MEZCLA: Recipes to Excite

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Highlights of the quick cooks include oyster mushroom skewers covered in rose harissa and roasted until charred; a ricotta dip with hot sauce and pine nuts; marinated prawns with burnt lime; and a bavette steak covered in a soy and maple butter. Ixta has spent her life exploring and enjoying food in Italy, Mexico and Brazil, so it’s no surprise that MEZCLAis a fusion of different cultures and food traditions. I have to add that as a general rule, I’d find such a promise cause for alarm, seeing it more as a threat of vertiginously flamboyant trickiness ahead.

It’s a sweet and personal book with expertly written, easy-to-follow recipes (the creamy bucatini with seaweed is a weeknight favorite, so much so that we snagged the recipe to share the love). But it is also a terrific set of recipes collected during her year weaving through those three countries. And her famous shrimp lasagne with habanero oil—“probably the dish I’m most proud of, actually,” says Belfrage—comes out of the oven a deep, volcanic red. MEZCLA meansmix, blend, or fusionin Spanish, and in her first solo cookbook, Ixta Belfrage—loved for her inventive ingredient combinations—shares her favorite mezcla of flavors.McDade guides readers through the world of canned seafood options by way of thoughtful recipes and helpful tips for what to look for and expect from each can. A lot of the soups and broths are very versatile and go with tons of different vegetables and alternative proteins (tofu). A gorgeous, inspiring cookbook that will keep me cooking until the last of my Sri Lankan curry powder is used—in which case, I’ll have to blend a fresh batch.

Besonders gefällt mir an Belfrages Zusammenstellung, dass sie immer wieder zum Ausprobieren und Variationen ermutigt.When I made two spice mixes and chicken curry from Rambutan, a Sri Lankan cookbook, my house filled with a savory cinnamon and clove perfume. Set aside to cool for a few minutes (but not for too long, as the melted cheese will begin to harden).

But for me, I don’t see what role it would fill in my cookbook library as I already have quite a few Ottolenghi tomes and both Ottolenghi Test Kitchen books. Then, when I’m developing the recipe, I’ll type it up, print it out, and stick it up on my cupboard.I made the Sticky Coconut Rice Cake With Turmeric Tomatoes this summer and can’t wait to make it again; the rice cake squares were such a satisfying crispy-gluey texture—a very good thing. Und auch sie selbst ist durch familiäre Herkunft und ihr Leben in verschiedenen Ländern kulinarisch buchstäblich grenzüberschreitend geprägt. Having cut her teeth at Yotam Ottolenghi’s test kitchen—a cook with a similarly sharp ability to combine various the spirit of various food cultures into bold new dishes—Belfrage is trained in tasting and tweaking a recipe until the flavors hit just right. These lively weeknight-friendly staples are rounded out by traditional dishes she learned in Greece while visiting her grandmother: fried halloumi with lemon slices; spanakorizo (spinach rice with dill); and soutzoukakia, cumin scented meatballs with tomato sauce and, of course, loads of good olive oil. Das muss man allerdings meines Erachtens bei einem derartigen Kochbuch in Kauf nehmen, so dass ich hierfür keine Punkte abziehe.

A deep dive into the world of grains, a collection of new cookie classics, unforgettable recipes from Shanghai and more, as tested by New York Times Cooking and the Food desk. Spicy cauliflower enchiladas, bright green veggie pozole, savory carrot soufflé, a sweet tomatillo tart—I’ve got my year cut out for me.

Chicken with Pineapple and 'Nduja': I don't eat meat, so I really only had bites of the pineapple and sauce, but SO flavorful.