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Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo: A Cookbook
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.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
May 29, 2009
Co-written by Diego Rivera's daughter, Guadalupe Rivera, this book chronicles Frida's love for home, entertaining and cooking. It contains the menus and several recipes of meals she prepared for many special occasions (including the menu for Diego and Frida's wedding feast!), along with many photographs and journal entries. Though some of the ingredients are obscure, I plan to make an attempt at one of these menus in the near future. A beautiful book.
September 8, 2015
What a pleasure was this!! :)
It's been 5 years since I left Mexico and I'm also pregnant right now and hormones may play with my thoughts and feelings but, I honestly think is a really well done piece of work.
The story told by Diego Rivera's daughter is entertaining 'till the end! The quality of pictures and the work behind them is awesome and the selection of food its just amazing! Stearing at all those yummy dishes really made me suffer and miss my culture more than ever...
Frida Kahlo's life seen from a very close eye but at the same time not intimate, its just interesting to hear and imagine how it all was back in those years in Mexico. Its not sad and its not incredibly happy, it is simple and it enchantes you, no matter if you are mexican or not...
Seriously, if you have the chance to read this book, DO SO 'cuz you wont regret it!
It's been 5 years since I left Mexico and I'm also pregnant right now and hormones may play with my thoughts and feelings but, I honestly think is a really well done piece of work.
The story told by Diego Rivera's daughter is entertaining 'till the end! The quality of pictures and the work behind them is awesome and the selection of food its just amazing! Stearing at all those yummy dishes really made me suffer and miss my culture more than ever...
Frida Kahlo's life seen from a very close eye but at the same time not intimate, its just interesting to hear and imagine how it all was back in those years in Mexico. Its not sad and its not incredibly happy, it is simple and it enchantes you, no matter if you are mexican or not...
Seriously, if you have the chance to read this book, DO SO 'cuz you wont regret it!
November 17, 2009
I visited Frida's house in Mexico City in 1984. Changed my entire concept of home decoration for the better. I like this book for the stories of her life and for the authentic recipes of Mexico.
November 21, 2023
Such an intimate and creative way to share stories on the life of Frida Kahlo. Some of my favorite recipes are in this book; I'm excited to make them. This book helped me imagine the artist's temperment and personality, adding many more layers to what I already knew about her. What a wonderful way to celebrate Frida with the recipes she made for loved ones and friends.
February 10, 2017
This book is a keeper, for sure. Although there are lots of great modern Mexican cookbooks available nowadays including Mexico: The Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte, I think that Guadalupe Rivera and Marie-Pierre Colle 1994 volume
Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo
is an important contribution for the appreciation of the depth and breath of Mexican cuisine. The famous Mexican surrealist painter was, in her own way, a believer in performance art. She was well-known for dressing in traditional Mexican garb to introduce and remind the world of her culture. In this book, Rivera, who was her step-daughter, recounts how the meals that Frida served her guests also showed that Mexico's cuisine was (and still is) something more than tacos and burritos. Rivera recounts the menus of twelve different dinner parties given throughout the year-one for each month. Besides explaining the importance of each fiesta and the food, the authors provide the recipes. Collectively-like Carrillo Arronte's The Cookbook-demonstrate the diversity of influences that is found in Mexican food. This is a delightful volume which is made even better by the photography of Ignacio Urquiza. Happily, this book is still in print, and I plan to get my own copy soon. Enjoy.
January 24, 2021
Ogromna preporuka za sve koje zanima život Fride, i ono šta je ona kuhala. Sjajna knjiga koja nudi drugačiji insight u život slavne umjetnice. Mišljenja sam da ljudska sjećanja znatno dopiru iz "stomaka" s toga je hrana zanimljiv fenomen kako se nečiji život može opisati. S obzirom da je knjigu napisala njezina pokćerka, jasno je da sa ovom knjigom nastoji prikazati i onu veselu stranu Fride i sve što je ona volila (Fridine najdraži parfem, Fridini razgovori o Sigmunda Freudu) a tu je hrana imala veliki značaj.
Pored Fridinog života, sami autohtoni recepti odišu iskonskom meksičkom kuhinjom. Većina ih nije moguće napraviti na Balkanu zbog određenih vrsta povrća, ali svakako se može izabrati dosta njih koje bi bilo zanimljivo napraviti. Ja sam isprobala jedan sos koji često pravim i prije nego sam nabavila ovu sjajnu knjigu.
Također slike u knjigama su originalne i čine ovo putovanje magičnim.
Pored Fridinog života, sami autohtoni recepti odišu iskonskom meksičkom kuhinjom. Većina ih nije moguće napraviti na Balkanu zbog određenih vrsta povrća, ali svakako se može izabrati dosta njih koje bi bilo zanimljivo napraviti. Ja sam isprobala jedan sos koji često pravim i prije nego sam nabavila ovu sjajnu knjigu.
Također slike u knjigama su originalne i čine ovo putovanje magičnim.
October 26, 2021
Whenever I'm in an inspirational rut, I look to Frida's Fiestas for beautiful recipes and images that celebrate Mexican food and culture. I love that it's broken into chapters by celebration, from birthdays and saints days, to Fiestas Patrias, the Posadas, and Day of the Dead. To think that the book includes recipes that both Frida and Diego loved to eat transports me to their very table in Mexico.
As someone who loves to cook, I enjoy seeing how some recipes were created as stand alone dishes, while others were served family-style, for large celebrations.
As someone who loves to cook, I enjoy seeing how some recipes were created as stand alone dishes, while others were served family-style, for large celebrations.
June 17, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book if only for the insight into dinner parties that Frida Kahlo hosted. The recipes are not anything I would make but the hoots do seem to offer a glimpse of real Mexican cooking.
February 8, 2025
This is one of my favorite books. The pictures are beautiful and the anecdotes about Frida and the way she lived life are inspiring. The biggest take away from this book: There’s so much to celebrate in life. Cook meals, gather people, and share ideas. Life is as beautiful as you make it.
June 20, 2017
Not sure I would cook anything from this book, but I did enjoy the portrait of Frida Kahlo's life (through food). Great pictures too.
September 5, 2019
Stories, recipes and beautiful photos kept me interested in this book about Frida Kahlo.
May 27, 2022
Really cool look into the personal recipes and life of Frida, Diego, and Diego's daughter Guadalupe.
May 29, 2023
Beautiful photos, delicious recopies and interesting memories about the painter Frida Kahlo.
December 31, 2023
2022 Reading Challenge - a book with a recipe in it.
January 13, 2017
When I first saw this book I thought it might be gimmicky - a cookbook based on the life of Frida Kahlo? But it's actually quite authentic. One of the authors is Frida's stepdaughter, Diego Rivera's daughter Guadalupe Rivera from a previous marriage, who lived with the artistic duo for a time and has many memories of the feasts and fiestas Kahlo prepared. These memories are enhanced with the actual recipes Kahlo used, many of which she inherited from her own mother and her stepdaughter's mother. The reader learns about Mexican holidays and traditions as well as traditional Mexican cooking, as the recipes are organized by months and festivities that occur seasonally. The book is illustrated with photos of Kahlo's home decorated as it would have been for the dinner parties and events described. Overall, the book gives you a personal glimpse into the home life of the famous painter and includes many unique recipes organized into complete menus.
August 17, 2025
This book was written by Diego Rivera’s daughter, Guadalupe – along with Marie-Pierre Colle, who has written other books on Mexican culture - and would be well worth reading even if you never make a single recipe! For one thing, you get a lot of family stories about Diego and Frida, their life in the famous Blue House, and the personal and political drama both artists were involved in. In addition, the illustrations are beautiful, including photos of Frida and some of her paintings as well as gorgeous color images of the setting and the food.
You definitely shouldn’t ignore the recipes, though! Because Frida liked to throw a party, the book is organized around twelve monthly celebrations, some traditional (eg Day of the Dead), and some personal (such as birthdays). One thing I found interesting – but not entirely surprising, given the cultural interchange between Cuba and the Caribbean coast of Mexico – was how much some reminded me of my abuelita’s recipes. For instance, while I haven’t made the flan, I suspect it would be good because it looks very similar: for example, using fresh instead of condensed milk, which I happen to know yields a lighter flavor and texture. But there are also a lot of Mexican classics as well, such as various mole sauces, pork stewed in pulque, red snapper Veracruz style, stuffed chiles with walnut sauce, and more.
