Mexican Soul: A New Style of Cooking

This is an uncommonly thoughtful and explicit account of how an internationally regarded chef arrived at his own approach to Mexican cooking.

Raised in Mexico, Santiago Lastra spent a long early stretch of his career on classic French technique, then Spanish innovation, then Nordic resourcefulness, before he engaged fully with Mexican ingredients and methods. He now runs the Michelin-starred KOL in London and the more casual, contemporary Fonda.

The recipes do not depend on unusual equipment. They are informed by an understanding of ingredients that reflects time in kitchens such as Mugaritz in Spain. The first part of the book is organized around the flavor foundations Lastra treats as defining—sour, sweet, spicy, fat, smoky, and masa—alongside traditional recipes. 

There are dishes such as carnitas and many salsas, but they often function as elements within the section of the book called Mexican Soul, which applies Mexican approaches to a wider range of ingredients, built from what he hopes you will find easily available at the supermarket. That part of the book includes dishes like potato-based tortillas, oyster mushrooms al pastor, and tuna and tomato crudo.

This is an UK-originated book, so expect some slight vocabulary variances (plaice for flounder) and some differences in what are considered commonly available ingredients.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.