Review by Booklist Review
Los Angeles has always had a tradition of good Mexican home cooking, but it's been only in the last couple of decades that Angelenos have demanded taquerias and cantinas that transcend stereotypes. Much of the reason for this new wave of restaurants springs from the talents of young artisan chefs who have set higher standards. Mexico has contributed chocolate, chilies, and more to the world; and regional styles of cooking from Mexico's many states offer a more sophisticated range of foods and flavors beyond mass-produced nachos, tacos, and tamales. Esparza meticulously inventories Los Angeles' abundance of these new Mexican restaurants, food vendors, groceries, and more, placing special emphasis on the creative and entrepreneurial people who give the city's Mexican food scene its vibrancy. Thanks to the recipes Esparza has gleaned, cooks outside Southern California can duplicate everything from complex mole negro to simple fresh salsas. Recommended especially for regional West Coast collections.--Knoblauch, Mark Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Spinning off of his Street Gourmet L.A. blog, Esparza guides readers to some of the best Mexican restaurants in the L.A. area. Esparza, a saxophonist who grew up in Stockton, Calif., toured with a number of pop, jazz and blues artists throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Along the way, he educated himself on regional Latin cuisines and shares that knowledge in this educational book, which includes numerous recipes. He profiles each restaurant's owner, including Soledad Lopez, a former factory worker who introduced Oaxacan cuisine to L.A .in the 1980s with her restaurant Guelaguetza Palms, and Ramiro Arvizu and Jaime Martin Del Campo, whose La Casita Mexicana made a viable argument for haute Mexican cuisine. Home cooks will appreciate solid recipes for classics such as chicken tamales, taquitos, and fish tacos, as well as inventive riffs such as a ramen-like take on classic fideos, squash tacos with pumpkin seeds and an avocado-tomatillo salsa, and a luscious papaya cream soup. Angelenos will get the most out of the book, but any serious aficionado of Mexican cuisine is sure to appreciate the dishes showcased here as well as the stories of their creators. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Take a tour of Los Angeles's Mexican cuisine with expert and James Beard Award-winning writer Esparza, who deftly covers the topic with passion and sensitivity. After introducing kitchen equipment, techniques, ingredients, and Mexico's culinary regions, he begins with simple recipes for beans, rice, and various kinds of salsa. He then guides readers through three distinct styles of Mexican food, -sharing -wide-ranging recipes (e.g., -taquitos with avocado sauce, chicken relleno negro, squash tacos with pumpkin seeds & avocado-tomatillo salsa) from notable individuals, restaurants, food trucks, and other vendors. Lengthy profiles highlight community figures and add context, and a concluding list of neighborhood resources recommends places to visit. VERDICT A fascinating read, this informative cookbook will thrill Mexican food lovers who value variety and authenticity. Highly recommended. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
