Cooking the Borderlands

Name: Cooking the Borderlands
Price: 75 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9780593796139

Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States

Claudette Zepeda

$75

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Random House Inc
07 July 2026

Cookery, food & drink

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 Top Chef star, Iron Chef Mexico finalist, and Tijuana-San Diego border kid Claudette Zepeda.

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 Top Chef star, Iron Chef Mexico finalist, and Tijuana-San Diego border kid Claudette Zepeda.

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-

. Coahuila's Esquites (Street Corn) . Las Calandrias Caballitos (Chicken Sopes) . Arroz Poblano (Poblano Pepper Creamy Rice) . Camarones al Ajillo (Baja Style Garlic Shrimp) . Capirotada (Bread Pudding)

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. Borderlands 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.

By: Claudette Zepeda
Imprint: Random House Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 189mm,
Weight: 567g
ISBN: 9780593796139
ISBN 10: 0593796136
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 07 July 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning, San Diego-based celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur known for her fearless style and bold approach to regional Mexican cuisine. Zepeda's multi-faceted expertise is showcased in her role overseeing the creative vision as Founder of Chispa Hospitality with projects in San Diego, Nashville, Australia and Mexico. Her latest project, Novecientos Grados, a Mexican food restaurant in partnership with Tony Hawk located in the San Diego airport, celebrates both the border and skater culture through delicious food.

Reviews for Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States

“Zepeda has dedicated her career to learning about the unique fusion of cultures along our shared perimeter. Her deeply personal, geographically-organized book covers territory from California to the Sonoran Desert to cowboy country, with recipes like arroz poblano, tacos with vermicelli and green chorizo, and jericalla (burnt cinnamon custard) along the way.”—Saveur