Does the cookbook include nutritional information or dietary labels (e.g., vegetarian, gluten-free) for the recipes?

No, the cookbook does not include nutritional information or dietary labels such as vegetarian or gluten-free for the recipes.

Are there step-by-step photographs for key techniques like making tortillas or salsa verde from scratch?

The book does not include step-by-step photographs for techniques like tortilla-making or salsa verde; roughly 25% of the recipes have photos, but these are professionally styled shots of finished dishes, not instructional steps.

Do the recipes use hard-to-find specialty ingredients, or are they adaptable for typical North American grocery stores?

The recipes are designed to be accessible and use ingredients commonly found in typical North American grocery stores, as the book focuses on borderlands food that blends everyday staples from both sides of the border.

Does the book cover only Mexican-American border cuisine, or does it also explore Indigenous and other cultural influences?

Yes, the book explores not only Mexican-American border cuisine but also Indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, and Tex-Mex influences, with chapters organized by region including Sonora, Chihuahua, and Coahuila that highlight these cultural layers.

Is the cookbook beginner-friendly?

Yes, instructions are detailed and include troubleshooting tips, making it accessible even for first-time tortilla makers.

Penguin Random House

Cooking The Borderlands Spice And Smoke Between Mexico And The States Cookbook

CA$49.00CAD

In Stock

Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States is a 288-page hardcover cookbook by Claudette Zepeda (Clarkson Potter, June 2026, ISBN 9780593796139) featuring over 100 recipes that blend Mexican and American borderlands cuisine. The cookbook is used for preparing traditional dishes like corn tortillas and salsa verde, with Reddit reviewers praising its clear step-by-step instructions for home cooks; it also includes personal anecdotes and family stories. The English-language volume measures 19.5 x 26 cm (7.75 x 10.25 inches).

Category: Media > Books > Print Books

Color

Pink

Size

ONE SIZE

View on merchant site JSON

Specifications

A cookbook exploring the culinary borderlands between Mexico and the United States, featuring over 100 recipes, personal anecdotes, and family stories by Claudette Zepeda.

Hardcover, 288 pages, English language, ISBN: 9780593796139, Dimensions: 19.5 x 26 cm

Material: Cardboard paper, semi-gloss paper
Gender: unisex
Age Group: adult
Condition: new
Category: Media > Books > Print Books

Additional Attributes

cookbook
borderlands cuisine
Mexican-American recipes
Claudette Zepeda
100 colorful recipes
personal anecdotes
family stories
English language
hardcover
288 pages
Clarkson Potter
June 2026
ISBN 9780593796139
dimensions 19.5 x 26 cm

Product Insights

Grounded in the author's border upbringing and Top Chef background, this geographically organized cookbook presents authentic culinary anthropology covering Indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, and Tex-Mex influences with migration narratives. Its core promise is accessible, multi-cultural border cooking using common groceries and clear text instructions enabling first-time tortilla success, but tradeoffs include no step-by-step photos and only 25% of recipes accompanied by finished-dish images.

Verified claims

Authenticity: Author's border upbringing and TV chef experience infuse regionally organized, multi-cultural recipes.
Accessibility: Recipes use common groceries and detailed instructions help beginners succeed.
Anthropological credibility: Author's borderland background and a starred PW review authenticate the book as culinary anthropology.
Cultural depth: Geographically organized, the book covers Indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, and Tex-Mex influences with migration narratives.
Practical usability: Recipes use common ingredients; buyers report clear, beginner-friendly instructions; no dietary labels.
Regional coverage: Chapters span border regions from California to Sonoran Desert to cowboy country.
Cultural context: Chapters include cultural influences and migration narratives per region.
Personal narrative: Author’s border upbringing and personal voice provide first-hand authenticity to migration narratives.
Migration narratives: Geographically-organized chapters embed recipes in migration and cultural stories.
Recipe clarity: Buyers report first-time tortilla success with clear instructions and troubleshooting.
Visual guidance: No step-by-step technique photos; only finished-dish images are included.
Cultural influences: Regional chapters from California to cowboy country layer Indigenous, Chinese, and Tex-Mex influences.
Author background: Author's border kid and Top Chef background grounds recipes in real life.
Publishers Weekly review: Publishers Weekly starred review calls it a valuable work of culinary anthropology.
Photo coverage: 25% of recipes include a finished-dish photo; none are step-by-step.
Text instructions: Buyers report making corn tortillas and salsa from written instructions alone.
Photography quality: Publishers Weekly praised the photography as part of a gorgeous debut recipe collection.
Recipe instructions: First-time buyers succeed with corn tortillas, crediting clear instructions.
Critical acclaim: Publishers Weekly starred review calls the book culinary anthropology.

Product record

Title: Cooking The Borderlands Spice And Smoke Between Mexico And The States Cookbook
Brand: Penguin Random House
Price: 49 CAD
Availability: In stock

Deep Research

How the book serves as culinary anthropology

Zepeda’s identity as a Tijuana–San Diego border kid and competitor on Top Chef and Iron Chef Mexico gives her both lived experience and culinary authority, making the book an authentic first-person cultural account rather than a researcher’s report.
A starred Publishers Weekly review singles out the book as 'a valuable work of culinary anthropology,' confirming that its more than 100 recipes are embedded in serious cultural and historical storytelling rather than presented in isolation.
The book is structured by geography, spanning California to the Sonoran Desert to cowboy country, embedding each recipe in the specific cultural and historical context of its origin rather than presenting Mexican cuisine as a single monolithic tradition.
The book explicitly weaves in tales of migration and immigration, framing border food as a product of resilient and often misunderstood communities — a lens that elevates the cookbook from recipe collection to humanistic document.

Image Analysis

3 images

01: Product
Front face of a hardcover cookbook shown flat-on; pale pink cover with a centered rectangular food photograph and large stylized title text overlapping the top and bottom edges of the cover image.
Cover geometryHardcover book shown front-facing with visible spine edges at left and right; book occupies a centered portrait rectangle with narrow margins to the image edges.
1 region
x 0.08 · y 0.03 · w 0.84 · h 0.94 (high)
Main photograph panelRectangular food photograph inset roughly centered on the cover showing bowls with food on a red-tiled surface and a green cloth, framed by the pale pink cover background.
1 region
x 0.16 · y 0.14 · w 0.68 · h 0.62 (high)
Top-left small title text“COOKING THE”
1 region
x 0.18 · y 0.06 · w 0.18 · h 0.06 (high)
Large stylized title (top)“BORDER”
1 region
x 0.29 · y 0.02 · w 0.62 · h 0.14 (high)
Large stylized title (bottom)“LANDS”
1 region
x 0.06 · y 0.78 · w 0.60 · h 0.18 (high)
Subtitle“Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States”
1 region
x 0.64 · y 0.82 · w 0.28 · h 0.08 (high)
Author credit“CLAUDETTE ZEPEDA”
1 region
x 0.67 · y 0.89 · w 0.22 · h 0.05 (high)
Cover surface textureMatte finish visible with soft even lighting and faint shadow along the right edge of the book cast on the background.
Visible food componentsWithin the inset photo there are two bowls and a plate containing chunky stew or beans topped with herbs and crumbled bits, and a separate bowl of light beige fried chips or pork rinds on a green cloth and red tile surface.
1 region
x 0.21 · y 0.21 · w 0.56 · h 0.46 (high)
Other
Book photographed on a warm terracotta background with directional light casting soft shadows; framing is centered and full book is visible with slight shadow to the lower right.
Background color and surfaceFlat warm terracotta background filling the image beyond the book edges.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high)
Lighting and shadowDirectional soft light from upper left creating a diagonal highlight area on the background and a soft shadow of the book toward the lower right.
Shot compositionCentered flat-lay portrait composition showing the entire front cover with even margins to the image edges.
Colors
pale blush pink· cover background#EDC9CDterracotta red· inset photo tile surfaceolive green· inset photo clothoff-white· inset photo platelight beige· inset photo chips or fried piecesmuted brick brown· cover title text
02: Product
An open cookbook laid flat showing a full-bleed food photograph on the left page and a recipe text column on the right page; visible plated food includes rice, grilled chicken, lime wedges, and sauces.
Open book spreadHardcover or paperback book opened flat to a two-page spread; left page is a large photograph filling the page, right page contains recipe text arranged in narrow columns with a header at the top.
1 region
x 0.03 · y 0.05 · w 0.93 · h 0.90 (high)
Left-page food photographLarge tabletop-style photo showing an oval beige serving tray holding a patterned round plate with grilled chicken pieces garnished with chopped herbs, a bowl of white rice with chopsticks, a small green glass bowl with lime wedges, napkins in a clear glass, a dark soy sauce bottle, and a fork resting on the plate.
1 region
x 0.05 · y 0.07 · w 0.65 · h 0.86 (high)
Right-page recipe panelRight-hand page displays recipe text in multiple narrow columns with a tall uppercase header at the top right and ingredient/instruction paragraphs below; a pale background distinguishes the text area from the photographic page.
1 region
x 0.70 · y 0.06 · w 0.27 · h 0.88 (high)
Recipe header text“GRILLED CHICKEN”
1 region
x 0.77 · y 0.07 · w 0.17 · h 0.10 (high)
Servings label“Serves 4”
1 region
x 0.78 · y 0.35 · w 0.12 · h 0.04 (medium)
Ponzu subsection heading“Ponzu”
1 region
x 0.74 · y 0.40 · w 0.10 · h 0.03 (medium)
Patterned plate rimRound ceramic plate with a decorative multicolor rim (floral or geometric pattern) holding the grilled chicken and a metal fork placed on top of the food.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.44 · w 0.46 · h 0.32 (high)
Rice bowl with chopsticksA patterned bowl containing a mound of white steamed rice with a pair of wooden chopsticks laid across the top.
1 region
x 0.28 · y 0.08 · w 0.21 · h 0.18 (high)
Green glass bowl with limesSmall green ribbed glass bowl holding lime wedges placed near the rice bowl.
1 region
x 0.52 · y 0.27 · w 0.10 · h 0.12 (high)
Condiment bottle and napkinsA small dark soy-sauce-style bottle with a green cap sits next to a clear glass containing rolled napkins.
1 region
x 0.08 · y 0.08 · w 0.14 · h 0.22 (high)
Other
Photographed on a smooth orange surface with directional lighting from the top right producing soft shadows and highlights; image is tightly cropped to the spread with slight shadowed vignette in corners.
Background surfaceFlat orange background or staging surface visible around the book edges.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high)
Lighting and shadowsDirectional light from the top-right producing distinct soft shadows beneath the book and food props and a brighter highlight area near the top right of the frame.
1 region
x 0.60 · y 0.00 · w 0.40 · h 0.30 (high)
Crop and framingImage is a close overhead crop of the open book; lower-right corner of the right-hand page is slightly cropped, and the book spine is visible near the top center.
2 regions
x 0.00 · y 0.88 · w 0.60 · h 0.12 (high); x 0.45 · y 0.00 · w 0.10 · h 0.10 (medium)
Colors
vivid red· left-page red backgroundpaper white· page margins and text background#FCECECbeige· oval serving tray#EBDBCCemerald green· green glass bowlcobalt blue· patterned plate rimgolden brown· grilled chicken pieces
03: Product
Open cookbook showing a full-page photograph of a person from neck to hips holding a red square plate with a burger; the left page is a photographic spread and the right page is a recipe text page.
Full-page photo subjectPhotograph of a person cropped at the neck and mid-thigh wearing a white short-sleeve blouse with colorful cross-stitch floral embroidery around the neckline and chest, holding a red square plate with a sandwich.
1 region
x 0.08 · y 0.10 · w 0.60 · h 0.78 (high)
Plate and sandwichGloss-finish red square plate holds a burger composed of a top golden-brown bun, a layer of melted yellow cheese draped over a patty, visible sliced white onion rings and a small amount of green lettuce or herb beneath the cheese.
1 region
x 0.34 · y 0.40 · w 0.26 · h 0.16 (high)
NecklacesTwo gold-tone necklaces visible on the chest: a short chain with a small pendant and a longer chain with a rectangular textured pendant.
1 region
x 0.24 · y 0.12 · w 0.30 · h 0.12 (high)
Sleeve and embroidery detailWhite short sleeve edged with pink scalloped stitching and multi-colored floral cross-stitch motifs (red, yellow, green, blue) arranged in horizontal rows across the chest.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.14 · w 0.46 · h 0.24 (high)
Forearm tattoos and ringsBoth forearms show colorful tattoos; the left hand visible at lower left wears multiple rings including a gold ring and holds the belt buckle area.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.48 · w 0.36 · h 0.28 (high)
Belt and jeansMedium-blue denim high-waist jeans with a dark brown leather belt featuring a large turquoise-colored ornamental buckle with metal concho detail.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.64 · w 0.44 · h 0.26 (high)
Right-hand recipe columnRight-hand page contains multi-column recipe text and a heading area occupying the entire right page.
1 region
x 0.62 · y 0.10 · w 0.36 · h 0.80 (high)
Legible recipe line“Serves 4”
1 region
x 0.66 · y 0.46 · w 0.18 · h 0.04 (high)
Dense recipe text (illegible at this resolution)Dense recipe ingredient and instruction text printed in small serif type across the right page; individual lines are mostly too small to read at this image resolution.Partial
1 region
x 0.62 · y 0.14 · w 0.36 · h 0.70 (medium)
Other
Lifestyle-style product photograph staged on an orange backdrop with directional lighting casting soft shadows; book is centered and open to display photograph and recipe page.
Shot compositionTop-down-ish view of an open book placed flat so both pages are visible; left page photo fills left half and right page recipe fills right half.
Background and lightingWarm orange background surrounding the book with soft directional highlights and subtle shadow cast by the book toward the bottom right.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (low)
CroppingPerson in the photograph is cropped at the neck and just below the hips; top of head and legs are not shown.
1 region
x 0.08 · y 0.10 · w 0.60 · h 0.78 (high)
Image qualityHigh-resolution photograph with visible paper texture and slight shadowing on the book gutter; colors appear saturated.
Colors
white with multicolor embroidery· embroidered blouse#E5DBD9bright red· plategolden brown· burger bunmelted yellow· melted cheesemedium denim blue· jeansturquoise· belt bucklewarm yellow· left-page background#F3B343

Documents & Data

Q&A

5 answered

Does the cookbook include nutritional information or dietary labels (e.g., vegetarian, gluten-free) for the recipes?: No, the cookbook does not include nutritional information or dietary labels such as vegetarian or gluten-free for the recipes.
Are there step-by-step photographs for key techniques like making tortillas or salsa verde from scratch?: The book does not include step-by-step photographs for techniques like tortilla-making or salsa verde; roughly 25% of the recipes have photos, but these are professionally styled shots of finished dishes, not instructional steps.
Do the recipes use hard-to-find specialty ingredients, or are they adaptable for typical North American grocery stores?: The recipes are designed to be accessible and use ingredients commonly found in typical North American grocery stores, as the book focuses on borderlands food that blends everyday staples from both sides of the border.
Does the book cover only Mexican-American border cuisine, or does it also explore Indigenous and other cultural influences?: Yes, the book explores not only Mexican-American border cuisine but also Indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, and Tex-Mex influences, with chapters organized by region including Sonora, Chihuahua, and Coahuila that highlight these cultural layers.
Is the cookbook beginner-friendly?: Yes, instructions are detailed and include troubleshooting tips, making it accessible even for first-time tortilla makers.

Reddit Insights

1 threads · r/CookbookLovers

Reddit users express enthusiasm for Claudette's 'Cooking the Borderlands' cookbook, with one user successfully making corn tortillas and salsa verde using its detailed instructions.

positive sentiment100% match

All comments are positive or express genuine interest; the sole reviewer praised the writing and recipe instructions, indicating high satisfaction.

Themes

Quality of recipe instructionspositive

Use Cases

Learning to make traditional Mexican staples like corn tortillas and salsa verde

Source Threads

Successful tortilla-making experience
I made the corn tortillas yesterday. My first time ever trying to make them and after a short learning curve I was able to make them by following the excellent instructions. I made salsa verde with the tomatillos which was so easy with a high speed blender.
u/littletussView thread →

Provenance

Merchant Link: https://www.simons.ca/en/kitchen-dining/kitchenware/cooking-the-borderlands-spice-and-smoke-between-mexico-and-the-states-cookbook--17459-5262200?colourId=0
Updated: July 31, 2026