The Food and Life of Oaxaca, by New York restaurateur Zarela Martinez, is a fascinating cultural study disguised as a great cookbook. Martinez is part of the new renaissance of Mexican food writers and chefs, including
Rick Bayless and Diana Kennedy, who reaffirm that culinary awareness goes hand in hand with cultural awareness.
In fact, Martinez, a Mexican, credits her time in Oaxaca as "redefining my whole understanding of Mexico." Oaxaca is one of the most biologically and culturally diverse regions in Mexico, echoed throughout The Food and Life of Oaxaca in both the recipes and the accompanying essays. Martinez adamantly insists that to cook a dish, you must first understand it. She provides not only the how-to of a recipe, but also the why. In the chapter on moles, she provides seven outstanding recipes and explains beautifully why the sauces predominate Oaxacan cuisine. Her section on tamales is simply one of the best available, providing solid instruction and Oaxacan variations of the traditional Mexican party food. Chefs new to Mexican cuisine will find the glossary of ingredients indispensable. And any chef will find Martinez's passion for her subject inspiring.--Mark O. Howerton
1 a bit too pure oaxacan for my purchasing area
I like to buy unusual cookbooks. When I saw the word Oaxaca I wasn't even sure what part of the world it belongs too. Then I saw a special on Food TV about Oaxaca, and I got interested and went back to the cookbooks I had seen.
This cookbook strives for purity of recipes. Sadly, we don't live in Oaxaca, so the ingrediants are unavailable here.
The book is a nicely bound hardback, with a lot of interesting text on what life in Oaxaca is like. I had a good time reading it, and I'm glad I bought it, but it will be difficult for me to locate many of the ingrediants, even with the specialty stores on the internet now.
2 Excellent recipes, but rather condescending
I found the recipes, especially those of moles, to be excellent when prepared. The text is very straightforward and the descriptions of techniques and spices was very helpful. One thing that kept detracting my attention was the sometimes condescending tone that many of the necessary ingredients will never (or rarely) be found 'north of the border,' and thus the approximations that we Americans must make will never measure up to real Oaxacan cuisine. A rather disturbing little quirk in an othewise excellent cookbook.
3 An intimate journey of Food and Tradition!
Details. What I love about Zarela's writing is her attention to details. The recipes and stories inspired me to take a trip to Oaxaca. I garden and was looking for the elusive Oregano de Oaxaca! I will share this with you; If you are going to Oaxaca just to sample the food, there is no need. Cook the recipes. You are there! This book is worth it's weight in love!
4 These recipes really impressed my Oaxacan husband !
Many practical recipes can be found in this book and they are good for. Probably the best part of the book is the Basics of Oaxacan Cooking, including an explanation of different chiles and techniques. My favorite recipe is "Gallina en Tesmole". The yellow and green mole recipes are also excellent. I have impressed many Oaxaquenos with recipes from this book, and I am just learning to cook Mexican-style. Highly recommended!
5 A wonderful book about a magical place.
This book captures the true spirit of the State and City of Oaxaca better than anything that I have read. It describes the diverse subcultures that make up that magic that is felt there and gives insight into the reasons those cultures survived through the past hundreds of years. Since food is an important part of that, or any other culture, the book does an outstanding job of presenting this aspect as well. As a long time visitor to the area I would rate this book as important for anyone who anticipates visiting there.
6 Authentic Mexican
This is the finest cookbook on Oaxaca's world famous regional cooking. I have been there several times to enjoy the people and food. I have looked for years for recipe to make "yellow moles". The book is clear, well-researched and loving presented.
7 An excellent book.
This is an absolutely wonderful book, especially for those of us who love Oaxaca. Ms. Martinez descriptions of Oaxaca make one want to pack and go now. The recipes are great and very authentic. They are also clear and understandable for cooks who may not be accustomed to Mexican cooking methods. Thanks, Zarela for another great book.
