Looking Ahead and Looking Back
As UTSA’s rare books librarian, it has been my privilege to curate the Mexican Cookbook collection for the past five years. Exploring Mexican cuisine with the readers of La Cocina Histórica has been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of my work here.
It is therefore with some sadness that I announce my departure from UTSA and La Cocina Histórica. I am looking forward to many new experiences as outreach librarian and curator at the University of Michigan, but I will certainly miss my culinary adventures with the Mexican Cookbook Collection.
Never fear – La Cocina Histórica will not disappear! UTSA Libraries Special Collections staff will continue to post recipes for your enjoyment and edification. However, there will be a few format changes. Posts will continue to feature a mix of English and Spanish language cookbooks, but in most cases, translations of Spanish-language recipes will no longer be provided. Instead of typed transcripts of recipes, posts will include scans of several pages from the book of the week, which readers can view and print for their own study and use.
There will also be new opportunities to kitchen-test recipes for the blog in the coming year. If you are interested in being a test cook, please contact specialcollections@utsa.edu to volunteer!
As I bid you farewell, I hope you’ll enjoy revisiting some of my old kitchen-testing adventures:
Cocina Michoacana (1896) – Tortilla Cubana
Cocina Mexicana de Abolengo (1952) – Pescado a la Veracruzana / Veracruz-style Fish
The Texas Cookbook (1949) – Chile con Carne
La Cocina Familiar en el Estado de Guerrero (2001) – Plátanos al Horno / Baked Bananas
Las 500 Mejores Recetas de la Cocina Mexicana (1975) – Atole de Fresa / Strawberry Atole
Libro de Resetas (1907) – Torta de Chocolate / Chocolate Cake
I will miss your interesting posts, especially about the culinary gems in UTSA library’s collection. Exciting, though, that you will be near the Longone Culinary Archive at U Michigan. It is an incredible collection and Jan Longone is a kind and generous resource and guide. Thanks and best wishes.
Best wishes….