Recipes I’ve tried:
- Home-style bacalao (Dried cod prepared in a manner similar to the ground-beef picadillo my grandmother made: shredded and mixed with tomato sauce, olives, capers, and raisins, plus also almonds and potatoes. Delicious over rice!)
- Mamey mousse (You rarely see fresh mamey in the US, but you can increasingly find it as frozen pulp in Latine groceries. The fruit is bright orange with a flavor somewhat like papaya but richer and more filling, almost like avocado. My grandmother used to wax nostalgic over it and the first time she managed to bring back some of the frozen pulp from Florida – 20+ yrs ago, OMG I’m old! – this is what we made. This dessert is a good way to showcase it!)
- Nopales salad (A good way to use prickly pear cactus pads, if you have access to them! They retain their firm texture well even after boiling or steaming and have a slightly lemony flavor that mixes well with the tomato, chile, and onion. Personally, I cut back on the onion and add some queso fresco instead to make this work as a vegetarian main dish salad).
- Squash blossom soup. (Made this two summers ago with squash blossoms, zucchini, poblano chiles, and corn from my local farmer’s market. It came out a little bland, so next time I would try to use a more full-bodied and chewy Mexican corn, rather than American sweet corn, and a stronger stock)
- Dead Man’s Bread, AKA Pan de Muertos. (I don’t know if I did something wrong, but this came out more like a greasy, barely sweet pastry than a sweet bread! The recipe is quite different from the others I’ve seen – such as the one featured on ‘Tasting History’ - so I may try one of those next time)
You definitely shouldn’t ignore the recipes, though! Because Frida liked to throw a party, the book is organized around twelve monthly celebrations, some traditional (eg Day of the Dead), and some personal (such as birthdays). One thing I found interesting – but not entirely surprising, given the cultural interchange between Cuba and the Caribbean coast of Mexico – was how much some reminded me of my abuelita’s recipes. For instance, while I haven’t made the flan, I suspect it would be good because it looks very similar: for example, using fresh instead of condensed milk, which I happen to know yields a lighter flavor and texture. But there are also a lot of Mexican classics as well, such as various mole sauces, pork stewed in pulque, red snapper Veracruz style, stuffed chiles with walnut sauce, and more.
Recipes I’ve tried:
- Home-style bacalao (Dried cod prepared in a manner similar to the ground-beef picadillo my grandmother made: shredded and mixed with tomato sauce, olives, capers, and raisins, plus also almonds and potatoes. Delicious over rice!)
- Mamey mousse (You rarely see fresh mamey in the US, but you can increasingly find it as frozen pulp in Latine groceries. The fruit is bright orange with a flavor somewhat like papaya but richer and more filling, almost like avocado. My grandmother used to wax nostalgic over it and the first time she managed to bring back some of the frozen pulp from Florida – 20+ yrs ago, OMG I’m old! – this is what we made. This dessert is a good way to showcase it!)
- Nopales salad (A good way to use prickly pear cactus pads, if you have access to them! They retain their firm texture well even after boiling or steaming and have a slightly lemony flavor that mixes well with the tomato, chile, and onion. Personally, I cut back on the onion and add some queso fresco instead to make this work as a vegetarian main dish salad).
- Squash blossom soup. (Made this two summers ago with squash blossoms, zucchini, poblano chiles, and corn from my local farmer’s market. It came out a little bland, so next time I would try to use a more full-bodied and chewy Mexican corn, rather than American sweet corn, and a stronger stock)
- Dead Man’s Bread, AKA Pan de Muertos. (I don’t know if I did something wrong, but this came out more like a greasy, barely sweet pastry than a sweet bread! The recipe is quite different from the others I’ve seen – such as the one featured on ‘Tasting History’ - so I may try one of those next time)
August 10, 2013
Just plain fun. A brief glance into the happy side of a family's life, and, for me, an introduction to Mexican traditional festivals. The pictures are beautiful, and I can't wait to try some of the recipes.
