SimonsMerchant Site
Cooking the Borderlands Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States cookbook product image (primary)
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.

Penguin Random House

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

CA$9.99CAD
Out of 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) exploring the fusion of Mexican and American borderland cuisine through more than 100 recipes, personal anecdotes, and family stories. It provides clear, detailed instructions for dishes such as corn tortillas and salsa verde, which home cooks have followed successfully. The book is in English and measures 19.5 x 26 cm (7.75 x 10.25 inches).

Category
Media > Books > Print Books
View on merchant siteJSON

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
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

Cooking The Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States Cookbook, from Penguin Random House and priced at 24.99 CAD in stock, is a print cookbook that reads partly as memoir and culinary anthropology: recipes from fieldwork across Mexico's seven culinary regions, organized by five northern Mexican states and tracing a family migration in which a grandmother's 16 children, born across Mexico, each add a dish. Its promise is a borderlands cuisine layered with Indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, and Tex-Mex influences, opening with fundamentals (corn tortillas first, then beans, rice, salsas) and extending through tortillas whose masa is conditioned with water steeped from tomatillo husks; Chihuahuan preservation via chile pasado, chacales, and air-dried meat; open-fire ranch cooking organized around the grill master rather than the comal; cured nopal, wild purslane, and Rarámuri tesgüino fermented from sprouted maize; and Chinese-Mexican border dishes from Pollo a la Naranja to char siu-style Carnitas Coloradas, including a Mexicali riff, with Mexicali documented as 80% Chinese by 1919. The author, a pastry chef under Gavin Kaysen before becoming chef de cuisine at Bracero, brings restaurants that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a James Beard Award semifinalist nod, and the book was starred by Publishers Weekly and called a must for every collection by Library Journal; recipes mostly use supermarket ingredients, with a few Mexican-market items such as plump 10-15 count dried shrimp, and detailed instructions with troubleshooting tips make it accessible to first-time tortilla makers. The tradeoff is visual: there are no step-by-step technique photos, so tortillas and salsa verde rely on written instructions and troubleshooting, and only about a quarter of recipes are pictured as vibrant finished dishes, while signature dishes like Chicken Sopes Las Calandrias honor the Guadalajara restaurant of the author's aunt Lorenza and the narrative recasts the border as beautiful, fluid, and welcoming, with Zepeda rejecting the word fusion in favor of authored tributes.

Verified claims

Migration narratives
Recipes trace the family migration: a grandmother's 16 children born across Mexico, each state adding a dish.
Recipe lineage
Chicken Sopes named Las Calandrias honor the Guadalajara restaurant of the author's aunt Lorenza.
Author background
Pastry chef under Gavin Kaysen before rising to chef de cuisine at Bracero.
Accolades
Her restaurants earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and she was a James Beard Award semifinalist.
Regional coverage
Organized by five northern Mexican states, each with its own Indigenous and immigrant communities
Preservation techniques
Chihuahua chapters build on drying — chile pasado, chacales and air-dried meat
Fire cooking
Northern chapters organize around open fire and the grill master, not the comal
Chinese-Mexican cuisine
Chinese-Mexican recipes run from Pollo a la Naranja to char siu-style Carnitas Coloradas
Indigenous ingredients
Reaches past tomato-and-pepper cooking to cured nopal, wild purslane and tesgüino
Tortilla technique
The opening tortilla recipe conditions the masa with water steeped from tomatillo husks
Chinese-Mexican roots
Documents a founding Chinese-Mexican border cuisine; Mexicali was 80% Chinese by 1919.
Crossover recipes
Cookable crossovers include Carnitas Coloradas, a Mexicali char siu riff.
Desert vegetables
Cured nopal and wild purslane salad features cactus and verdolagas
Corn fermentation
Tesgüino is a Rarámuri corn beer fermented from sprouted maize
Book structure
Opens with a fundamentals chapter: corn tortillas first, then beans, rice and salsas.
Recipe clarity
Instructions are detailed and include troubleshooting tips, making the book accessible even for first-time tortilla makers.
Ingredient sourcing
Mostly supermarket ingredients, with a few Mexican-market items such as plump dried shrimp.
Text instructions
The book has no step-by-step technique photos, so tortillas and salsa verde rely on written instructions and troubleshooting tips.
Accessibility
Recipes use common groceries and detailed instructions help beginners succeed.
Specialty ingredients
A few recipes call for specialty items, notably plump 10-15 count dried shrimp from a Mexican market.
Regional ingredients
Beyond supermarket staples, recipes use regional items like chile pasado, chacales and wild purslane.
Visual guidance
No step-by-step technique photos; roughly 25% of recipes are pictured as finished dishes.
Photo coverage
About a quarter of recipes are pictured in vibrant finished-dish photos, not step-by-step.
Technique range
Beyond tacos and salsas: tomatillo-husk masa for tortillas, chile pasado and tesgüino corn beer.
Critical reception
Starred by Publishers Weekly; Library Journal calls it a must for every collection.
Culinary anthropology
Fieldwork across Mexico's seven culinary regions, framed as culinary anthropology.
Content depth
Cooks Chinese-Mexican dishes, Rarámuri corn beer and Chihuahuan preserved-chile techniques.
Narrative thesis
Written to recast the border in the American narrative as beautiful, fluid and welcoming
Cultural influences
Regional chapters from California to cowboy country layer Indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, and Tex-Mex influences.
Signature dishes
Named crossover plates include Carnitas Coloradas, a Mexicali riff on Cantonese char siu.
Indigenous recipes
The book reaches Indigenous tradition with tesgüino, a fermented Rarámuri corn beer.
Research method
Recipes drawn from fieldwork across all seven of Mexico's culinary regions

