Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 and is a great time to support Latinx and Hispanic cookbook authors. Let’s face it: Latin American and Hispanic cuisine boasts some of the best and most diverse foods. From the jungles of Peru to the mountains of Mexico, Latin American cuisine ranges across over 20 countries, making for a varying set of traditional dishes: ceviche, arepas, pupusas, and tacos, to name just a handful. Latin American food is so delicious, yet it can be hard to recreate its bold flavors and authenticity in our own kitchens. Thankfully, there are plenty of cookbooks by Latinx authors that can help guide us as we recreate the delectable foods of Latin America in our own kitchen. Check out these cookbooks by Latinx authors that will make you hungry.
Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico by Briana Lopez and Javier Cabral
Briana Lopez’s family are the owners of Guelaguetza, a restaurant that serves traditional Oaxacan cuisine in Los Angeles. It only makes sense that in her cookbook, Oaxaca, Lopez details 140 authentic Oaxacan recipes. She also tells the stories behind each, including excerpts from her traditional native family. The cookbook covers a wide range of Oaxacan delicacies, from soups to salsas to cocktails.
Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America: A Cookbook by Sandra A. Gutierrez
Latinísimo features over 300 recipes ranging from all 21 Latin American countries. The cookbook focuses on day-to-day home cooking, organized by ingredient. It also features a detailed pantry section, so readers can have all the ingredients needed to prepare an authentic Latin American meal from any of its various countries.
¡Viva Desserts!: Traditional and Reinvented Sweets from a Mexican-American Kitchen by Nicole Presley
If you’re more into the sweet side of Latin American cooking, then ¡Viva Desserts! is the cookbook for you. Nicole Presley, a Mexican baker from Los Angeles, highlights all of Mexico’s best desserts in her book. She reveals her own baking secrets as she details recipes for Oreo Horchata Cheesecake, Atole de Canela, and other classic Mexican desserts with a twist.
La Vida Verde: Plant-Based Mexican Cooking with Authentic Flavor by Jocelyn Ramirez
In her book, Jocelyn Ramirez caters toward those who are looking to enjoy Mexican delicacies, but without the meat. She provides 60 plant-based recipes, putting a meatless twist on some of Mexico’s most popular dishes. For example, she shares how to make Tacos de Yaca Carnitas, which are jackfruit tacos, as well as healthier versions of classics like árbol chiles with tomatillo.
Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen: Authentic Recipes for Lomo Saltado, Anticuchos, Tiraditos, Alfajores, and Pisco Cocktails by Martin Morales
Peruvian dishes are typically very different from those of other Latin American countries. In Ceviche, Martin Morales details the ins and outs of traditional Peruvian food, while combining the flavors of Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Italian cuisine. With over 100 recipes, Ceviche is one of the first major Peruvian cookbooks catered toward an American audience.
The Cuban Kitchen: 500 Simple, Stylish, and Flavorful Recipes Celebrating the Caribbean’s Best Cuisine: A Cookbook by Raquel Rabade Roque
Cuban cuisine is a combination of many other cultures: Spanish, Arabian, Chinese, African, and Spanish, mainly. In The Cuban Kitchen, Raquel Rabade Roque provides a whopping 500 traditional Cuban recipes, accompanied by each recipe’s story. Roque’s recipes come from her own family’s cooking, making it all the more authentic.
Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America by Maricel E. Presilla
In Gran Cocina Latina, historian and restauranter Marciel E. Presilla details recipes from all over the Latin American world, largely based on her Cuban background as well as her over 30 years of travel. With over 500 recipes, her book provides all of the necessary techniques, ingredients, and tips to master Latin American cooking.
Coconuts and Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South by Von Diaz
Von Diaz tells the story of her move from Puerto Rico to Atlanta through her recipes and accompanying anecdotes in Coconuts and Collards. She provides modern spins on traditional Puerto Rican dishes, and also notes the many similarities between the Puerto Rican food she grew up eating and Southern cuisine. Not only does this cookbook provide delicious, authentic recipes, but also tells a story about discovering one’s roots through food.