Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today, I’m joined by Dora Ramirez. Dora Ramirez didn’t set out to reinvent Mexican cuisine. She wanted to uncover the stories, ingredients, and traditions that were already there.
In this episode of the show, I talk with Dora about the journey behind Comida Casera: More Than 100 Vegan Recipes from Traditional to Modern Mexican Dishes, her James Beard Award-winning cookbook celebrating the indigenous roots and plant-based traditions of Mexican cuisine.
Born in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, Dora came to the United States to attend the Culinary Institute of America before building a career as a chef, recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator. Her cookbook grew from a desire to share a deeper story about Mexican food — one centered on history, culture, and the ingredients that have shaped the cuisine for generations.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How Dora transformed her personal experience and culinary background into a unique cookbook concept
- Why Comida Casera focuses on uncovering indigenous Mexican plant-based foundations rather than simply adapting recipes
- How she documented recipes and stories from indigenous cooks across Mexico
- The thought process behind organizing a cookbook as a journey through Mexican culinary traditions
- What it was like to see her nearly three-year cookbook project recognized with a James Beard Award
Dora also shares her new online cookbook club, where she explores historical Mexican cookbooks and brings their recipes and stories to a new audience.
Dora’s story is also a reminder that a cookbook begins long before the manuscript is written. It starts with understanding your unique perspective, knowing the story you want to share, and building a community of readers who care about your work. If you’re a dietitian, chef, or culinary professional who wants to publish a cookbook with a traditional publishing house, I invite you to join my upcoming Grow Your Audience masterclass. You’ll learn how to build an audience publishers value — without relying on social media algorithms — by creating a community, sharing your message, and testing cookbook ideas with the people who will eventually become your readers.
Things We Mention in This Episode:
Register for upcoming Grow Your Cookbook Audience class
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