Mamacita: Recipes Celebrating Life as a Mexican Immigrant in America

by Andrea Pons, Hetty Lui McKinnon (Foreword), Matt Ogle (Illustrator)

In this inspiring and creative Mexican cookbook, Andrea Pons takes you on a journey through flavor, family, and her immigration story. With 78 easy and delicious recipes from three generations of women in her family, this cookbook offers you a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine.
 
Mamacita began as a celebration of the authentic Mexican recipes Andrea Pons loved growing up, but it quickly became a way for her to return to her roots and reconnect with her Mexican heritage. In her journey through food, she shares not only her experiences with cooking but also her family's immigration story.
 
When Pons was faced with the possibility of deportation, and she and her family struggled to navigate the US immigration system—in the country that had been their home for 16 years— she looked to these recipes for help. To fund her family's significant legal fees, she sold self-published copies of Mamacita, and the cookbook became both a symbol of their journey and a rallying cry.
 
This new edition of Mamacita offers 30 more photos and 11 additional recipes, allowing you to taste even more of the love in Pons's dishes.
 
Foreword by James Beard Award nominee Hetty Lui McKinnon

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mamacita is a captivating book with a good photo/recipe ratio. Cooking instructions are straightforward and easy to follow. I was already familiar with most of the recipes presented but did learn a few new ways to incorporate poblanos and chipotles in adobo into dishes, something I plan to do in the future.

One interesting observation was the prolific use of chicken bullion powder. Andrea Pons makes no bones about it's use, calling it a secret ingredient that would be the spice she'd choose if she could only have one. I liked she acknowledged this ingredient, it is used a lot in home cooking and sure, making your own chicken stock ensures no weird ingredients but sometimes a bullion cube is that je ne sais quoi a dish needs.

This would be a good book for less experienced cooks looking to expand their repertoire to include Mexican dishes. More experienced cooks may enjoy the book more for author's personal story than the recipes alone. In her introduction she shares the challenges she faced growing up in the U.S. without citizenship and her arduous journey to become a citizen as an adult. She uses her story to help raise awareness of how difficult it can be navigating the US immigration system. I learned from the back cover that she sold self-published copies of this cookbook to help fund her legal fees to become a citizen.

Her perspective of coming from another culture as a child and feeling like an outsider who didn't fit in seems to be a common one. I've read a number of cookbooks by first generation immigrants who reported feeling the same way, eschewing the foods from their culture as children and longing for American foods instead. But then as adults, finding comfort and appreciation in the foods their families prepared for them in their youth and, luckily for us cookbook aficionados, writing cookbooks to share their wonderful recipes.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mamacita was just a wonderful and heartfelt cookbook. Broken down into the following chapters...

Salsas
Ensaladas y Verduras
Sopas
Arroz
Harinas
Where Are the Tacos?
Carnes
Mariscos
Postres

There is also a forward and short story about the author "embracing her roots" ❤️ The recipes themselves are well laid out and easy to follow. The Tortitas de Papa (potato pancakes) was especially yummy! As was the Tortas Guacamayas (Macaw Sandwiches). Most recipes have photos accompanying them. Which i was pleased to see. None of the recipes you'll find in this one are groundbreaking. They are a collection of simple and tasty comfort foods that are accessible to even the most novice of cooks. 👍🏻👍🏻

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Joni Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a love letter to the authors family and heritage. The recipes are incredible but honestly my favorite part was the family. You can tell how much the author adores her parents. It was so lovely.

[Anxious Bibliophile Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS I had so much fun going through this cookbook!

Let me start with the beginning. I loved reading Andrea Pons' immigrant experience. When we lose everything, including our place of origin, food continues to connect us to our roots.

"The food I made offered a new identity, creating a path back to myself as a Mexican Immigrant."

It's always so interesting to me to hear the stories of different parts of the Mexican diaspora. I'm Mexican but my family were never immigrants, we became citizens by Annexation when Arizona stopped being Mexico. So I'm American for generations, but food has continued to connect my family to our motherland.

So now onto the food! 🥑
I am proud to say that this Salsas Roja y Verde are now in my repertoire (with minimal personal adjustments) I don't know which one I like more, but the Roja strained goes so well with everything!

I learned a lot in the paragraphs before each dish, like how guacamole comes from the Aztecs! I can't wait to make more of the dishes, and have actually picked up all the ingredients to make her cuernitos recipe.

Este libro es muy bueno!

Thank you NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Sara Rishforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've made two soups from this cookbook, and they were delicious! So tasty and simple to make with just a few ingredients.

[Sharon Dene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very amazing book When she wrote this book she need to because she was facing deportation out of this country. Her recipes are amazing and especially like little stories when she puts them Before the recipe is made. Her fish recipes are very elegant and very simple I love that. She also ran a restaurant here in white center which is in Seattle Washington. And how she had a very positive attitude as she wrote this book because she knew when it was published someone this money would help her stay in this country that's a very great thing to do And very brave.

[Opal Edgar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the tender atmosphere of this book, the melancholia associated with being an immigrant, not quite fitting in after having been so excited about moving. The expectation vs the reality is such a shock and it is so very well talked about in the preface.
I really wanted to love that cookbook. The recipes all sound very tasty and are steeped in love and nostalgia... maybe a little too much nostalgia for me. I found the photos had this 70s look, the choice of cold colours made it less appealing than many of the Mexican cookbooks I have seen in recent years, and while the food is totally authentic, whole, healthy and delicious sounding, I sadly didn't find the photos appealing enough to tempt me to cook them.
The visual choice seems in line with current retro trends, but it's not one I love. I think I would have preferred to just have illustrations. But this is really a personal preference.
I highly recommend this cookbook to people looking for Mexican home-cooking recipes, whole food recipes and who have nostalgia for what their mother or grandmother used to cook. If you like the retro aesthetic, this is for you.

[Shipshapeeatworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With so many cookbooks being published, I find myself drawn to the books that demonstrate the passion for the recipes as well as the passion behind the recipes. Which is why I’m excited to share Mamacita, a recently published cookbook written by Andrea Pons. In this cookbook, she shows the crucial role that food plays in constructing identity as well as how food gives meaning to our lives. For Pons, she says in the essay, Embracing My Roots: An Immigrant’s Story, at the beginning of the book: “I know it sounds dramatic, but cooking saved my life. Making these dishes helped me crawl out of a dark place of hiding and provide space where I could finally show up as my whole self. By immortalizing the recipes I grew up eating as a kid in Mexico, I reconnected with the part of myself I never meant to forget. As a Mexican immigrant, I want to voice my story by sharing my food with you.” (20) And, it is throughout Mamacita that home cooks see the power and community that food can offer. Reading about the journey of the Pons family to the United States shows the incredible amount of courage, tenacity, resilience, and love it takes to start anew. Through years of uncertainty and racism which chipped away at Pons’ sense of self, she proudly reclaims her heritage. “Mamacita, titled after my father’s nickname for my mother, is my family’s legacy. The recipes in this book were developed by women who are hardworking, brave, and always ready to assert themselves.” (18) When faced with possible deportation, Mamacita was originally written and self-published so that the funds could go towards her family’s significant legal bills. Newly republished by Princeton Architectural Press, Pons’ book continues to raise awareness about what immigrants face while showcasing her family’s heritage and delicious recipes.

The recipes are organized into 9 chapters: 1) Salsas, 2) Ensaladas y Verduras, 3) Sopas, 4) Arroz, 5) Harinas, 6) Where Are the Tacos?, 7) Carnes, 8) Maricos, and 9) Postres. Her recipe head notes provide a wealth of information on the recipe origins as well as illustrating the connection between her family and the food they enjoy together. One of my favourite recipes from the book is for the Plátanos con Crema (Bananas in Cream) -- a snack or dessert that Pons would enjoy for merienda (as she tells us, “Merienda in Mexico is considered an afternoon or evening snack.”) The dish consists of Mexican crema (or sour cream), a bit of sugar, cinnamon, sliced banana, and granola. Each luscious bite feels supremely comforting, with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

My daughter adores the Molletes (Open-Faced Bean Sandwiches), which are something that Pons says is a typical breakfast for students and kids. The molletes are sliced rolls topped with butter, refried beans, and cheese, then placed under the broiler to warm the toppings and melt the cheese. Served with a spoonful of Pico de Gallo, the molletes have become a popular request in my home. When making the molletes from Mamacita, I also made the recipes for Pico de Gallo as well as for Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans). Using dried black beans, I purchase through Flourist, making the frijoles refritos was much easier than I thought. The dried beans are boiled in a large pot of water along with garlic and a sprig of epazote (or fresh oregano) until tender, then, they’re mashed into a paste and added to cooked onion. The frijoles refritos can be enjoyed as a dip or as part of another dish – in this case, as part of the molletes. Pons also mentions in the recipe notes that once the beans are cooked, they can be served in their liquid and enjoyed as frijoles aguados (another traditional way of eating beans in Mexico).

People who know me, understand my deep love for Bundt cakes. Can there be anything more satisfying than baking a cake in an intricately designed pan, then unmolding to reveal that splendor?? So, when I saw her Titita’s recipe for Rosca de Naranja (Orange Bundt Cake) I was keen to try it. A treasured family recipe, Pons explains in the notes: this “is my Titita’s legacy: it’s all the years of love and labor that she poured into her children and grandchildren. Her story is what inspired me to write this cookbook…” This is such a moist, bright cake! The batter is full of two oranges which have been semi-puréed, and then the cake is coated in an orange glaze once the cake has cooled. A flavourful cake that we enjoyed both for breakfast and as an afternoon snack with coffee (or, in my daughter’s case, milk).

In the forward written by Hetty Lui McKinnon, she says “Food is sustenance, nourishment, and enjoyment, but for many, it is freedom.” (9) and, while Pons shares the wonderful Mexican recipes of her heritage, she reminds us to be ourselves and, to trust ourselves. It’s through the context of food that she reclaimed her identity while sharing her family’s immigration story. Mamacita is a beautiful ode to her homeland of Mexico, and in this book, Pons shares the recipes and techniques that have been with her family for generations.

A version of this review is also posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Raincoast Books and Princeton Architectural Press for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

After an introductory autobiography that I didn’t find it necessary to read (I seldom care where these dishes come from to that extent, let alone the author), I found a very satisfying-looking Mexican-American cookbook. While not the fattest one around, it seemed perfectly complete to me, with salads, appetisers and street food snacks, rice dishes, some most typically Mexican take-away ideas, and so on. A picadillo is certainly not just Mexican, it seems, but looks a very tasty melange – and chicken curry is certainly not typical Latin American fodder. Except it must be, for typical Latin/American people are cooking it and passing the recipe down.

Here is adobo coming out our ears, more pepper types than you might have wished for, and of course as many recipes in the national colours of red, white and green as you’d get in Italy. Many people might have reason to object to the ‘woke’ aspects of the book talking about the status of refugees, but if they’re open to this food at least they’ll have a fine tasty time with their polemic side.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the good fortune of spending an evening learning how to make salsa nopalitos (cactus) from Andrea Pons. I also got to read the first several pages of her gorgeous cook book and flip through the gorgeous photographs. I already have a note on my calendar to go this weekend to buy several copies for myself and as birthday gifts for my two favorite home cooks. Andrea is an engaging and talented woman who shared the story of how she came to write this cookbook, originally just for herself, from the handwritten recipe book she received from her grandmother. She was inspired to formalize and sell the cookbook to help pay the legal fees so her parents could finally obtain US citizenship. I am not a big recipe book person, but I love the way she weaves her personal story through this book and I look forward to having more time to spend with both the stories and the recipes!

[Skye Brasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is another impulse cookbook buy. I bought it because of the name- I playfully call my own mother Mamacita Rosita Chicita (her name is Kelli 😂). I liked the cookbook, and look forward to making some of the recipes. As with 50 States, 50 Pies, the author is not a professional chef or recipe writer, so some of the ingredients or steps were things I will either ignore or change for my own use (not that I’m a professional Al chef either). For example, Pons uses 2 tsps of chicken bouillion for seasoning in most of her savory recipes, because she says it adds great flavor. I would just use chicken stock, personally. I enjoyed Pons’ story and her antidotes about how the dishes fit into her memories of Mexico and her family.

[Deborah Cleaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful family cookbook filled with stories about the author and her family and her rocky journey toward citizenship. A fascinating documentary about life across borders enlightened by the kitchen and favorite family recipes from salsas used every day to desserts like conchas and arroz con leche, with soups and luscious dishes between the two. There is a marked preference for avocado oil in the cooking, a more recently available product in the US, often used by cooks for its ability to cook at higher temperatures without smoking. A wonderful addition to your cookbook collection.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genuinely such a boring cookbook. I go bananas over immigrant-centric US cookbooks because they always have such beautiful stories and are so full of ingenuity with their recipes. But this one. Was not it. 80% of the recipes are basically the same thing with the same ingredients and the same exact flavors...very little variation and it's sooooo boring.

[Karen Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a fine cookbook with interesting achievable recipes, I enjoyed the story of the author even more. It reads like a cross between a memoir and a recipe book. Thank you for providing me with an advance copy of this delightful book.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book with beautiful photos that reads like a self-published cookbook. Recipes are very basic and common.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mamacita" is a heartfelt tribute to family, culture, and the flavors that define a Mexican immigrant's experience in America. The cooking instructions are clear and easy to follow, making it a fantastic choice for less experienced cooks who want to dive into the world of Mexican cuisine (like me). Each recipe feels like an invitation to the author’s kitchen, where tradition and love come together in every dish. Every recipe I tried was a complete success, even with my Mexican family members, who gave them a big thumbs up! Whether you're looking to expand your repertoire or connect with the heart of Mexican cooking, this book is a must-have.