Foods of La Frontera: Recipes and New Taste Frontiers from Both Sides of the Border

Por/by Pati Jinich

125 Recipes from the Vibrant US-Mexico Borderlands 

From Pati Jinich, acclaimed chef, New York Times bestselling author, and star of James Beard Award–winning PBS series La Frontera with Pati Jinich and Pati’s Mexican Table, a cookbook of 125 recipes celebrating the rich cultures and foods from where the U.S. and Mexico meet.

To Pati Jinich, the word “border” sounds forbidding. She much prefers the Spanish name, “La Frontera,” or “frontier,” suggesting not just one place, but the beginning of another, a place of origins, opportunity, and invention. Throughout her zigzag travels in the U.S. and Mexico, Pati shows that where our two nations meet, exciting things happen, and nowhere is that more true than in food. After all, several of the world’s favorites were born in La Frontera: nachos, burritos, Caesar Salad, and margaritas.

As Pati reveals, the food of the Borderlands is richer and more varied than in any single Mexican state. Though it’s often equated with Tex-Mex food, it’s much more than that, encompassing styles from all over Mexico. And when it is Tex-Mex, it comes in a surprising range of forms and flavors—from the outstanding barbecue with pickled jalapeño slaw and grilled corn in Marfa, West Texas, to the silkiest queso with roasted poblanos in the Rio Grande Valley.

In Pati Jinich La Frontera, Pati Jinich casts the border in a new, delicious light, sharing essential recipes from the borderlands, even for desserts, including:

• Tamales de Frijol con Chile Verde y Queso (Mashed Bean, Green Chile, and Cheese Tamales)
• Nachos con Carne Asada (Skirt Steak Nachos)—that Pati makes for Super Bowl parties
• Tacos Dorados de Camarón (Crispy Shrimp Taquitos)
• Pollo Loco (Crazy Chicken)
• Guacamole con Jalapeño y Chile de Árbol
• Enchiladas Navideñas de Pollo (Christmas Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas)
• Pastel de Tres Leches Chocolate (Chocolate Tres Leches Cake)

Expertly tested in Pati’s home kitchen in Maryland and shared with stories, living histories, and lavish photographs, the recipes in Pati Jinich La Frontera enable you to enjoy these dishes exactly the way they are made in the Borderlands.