Mamacita: Recipes Celebrating Life as a Mexican Immigrant in America

by Andrea Pons, Matt Ogle (Illustrator), hetty lui McKinnon (Foreword by)

Overview

In this inspiring and creative Mexican cookbook, Andrea Pons takes you on a journey through flavor, family, and her immigration story. With 78 easy and delicious recipes from three generations of women in her family, this cookbook offers a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine.

Foreword by James Beard Award nominee Hetty Lui McKinnon

The story of Mamacita is the story of contemporary immigration and life in the United States. When Pons was faced with the possibility of deportation, she and her family struggled to navigate the complicated US immigration system, even though the country had been their home for sixteen years. Pons looked to these recipes for help and self-published the original edition of Mamacita to fund her family’s significant legal fees.

The cookbook became a symbol of her family’s journey and a rallying cry to anyone challenged by the complexities of immigration. In these pages, Pons shares her personal story and how creating this cookbook became a way for her to return to her roots and reconnect with her Mexican heritage.

This new edition of Mamacita offers 30 more photos and 11 additional recipes, allowing you to taste even more of the love in Pons's dishes, ranging from glorious salsas to filling harinas to tart and sweet postres.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781648961717
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	368,909
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Andrea Pons is a production manager, food stylist, and author based in Seattle, Washington. Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, and raised in the United States, Andrea aims to create recipes that start a conversation—ranging from immigration advocacy to self-love. She currently hosts cooking and writing workshops and publishes new recipes, travel guides, and wellness tips on her platform Sobremesa.

Editorial Reviews

"With a solid variety of nostalgic Mexican staples, Pons offers an accessible introduction to traditional Mexican dishes that are sure to please...The book is designed with both cooking and reading in mind, and each easy-to-follow recipe is accompanied by a preface that provides context and hints. Try the molletes."
– Library Journal

"Pons’s cookbook includes dishes to fill the whole day, stretching from long mornings into late night snacks. It includes Mexican cuisine staples alongside fresh modern plates. Both are garnished with fascinating stories about their cultural and family roots."
– Foreword Reviews

"Mamacita will draw you in and inspire you to celebrate the vast breadth of Mexican home cooking. Not only is Andrea an amazing cook, her mission of using this book as a vehicle to support her family and other immigrant families is beyond words. You will never look at the Mexican kitchen the same again!”
– Joel Gamoran, chef, television host, and author of Cooking Scrappy

“Mamacita captures Andrea’s passion for her culture and brings a beautiful perspective to life as an immigrant in America. This book is a must-have for anyone who is looking for more than just recipes—this is a wealth of inspiring stories that will teach you so much more.”
– Melissa Miranda, chef and founder, Musang restaurant, Seattle

"Andrea’s story is a modern tale of family, immigration, endurance, and how our roots and our cooking heritage ground us through times of adversity and uncertainty. The recipes are delicious and showcase Mexico’s broad and rich cuisine.”
– Aran Goyoaga, James Beard Award Finalist and author of Cannelle et Vanille and Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple

From the Publisher

10/01/2022

In her introduction, enhanced with family photos and documents, Pons recounts her story as a Mexican immigrant in the United States and the role that food played in reconciling her identity and reconnecting with her Mexican heritage. In this debut (previously self-published and now picked up by Princeton Architectural and enhanced with 35 more photos and 10 additional recipes), Pons adapts and simplifies her mother's and grandmother's dishes, presenting them for cooks of all levels to engage with the flavors of her childhood and homeland. The recipes are divided into sections dedicated to salsas, ensaladas y verduras (salads and greens), arroz (rice), harinas (grains), carnes (meats), mariscos (fish), and postres (desserts), as well as an explanation on the absence of tacos. Each recipe comes with a story and serves 4–6 or 6–8 people. VERDICT With a solid variety of nostalgic Mexican staples, Pons offers an accessible introduction to traditional Mexican dishes that are sure to please. Most of the recipes are less than a page in length with easy-to-follow instructions and generally easy-to-find ingredients. A great choice for cookbook collections.—Gricel Dominguez

Library Journal