After years spent traveling and sampling sweets throughout her native Mexico, celebrated
pastry chef Fany Gerson
shares
the secrets behind her beloved homeland’s signature desserts in this
highly personal and authoritative cookbook. Skillfully weaving together
the rich histories that inform the country’s diverse culinary
traditions, My Sweet Mexico is a delicious journey into the soul of the
cuisine.
From yeasted breads that scent the air with cinnamon, anise, sugar,
fruit, and honey, to pushcarts that brighten plazas with paletas and
ice creams made from watermelon, mango, and avocado, Mexican confections are like no other.
Stalwarts like
Churros, Amaranth
AlegrÃas, and Garibaldis—a type of buttery muffin with apricot jam and
sprinkles—as well as Passion Fruit–Mezcal Trifle and Cheesecake with
Tamarind Sauce demonstrate the layering of flavors unique to the world
of dulces. In her typical warm and enthusiastic style, Gerson explains
the significance of indigenous
ingredients
such as sweet maguey plants, mesquite, honeys, fruits, and cacao, and
the happy results that occur when combined with Spanish troves of
cinnamon, wheat, fresh cow’s milk, nuts, and sugar cane.
The New Southern Garden Cookbook offers over 300 brightly flavored recipes
that will inspire beginning and experienced cooks, southern or
otherwise, to take advantage of seasonal delights. Castle has organized
the cookbook alphabetically by type of vegetable or fruit, building on the premise that when cooking with fresh produce, the ingredient, not the recipe, is the wiser starting point. While some dishes are inspired by traditional southern recipes,
many reveal the goodness of gardens in new, contemporary ways. Peppered
with tips, hints, and great stories, these pages make for good food and
a good read.
