My (Half) Latinx Kitchen: Half Recipes, Half Stories, All Latin American

This deeply personal recipe collection from Wright-Ruiz (I Want to be Spaghetti!) chronicles her culinary path to embracing her own culture. While ceviche de camarón, caldo de bolas (beef and sofrito-stuffed plantain dumpling stew), locro de papa (potato and cheese soup), and other dishes pay tribute to her Ecuadorian roots, many recipes are also influenced by the people and events that have made an impact on Wright-Ruiz’s life. For instance, she devotes a whole chapter to Cuban recipes inspired by the food she ate under the care of her Cuban foster parents, including ropa vieja, batido de trigo (a wheat milkshake), and papas rellenas (stuffed potato croquettes). Wright-Ruiz also shares recipes from her Mexican stepgrandmother’s kitchen, such as mojarra frita (fried freshwater fish) with pineapple salsa, chicken tamales, and champurrado (a corn-based hot chocolate drink). The recipes open with anecdotes (“This is... the first Ecuadorian dish I ever learned to make,” she says of seco de pollo) and fascinating cultural tidbits (Horchata’s origins trace back to over 1,000 years ago in North Africa). This heartfelt cookbook will inspire home chefs of any ethnic background. Agent: Leila Campoli, Stonesong Literary. (Feb.)