Product record

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

Buying Guide

1 comparison · 8 sources

Uses

Cooking Mexican-American borderlands dishes at home

This cookbook offers more than 100 colourful recipes from Claudette Zepeda, where Mexican traditions and American influences come together, woven with her personal anecdotes and family stories. It suits home cooks trying both everyday meals and first-time projects — one reader made corn tortillas for the very first time and, after a short learning curve, succeeded by following the book's instructions, which they called excellent. Recipes include labels like serving counts, such as a grilled chicken dish with a ponzu subsection that serves 4.[1,2,3]

Cooking and reading your way through the Mexico–US borderlands

Use this cookbook when you want to explore the food culture of the region between Mexico and the United States, not just cook from it. It goes beyond recipes to celebrate the flavours, cultures and ties that unite the two worlds, told with warmth and a touch of humour. A reviewer describes it as a recipe collection that doubles as a valuable work of culinary anthropology.[1,4]

Product comparison

Compared within this brand.

Why and when to choose each product
This product

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

Penguin Random House

simons.ca

Same brand

Slurp Recipe Book: Traditional Ramen Recipes And Modern Makeovers Cookbook

Penguin Random House

simons.ca

Same brand

Madaq Simple And Delicious Everyday Recipes With The Flavors Of Morocco Cookbook

Penguin Random House

simons.ca

Cooking The Borderlands Spice And Smoke Between Mexico And The States Cookbook: Choose this if you want more than a recipe collection: Claudette Zepeda's debut offers more than 100 colourful recipes blending Mexican traditions and American influences, organized geographically from California to the Sonoran Desert to cowboy country and told through personal anecdotes and family stories. A first-time tortilla maker reported success with the corn tortilla recipe, calling the instructions excellent. Note it is a 288-page English-language hardcover publishing in June 2026, with dense recipe text printed in small serif type.[1,2,4,5]Slurp Recipe Book: Traditional Ramen Recipes And Modern Makeovers Cookbook: Choose this if you want to learn traditional ramen from start to finish, including making your own noodles and broths with clear instructions and photos, or if you'd also like original contemporary interpretations alongside the classics. It offers over 60 ramen bowl and side dishes spanning pork, poultry, seafood and vegetarian options, with guidance on adjusting flavours with spices, seasonings and oils — and, per the merchant, makes it easy to prepare ramen worthy of a restaurant. This 208-page English hardcover (Navy/Midnight Blue, 8 x 9.5 inches) was published by Penguin Random House in September 2025.[6]Madaq Simple And Delicious Everyday Recipes With The Flavors Of Morocco Cookbook: Choose this if you want to explore Moroccan and North African cooking shaped by Berber, Arab and Mediterranean traditions, with traditional recipes adapted for today's kitchens. Nargisse Benkabbou's 304-page English-language hardcover covers accessible dishes such as fragrant tagines, couscous, roasted chicken, stuffed breads and bastilla, presented in a richly illustrated layout with recipes organized into sections like a MEAT chapter and numbered steps with serving counts (for example, serves 4 or serves 6). Note it is a large-format book measuring about 9.25 by 11.25 inches, published in April 2026, in the Patterned Blue color option.[7,8]

Image Analysis

3 images
Cooking the Borderlands Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States cookbook product image (primary)
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 regionx 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 regionx 0.16 · y 0.14 · w 0.68 · h 0.62 (high)
  • Top-left small title text“COOKING THE”
    1 regionx 0.18 · y 0.06 · w 0.18 · h 0.06 (high)
  • Large stylized title (top)“BORDER”
    1 regionx 0.29 · y 0.02 · w 0.62 · h 0.14 (high)
  • Large stylized title (bottom)“LANDS”
    1 regionx 0.06 · y 0.78 · w 0.60 · h 0.18 (high)
  • Subtitle“Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States”
    1 regionx 0.64 · y 0.82 · w 0.28 · h 0.08 (high)
  • Author credit“CLAUDETTE ZEPEDA”
    1 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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
Cooking the Borderlands Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States cookbook product image 2
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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 0.70 · y 0.06 · w 0.27 · h 0.88 (high)
  • Recipe header text“GRILLED CHICKEN”
    1 regionx 0.77 · y 0.07 · w 0.17 · h 0.10 (high)
  • Servings label“Serves 4”
    1 regionx 0.78 · y 0.35 · w 0.12 · h 0.04 (medium)
  • Ponzu subsection heading“Ponzu”
    1 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionsx 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
Cooking the Borderlands Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States cookbook product image 3
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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 0.62 · y 0.10 · w 0.36 · h 0.80 (high)
  • Legible recipe line“Serves 4”
    1 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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 regionx 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

Brand PDP Lookup

Brand
Penguin Random House
URL
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737900/cooking-the-borderlands-by-claudette-zepeda/

Cooking the Borderlands by Claudette Zepeda

Documents & Data

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