La Cocina Mexicana: Many Cultures, One Cuisine
People north of the Rio Grande so often think of their southern neighbor as wholly homogeneous, a single people of uniform culture and ethnicity. But as Tausend documents, there are many distinctive differences from place to place in Mexico, and these diversities reveal themselves throughout Mexican cuisine. Her opening essay on the history of Mexican cooking takes particular pains to outline just how much the isolated communities of Africans have added to the nation’s tables. Each recipe has an introduction offering more history or cultural interest or connecting the recipe to Tausend’s personal experiences. Tausend doesn’t simplify dishes just to make them accessible to U.S. audiences. Some recipes, such as her magnificently wrought chiles en nogada, are complex, listing dozens of ingredients and calling into play seemingly every piece of kitchen equipment. Nevertheless, most recipes, such as Tausend’s salsas, will please both experienced and novice chefs. --Mark Knoblauch