Recipe of Memory: Five Generations of Mexican Cuisine [Paperback]

Victor M. Valle (Author), Mary Lau Valle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

Nominated for two 1996 Julia Child Cookbook Awards and a 1996 James Beard Award, Recipe of Memory is a unique cookbook drawing on the contents of an antique chest left to Victor Valle by his great aunt. The book includes more than fifty authentic recipes--including such mouthwatering delights as Chiles stuffed with Shrimp, and Roast Leg of Lamb with Mole Sauce, dating back to 1888--alongside the compelling story of five generations of the Valle family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Classified by the publisher under the headings Cookbooks and Mexican-American Studies, this mix of recipes, photos, anecdotes and history blends its ingredients much as Mole Caragueno combines lamb, chiles, peanuts, clove and cinnamon. Delving into a treasury of 250 recipes collected and recorded by Victor Valle's family from the 1880s into this century, the authors follow the family's history from Guadalajara to Tijuana and then to Los Angeles. Just as early music sounds different when played on early instruments, old recipes taste different when prepared in the old ways; a recipe from the past allows readers "to sit down with ghosts" and taste the Chiles Stuffed with Shrimp as they were savored at Sunday lunch in 1888. Recipes such as Conejo en Huerto (Rabbit in the Garden), Sopa de Pichones (Squab on Saffron Rice) and Helado de Tuna (Prickly Pear Sorbet) capture what Mexico's poet laureate, Octavio Paz, calls the "shock of tastes; cool and piquant, salt and sweet, hot and tart, pungent and delicate." Such contrasts in this volume?e.g., quotations from academic historians juxtaposed with methods of roasting, toasting and soaking chiles?similarly startle and often enlighten.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

A deft mix of recipes, family history, and social history. . . Well-written and well-illustrated with period photographs. . . a book for both the kitchen and the study. -- Houston Chronicle

Interweaving politics and food, family anecdotes with historical fact. . . the Valles have produced far more than a cookbook. -- L.A. Weekly

With the language of a poet and the eye of a journalist and political writer, the Valles re-create their culinary legacy while giving us a taste of the social history of late nineteenth-century Mexico. -- New York Daily News

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: New Press, The (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565841271
• ISBN-13: 978-1565841277
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,078,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Trove Of Mexican Recipes + Tradition - Superb!, August 8, 2004

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Recipe of Memory: Five Generations of Mexican Cuisine (Paperback)

"Recipe of Memory: Five Generations of Mexican Cuisine" is much more than a cookbook - although the recipes are wonderful, unusual and very rare. They reflect a Mexican cuisine that most Americans are unfamiliar with. We are talking "haute cuisine" from a family kitchen here - not mere chile con carne, enchiladas and tacos. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Victor M. Valle and his wife, Mary Lau Valle, have artfully compiled a treasure trove of recipes, along with a family history going back five generations, 19th century photographs, and journal entries to make a very special book, which was nominated for two 1996 Julia Child Cookbook Awards and a 1996 James Beard Award.

The material used to compile "Recipe of Memory" is from an antique chest left to Sr. Valle by his great aunt, and dates back to 1888. There are over 50 very authentic recipes here which beautifully capture the varied tastes of Mexico, including: Rabbit in the Garden, Roast Leg of Lamb with Mole, Peas in Tablecloth-Staining Sauce, Chiles Stuffed with Shrimp, Squab on a Bed of Saffron Rice, Chiles Stuffed with Mincemeat with an Almond-Caper Dressing, Mango-Orange-Banana Ice Cream and Prickly Pear Sorbet. I lived in Mexico for many years and these recipes bring back memories of some wonderful meals savored at the homes of Mexican friends. You won't get this kind of food in a restaurant.

In Mexico, as in many cultures, much that is important in family life revolves around the dining table. This extraordinary cookbook, cum social commentary, cum family history reflects this tradition. It makes a wonderful gift too!
JANA

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A taste of history, February 6, 2002

By 

Evelyn Nathan (Kingston, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Recipe of Memory: Five Generations of Mexican Cuisine (Hardcover)

This cookbook is more than a cookbook! I've been working on a historical novel about Mexico circa 1850 and of several cookbooks I've purchased, found this one to be far and away the best history book. The recipes are proceeded with whole chapters which outline the education of women in Mexico in the 19th century, what cooking was like in the convents, on farms, and lots of other detailed information- even with old photos, letters and newspaper clippings. I recommend this book highly, not only as a cookbook but as a delightful read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kind of caleidoscope view, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Recipe of Memory: Five Generations of Mexican Cuisine (Hardcover)

This is an amazing book because it makes a real combination of Mexican traditional tastes with the mexican history