There is still so much to learn and record about plants, herbs, rare foods - in fact, the wisdom of the past - that can guide us into the future. Diana Kennedy, 1978

{HISTORY}

It's almost impossible to talk about authentic Mexican cuisine without mentioning the name Diana Kennedy. Born in England in 1923, Diana has spent the bulk of her life in Mexico writing, learning, and cooking her way through the history of this country's unique food landscape.

What started in 1957, as an innocent trip to Mexico for her husband's journalism assignment, quickly turned into a deep-ceded love affair between Diana and a country that would eventually grow so big it would come to inspire her life's work. Traveling all around the country learning every angle of Mexico's culinary world, Diana studied Mexican food from every historical angle.

All this focus on authentic heirloom foods, recipes, techniques, and ingredients from around the country yielded nine books on the subject, a commitment to a fully self-sustainable lifestyle, and the realized dream of creating a physical Mexican cooking and horticulture center devoted to traditional epicurean flavor.

Throughout her nine published books, Diana does not write of Mexican-American food - the kind that we know so well here in the US. She does not share recipes centered around Tex-Mex, or Califonia fresh-Mex, nor does she share how to incorporate prepackaged cans of salsa, sauces, beans, taco shells, and tortillas into her recipes. In her cookbooks, she teaches readers how to make everything from scratch, in the manner in which they were traditionally made in Mexico for centuries, sourced with ingredients common to the local landscape, and presented in ways that reflect the beauty and heritage of the culture. 

Recipes from the Regional Cooks of Mexico, Diana's third book, is a continuation of her debut cookbook The Cuisines of Mexico, in which she traveled all around the country speaking to, eating with, cooking alongside, and learning from anyone and everyone willing to discuss food with her. Peppered with stories of her adventures and the people she met along the way, each recipe is a little time capsule in and of itself, painting pictures of 1970s Mexico that will never be experienced again. Now considered a classic cookbook, Recipes from the Regional Cooks combines some of the country's brightest boldest, and most beloved recipes into one tidy place, preserving them for future generations to enjoy. 

Please note: The recipes featured here are of varying degrees of difficulty and while some contain easily accessible ingredients found in most grocery stores today, many feature specialty items that will need to be sourced from international stores or online in order to successfully achieve the desired outcomes. All tortillas are homemade. Each recipe calls for the freshest ingredients possible. Most of the bean and lentil dishes rely on dried, not canned versions. Shortcuts are not encouraged. As Diana is fond of saying... "Stick to the recipes as written. Otherwise, if you substitute you'll get different results and therefore a different dish altogether."

 {SPECIAL FEATURES}

- 1978 First Edition

- Ex-library copy

- 289 pages

- Illustrated throughout with black and white line drawings

- Special chapters include information on pronunciation, ingredient sources, and equipment lists, and a guide on common cooking techniques

- Interesting recipes include Mexican Eggnog, Fermented Pineapple Drink, Orange Flan, , Mushrooms in Chile Sauce, Barbacoa, Shredded Fish Tamiahua, Chicken and Fruit Casserole, Sreaks in Avocado Sauce, Pork in Green Peanut Sauce, White Rice with Corn Stuffed Chilis, Green Corn Soup, Puffed Tortillas from the Yucatan, Guacamole and Pumpkin Seed Dip. 

{CONDITION}

This is an ex-library copy and contains all the usual markings, stamps, and card pockets that vintage library books carry. Due to some sticky tape residue, the front and pack endpapers stick to the dust jacket covers but can be easily peeled away to read the dust jacket flaps. The interior is very clean and bright with no cooking spots or stains. The spine is tight, all pages are intact and there are no rips or tears to the dust jacket. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

This cookbook measures 7.5" inches (width) x 9.5" inches (length) x 1" inch (thickness)

{COMPANION COOKING}

Pair this cookbook with these vintage Mexican kitchenware pieces and you'll have a fun fiesta in the making!