Absolutely thrilled to add this to my cookbook collection! Traditional recipes with just enough flare sprinkled in here and there. Easy to find ingredients in every recipe.

Mi Cocina is an exuberantly colorful and well written ode to the beauty and variety of the Mexican culinary tradition with recipes curated by Rick Martínez. Due out 3rd May 2022 from Crown Publishing on their Clarkson Potter imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The book is arranged as a grand tour of the Mexican states, with each local cuisine taking a star turn on the stage. Recipes are formatted with title (in Spanish and English), an introduction, followed by ingredients in a bullet list. Ingredient measurements are given in both imperial (American) and metric (yay!), followed by step by step cooking instructions. Special tips and alternate preparation methods are provided in highlighted colored text in the recipes. Nutritional info is not provided. The book is also packed with extra useful information and knowledge including charts for evaluating and using different types of spices and chili peppers, and kitchen tips and tricks for getting the most out of ingredients.

Throughout the book, the warmth and fondness the author has for his culture and food shines through. The recipes are chosen with care and all the classics are represented alongside many which were new to me. I loved reading about his experiences as a second generation immigrant kid in south-central Texas, although the overt racism which he experienced was appallingly sad.

The photography throughout is spectacular, clear, and in color. Serving suggestions are attractive and the food styling is superb; everything looks appetizing.

Five stars. This is a classic and very useful cookbook.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A great introduction to Mexican food. Nothing super complicated but a great introduction.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Renowned chef Rick Martinez has written a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ cookbook called Mi Cocina. Martinez says, "The recipes in this book represent the food I loved eating the most." He has included recipes from diverse regions of Mexico, including "El Banjo, El Norte, Oaxaca, Pacifico. Yucatan, Baja, and Ellie Golfo."

Readers of My Cocina learn the best ingredients to stock a pantry and how to cook with essential kitchen equipment. Martinez shares his knowledge of corn, wheat, tortillas, rice, beans, salsa, produce, condiments, seasonings, herbs, and chilies. Step-by-step instructions with beautiful photos to 104 recipes from different regions authentic tacos, enchiladas, burritos, chorizo Verde, tamales, empanadas, etc. One featured beverage is "Champurrado - Hot corn and chocolate drink with cinnamon and dark brown sugar." Yum! I will take 2 to go, please! ☕☕

Thank you, NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, for allowing me to review this culinary delight! Mi Cocina is a visual joy! Mi Cocina is available on May 3, 2022.

Way more than a cookbook! This book is a journey and a love story. Through these pages you see authentic life in Mexico. You also feel the authors love of his family and culture.

If you bought this book and tried nothing other than the tortillas and salsas you’d

A- be missing out horribly but also
B- be so happy you bought the book because wow are those two sections amazing.

Be brave try the Pulpo recipe. You will love it! Flavors are familiar with ingredients that maybe aren’t.

The pictures in this book make it feel like this is a travel art book. And I guess it kind of is that too.

This book is complex like the flavors in the recipes. You will be so glad you picked this one up.

Delightful! I've been a fan of Rick Martinez for awhile and really enjoyed this cookbook. The pictures and colors alone made it a joyful ride. It's also been fun to see the hype that Rick and his cookbook have (rightfully) been receiving on social media ahead of it's publish date. I could see myself giving this book as a housewarming gift to friends - it's cheerful, looks great on a shelf or coffee table, and is also useful and practical with great recipes. This is a winner!

Mi Cocina is stunning on the inside. I adore physical cookbooks- one of the few places I’ve found where I prefer a hard copy to having it on my Kindle. Since I have an e-copy of this book, I can’t comment on the feel of the book, but I will say, the cover is mainly pink and that is absolutely perfect. I have a small collection of cookbooks just because they are pink and work well with both recipes and decor.

The book is laid in sections by Mexican region and has a ‘basics of Mexican cooking’ section in the beginning. I like books that do this generally and this one is not an exception. This basics section gives commentary not on specific recipes but on food theory around Mexican cooking in general that can be applied to any Mexican dish. It talks about how to buy peppers, which spices are pantry must-haves and how to use dried chiles, in addition to giving recipes that form the foundations to rest of the book, like tortillas, rice, beans, salsa and so on. Honestly, just this section would be a great pamphlet on its own.

Each region section has a story behind why the author chose to focus on that region or what experience he has from there. Further, what I really love is that each recipe has a little blurb from the author about it. Some blurbs talk about the history of the food, or why the author likes it, or has cooking tips on how to perfect the food, or details on how to serve it. It’s a neat detail that makes the home chef feel like they’re cooking with Rick Martinez himself. There are a lot of recipes with a range of cooking times, which is also my ideal. I prefer cookbooks that have some quick dinner recipes for weeknights and longer recipes for weekend projects. From what I was seeing, this cookbook has both.

