Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico

A colorful celebration of Oaxacan cuisine from the landmark Guelaguetza restaurant in Los Angeles

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 25 years. The first true introduction to Oaxacan cuisine by a native family, each dish articulates their 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.

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.

After an amazing meal at Guelaguetza (the Lopez' family restaurant in LA) last month, we immediately came home and looked for Oaxacan cookbooks, only to find that their own book was due out this week! I pre-ordered and am so glad I did. While this book does contain wonderfully complex mole recipes, the thing I love most is that so many of the recipes are *simple*! Family meals, the kind of thing you could easily make on a weeknight, just quality ingredients combined well to make lovely dishes. We've already tried a few of the breakfast items and the black bean staples, and every one was delicious. --Aaron Parkening

ok I have to rewrite this review. The book is beautiful. Read thru the book the day I received it and it brought me back to my childhood. My mom would make most of these dishes growing up. The ingredients in most are what reminds me of my childhood. Using Lard (which is not healthy) but that’s how you get the real deal in tamales. Highly recommend. Looks beautiful in my kitchen --Jasmine

My mother is from Oaxaca and we are always talking about the food! Anytime we visit there’s a lot of culture centered around food. I lived there as child and I find that a lot of my memories are related to a flavor I remember. I am so excited to try the recipes in the book. Not only is it a recipe book, it gives a background to where many of the ingredients come from. In addition, the photos in the book are amazing. If you don’t know anything about Oaxacan food, get this book and find out! To me, it’s the best food out there. --Rachel

Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico