Pacífico: Essential Recipes from Mexico's Pacific Coast [9780316594622]

Overview

Experience the delicious dishes and deep-rooted cooking traditions of Mexico’s breathtaking Pacific Coast.

Eat your way down Mexico’s west coast in this stunningly beautiful tribute to the ancestral cooking of Pacífico, a region defined as much by its rugged cliffs and glistening coastlines as by its legendary fish tacos and grilled meats emboldened by tropical salsas. From the steep inclines of Baja in the north, winding around the resplendent shores of Nayarit, through legendary resort enclaves of Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, and Acapulco, and continuing down the Oaxaca coast past Puerto Escondido, the traditions of the kitchen here are seasonal, alive with flavor, and firmly rooted in the rhythms of daily life.

Pacifíco captures the full breadth and glory of coastal cooking—bringing you food from beachside seafood stands, village markets, inland farms, and community celebrations. The recipes are approachable and full of inspiring, practical details. You’ll find a whole chapter dedicated to salsas, as well as dishes such as: 

Mañana (Breakfast): Rebanadas con Requesón Cremoso y Mango (French Toast with Whipped Ricotta and Honey Mango)

Vegetales (Vegetable Cooking): Enchiladas Suizas con Calabacita (Creamy Enchiladas with Summer Squash)

Mar (Seafood): Camarones al Coco (Coconut Shrimp) 

Tierra (Chicken & Meats): Costillitas de Res con Salsa Verde Martajada (Slow-Roasted Short Ribs with Salsa Verde)

Fiesta (Feasts): Pollo Super-Felíz (Charbroiled Butterflied Chicken with Citrus Sauce) 

Algo Dulce (Desserts): Carlota de Limón (Lime Icebox Cake)

Photographed on location throughout the coastal region, Pacifìco honors the contributions of local costeños— homecooks, chefs, street food vendors, fishermen, farmers, and restaurant owners—whose knowledge and craft have shaped the region’s foodways for generations. From guisados passed down through generations to simple ceviches prepared within steps of the shore, Pacifíco captures a place where cooking tells the story of community, culture, land, and sea.