The photography in it is beautiful. There are big pictures every couple pages, so it seems like every recipe has something to look at to compare to while cooking.

I have not yet had a chance to cook from the book, but I love reading cookbooks for cooking lessons so from that regard, it’s a big win. I will update with later with reviews of the recipes once I cook a few and get a feel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5/5 "Mi Concina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico" by Rick Martinez

Something you may not know about me is that I love cooking. The repetitive and methodical chopping of vegetables, the wonderful smells that fill the kitchen, and the ability to transport yourself to different parts of the world through food. When I saw this book I jumped at the change tp review it. Rick Martinez is one of my favourite chefs, and I have been following him since his Bon Appetit days.

In his debut cookbook, Mi Cocina, Rick Martinez welcomes us with open arms into his kitchen, and throughout the chapters takes us on a journey across Mexico, visiting all 32 states as he re-creates the dishes he tasted during his travels.

Along side these vibrant recipes are deeply personal stories about the people, places, and dishes he experienced. Mi Cocina is not just about food, it highlights Martinez's own search for heritage, a search for the culture from which he had lost, and his search for belonging. From childhood anecdotes about tamales, and heartwarming tales of discovering his culture through food, Martinez's book is a testament to the power of flavor and it's place in ones own identity.

Thank you again to NetGalley, Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press for an eARC of Mi Cocina.

Review will be posted on May 3th 2022 on my Instagram @thebibliophilesbookclub

Mi Cocina Cookbook Review

ARC Provided by NetGalley

I love looking through cookbooks. Who doesn't love a good cookbook? When I look through a cookbook there are a couple of things that I try to focus on. There are essentially two parts of a cookbook, the parts that aren't food and the parts that are. The parts that aren’t include the opening talking and information about the types of food found in the book such as ingredients or equipment. The parts that are comprised of recipes and pictures of food.

This book had a nice mix of all of these elements. I love getting a feel for Hispanic foods apart from those that I grew up with so this was a lot of fun to look through. My mouth was salivating at the pictures and I could smell the corn tortillas. Admittedly it was a bit long and I don’t really like looking through super long books on my laptop but in print, this would be a negligible fact but be warned that the book is likely to be pretty large. Overall though from what I can tell it is a pretty solid cookbook that I would love to have.

Buy. This. Book. Now. It is extremely beautiful and colorful. In short, I am obsessed. This didn’t feel just like a cookbook, it felt like a journey. As if I was transported into Mexico itself with the smells and the tastes that just pop out from the photographs. Extremely well designed book, amazing content and great recipes. I highly recommend this book. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this most marvelous book for my honest review.

Rick Martinez has given us the gift of this heartfelt, easy to follow, and delicious ride along his journey throughout Mexico. Gorgeous photos will have you drooling. The commentary will make you feel like you’re swapping recipes with an old friend. And you will leave with an appreciation for Mexican cuisine staples.

Oh wow, the colours on this cookbook! I have to say this is the most colourful cookbook I've read so far. Most of the time this feels more like a travel photobook, and that's not entirely bad. It's great in a sense that it feels like you're taking us on a culinary adventure with the added bonus of recipes. And perhaps that is what makes a great cookbook, especially when you are talking about a specific cuisine.

I want some tacos after reading this. Maybe I'll make some myself.

Thank you net galley and Clarkson Potter for an granting me access to this ARC.

Thank you Clarkson Potter / Ten Speed And NetGalley for an ARC.

This was so much more than a recipe book, it takes the reader on a journey through Mexico and showcases not only the varieties of Mexican food by geographical regions but also draws the reader into the culture of this fascinating country. The photographs are just gorgeous, vibrant, stunning and so alluring.

I loved the authenticity of Rick Martinez and can only imagine what it would be like to meet with him and have him guide you through this region dish by dish, how amazing would that be !

This book contained so much information and guidance. I loved the Chile chart, explaining the flavours and uses for different chiles as well as why certain ingredients are used.

This is a recipe book that I will purchase and enjoy spending hours trying to recreate the vibrancy and taste explosions laid out in this wonderful book.

The introduction that details the author's life and why he got into cooking was really heartwarming. I also really like the beginning section that tells about different spices and chiles to use for what dishes, what to have in your pantry, and just other little tips to keep in mind while you try the different recipes. The range of the recipes was nice and they were easy to follow. The chapter break down for the recipes was also really nice.

Hello Fellow Eaters,

I've been a fan of Rick Martinez for a couple of years, so when I found out that he had a cook book coming out I jumped at the chance to read it. Martinez is just so passionate about the food he cooks and you can just feel it in every photo, description, and recipe. As a good lover as well as a reader, it's so refreshing to see (read) someone be so in love with what they are doing that it jumps out of every page. Not only does every recipe make my mouth water, but this is the most beautiful cookbook that I've ever seen. Also he does his recipes in grams something I wished more people did.

Overall, a mouth wateringly beautiful cookbook.

*Will be posted on the blog May 2nd

I started to love this cookbook with its introductory indictment of cookbooks touting authentic cuisine by white British and American cookery icons Kennedy and Bayless. The author hit on a truism about cookbooks by people from elsewhere whose ‘authentic’ designation seemingly indicted other versions of the same recipes. Every cook makes food to their own taste, to their own palate and those subtle differences do not transmute those recipes to inauthentic ones. Likewise he highlighted his own personal search for heritage, a search for home from which he was removed by several generations. The pictures are vivid and luscious. The recipes name both ingredient quantities and weights and bear a caution to go by weight for truest outcome. Even the most complex lists of ingredients focuses both on ingredients used in Mexico and substitutions more likely to be available in the United States. He takes us to several regions of Mexico and highlights food he tasted there providing brief stories of his experiences that bring us along on his trip. A brilliant book that should be part of every cook’s library. Heartily recommended.

This cookbook is BEAUTIFUL and all of the recipes look exquisite. I made the Pollo al Pastor, a "spicy-sweet chipotle-roast chicken with onion and pineapple. I ate it both turned into tacos (as suggested in the cookbook) as a stand-alone roast chicken—both ways of serving were delicious, but, of course, Martinez's suggestion to serve it as tacos was the best. I'm so excited to continue cooking from this book!

While I felt intimidated when first reading through the recipes, I felt like I would be in very good hands with his instructions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter for the advance digital copy to read and review!

I loved taking a culinary tour through Mexico through Martinez' 'My Cocina'. I liked how the cookbook was divided into chapters based on regions of Mexico, rather than meal courses or something like that. It really shows how deeply the food is tied to the land, and knowing more about the history and culture behind the food definitely makes it tastier. I will admit I'm a little scared of some of the ingredients and some of the steps in the recipes, because I have to admit that I'm a pretty basic cook. I think if I had someone who already had experience with this cuisine, then they could kind of guide me a little bit, so that I can make some real, tasty, authentic Mexican food.

This was such a beautiful cookbook! I found several recipes that I'm interested in making. All in all, this was the best kind of cookbook: full of pictures, stories, and good recipes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this cookbook for an honest review. (Publish Date: May 3, 2022)

“Mi Cocina” by Rick Martinez is a spectacular culinary journey for the senses as he shares his favorite recipes from Mexico.

My family and I love Mexican food, and I was very interested in this particular cookbook since the author emphasized staying true to the authentic way that the dishes are prepared in Mexico. Martinez is proud of his Mexican heritage, and his love shines through every inch of this book. I really enjoyed his personal stories along with his tips, explanations, and advice that made all the recipes feel more approachable.

I loved that all the recipe titles were in Spanish (and, thankfully, paired with English subtitles). I felt more connected to the authenticity of the recipes with them titled in their home language. Also, the vibrant photos throughout the cookbook are stunningly gorgeous and mouthwateringly delicious! The food demands your attention in all the best ways. I literally wanted to eat everything I saw!

I was absolutely thrilled that the author had a section on how to convert ANY of his dishes to be vegetarian! I was surprised when Martinez shared, “People think Mexican food is all about pork and lard (…), but before the Spaniards came and brought domesticated animals with them, the indigenous cuisine in this area was mostly plant-based.”

My favorite part of this cookbook was where Martinez explains what fresh produce he always has in his kitchen, because “salsa emergencies” are REAL! I can completely relate to this, because nothing ruins a Mexican feast faster than realizing you don’t have the right ingredients to make salsa (and that you don’t even have some random jarred salsa from the grocery store). Nothing beats the flavor of freshly made salsa, so I make sure I have the ingredients I need to make salsa in my house at all times now.

I would highly recommend this book to any home cook interested in trying some authentic Mexican dishes – even if that means just trying some new salsa recipes, because they’re easy and delicious! This cookbook is sure to become my go-to staple for Mexican meals!