he Rough Guide to the Yucatán is the ultimate handbook to Mexico’s vibrant peninsula. The guide opens with a full-colour section introducing the region''s highlights, from the Mayan ruins at Uxmal to Cancún’s spectacular beaches, plus information on the archaeological sites of Chiapas and Tabasco. There are hundreds of up-to-date reviews of all the best hotels, restaurants, markets and music venues, and plenty of practical tips for the more adventurous visitor, from diving in Cozumel to boating through the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. The guide also takes an in-depth look at the Yucatán’s tumultuous history, pre-Colombian cultures, unique environment and diverse wildlife.
Zora has been in the kitchen since she was 3, and has the bacon-fat burns to prove it. But she really taught herself to cook in her early 20s during grad school, and that skill has proved far more useful than anything else she learned at the time.
When Zora moved to New York City (from New Mexico via New Jersey, Indiana, the Netherlands and Egypt) in 1998, she chose where to live based on the 24-hour produce stands in lovely Astoria, Queens. Inspired by her borough's diverse foodstuffs, she started the supper club Roving Gastronome in 2001, and later developed Sunday Night Dinner with Tamara Reynolds, which was the inspiration for their cookbook, Forking Fantastic!: Put the Party back in Dinner Party.
In her work as a guidebook author for Rough Guides, Moon and Lonely Planet, Zora also picks up new flavors on the road. She pays special attention to street carts, produce markets, and local culinary specialties, and the finds wind up in her guidebooks, as well as on her home table.
Zora writes about her cooking and travels on the blog Roving Gastronome (www.rovinggastronome.com).
