Sobremesa: Easy Mexican Recipes for Every Day

Chef and debut author Villasuso’s love for her native Mexico shines through in this collection of flavor-packed and accessible recipes meant to be shared with loved ones. Alongside classic dishes like chicken tinga with roasted potatoes, tres leches cake with mascarpone honey frosting, and pork belly and pinto beans in salsa verde, are recipes inspired by Villasuso’s childhood, including chorizo quesadillas made with chipotle and roasted sweet potatoes tortillas, mango and passion fruit no-churn ice cream, and refried chickpea open-face sandwiches. Noteworthy fresh takes include eggplant with guajillo yogurt sauce, roasted pineapple mezcal popsicles, and heirloom tomato pico de gallo salad. Whether for a quick, weeknight dinner like spicy pinto bean and lemon soup or a more elaborate dish like three-chile barbecued beef, Villasuso’s instructions are easy to follow, and most ingredients can be easily sourced. Villasuso paints a vivid picture of Mexican food culture, explaining, for example, the difference between corn tortillas and tostadas, and pointing out that the traditional barbacoa method of slow-cooking meat in a hole in the ground dates to pre-Hispanic times. This celebratory collection will have foodies’ mouths watering. Agent: Becky Thomas, Lewinsohn Literary. (May)