Summary
IACP Cookbook Award Winner
A groundbreaking cookbook celebrating the distinctive cuisine and culture of Oaxaca, from one of Mexico's most revered chefs. With a foreword by Enrique Olvera.
In The Food of Oaxaca , acclaimed chef Alejandro Ruiz shares the cuisine of Mexico's culinary capital through fifty recipes both traditional and original. Divided into three parts, the book covers the classic dishes of the region, the cuisine of the coast, and the food Ruiz serves today at his beloved restaurant, Casa Oaxaca. Here are recipes for making your own tortillas, and for preparing tamales, salsas, and moles, as well as Ruiz's own creations, such as Duck Tacos with Coloradito; Shrimp, Nopal, Fava Bean, and Pea Soup; and Oaxacan Chocolate Mousse. Also included are thoughtful essays on dishes, ingredients, kitchen tools, and traditions; recommendations on where to eat; and a comprehensive glossary to help fully immerse readers in the food of Oaxaca, making this an indispensable volume for home cooks and travelers alike.
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.
Excerpts
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.
