Recipes from the North of Mexico

By the Book

Homemade tortillas have been having a moment lately—from a hole-in-the-wall joint turned James Beard semifinalist and masa empire in Las Vegas, to “maíz-driven concepts” like Houston’s Tatémo. In New Mexico, it’s rare to find tortillas made from masa nixtamalized in-house—but in classic norteño fashion, flour tortillas are also part of the regional identity. And yes, newer ventures like Albuquerque’s Manaña Taco are making their own. So it makes sense that modern Mexican cookbooks are bringing these foundational skills back to the forefront—not in a fussy, intimidating way, but in a way that welcomes home cooks into the process.

In this edition of By the Book, writer Robin Babb dives into Norteña: Authentic Family Recipes from the North of Mexico, a 2023 release from Interlink Books. Some of the basics might feel too basic to the average New Mexican reader, but for newer home cooks, the balance lies in the book’s wide selection of vegetarian and seafood-forward recipes. And yes, both corn and flour tortilla recipes make an appearance.

A Taste of Home—From Abroad

Cooking the food of your home country while living far from it is a complicated challenge. Ingredients can be hard to source, and finding a community that shares your culinary memory can be even harder. For Norteña author Karla Zazueta, who grew up in Baja California and Sinaloa, that challenge is made more complex by her current home—London. While the British capital has its charms, it’s not exactly known for its Mexican food scene or for embracing bold spice levels.

Zazueta’s cookbook reflects that reality, often assuming a very basic familiarity with Mexican cuisine. For seasoned New Mexican cooks, some of it might feel overly simplified—like the italicizing of the word burrito or the foundational descriptions of dishes we’ve known since childhood.

Simple, Welcoming, and Surprisingly Effective

Still, simplicity has its benefits. Norteña nudged Babb to make tortillas at home for the first time—both corn and flour. The result? Enchiladas with homemade tortillas that truly tasted better. The instructions are straightforward and friendly, and most ingredients can be found at a typical New Mexico grocery store like Smith’s.

The book also stands out for its flexibility. Many recipes come with vegetarian or vegan alternatives, and the plant-based “From the Garden” section is just as robust as “From the Sea” or “From the Ranch.” Beyond that, Zazueta offers cultural insight, tracing dishes back to the Indigenous peoples who first created them. Recipes like wakabaki, a rich beef broth from the Yaqui, or tesgüino, a sweet corn drink from the Rarámuri, add historical depth and meaning to the dishes.

While the tone may occasionally read as overly simplistic, Zazueta makes up for it with a gentle, nonjudgmental tone that invites readers to try, mess up, and try again. The first tamales might be dry and crumbly—but that’s okay. You’ll get better.

Who It’s For

If you’ve already got a binder full of family recipes for red chile, posole, and menudo, Norteña might feel redundant. But if you don’t—or if you’re looking for a fresh, accessible guide to Mexican and norteño home cooking—Zazueta is a kind and capable teacher.

Simple, updated for modern readers, and full of culturally rich backstories, Norteña is less of a masterclass and more of an open door. And sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed.