Cooking the Borderlands

<b>A culinary journey along the Mexican American border, telling the story of its intertwined cultures and communities with more than 100 vibrant, flavor-packed recipes from <i>Top Chef</i> star, <i>Iron Chef Mexico</i> finalist, and Tijuana-San Diego border kid Claudette Zepeda.</b><br><br>The Mexican American border has been an inflamed political focal point within the US; at the same time, Mexican food has long been the most popular “ethnic” cuisine in America. A child of the border herself, Claudette Zepeda grew up in both California and Mexico and sees the border as a vibrant, vital, and unique cultural and culinary place. A gifted storyteller and chef, Claudette’s recipes and ruminations humanize border culture through 100 accessible and beloved dishes such as:<br><br>•Coahuila’s Esquites (Street Corn)<br>•Las Calandrias Caballitos (Chicken Sopes)<br>•Arroz Poblano (Poblano Pepper Creamy Rice)<br>•Camarones al Ajillo (Baja Style Garlic Shrimp)<br>•Capirotada (Bread Pudding) <br><br>This is a story of a personal and culinary identity that formed betwixt two cultures, told through recipes, anecdotes, and an irreverent sense of humor. <i>Borderlands</i> details the Mexican dishes Claudette grew up eating and loves, their American counterparts, and how the fluidity and flexibility between the two nations shows us a way of being in the world. With her sophisticated, first-hand perspective of the Mexican American border, immigration, and the feet-in-many-worlds attitude of Border Kid culture, Claudette shines a human light on the imaginary line stretching from California through Texas and shows how vital this place is in American culture.