A love letter to the flavors of Mexico
`Mi Cocina' by Rick Martínez brings vibrant Mexican dishes into your kitchen
He had traveled in Mexico before, but this time, Rick Martínez was on a mission. The New York Times contributor and former Bon Appétit senior food editor took a trip back in 2019 with a serious purpose: to research his new cookbook “Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico” (Clarkson Potter, $35).
He found himself there when the pandemic broke out and at that time, the U.S. had more cases. So he decided not to return to his home in New York, thinking the move would be temporary. Instead, it was lifechanging.
Martínez traveled 20,000 miles, covering all 32 states and 156 cities, and the more he explored, the more enchanted he became with the country's culture and cuisine. Now the native Texan calls Mazatlan home. That's where he lives in a house near the beach with his sidekick, a chocolate Lab he named Choco.
Dedicated to Mexico, his cookbook and heartfelt memoir is filled with more than 100 recipes and dazzling on-location color photography. It's been lauded by Food & Wine, Eater, Food52, Salon and Thrillist.
His mother, who died just months after seeing her son graduate from culinary school, was his inspiration. She had an uncanny sense of smell and never had to taste-test her recipes. She made tamales with him, but also cooked for the family from her Betty Crocker book.
So when Martínez writes about Mexican food, it's from an American's perspective, but one who continually seeks connections to the cuisine that speaks to his soul. The recipes bear this out with familiar and exotic flavors, and they're tailored for the home cook. We caught up with him to find out more about his background and get his take on one of our nation's most popular cuisines.
Q
I love that this book is so personal. Now that you've been living in Mexico, your Spanish must be fantastic.
A
It's much better, but actually when I started the trip, I didn't know Spanish and that was definitely a deficit.
But as I wrote in the book, that was a choice that my parents made because of where we grew up and what it was like in Texas at that time.
Q
Was it important to let readers know, especially if they're not sure about taking a deep dive into Mexican cuisine, that you're making this journey with them?
A
Yeah. I feel like most Americans love Mexican food, and I think the majority of them are only really aware of a few dishes, right? The dishes that people make most and order most are enchiladas, tacos, burritos and nachos. That's just the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more to Mexican cuisine
and I felt the only way to successfully convey that was to actually go on the journey myself.
Q
What else was on your mind?
A
I wrote this book proposal in 2019. Trump was in office, immigration was a big issue and it still is. It's politicized. At the time, whenever you heard about Mexico, it was about the border, a crisis. It was kids in cages, it was