La Boca Loca is Wellington’s renowned Mexican restaurant, and here in this new hardcover title you can find some of their well-cooked, well-loved recipes that have made Mexican a staple part of the NZ cooking landscape. You’ll also find an introduction to the techniques of Mexican cooking and a guide of everything required to achieve authentic Mexican flavour.
I’m liking
This book is part story, of how two non-kiwis (Owners Lucas Putnam and Marianne Elliott) came to make New Zealand their home and translate their dream of a Mexican taqueria into reality, part information about the basics of Mexican cookery and part recipe book divided into sections including Classics and Drinks.
The premise of the cookbook is that Mexican is delicious, yes, but it’s actually easier than you think to throw together. Whether you’ve eaten at the restaurant and loved it, or just eaten Mexican food overseas and wondered why we don’t have it’s delicious offerings authentically available here (like I have!) you’ll no doubt find something to inspire your Mexican cooking creativity in this collection.
The owners/writers are very much into the ethics and sustainability surrounding food, and that comes through in the pages of this title.
Things that made me go hmmmm
Not every recipe has a picture, I always find this a shame. Some of the ingredients are specialty foods, though in places you are told where you can source them.
The conclusion
There’s a whole section at the back called ‘putting in into practice’ – about the secrets of hosting a Mexican fiesta and all the different formats that might take. If that doesn’t get you excited about putting some of these recipes on a plate, then I’m not sure what will. I’m personally looking forward to inviting a few friends round for a feast. Ole!
La Boca Loca is distributed by Potton & Burton and has an RRP of $60.00
