COOKING THE BORDERLANDS

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