Narsai David Review: 'Oaxaca al Gusto, An Infinite Gastronomy'

(KCBS) - KCBS Food and Wine Editor Narsai David reviews the latest book on Mexican cuisine by Diana Kennedy.

Diana Kennedy has produced so many books on Mexican cooking. This is really the bible of basic Mexican cooking because she makes it so understandable and straight forward. It's also different from all the others - it's huge, a real coffee table book with lots of pictures, and it concentrates on the city of Oaxaca. There's a section called the "Pillars of Oaxaca Cuisine: Chocolate, Corn, the Chiles of Oaxaca." I remember a conference years ago that was titled "From Chiles to Chocolates: Food the Americas Gave the World." Well, corn is one of those as well. This cookbook is really a winner!

Oaxaca al Gusto, An Infinite Gastronomy
by Diana Kennedy
9.75 x 11.5 in.
459 pp., 302 color photos, 12 color maps, 22 color drawings
ISBN: 978-0-292-72266-8
Hardcover
University of Texas Press

Narsai David is the KCBS Food and Wine Editor. He has been a successful restaurateur, chef, TV host, and columnist in the Bay Area spanning four decades.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)