It's more dramatic than most cookbooks. The author remembers purchasing a rosca de Reyes in Mexico City's most elegant bakery as a child with Frida:
"Her entrance caused a sensation. The extravagantly ornate Tehuana attire and pre-Hispanic jewelry caught the attention of the audience, and when she was soon identified as 'the Communist painter, the wife of that ogre Diego Rivera,' nasty remarks began to fly. For us simply to be there was cause for hostility. I tried my hardest to turn invisible, but Frida only laughed and said in a loud voice, 'Don't fall apart on me, Piquitos. The only thing you can do with people like this is tell them to go to hell.'" (p. 116)
It's more dramatic than most cookbooks. The author remembers purchasing a rosca de Reyes in Mexico City's most elegant bakery as a child with Frida:
"Her entrance caused a sensation. The extravagantly ornate Tehuana attire and pre-Hispanic jewelry caught the attention of the audience, and when she was soon identified as 'the Communist painter, the wife of that ogre Diego Rivera,' nasty remarks began to fly. For us simply to be there was cause for hostility. I tried my hardest to turn invisible, but Frida only laughed and said in a loud voice, 'Don't fall apart on me, Piquitos. The only thing you can do with people like this is tell them to go to hell.'" (p. 116)
July 12, 2014
This book is much more than just a collection of authentic Mexican recipes that Frida favored. The narrative, co-written by Frida's stepdaughter, also provides some engaging insight to who Frida Kahlo was and what moved her. It's not a biography but rather provides a pleasant portrayal of what it was like to be in Frida's orb, the time period, and the locations. I also appreciated the photos of Frida's paintings, residences where Frida lived with Diego, and the food. Oh, yes; the recipes... ahhh, can't wait to try them.
November 16, 2015
This is more than a “cookbook” well... I’m not so sure since this one was my first. It’s divided by the 12 months of the year, and at the beginning of each month a story about what was going on with Frida is being told by her stepdaughter, and that’s what gave the book a special touch.
When it comes to the recipes, they were good. And take that from a vegetarian that’s going to change them a little bit and try them out as soon as possible.
When it comes to the recipes, they were good. And take that from a vegetarian that’s going to change them a little bit and try them out as soon as possible.
February 1, 2016
This is a gorgeous book. It is full of rich details, beautiful photographs, many recreating events described in the book, and an intimate look into the lives not just of the famous artist and her family and Friends but also a time and way of life that is mostly gone now. Each chapter focuses on a specific month and the special celebrations they held with the recipes for each dish included, a very nice touch.
March 26, 2012
A wonderful celebration of Frida's love for cooking & entertaining shown in 12 different annual festivals/celebrations. Written by the daughter of Diego Rivera. Contains authentic recipes from Frida's own collection. Loved the photos showing her kitchen & Blue House views. I've made several recipes from the bk & they're actually very simple to follow.
February 24, 2010
This is a fun collection of recipes, written by one of Diego's children, who spent her childhood with Frida. The recipes are really interesting and unique, and the stories and photos that go along are wonderful!
March 10, 2015
Really great recipes. This is a book I think I should own for the food part. The writing is pretty romantic and whitewashed. Frida sure liked playing poor but she certainly didn't live like a communist! But I am excited about the cooking.
June 25, 2016
After learning so much about Frida Kahlo, it was neat to read a book that was co-written by someone who actually knew her. It brings Frida to life. It was fascinating to read different stories about Frida Kahlo and browse through (and make!) some of the recipes!
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January 11, 2008This is a beautiful book filled with art and recipes. I make all of my green sauce from the three recipes listed in this book. Amazing mexican recipes.
July 11, 2008
Could read this several times for the photos alone. The recipes are quite traditional & the reminiscences are wonderful.
July 11, 2008
My favorite anniversary gift ever!
July 1, 2009
This is a wonderful book. I can't wait to make (most) of the recipes!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews