“Tu Casa Mi Casa” marks a departure from Olvera’s penchant for haute cuisine and knack for tearing up Mexican food stereotypes; instead, expect universal favourites balanced by lesser-known dishes such as herbed guacamole and chicharron, hamachi and corn aguachile, tostadas, tamalitos de broccoli, and tacos de lengua, most of which are paired with rustic, muted overhead shots.
The book is split into six sections: ‘Basics’, ‘Breakfast’; ‘Weekday Meals’; ‘Food for Sharing’; ‘Sweets’ and ‘Drinks’. Opening with the basics, Olvera writes in detail on the essential elements of Mexican cuisine such as masa, salsas and beans. ‘Breakfast’ opens with a simple, yet effective take on huevos rancheros, whereas ‘Weekday Meals’ sways toward health-focused meals such as lentil and quinoa salads, baked fish with greens and a Mexican-style summer squash. Surprisingly, Olvera dedicates an entire section to sharing, recognising Mexico’s gregarious culture and its repertoire of family-style dishes designed to feed crowds. Stand-out recipes include white bean hummus, shrimp broth and root vegetables with chorizo mayonnaise. ‘Sweets’ nods to the Mexican love of fruits, candies, bread and cakes nieves (ice creams and sorbets - the avocado sorbet is a must-try), while ‘Drinks’ offers a final dose of fun with Mexican beverages such as cashew horchata, coconut smoothie and an interesting tonka bean atole.
Though recipes are broadly reminiscent of Olvera’s New Mexican upbringing, it’s evident that his personal favourite, Oaxaca, heavily influences the way he now cooks at home. And to the delight of most Londoners, you can also expect the millennial-favourite avocado toast (given Olvera is at the helm, this recipe is almost guaranteed to taste more delicious than any you’ve eaten before).
Enrique speaking at his book launch)
The focus on pure, authentic Mexican cooking is prevalent with the turning of each page; recipes stray from indulging in the microtechniques executed in Olvera’s restaurants. Instead, the folio centres on Olvera’s core outlook on food and the foods which he and his collaborators cook for themselves and their families, conveyed with accessibility for home cooks of all skills to replicate. Not all ingredients are easy to source, admittedly, but thanks to a surge in speciality shops ingredients are never too hard to track down these days - especially in larger cities.
Olvera’s well-known dedication to detail props up throughout, less so in technicality and more in his reflections – anticipate mini-essays such as the three main elements of salsa (chiles, tomato and aromatics). You can also expect haunting pearls of wisdom passed down from Olvera’s grandma, such as blenders making sauces “taste like electricity”.
Olvera’s fondness for exploring Mexico’s ingredients and its past is reflected in the sheer scale of the folio. Though dishes-designed-to-comfort are a given in any home cooking book, Olvera offers new avenues, peppered with illuminating insights into the way Mexicans shop, cook and eat. Olvera is also forgiving, offering alternatives to ingredients difficult to source and encouraging readers to tweak to their own taste.
Given that Olvera has been name-checked as once the only chef with two entries on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list, he is considered by many to be the ambassador of Mexican cuisine. Though this at-home cookbook offers nothing ground-breaking in comparison to his restaurants, and requires a basic knowledge of Mexican cooking, it’s an enriching collaboration of expertise and a testament to his fierce passion for the country’s rich culinary history.
