Diana Kennedy (1) (1923–2022)

No less than a dozen of the recipes from this book have made it into our catering company's repertoire - and for good reason. Look for her Legumbres en Escabeche - totally worth the work. A memorable quote that reveals her style admirably: "Do NOT soak the beans first; the skin gives off an unpleasant flavor. If you do, then don't throw out the soaking water with all the minerals and flavor. Instead throw out the book that tells you to do so."

If you have access to a good Latino grocery store, this is a fantastic book. Some of the ingredients can be a bit hard to get otherwise. I am a very large fan of Mexican food, but get sick of the tex-mex versions that they try to foist off on you in sub-standards restaurants. This book was my ticket to incredible dishes and has opened up a whole new vista for my cooking experiments.

Diana Kennedy is the "Julia Child" of Mexican cooking and her books have no competition to my mind. Her recipes are authentic and often labor-intensive and involved but the results reflect the work.

Anything done by Diana Kennedy, the queen of cooking, is wonderful and entertaining. To me, she is the Julia Child of today, living in the heart of Mexico and having made a living among us.

A wonderful book, full of passion for the product of the earth, and for the generation of passing recipe from family to family. A night table book.