Diane Kennedy's name was synonymous with superb Mexican cooking even before My Mexico--filled with delicious recipes and personal accounts of her travels around Mexico--was first published in 1998. It's back in print and updated with new photographs that add visual beauty to the more than 300 sensual and authentic dishes from all parts of Mexico.
Throughout her journeys, Kennedy has always sought the best cuisine from each region, often traveling hundreds of miles to reach a tiny house or store in search of that one perfect recipe. Readers meet the Mexicans who create these dishes, stepping into their homes alongside Kennedy as she tastes such treats as cajetas, "thin layers of fruit conserve rolled up with a coating of sugar, the most delicious being a pale green in color... made of steamed green mangoes," or chocolate-flavored tamales served with eggnog. For savory dishes, the choices range from eggs with cactus and cilantro to pork loin in guava sauce to langostinos in pumpkin seed sauce.
Kennedy's stories and recipes evoke the authentic flavors, sights and smells of Mexico. She also provides much useful information, from the types of cookware needed to a comprehensive chart describing varieties of chiles. My Mexico will certainly aid armchair travelers and cooks alike in gaining a much deeper appreciation for the people of Mexico and their culinary delights. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer