“Tequila is my soul mate,” Lucinda Hutson exclaims. “Mexico in a bottle, its flavor is as melodic to the mouth as a mariachi tune is to the ear—bold, spicy, and full of life!” For nearly forty years, Lucinda has trekked through tequila country, distilling adventures and knowledge to present them to enthusiastic readers around the world. Her 1995 book Tequila! Cooking with the Spirit of Mexico helped usher in the boom that transformed the tequila industry. Now in ¡Viva Tequila! she returns to her lifelong passion, bringing us deeper into the traditions and vibrant present of Mexico, and creates fabulous, flavorful recipes for drinks and dishes made with Mexico’s agave spirits. ¡Viva Tequila! begins with a lively tour of the history and culture of spirits made from the miraculous maguey—pulque, mezcal, and tequila. Lucinda follows her chosen elixir from fields of blue agave, to distilleries both family-owned and internationally operated, to the bewildering array of brands now available in the market. She offers advice on how to host a tequila tasting, discover your favorites, and stock your home cantina. With imaginative garnishes and presentations, and inspiration drawn from her travels throughout Mexico, Lucinda presents recipes for dozens of drinks featuring favorite Mexican libations, while also highlighting mezcal and tequila in new and bright ways that go far beyond the ubiquitous margarita. And because no fiesta is complete without festive food, Lucinda shows you how to use agave spirits in delightful dishes that feature fresh produce, fragrant herbs, and chiles picantes, prepared with techniques from Mexico's kitchen. For occasions ranging from lavish buffets to morning meriendas, leisurely afternoon tardeadas, last-minute happy hours, or dessert socials, you'll find original recipes and traditional ones, some of which Lucinda has altered with contemporary touches, that are sure to please every palate.

Artisanal Mezcal follows a delicate underground baking process that has existed for hundreds of years, but it is only now that it’s experiencing a Renaissance in craft cocktail bars and homes around the country. Made from agave, but so much more than tequila, Mezcal’s smoky flavor and smooth finish—as well as its artisanal, farm-to-table background—has made it the new “spirit du jour.” This book contains 50 cocktail recipes you can make at home with delicious, versatile out-of-this world Mezcal, containing information about how this small-batch liquor is made by Oaxacan families, and will include tasting notes on almost every brand available in the US.

"¡Tequila! The Spirit of Mexico in a bottle! Its flavor is as melodic to the mouth as a mariachi tune is to the ear, and Lucinda Hutson captures that spirit with more than 150 festive food and drink recipes, peppered throughout with fabulous folk art, historical facts about tequila production, and colorful personal anecdotes. Inspired by her life-long fascination with all things Mexican and based on years of tireless research, this book is not just a great source for cooking and entertaining, it's also a compendium of tequila information : its cultural history and origins, how it is made, who makes it, and who makes it best. Filled with fiesta fare extraordinaire, '¡Tequila!' goes far beyond the familiar margarita! As a gift -- or a sensuous treat -- try making the heady, fruit infused liqueur known as Para Mi Amante (For My Lover), or wow a party with a knockout Piñata Punch. Dazzle dinner guests with Gazpacho Macho, Drunken Cowgirl Beans or Queso Flameado (a melted cheese dish flambéed with tequila), and create a fabulous finale with Jalapeño Carrot Cake or an elegant Citrus Flan. An armchair tour of Mexico's kitchens and cantinas, this book is sure to satisfy any appetite (and yes, there are margarita recipes -- more than a dozen of them, from classic to kiwi)."--

Stories, thoughts, reminiscences, and comments from the many guests who visited this rustic cabin near Catavina in remote northern Baha California over the past 20 years.

“Walking through the old wooden doors at Fonda San Miguel is like a journey back to colonial Mexico. . . . World-class Mexican art and antiques decorate the interior, and famed Mexican chefs have taught and cooked here. Acclaimed as one of the best Mexican restaurants in the country serving authentic interior food . . .” —USA Today “The stately yet bright and colorful hacienda decor and standout Mexican-interior cooking . . . will transport you straight to Guanajuato.” —Vogue “It anchors the city as its premier Mexican restaurant institution.” —The Daily Meal, which named Fonda San Miguel one of “America’s 50 Best Mexican Restaurants” Updated and reissued to celebrate the restaurant’s four decades of success, Fonda San Miguel presents more than one hundred recipes. The selections include many of Fonda’s signature dishes—Ceviche Veracruzano, Enchiladas Suizas, Cochinita Pibil, Pescado Tikin Xik, and Carne Asada—as well as a delicious assortment of dishes from Mexico’s diverse regional cuisines. Supplementary sections contain tips on buying and cooking with the various chiles and other ingredients, along with information on basic preparation techniques, equipment, and mail-order sources. Full-color photographs illustrate special dishes, and representative works from the impressive Fonda San Miguel art collection are also featured, along with notes on the artists.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE IN HISTORY “Full of…lively insights and lucid prose” (The Wall Street Journal) an epic, sweeping history of Cuba and its complex ties to the United States—from before the arrival of Columbus to the present day—written by one of the world’s leading historians of Cuba. In 1961, at the height of the Cold War, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, where a momentous revolution had taken power three years earlier. For more than half a century, the stand-off continued—through the tenure of ten American presidents and the fifty-year rule of Fidel Castro. His death in 2016, and the retirement of his brother and successor Raúl Castro in 2021, have spurred questions about the country’s future. Meanwhile, politics in Washington—Barack Obama’s opening to the island, Donald Trump’s reversal of that policy, and the election of Joe Biden—have made the relationship between the two nations a subject of debate once more. Now, award-winning historian Ada Ferrer delivers an “important” (The Guardian) and moving chronicle that demands a new reckoning with both the island’s past and its relationship with the United States. Spanning more than five centuries, Cuba: An American History provides us with a front-row seat as we witness the evolution of the modern nation, with its dramatic record of conquest and colonization, of slavery and freedom, of independence and revolutions made and unmade. Along the way, Ferrer explores the sometimes surprising, often troubled intimacy between the two countries, documenting not only the influence of the United States on Cuba but also the many ways the island has been a recurring presence in US affairs. This is a story that will give Americans unexpected insights into the history of their own nation and, in so doing, help them imagine a new relationship with Cuba; “readers will close [this] fascinating book with a sense of hope” (The Economist). Filled with rousing stories and characters, and drawing on more than thirty years of research in Cuba, Spain, and the United States—as well as the author’s own extensive travel to the island over the same period—this is a stunning and monumental account like no other.