2013 Benjamin Franklin Silver Award Winner

About the cookbook

“Siéntate a comer, esta muy bueno!” “Sit down and eat, it’s very good!” This was how Jesusita Mendias-Soza always welcomed guests to her table. The same words served as inspiration for her daughter Evangelina and granddaughters Yvette and Veronica, who wanted to honor her memory and preserve their family’s recipes and stories for future generations. They started the Muy Bueno Cookbook blog in 2010 with this idea in mind, and quickly attracted thousands of fans and followers who fell in love with Muy Bueno’s flavorful Mexican recipes, heartwarming family stories, and beautiful photography.

Now they open their hearts and kitchens to an even wider audience in their first cookbook. Spanning three generations, Muy Bueno offers over 100 recipes: traditional old-world northern Mexican recipes from Jesusita’s kitchen; comforting south of the border home-style dishes from Evangelina; and innovative Latin fusion recipes from Yvette and Veronica. Each recipe is accompanied by a full-color photo. See the Muy Bueno cookbook trailer here.

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Praise

I have always been fascinated with how the foods of northern Mexico joined with the foods of the southern United States to invent a whole new world of culinary possibilities. Cooks from both sides of the border have been creating a delicious, exciting cuisine for the past couple hundred years. The women of Muy Bueno have some fantastic stories and recipes about this. Wow I truly enjoyed reading it and can’t wait to start cooking!”

Roberto Santibañez, chef-owner of Fonda restaurants in NYC and author of Truly Mexican and Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales

It’s hard for me to remain neutral about the tales and recipes of Muy Bueno. You see, their stories are my stories, just like many of us whose grandparents came from Chihuahua to Texas and beyond. But you needn’t have an abuelita who blessed generations by handing down her recipes all you need is the love and spirit that Yvette, Veronica and Evangelina have filled within the pages of this book. Packed with authentic regional recipes, beautiful stories and gorgeous photographs, Muy Bueno is above all else a delicious family love story.

Matt Armendariz, MattBites.com and author of On a Stick!

If you love Mexican comfort food and fantastic photography, you need Muy Bueno on your kitchen bookshelf!”

Jorge Bravo, founder of HispanicKitchen.com 

Charming family stories combined with richly colorful photos to make this a delightful invitation to cooking”

Michelle Kayal, Associated Press

Every page invites the reader to step into the richness of Mexican culture, defined by exquisite food and lots of love. To see family recipes both traditional and contemporary recreated with so much care is a joy. I personally look forward to making Muy Bueno‘s recipes for my own family.”

Nina Terrero, Entertainment Weekly

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Press

“We also know that Latin food brings people together. For many families (mine included), it is the heart of family get-togethers, the thing that gets us all under the same roof time and time again. It was with that in mind that we sat down with Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, the chicka behind Muy Bueno Cookbook and blog.”

Caitlin Christensen, Latin è. 04/13/15.

“These three women have put together a wonderful cookbook detailing Mexican Cuisine recipes that have been passed down through generations. This book would clearly stand up against some of the greats that we’ve all come to love throughout the ages such as the “Betty Crocker’s Cookbook” or “The Joy of Cooking.” It is as wonderful as the “Wheat Belly Cookbook,” or “The Italian Slow Cooker,” on various bestseller lists for 2012 and 2013. Why this book hasn’t been included on one of these lists is beyond me.”

Corina Martinez Chaudhry, The Latino Author. 01/19/14. Read full review

“Dos hermanas se empeñan en no olvidar, y en compartir, los secretos de cocina que aprendieron de su abuela.”

El Diario NY. 04/30/14. Read full review

“You gotta admit, this sweetly tart tequila concoction is really the most brilliant thing to happen to Thanksgiving since football. Think about it. You thought talking politics with Aunt Emma was fun after she’d had a few sips of wine. Imagine what’ll happen when you give her something a little stronger to sip.”

LeitesCulinaria.com. 12/01/13. Read full review

“Muy Bueno is more than a cookbook—it’s a snapshot of one family’s culinary heritage.”

Amanda M. Faison, 5280. 12/01/12: Read full review

“The traditional and contemporary recipes, glossy photography and soulful stories make this both an elegant cookbook and an endearing family memoir. The glossary of chiles and tortilla how-to are bonuses.”

Jennifer McClellan, AZ Central. 11/14/12. Read full review

“Old family recipes written on yellowing note cards can be easily forgotten, never to be cooked again. Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack didn’t want that to happen to the recipes of her mother and grandmother, so she decided to write them down. But her small family cookbook grew into a larger project that caught the interest of a publisher, and now her family is sharing recipes with the whole country.”

Nathalia Velez, Westword. 11/05/12. Read full review

“The trio’s first paper cookbook is a compendium of family favorites, and they shared three recipes perfect for the Halloween season, two spooky cocktails and one sweet empanada.”

Sara Bonisteel, Epicurious. 10/25/12. Read full review

“Muy Bueno difiere también de los otros libros por ofrecer junto a platillos de la cocina tradicional del norte de México recetas pertenecientes a la cocina Tex-Mex y a la gastronomía moderna.”

Patricia Prieto, La Opinión. 10/23/12. Read full review

“Below, the second half of of Eater’s Fall 2012 cookbook and food book preview. Included in this section: famous cookbook authors, television, magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs, single subject, meat, vegetarian/vegan, memoirs, histories, non-fiction, and general/miscellaneous.” 

Paula Forbes, Eater. 10/22/12. Read full review

“This dynamic mother daughter trio bring their love for cooking and their abuelita’s recipes to kitchens across America.”

Stephen Chavez, Latino Foodie. 10/04/12. Read full review

“Don’t mind me while I disappear into this book for the next 3 months. It’s another gorgeous book with to die for recipes! With 3 generations of recipes going into this book, it’s sure to be a winner in your kitchen!”

What’s Gaby Cooking. 08/31/12. Read full review

“Drawing from their successful blog of the same name, Texan matriarch Soza and daughters Marquez-Sharpnack and Gonzalez-Smith share over 100 Mexican recipes—many of which the trio attributes to Soza’s mother, Jesusita—in this informative and accessible collection.”

Publishers Weekly. 08/13/12. Read full review