Norteña: Authentic Family Recipes from Northern Mexico
Passed down through the generations of Karla Zazueta’s family, she explores cooking techniques and ingredients brought in from lesser explored regions. This is a true taste of north Mexico using fresh produce, bursting with flavour, colour and – crucially – history.
The Mexican cuisine that most people are familiar with is from the centre or the south of the country, but in Norteña, Karla Zazueta shares the dishes and ways of cooking that she grew up with. Norteña – meaning ‘northerner’ – tells the tale of the northern states of Mexico – of the coastlines and fresh seafood, the cattle ranches, sun-ripened fruit and vegetables and the family gatherings around the table.
The recipes in the book include the world-famous Baja fish tacos, ‘piggy’ pinto beans, vegan chorizo, crab tostadas, sopes (corn patties) served in a tomato broth and empanadas californianas (shredded beef empanadas), all accompanied by mouth-watering spicy salsas, fresh queso and zingy salads.
There are recipes para la sed (for the thirst), which includes the best margaritas. The book ends on something sweet, with recipes such as Mexican flan and camotes (sweet potato poached until tender in a sweet, spiced syrup). The recipes are accompanied by longer texts that describe the different cultural events and influences that play such a huge part in the cuisine, such as the tamales estilo Sinaloa, wrapped with special care at Christmas time.
Karla’s understanding of flavour shines through in her recipes and she suggests substitutes throughout so you can recreate the authentic taste using ingredients from the supermarket. In addition, many of the meat and fish dishes are given a vegetarian alternative so that you can adapt the recipes for everyone to enjoy.
By sharing her family recipes, taking influence from her travels and tastes, Karla makes sure that each dish is packed with flavour but also cooked with love. Let yourself be transported to the Baja peninsula, rolling corn tortillas in the sun, sipping on a refreshing michelada and cooled by the breeze coming in from the sea.
Contents
Buenos Dias/Good Morning
Esenciales Norteñas/Northern Essentials
Algo Picosito/Something Spicy
Del Huerto/From the Garden
Del Mar/From the Sea
Del Rancho/From the Ranch
Final Dulce/Sweet Ending
Para la Sed/For the Thirst
Carne Asada/Mexican Feast
'When you read a really good cookery book it can transport you to a different place, which is what this book did for me. Huge congratulations to Karla Zazueta, Norteña deserves to be a best seller.' - Anjula Devi -
”'I have been following Karla for years. Over that time, I have cooked and eaten so many of her incredible dishes - and was even lucky enough to be taught by her. She’s such a brilliant cook … and now writer!” - - Olia Hercules
'I've been lucky enough to try Karla's food firsthand and it's nothing short of incredible- full of deep, complex flavour, textures and colours. Norteña is an unmissable cookbook, full of mouthwatering recipes and beautiful stories steeped in the tradition of Karla's upbringing.' - Ixta Belfrage -
”'An epic account of Mexican food, shining a spotlight on the food from the north of the country” - - Jake Normal
'Exploring the recipes in Norteña is like embarking on a flavourful journey through the vibrant and rich culture of northern Mexico, each dish a testament to Karla’s passion for both the cuisine and beautiful heritage.' - Ana Da Costa -
”'Norteña' fills in an important gap in the world of Mexican cookbooks - a special addition to any kitchen” - - Mely Martinez, author of The Mexican Home Kitchen
”'I find it so hard to find real authentic Mexican recipes (and not Tex-Mex). I absolutely love Karla!” - - Seema Pankhania, MOB Kitchen
”'An excellent book” - - Melissa Thompson
”'So much of Mexican cuisine is naturally gluten free so this book will be getting plenty of use. It’s beautiful and so insightful” - - Becky Excell
”'A gorgeous and delicious book with stunning photography” - - Uyen Luu