Food lovers can enjoy a new edition of the “Great Mexican Chefs” book series that Larousse and Culinaria Mexicana have published.

This third edition is called “Fuego” (Fire) and brings together the stories of 30 Mexican chefs who grew up around cooking with heat and who have made the ember, firewood and the comal an important part, and even the protagonist of their professional careers in the kitchen.

The chefs who participate in the book share 140 recipes for fire cooking, including traditional, novel and avant-garde recipes with the latest in grilling and smoking techniques.

Among the Mexican talent included in the book is the participation of our chef Pepe Salinas, who has made Balcón del Zócalo an icon of contemporary Mexican cuisine in Mexico City.

Pepe Salinas and His Fascination with Smoke Cooking

Smoke cooking has been present in Pepe Salinas’ life since he was very young. His grandmother, who grew up in the Huasteca of Hidalgo and in San Bartolo Tutotepec, made a smoke stove with adobe blocks in her house. There, Pepe observed the care she had to take with each of the ingredients she exposed to the fire to control the amount and intensity of the heat they received, and to prevent anything from burning.

This technique of respecting flames and smoke, still used in many Mexican towns and villages, fascinated Pepe since he was a child.

Now, as one of the most renowned chefs in Mexico, Pepe Salinas uses fire cooking in all its variations to create dishes that are rich in flavor and generate emotions in all diners. A cuisine that pays tribute to Mexican traditions and ingredients, but always looking for a distinctive touch that tells a different story than the one we know in Mexican cuisine.

In the book “Grandes Chefs Mexicanos: Fuego” (Great Mexican Chefs: Fire), Pepe shares some recipes that have brought him the most happiness throughout his career, which are part of Balcón del Zócalo’s menu and pay tribute to the cuisine of fire.

In the words of our chef:

“We are pleased to capture recipes that we have had as classics since we started with the transformation of Balcón del Zócalo. We have also included dishes from recent seasons that represent our work on the theme of fire. It’s very rewarding to be part of this project that will remain in the memory of a book for posterity.”

We look forward to seeing you at Balcón del Zócalo to enjoy our fire cooking that combines techniques from grandmothers’ kitchens with unexpected ingredients that give a unique flavor to every bite.

Balcón del Zócalo Team.

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