Pati Jinich Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets

Jinich, host of the PBS series Pati’s Mexican Table, showcases delicious recipes from across Mexico in this unexpectedly tepid-feeling recipe collection. Some hail from lesser-known locations: a soup with “belly button” dumplings comes from Jinetes de Machado, a town of fewer than 60 people, all related. A standout chapter on Mexico’s masa specialties includes Sonoran tacos bravos in a double layer of tortillas dipped in tomato sauce, quesadillas made with chile puree, and gorditas sweetened with evaporated milk. A sea of salsas includes peanut salsa and salsa borracha, or “drunken salsa,” a popular salsa in the central states that’s made with beer. The recipes cover a wide range of difficulty, from a humble corn soup from Mixteca Alta to a Oaxacan mole with 20 ingredients. Desserts include holiday breads and sandwich cookies shaped like flowers, while savory meat dishes—such as a mixed platter traditionally cooked on an old plowshare over a fire—are balanced by vegetables like green beans with pureed corn. Meanwhile, sidebars cover nuts and bolts like sourcing goat meat. Jinich’s instructions don’t miss a beat, but the tone is so cool and collected that it sometimes borders on distant. Thorough as this is, the curious absence of its author’s charming personality leaves this feeling a bit flat. Agent: David Black, David Black Literary. (Nov.)