About the cookbook

Pati Jinich, host of the popular PBS TV series, Pati’s Mexican Table, offers up dozens of mouthwatering foolproof recipes for successful everyday Mexican inspired meals in her new collection, MEXICAN TODAY: New and Rediscovered Recipes for Contemporary Kitchens.

Television host, cookbook author, resident chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute in DC, and busy mother of three, Pati Jinich is known for making Mexican food that is both irresistible and accessible. Born and raised in Mexico City in a family of accomplished cooks, many of Pati’s go-to dishes are adaptations of the food that nurtured her while growing up. “These foods have a special place in my D.C. home and in my heart, keeping me linked to my roots and my boys connected as well, and giving them a greater sense of who they are and where we come from.”

Filled with both familiar favorites and surprising new interpretations, Pati applies her inherent Mexican “sazón” to all kinds of food, be it American or Tex-Mex, Japanese or Jewish. Examples include Chicken Fajita Salad, Macaroni with Chipotle Chicken, and Matzo Ball Soup with Jalapeños. Pati’s food draws everyone together—family at the end of a working day, a book club, or a neighborhood potluck.


Praise

Here is what the culinary world is saying about “Pati’s Mexican Table.”

Pati Jinich is one of the best Mexican chefs we have here in the United States. Mexico’s vibrant culture and its many influences shine in the recipes from this new collection. Each dish contains a story, and Pati brings the food of Mexico – and her kitchen – into our homes.

José Andrés, chef/owner, Minibar by José Andrés & ThinkFoodGroup

Mexican Today is like having Pati in your kitchen, and all to yourself. Her warm personality and knowledgeable voice guide you as you cook your way through these recipes. Pati takes Mexican food into the present tense, which is just where it should be.

Carla Hall, co-host, ABC’s The Chew and author, 
Carla’s Comfort Foods Lynne Rossetto Kasper

What I love about Mexican Today is that it is such a true reflection not only of the food of Mexico but also of Pati herself. Fun and bright, with satisfying meals that are full of flavor, this book will have you scanning the pages for meals that you can enjoy with your family. Once you see the smiles on their faces, you will quickly realize that food truly does make people happy – and you will have Pati to thank!

Michael Symon, James Beard Award-winning chef,
restaurateur, television personality, & author 

Press

“Jinich…is nothing if not thorough in making Mexican cuisine accessible to northern chefs. Her cookbook brims with careful instructions and loads of advice on selecting ingredients to create the extraordinary spectrum of flavors offered by classic Mexican cooking.” – Mark Knoblauch, Booklist. 3/17/16. Read full review

“We all know Tex-Mex, but now there’s Cal-Mex, Chicago-Mex, New York-Mex, Fusion-Mex and, perhaps, Pati-Mex. In Mexican Today, Jinich, host of the popular PBS series ‘Pati’s Mexican Table,’ invites us into her kitchen, where she uses her knack for Mexican seasoning to add a bit of Latin flair to all kinds of foods. As a wife and working mother of three boys with packed schedules, she knows the ins and outs of getting good, interesting, family-pleasing food to the table every night.” – Sybil Pratt, Book Page. 3/30/16. Read full review

“Mexican Today delivers the kind of authenticity for these foods that you’ll never get from Betty Crocker…These are wonderful recipes. You’ll want them not only for themselves, but also for the new ideas they’ll inspire in your own kitchen.” – Karen Yencich, Examiner. 4/13/16. Read full review

“Jinich’s new cookbook deftly combines her own family recipes with new Mexican-flavored takes on everyday mealtime staples. From dishes inspired by growing up in Mexico City to meals planned by a busy mother for a family of five, ‘Mexican Today’ is just that: a modern collection of recipes that never stops looking at the past as it reinvents the future.” –  Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle. 4/18/16.

“Jinich…has introduced food lovers to the multi-flavors of the Mexican table and her own take on the culturally rich cuisine. Her latest book…’Mexican Today: New and Rediscovered Recipes for Contemporary Kitchens’ offers a variety of dishes for everything from salads and tortas to sandwiches, soups and one-dish meals to desserts and drinks.” – Eloise Marie Valadez, NW Times. 4/20/16.  Read full article

“Like the verb derived from the noun salsa–salsear, meaning making ‘something better, adding an extra layer of life, of seasoning, of joy’ — Pati Jinich’s passion is to share the food of her native Mexico while enhancing it with her multi-ethnic heritage.” – Cheryl Krocker McKeon, Shelf Awareness. 4/23/16. Read full review

“In Mexican Today, you have the guidance to produce authentic, delightful and often hot Mexican food of distinction. This is a striking book about how to achieve excellence. It really isn’t that hard. You just start with one poblano, an avocado, and keep turning the pages of Mexican Today.” – Brian O’Rourke, Huffington Post. 4/25/16. Read full review

“Mexican Today [is] an exploration of contemporary Mexican food that defies all borders.” – Ana Sofía Peláez, NBC News. 4/26/16. Read full article

“Mexican Today explores not just traditional fare, but the country’s evolving cuisine and the many immigrant groups who have influenced it.” – Maria Godoy, NPR The Salt. 5/5/16. Read full article

“Smooth and subtle hearts of palm soup with sweet potato croutons, light crepe enchiladas with Swiss chard and potatoes, and Chinese five-spice plum and apricot empanadas join well-loved Mexican classics such as tacos al pastor, traditional chicken tostadas and chiles rellenos.” – Laura Brehaut, National Post. 6/7/16. Read full article

“Back when Jinich wrote her first book, the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning host of Pati’s Mexican Table stuck to the classics, not veering far from what’s considered traditional. But Mexican food has always been about mixing it up. It’s a hybrid culture that birthed a hybrid cuisine. So in her second cookbook Mexican Today, Jinich explores the exciting possibilities.” – Adriana Velez, SheKnows. 6/8/16. Read full article