Excerpts from Encarnacion’s Kitchen

Encarnacion’s Kitchen is more than a cookbook—it is a blend of recipe and identity. The book explores Mexican traditions and native cuisine in contrast to typical American or European approaches, reflecting a more sociological perspective on food. It almost serves as a historical record of 1898 San Francisco, presenting a rare view of Spanish cooking and recipes during that period through a female lens. This reading heavily emphasizes Mexican culture, and how Pinedo used cooking to define her identity and reclaim her cuisine. It showcases the power of defining one’s identity through recipes and preserving culture, illustrating how social and political context can be expressed through food. Encarnacion’s Kitchen serves as a blend of recipes and identities, portraying a love for Mexican food and a desire to share it with a unique female viewpoint.