Celebrating Heritage: Cookbooks We Love - Sietefoods.com

One way our family celebrates our Mexican-American heritage is through food! (Some members of our family might even say that creating, cooking, and sharing delicious dishes with others is our love language!) This is why it was extra special for us to write our new family cookbook, THE SIETE TABLE
 
 
We love cookbooks because they offer a special opportunity to learn about an author and their background through more than just the recipes they create, but also through the imagery in beautiful photos, plating tips, storytelling, and personal anecdotes throughout the pages. 
 
Today, we're sharing five cookbooks written by Latinx authors whose stories inspire us! Learn more about their heritage-inspired cookbooks, wonderful stories, and the delicious and innovative foods of their culture below.
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Esteban Castillo writes his cookbooks with pride in his heritage, his culture, and his roots—as a celebration of where he comes from and the foods he grew up eating. He states, "I decided to start Chicano Eats because I’m proud of my roots, and I’d like to invite you to experience un pedacito de mi cultura and traditions through food." Chicano Eats features delicious Mexican-American recipes, both traditional and fusion, all while honoring Esteban's Chicano identity and nostalgic dishes he holds dearly. 

Chicano Eats Cover Photo
  
    

Bricia Lopez was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico, and moved to Los Angeles, California when she was a young girl. She has become a figurehead for Oaxacan culture in America, and her Oaxacan soul certainly shines through in her first cookbook: OAXACA. As the first cookbook written and created by a family from Oaxaca about Oaxaca, this cookbook is one-of-a-kind and rich in culture. The recipes are authentic and approachable, and they follow the Lopez family's journey from Oaxaca to L.A.

Oaxaca Cookbook Cover Photo
  
Check out our Live Your Heritage Series Part 1 on Youtube to learn all about Bricia's story!
  

"Over 90 delicious, deeply personal recipes that tell the story of Puerto Rico’s Stateside diaspora from the United States’ first Puerto Rican food columnist, award-winning writer Illyanna Maisonet." Illyana Maisonet visually and geographically traces Puerto Rican food to its roots in her cookbook: Diasporican. Maisonet's recipes demonstrate the diverse traditions of Puerto Rico and how food has historically connected families, communities, and people of different backgrounds across the island. 

Diasporican Cookbook Cover Image
  

Mariana Velásquez shares delicious recipes in her cookbook, Colombiana, which is the first to be written solely about Colombian food and culture. The book visually tells the story of meals through more than just flavorful food. To Velásquez, a meal is, of course, about the delicious and flavorful main dishes that will be served, but it is also about the act of gathering, setting out beautiful tablescapes, imbibing beverages, and more. The book features vibrant photos and traditional recipes and truly embodies the phrase Velásquez used to sum up Colombian food in a few words: "More is more!"

Colombiana Cookbook Cover Photo