Mexico In Mzansi

Mzansi is an informal name for South Africa and when used in cooking, refers to traditional dishes. The culture and landscape is very diverse in South Africa, and in Mexico in Mzansi, Aiden Pienaar combines Mexican dishes with local flair and flavour.

Today’s recipe book review from Lavender and Lime ♥ ♥ #LavenderAndLime Share on X

In Mexico in Mzansi, chef Aiden Pienaar brings local flair to some traditional Mexican favourites. Like the ubiquitous taco, this cookbook is filled with a surprising array of flavours and influences to excite even the most experienced chefs and exhausted home cooks.

By thinking a little outside the box, and using South African ingredients and cooking techniques – boerie tacos and braaied corn, anyone? – Chef Aiden gives Mexican cuisine a Mzansi-style facelift.

From classics such as mole, refried beans and nachos, to innovations including Mexican chakalaka, chilli con carne vetkoek and sosatie tacos, these are recipes to inspire and delight. All are easy to follow and require minimal prep.

In addition, Chef Aiden will teach you to make your own tortillas and salsas, show you how to present tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas, as well as introduce you to different cooking methods, from braising and grilling to air-frying. That’s not to mention the array of delicious desserts to round off your meal, or the collection of margaritas to tantalise your tastebuds

Chapters are divided into:

• Basics
• Tacos
• Quesadillas and Enchiladas
• Tapas
• Mexico Meets Air Fryer
• Desserts
• Margarita and Co.

Recipes that caught my eye:

• Lime and coriander marinade (p17)
• Chicken tacos (p34)
• Prawn and corn tacos (p41)
• Beef brisket tacos (p42)
• Pulled pork tacos (p45)
• Braised lamb tacos (p47)
• Chicken quesadilla (p60)
• Beef enchiladas (p67)
• Crispy calamari (p85)
• Creamy corn bowl (p86)
• Peri citrus prawns (p93)
• Crispy quinoa salad (p94)
• Mexican hot chocolate (p128)
• Elderflower margarita (p134)
• Strawberry margarita (p142)
• Paloma (p147)
• Cantarito (p152)

What I made:

The braised lamb tacos, served with store bought tacos, pickled red onions and a minted sour cream were a hit. I made these for a dinner with friends using a 1 kilogram lamb shoulder. The recipe called for 3 kilograms but for 4 of us, we had more than enough meat from the lamb I had in my freezer. I also served my adaptation of the crispy quinoa salad, using all of the quinoa I had cooked. The recipe calls for 195 grams of quinoa to be prepared and then only 1 tablespoon to be used. I decided to rather use all of it and make a hearty side dish. The Mexican hot chocolate was so good that I have enjoyed more than one mug to warm up during this cold winter.

For you to make:

Crispy Asian-style Chicken Tacos – follow the link for the recipe.

My impressions:

I liked that the recipes included helpful tips, and that the ethos of the book is to keep it fresh. But, the lack of photographs meant I had to read the recipe information to see if they were inspiring. This was a good thing, as it highlighted to me that some of the recipes were for bulk and/or restaurant cooking. The ones that called for 1 litre of oil for frying were instantly ignored as that will never happen in my kitchen. Some recipes seemed to have a lot of meat to result ratio: i.e. 2 kilograms of pork to feed 2 people! As I don’t have an airfryer I did not pay much attention to those recipes.

Publishing information for Mexico In Mzansi:

Penguin Random House South Africa sent me this recipe book to review.

See the links below for blog posts I published on September 26:

• • 2023: Ramen Eggs
  • 2022: Yoghurt Flatbreads
  • 2021: Private Rogue
  • 2020: Your Guide To The Perfect Cup Of Tea
  • 2018: Chez Panisse Café Cookbook
  • 2016: Black Garlic Vinaigrette 
  • 2013: Crayfish Stock
  • 2012: Monetizing Your Blog
  • 2011: Black Pasta | Pasta Nero

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