National Hispanic Heritage Month is here! There are many ways you can celebrate: by reading books by hispanic authors and about hispanic life or going to events in your local community.

Or you can learn how to cook a new dish! Food and the sharing of recipes is an important part of cultures globally, and latinx communties are no different. Click on any of the photos below to view the listing or to place a reserve on these books:

Frida’s Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo – Marie-Pierre Colle, Guadalupe Rivera, Marie Pierre Le

In the tradition of the best-selling Monet’s Table, Frida’s Fiestas is a personal account in words and pictures of many important and happy events in the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and a scrapbook, assembled by her stepdaughter, of recipes for more than 100 dishes that Frida served to family and friends with her characteristic enthusiasm for all the pleasures of life. Full-color photographs.

Chicano Eats– Esteban Castillo

Esteban Castillo grew up in Santa Ana, California, where more than three-quarters of the population is Latino. Because Mexican food was the foundation of his childhood, he was surprised to see recipes for dishes on popular food blogs that were anything but the traditional meals he grew up eating. He was inspired to create the blog, Chicano Eats, to showcase his love for design, cooking, and culture and provide a space for authentic Latino voices, recipes, and stories to be heard.

Building on his blog, Chicano Eats is a bicultural and bilingual cookbook that includes 85 traditional and fusion Mexican recipes as gorgeous to look at as they are sublime to eat. Chicano cuisine is Mexican food made by Chicanos (Mexican Americans) that has been shaped by the communities in the U.S. where they grew up. It is Mexican food that bisects borders and uses a group of traditional ingredients—chiles, beans, tortillas, corn, and tomatillos—and techniques while boldly incorporating many exciting new twists, local ingredients, and influences from other cultures and regions in the United States. Chicano Eats is packed with easy, flavorful recipes such as:

Chicken con Chochoyotes  (Chicken and Corn Masa Dumplings)

Mac and Queso Fundido

Birria (Beef Stew with a Guajillo Chile Broth)

Toasted Coconut Horchata

Chorizo-Spiced Squash Tacos

Champurrado Chocolate Birthday Cake (Inspired by the Mexican drink made with milk and chocolate and thickened with corn masa)

Cherry Lime Chia Agua Fresca

Accompanied by more than 100 bright, modern photographs, Chicano Eats is a melting pot of delicious and nostalgic recipes, a literal blending of cultures through food that offers a taste of home for Latinos and introduces familiar flavors and ingredients in a completely different and original way for Americans of all ethnic heritages.

The Fire of Peru: Recipes and Stories from My Peruvian Kitchen – Ricardo Zarate, Jenn Garbee

Popular L.A. chef Ricardo Zarate captures the flavors and excitement of Peruvian food, from rustic stews to specialty dishes to fabulous cocktails

Lima-born Los Angeles chef and restaurateur Ricardo Zarate delivers a standout cookbook on the new “it” cuisine—the food of Peru. Zarate has been called “the godfather of Peruvian cuisine” for good reason: He perfectly captures the spirit of modern Peruvian cooking, which reflects indigenous South American foods as well as Japanese, Chinese, and European influences, but also balances that variety with an American sensibility; his most popular dishes range from classic recipes (such as ceviche and Pisco sour) to artfully crafted Peruvian-style sushi to a Peruvian burger. With 100 recipes, lush color photography, and Zarate’s moving and entertaining accounts of Peru’s food traditions and his own compelling story, The Fire of Peru beautifully encapsulates the excitement Zarate brings to the American dining scene.

Easy Mexican Food Favorites – Jennifer Olvera

Easy Mexican Food Favorites is an all-in-one, easy-to-follow, learn-as-you-go Mexican cookbook offering:115 simple, hassle-free recipes, many of which take less than 45 minutes to prepare Step-by-step instructions that teach a variety of simple, effective, and fast Mexican cooking techniques Helpful cooking tips for what to prep, what to make ahead, and what to swap if you’re missing an ingredient

Easy Mexican Food Favorites: A Mexican Cookbook for Taqueria-Style Home Cooking brings you all the Mexican food you love without all the fuss. Whether you’re in the mood for salsas and tamales or enchiladas and horchatas, this Mexican cookbook has everything you need to get started.

The Gourmet Mexican Kitchen – Shannon Bard

With The Gourmet Mexican Kitchen you’ll make authentic Mexican fare hard to find anywhere but Mexico—think Enchiladas Mineras from Guanajuato, Sopa de Calabazza from Oaxaca, Arroz a la Tumbada from Veracruz and Cohinita Pibil originating in the Yucatán region of Mexico.

Tips and tricks pulled from Shannon’s years of experience will have you trying terrific new dishes. Master one of ten salsa recipes, wow your crowd with a Classic Mexican Vanilla Flan or build a feast around Citrus Rubbed Roasted Chicken with Pueblo Style Mole. There are a ton of recipes to choose from!

The Taco Tuesday Cookbook: 52 Tasty Taco Recipes to Make Every Week the Best Week Ever – Laura Fuentes

The Taco Tuesday Cookbook is your family’s dream come true, because, if there’s one thing we all can agree on, it’s that tacos are awesome. They’re customizable. They’re quick. They’re tasty. And most importantly, they make us all happy!
 
Inside, you’ll find taco recipes for every week of the year, all of which are made with real-food ingredients—and most of which are ready in 30 minutes or less. There are also vegetarian, gluten-free, and paleo options throughout, so you’ll be able to fully customize recipes based on your family’s needs. Tortilla, salsa, drink, and dessert recipes make your taco night complete. 
 
Here are just a few of the ways you can get your taco night started:
Black Beans and Queso Breakfast Tacos
Chickpea and Butternut Squash Tacos
Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Homemade Ranch
Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups
Mexican Short Rib Tacos
Greek Steak Tacos with Cucumber Salsa
Pork Tacos with Pineapple Pico de Gallo
Sheet Pan Fajita Shrimp Tacos
Turn every Tuesday into a true fiesta with The Taco Tuesday Cookbook.

If You Are Looking for Digital Resources, These Books are Available on Our Hoopla Service That is Free With a Library Card

Authentic Mexican Cooking – Scott Myers, Gabriele Gugetzer

80 Delicious, Traditional Recipes for Tacos, Burritos, Tamales, and Much More

Everyone enjoys the flavorful and piquant foods and refreshing drinks of Mexico and Authentic Mexican Cooking shows you that these tasty traditional dishes from south of the border are very easy to make.

With beautiful photographs and fun, colorful illustrations, this extensive cookbook shows you how to make all of the popular Mexican meals as well as some you might not have tried before. From vinaigrettes, soups, salads, and appetizers, to meat and seafood fare, and sweet desserts, you’ll be having a fiesta in the kitchen while making these. Along with valuable tips about typical ingredients, you’ll find great recipes for:

-Vegetarian frijoles
-Tortilla soup
-Chocolate-chili sauce
-Pork medallions with salsa
-Mushroom-filled burritos
-Quail in rose petal sauce
-Halibut ceviche with olives
-Mint, watermelon, and hibiscus cocktails
-And much more!

With Authentic Mexican Cooking you’ll be enjoying the sun and the fiery spirit of the country of the chili peppers, and rich chocolate, until you are ready for your siesta.

Cooking The Central American Way – Alison Behnke

The seven countries of Central America share many culinary traditions, while offering their own unique specialty dishes. The region is home to a wide range of resources, including various crops and fresh seafood. Many of their traditional dishes and meals are a blend of Spanish, Caribbean and Native Central American influences, offering the diner a varied and unique dining experience.

Secrets of Columbian Cooking – Patricia McCausland-Gallo

From the coffee and cacao grown high in the Andes Mountains, to the tropical fruits of the Caribbean and Amazonian regions, the great cattle farms on the plains, and bountiful seafood from the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, Colombia is a country of varied and exotic culinary offerings.
Now updated with a new chapter on lighter Colombian fare, this bestselling Hippocrene cookbook shares even more secrets from this beloved cuisine. With a 16-page color insert, glossary of Colombian foods and ingredients, an introduction to Colombia’s cuisine and regions, and of course, over 200 easy-to-follow recipes, this cookbook brings the vibrant culinary tradition of Colombia alive!
Sample recipes:
• Pandebono
• Ajiaco bogotano (Chicken and Potato Soup)
• Crema de Zapallo o Ahuyama (Cream of Pumpkin Soup)
• Buñuelos de Maíz (Corn Fritters)
• Pernil de Cerdo (Fresh Leg of Pork)
• Carne Desmechada (Stripped Beef)
• Cocktail de Calamares (Squid Cocktail)
• Pescado Frito (Whole Fried Fish)
• Bolas de Tamarindo (Tamarind Balls).