Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico

by Bricia Lopez, Javier Cabral

Overview

A colorful celebration of Mexican cuisine from LA’s landmark Oaxacan restaurant—with recipes for moles, salsa, cocktails, family meals and more.

Oaxaca is the culinary heart of Mexico, and since opening its doors in 1994, Guelaguetza has been the center of life for the Oaxacan community in Los Angeles. Founded by the Lopez family, Guelaguetza has been offering traditional Oaxacan food for twenty-five years.

In this delightful introduction to Oaxacan cuisine, each dish articulates the Lopez family story, from Oaxaca to the streets of Los Angeles and beyond. Showcasing the “soul food” of Mexico, Oaxaca offers 140 authentic, yet accessible recipes using some of the purest pre-Hispanic and indigenous ingredients available. From their signature pink horchata to the formula for the Lopez’s award-winning mole negro, Oaxaca demystifies this essential cuisine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683356523
Publisher:	ABRAMS, Inc.
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	259,216
File size:	98 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Bricia Lopez comes from a long lineage of Oaxaca Mezcal craftsmen and grew up in her grandmother’s kitchen. Lopez is the co-proprietor of Guelaguetza. Javier Cabral created the critically acclaimed food blog Teenage Gluster when he was only 16. A former West Coast staff writer for Munchies, he has written for numerous publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Saveur, and Lucky Peach. They both live in Los Angeles.

Interviews

Oaxaca, Mexico
Los Angeles, CA

Editorial Reviews

Bricia and her family are true culinary ambassadors, sharing the ingredients, the stories, and the flavors of her native Oaxaca. To me, they have achieved the true American dream—they have brought with them all of the very best from their home, providing an amazing space for community, for family, for the people of Los Angeles . . . and now we all get the chance to hear the stories and taste the food that makes Oaxaca one of the best places to eat on earth.”—José Andrés, Chef and Owner of ThinkFoodGroup & minibar by José Andrés

"From its powerful and important dedication, to its enticing introduction, alluring photographs and recipes, the thrilling new cookbook Oaxaca accomplishes that rare feat of capturing a place so vividly it not only make you want to go there, it brings you there by simply picking up this wonderful tribute to a land and its people. Let’s lift a glass of mezcal to Bricia Lopez and the family behind LA’s Guelaguetza.”—Nancy Silverton, chef and co-owner of Mozza Restaurant Group

"Bricia and her family built an amazing space to share the flavors and the stories of their native Oaxaca. Her journey is inspiring: Like any other migrant family they brought to the United States their very own cuisine, but they also created a place for community, for the people of Los Angeles, a place where you can feel at home. Now we have the chance to read the stories and taste the food that makes Oaxaca one of the best places to eat on earth."—Enrique Olvera, chef and owner of Pujol and author of Tu Casa Mi Casa

"I grew up in Ktown in and out of 8th street, aka the Oaxacan corridor where their first restaurant was. Now it's located in the buffet building I used to eat at as a kid on Olympic. And soon, Mama Rabbit is gonna open right next door to my restaurant Best Friend in Las Vegas. I can't seem to shake the Guelaguetza family. We are forever linked and I'm mole than happy for that!”—Roy Choi

“This inspiring and delightful cookbook, full of excellent and easy-to-follow recipes, confirms that Oaxaca is not only one of Mexico's most important food regions, it is one of the most important in the world.”—James Oseland, editor of the World Food book series and author of Jimmy Neurosis: A Memoir

From the Publisher

"From its powerful and important dedication, to its enticing introduction, alluring photographs and recipes, the thrilling new cookbook Oaxaca accomplishes that rare feat of capturing a place so vividly it not only make you want to go there, it brings you there by simply picking up this wonderful tribute to a land and its people. Let’s lift a glass of mezcal to Bricia Lopez and the family behind LA’s Guelaguetza.

chef and co-owner of Mozza Restaurant Group - Nancy Silverton

This inspiring and delightful cookbook, full of excellent and easy-to-follow recipes, confirms that Oaxaca is not only one of Mexico's most important food regions, it is one of the most important in the world.

editor of the World Food book series and author of Jimmy Neurosis: A Memoir - James Oseland

Bricia and her family are true culinary ambassadors, sharing the ingredients, the stories, and the flavors of her native Oaxaca. To me, they have achieved the true American dream—they have brought with them all of the very best from their home, providing an amazing space for community, for family, for the people of Los Angeles . . . and now we all get the chance to hear the stories and taste the food that makes Oaxaca one of the best places to eat on earth.

Chef and Owner of ThinkFoodGroup & minibar by José Andrés - José Andrés

"Bricia and her family built an amazing space to share the flavors and the stories of their native Oaxaca. Her journey is inspiring: Like any other migrant family they brought to the United States their very own cuisine, but they also created a place for community, for the people of Los Angeles, a place where you can feel at home. Now we have the chance to read the stories and taste the food that makes Oaxaca one of the best places to eat on earth."

chef and owner of Pujol and author of Tu Casa Mi Casa - Enrique Olvera

"I grew up in Ktown in and out of 8th street, aka the Oaxacan corridor where their first restaurant was. Now it's located in the buffet building I used to eat at as a kid on Olympic. And soon, Mama Rabbit is gonna open right next door to my restaurant Best Friend in Las Vegas. I can't seem to shake the Guelaguetza family. We are forever linked and I'm mole than happy for that!

Roy Choi

Bricia and her family are true culinary ambassadors, sharing the ingredients, the stories, and the flavors of her native Oaxaca. To me, they have achieved the true American dream—they have brought with them all of the very best from their home, providing an amazing space for community, for family, for the people of Los Angeles . . . and now we all get the chance to hear the stories and taste the food that makes Oaxaca one of the best places to eat on earth.

Chef and Owner of ThinkFoodGroup & minibar by José Andrés - José Andrés

01/01/2020

Opened by Lopez's father in the early 1990s, Guelaguetza was the first Mexican restaurant to win a James Beard Award. Today, the restaurant still embodies the Oaxacan custom of gift exchange. This cookbook, along with the story behind Guelaguetza, proves that Mexican food should be considered among fine dining options. Lopez begins the volume with a brief history of the restaurant and its place in her family history, as she is now co-proprietor. Food writer Cabral collaborates to create easy-to-follow recipes, often accompanied by step-by-step pictures, reflecting the same gift exchange custom that is such a large part of Oaxacan cuisine. Lopez gives a brief overview of the ingredients that are needed to prepare the recipes, along with a list of suitable alternatives. VERDICT From the recipe for traditional masa, used to make tortillas, to moles that form the base of many recipes, the simple instructions and lavish photographs make this a delightful cookbook, suitable for anyone with an interest in traditional Mexican food.—Danielle Williams, Univ. of Evansville

Library Journal