My Favorite Reads #5: My Sweet Mexico

So, here it is…the best of the best. I saved it for last. Without a doubt, Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico is my most treasured cookbook. I have read its pages countless times, and I continue to be thrilled by every description, story, picture, and recipe.

Oh, the recipes! I have made quite a few items from this cookbook and not once have I been disappointed. There are no mother-in-law recipes (ones that have been changed so they don’t work out), if you know what I mean. Everything is genuine, and the goodies are just like the ones you will find in Mexico.

In an interview with Lesley Téllez (The Mija Chronicles), Fany Gerson expressed that her goal of this book was “to give continuity to tradition.” She said, “These recipes are being lost. It’s part of a very strong oral tradition. Many people don’t even have written recipes, they’re passed down from grandmother to grandmother.” And, she is so right. Just a few years ago, there was little to no information out there about Mexican sweets. I recall wanting so badly to reproduce those light-as-air conchas, but I couldn’t even find a recipe.

When I bought this book and looked through it for the first time, I remember thinking, “I just hit the jackpot.” It is a phenomenal documentary of the country’s most popular sweet treats, and I would say the number one resource on the topic.

So, go ahead. Give in to your sweet tooth and treat yourself to a copy of this book. I can guarantee that you will not be dissatisfied. In addition, if you are lucky enough to visit or live in New York City, check out Fany’s store, La Newyorkina. What is your favorite Mexican sweet?

My Sweet Mexico

Author: Fany Gerson

Publication Date: 2010