Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States

Claudette Zepeda

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Book cover for Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States
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Book cover for Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States
Image for variant 9780593796139

Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States

Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States

Claudette Zepeda

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Description

A culinary journey along the Mexican American border, telling the story of its intertwined cultures and communities with more than 100 vibrant, flavor-packed recipes from Top Chef star, Iron Chef Mexico finalist, and Tijuana-San Diego border kid Claudette Zepeda.

The Mexican American border has been an inflamed political focal point within the US; at the same time, Mexican food has long been the most popular "ethnic" cuisine in America. A child of the border herself, Claudette Zepeda grew up in both California and Mexico and sees the border as a vibrant, vital, and unique cultural and culinary place. A gifted storyteller and chef, Claudette's recipes and ruminations humanize border culture through 100 accessible and beloved dishes such as:

- Coahuila's Esquites (Street Corn)
- Las Calandrias Caballitos (Chicken Sopes)
- Arroz Poblano (Poblano Pepper Creamy Rice)
- Camarones al Ajillo (Baja Style Garlic Shrimp)
- Capirotada (Bread Pudding)

This is a story of a personal and culinary identity that formed betwixt two cultures, told through recipes, anecdotes, and an irreverent sense of humor. Borderlands details the Mexican dishes Claudette grew up eating and loves, their American counterparts, and how the fluidity and flexibility between the two nations shows us a way of being in the world. With her sophisticated, first-hand perspective of the Mexican American border, immigration, and the feet-in-many-worlds attitude of Border Kid culture, Claudette shines a human light on the imaginary line stretching from California through Texas and shows how vital this place is in American culture.

About the Author

Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning, San Diego-based celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur known for her fearless style and bold approach to regional Mexican cuisine. Zepeda's multi-faceted expertise is showcased in her role overseeing the creative vision as Founder of Chispa Hospitality with projects in San Diego, Nashville, Australia and México. Her latest project, Novecientos Grados, a Mexican food restaurant in partnership with Tony Hawk located in the San Diego airport, celebrates both the border and skater culture through delicious food.

Critical Reviews

"Zepeda has dedicated her career to learning about the unique fusion of cultures along our shared perimeter. Her deeply personal, geographically-organized book covers territory from California to the Sonoran Desert to cowboy country, with recipes like arroz poblano, tacos with vermicelli and green chorizo, and jericalla (burnt cinnamon custard) along the way."--Saveur

"‛The /borderlands between [Mexico and the U.S.] have always been home to beautiful tales of migration, immigration, resilient and often misunderstood people, and of course a shared love of food, ' writes San Diego chef Zepeda in this gorgeous debut recipe collection that doubles as a valuable work of culinary anthropology. . . . Zepeda's chatty tone makes her a charming storyteller, and vibrant photos accompanying the recipes appeal. This impresses."--Publishers Weekly, starred review


Publishing Information

Publisher: Clarkson Potter Publishers
Pub date: 2026-06-02
Length: 288 pages

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