Food of Oaxaca is a thing of beauty. The photos are lush and anchored in Oaxacan culture. Traditional ingredients are shown in an almost worshipful light. At the same time though, the portraits of the author’s family, friends, and neighbors are timeless and borderless. The people photographed are treated just as tenderly as the food. You can see their warmth and good humor as clearly as how you can almost taste the delicious dishes prepared.

I love this kind of cookbook. I may never get to Oaxaca. The ingredients in the dishes are not easily available where I live. That doesn’t matter! I can live vicariously through the author’s delightful stories and loving descriptions. Reading this book made me happy and hungry!

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I am a huge fan of Oxaca Mexico, so found it really cool that I could now make some of the dishes I love at home.

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Do I want to eat the recipes in The Food of Oaxaca? Yes. Will I ever make the recipes in The Food of Oaxaca? That's not likely. This is a wonderful book that takes its topic seriously and doesn't cut corners, which means you'll need to hunt down ingredients and be willing to put in time to the recipes it offers. Given that, I think The Foods of Oaxaca would most appeal to readers who

a) love reading cook books and learning about new cuisines, but who don't actually do a lot of cooking
b) are accomplished cooks looking to challenge themselves
c) already love the foods of Oaxaca and are willing to do whatever it takes to learn to cook it themselves.

This detailed, challenging portrait of one of Mexico's best regional cuisines is lavishly illustrated and a pleasure to page through. If you fit into one of the three categories above, you'll want to check it out.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

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While I will probably never make the recipes in this book, partly because ingredients like fried grasshoppers and the herb chepil, chef Ruiz has given me a wonderful reminder of why I love Oaxacan food so well. He begins with the foods made by his family during childhood like tortillas tamales, then moves into the seafood dishes of the Oaxacan coast and finally on to recipes from his restaurant. Accompanying the recipes are essays which bring a cultural context to the food, like cacao which is used in mole and chocolate.

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I was so excited to receive this ARC as someone who has gotten very into food during quarantine. Filled with beautiful photos and stories, I cannot wait to try the recipes in this book! Everything is so bright and infused with rich history and color. You won't regret this one.

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Of course I had notes on this book for my review once upon a time, however ask me where they are now (ummm.......) I loved this book, and had learned that Oaxaca was declaired an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It was the first sentence of the introduction that really caught my attention. I really like when cookbooks have historical information, personal notes, What I truly enjoyed about The Food of Oaxaca was really the journey. The recipes aren't in a specific order other than containing recipes that ties the author to a specific 'time and place' in his life. It made it that much more special. I didn't even know that there is Oaxacan sea salt. Being from a diverse city, I can find most of the ingredients easily, and the recipes are fairly simple (without numbered instructions). I really think this is a special, personal book to the author, and I'm incredibly grateful to have had a chance to read and review it, storing up recipes for my time in the kitchen. #TheFoodofOaxaca #NetGalley

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Mark your calendar now for publication of #TheFoodofOaxaca March 16, 2021 if you like Mexican food and culture. This title is truly a gift to chefs, family cooks, and anyone who appreciates the joy of cooking and a superb meal #NetGalley #HispanicHeritageMonth

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It is tempting to think of <i>The Food of Oaxaca</i> as just another cookbook, but that would be highly misleading. Certainly, Chef Alejandro Ruiz has packed the volume with instructions for a multitude of the most familiar dishes from the region, as well as ones that undoubtedly will be new to many readers. However, where the book really shines is in all of the thoughtful and informative material that accompanies the recipes, including the stunning photographs of the people, places, and food of Oaxaca and the many personal essays that provide a context for the real purpose of the project.

The essays, in particular, are what elevate this entire book. There are about a dozen and half short pieces in all, covering topics such as the millennia-long history of Oaxacan cuisine, the connection the people of the region have with the land and the food, the chef’s personal life journey, the tools necessary to prepare traditional meals, and profiles of some of Ruiz’ colleagues in the industry and places he loves to eat. These are all tender and deeply felt portraits of the myriad aspects that make this part of Mexico such a renown gastronomic destination. He is clearly inspired by his surroundings and it evident throughout the book how passionate and proud he is to bring a broader knowledge of his home and his craft to light.

While the recipes cover a wide range of items—chiles and vegetables, beans and potatoes, seafood, meat and fowl—it is stressed repeatedly how instrumental corn is to everything. The book is organized into three parts: dishes dating to the origin of the region, those specific to the coastal area, and those that Ruiz serves at his own restaurant in Oaxaca City. All of the recipes look delicious—my wife and I are big fans of this cuisine—but it should be noted that quite a few of them may be difficult to execute properly due to the limited availability of some of the recommended ingredients. For instance, when we made a few of the masa-based and mole dishes, we had to substitute some of the prescribed grains, chiles, and cooking implements, which undoubtedly altered the flavors in ways we might never know. Still, <i>The Food of Oaxaca</i> is a wonderful book that we will read and use for years to come.

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This cookbook is a must have for anyone’s collection. It is beautifully detailed which lends to it’s authenticity. The recipes are vibrant and flavorful, it really reminds you of Oaxaca.

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Excellent cookbook. Such a beautiful look at the regional uniqueness of Oaxacan food. I love the mix of recipes and while some might not be easy to do due to limited access to ingredients I loved the variety of dishes and look forward to trying some and recommending this to culinary readers!

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Most Americans knowledge of Mexican food begins and ends at their local fast food joint, and that’s a shame, because authentic Mexican food is to our version is cheese to chalk. This gorgeous book is full of recipes, certainly, but also photographs of the foods and people of Mexico and personal stories by Ruiz. This is a book to read as well as cook by

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What I love most about this cookbook are the vivid descriptions that are included within each section and above each recipe! It’s one of those cookbooks that you want to read cover to cover!

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