It seems like everything I’ve dreamed of doing in Mexico, Diana Kennedy has already done — which makes sense, considering she arrived here in 1957.
Kennedy has worked in a Mexican panadería. She has toured the country befriending fabulous cocineras, and coaxed out the secrets of their prized recipes. She’s passionate about preserving traditional Mexican cuisine just as it is. And she hasn’t wavered in that mission, even into her 80’s.
Last Friday she gave a book presentation at UNAM’s Jardín Botánico, hosted by the university’s Instituto de Biología. The event honored her new cookbook, Oaxaca al Gusto, and Kennedy was scheduled to give some remarks and sign copies. Afterward the crowd could partake in a Mexican food degustación.
The event was open to the public, but the simple flyer belied how star-studded the afternoon actually was. Preparing the tasting were some of the best-known women in Mexico City cooking: Carmen “Titita” Ramirez of El Bajío; Gabriela Cámara of Contramar, and Marcela Briz of El Cardenal. Kennedy herself had brought beans she’d prepared at home in Zitácuaro.
Dr. Robert Bye of UNAM
After Bye’s remarks, Dr. José Sarukhan, the national coordinator for CONABIO, Mexico’s biodiversity commission, spoke of Kennedy’s efforts to help categorize and organize information about Mexico’s native plants.
And then, finally, Kennedy herself took the microphone. She looked stylish in white linen pants and a peach-colored poncho top with a chunky necklace. Her voice was raspy and slightly high-pitched, and she poked fun at the organizers for their praise-filled introduction.
“Let’s stop with all this ‘Diana Kennedy,’” she said in Spanish. “You all know I have my sharp points, eh?” Everyone laughed.
Much has been written about Kennedy’s brusque personality, but during her talk I found her to be refreshingly candid, and practically joyful about the job she gets to do.
Oaxaca Al Gusto is not the typical cookbook. Kennedy spent years traveling through the state to find these recipes, and I don’t doubt that it’s the first time several have been written down. The hyper-local ingredients mean mainstream cooks probably couldn’t make most of the dishes. But the book is not really aimed at those people. It’s a book of how people eat in Oaxaca — an anthropological work that should be shelved next to the Concaculta indigenous recipe books, and other important Mexican food references.
During her presentation, Kennedy engaged the crowd with some of the highlights of her research: pockmarked tortillas made in a cylindrical oven, steamed tortillas wrapped in hoja de milpa, polka-dotted fruits used to make mole amarillo in the Chinantla region. When she got particularly excited, she’d lean forward and gesture with her arms, using adjectives like “maravillosa” or “muy intersante” to describe a particular chile or foam she’d found. (I don’t mean molecular gastronomy foams here — this foam refers to the “espuma” atop an atole or a tejate.)
I was enchanted by this thin, delicate-boned woman. She was inspired by the very same things that inspired me — the diversity of Mexican ingredients, the patience required to prepare them, the exotic techniques sometimes called for. She was still on fire for Mexican food, more than 50 years after she first tried it.
After the talk, the crowd filtered out into the courtyard for the degustación. Degustación was not really the correct word — this was a full-blown meal. Two types of tamales had been prepared by Titita, plus chichilo mole, pipián de camarones and tortitas de bacalao from El Cardenal.
Cámara brought tostadas de atún, ceviche, brochetas de camerón and tortilla de acelgas con quelites.
Then there were Kennedy’s beans, which were served smeared on a totopo.
Titita's tamales, nestled in a pile of banana leaves
The ashy, intense chichilo mole, prepared by El Cardenal
Kennedy's beans, prepared with local beans from Hidalgo, cumin and red chile costeño
Kennedy had talked down the beans during her speech, saying they were a bit “tired” because she’d cooked them two days before. (“Vamos a tener que usar el ‘microwave,’” she’d told the crowd, grimacing a bit.) I found them simple and lovely, although the fuerte mole and pipián had numbed my palate a bit.
Since I already have a signed copy of Oaxaca Al Gusto, I got in line with my copy of Mexican Regional Cooking, one of Kennedy’s older cookbooks. I’d bought it at a used book store maybe two years ago and hadn’t actually read it yet. But I had used it as a reference several times.
Kennedy asked me how to spell my name. Then she said, “Did you read about when I worked in a Mexican bakery?”
I thought she meant in a newspaper article.
“No!” I said, surprised and suddenly adoring her that much more.
She frowned a bit. “It’s in the book. You didn’t read it?”
I started babbling. “No, I….”
“You haven’t read it. These books are for reading.” She emphasized the last word, as if I was some frivolous cook who makes a recipe without reading it first. (Okay, so I’ve done that before. But not with one of her recipes. Well… maybe I have done it with one of her recipes. But that was, like, more than a year ago. I’ve learned a lot since then.)
I tried to tell her, “I’m reading the book right now!” but it came out like, “I own a book library!” so I shut up and got out of the line. I sat on a nearby chair and felt foolish.
She didn’t seem too annoyed, however. She smiled at everyone in line, and her eyes lit up again when one person mentioned papalo quelite. Kennedy asked whether the woman had tried a specific papalo quelite in Guerrero, and told her of a certain market where she could get it. I tried not to stare too much at her, although I felt completely in awe of her knowledge.
At the end of the day, after all the guests cleared out, Kennedy stood around with the organizers of the event. You could tell she was happy.
“You kids really put on a show,” she told them, smiling wide, the corner of her eyes crinkling.
In case Kennedy ever happens to stumble upon this article, I have since read several pages of Mexican Regional Cooking, including the portion on her bakery apprenticeship.
***
If you’re interested in reading more about Diana Kennedy’s life and her new book, Oaxaca Al Gusto, I highly recommend Alma Guillermoprieto’s fabulous article in the New York Review of Books.
Hi Mija, when Diana came to my city Tampico, I was there and I had the oportunity to Know her and getting her book OAXACA AL GUSTO her hugh masterpiece. Remarkable woman
Mija,
So glad you met Doña Kennedy. Instead of Julie and Julia they should make a movie names Mija y Doña Kennedy. I got a hold of Diana’s Cook Book back in the mid 70’s and was very impressed. They had a few cooking shows here in the states on PBS or some other station. She is very knowledgeable and interesting.
Armando: I love “Mija y Doña Kennedy.” I may have to put that on a T-shirt sometime.
I love Diana Kennedy. I used to watch her show when she cooked out of her home. I miss seeing her. It was good to see a recent photo of her as well. I have 2 of her cookbooks but she always inspired me. Thx for sharing.
This book will make a lovely gift for my mother who loves nothing more than to cook Oaxacan Food, thanks for the Recommendation! 😀
WOW, what an honor for you to have met Diana Kennedy. I laughed out loud because I know the feeling. I met Rick Bayless not too long ago and as I gave him a cookbook to sign I dropped my camera and couldn’t even talk. I was fumbling all over the place. I walked away thinking of everything I should of or could have said. LOL! It’s hard not to get star struck with the people that inspire us. Just be happy that you met her and I’m positive she will someday read this wonderful post you wrote.
I was at the event too and thoroughly enjoyed it (I couldn’t stop talking about it all weekend). She has so much energy and enthusiasm surrounding the cuisine and the process involved in the preparation/cooking of said cuisine here in Mexico. Her collaborations with the Jardin Botanico are also proof of her intense dedication to traditional food. I’m glad to see you writing about this event — it was so much fun!
Thanks Carolyn! I’m eager to see what other work she’ll do with the Jardín.
I’m oh so envious of you! If I had known it was going to be last Friday, I might have spent the money to change my flight and stay the couple more nights!
Sounds like you had a fabulous time (even with the missed reading). I’m gonna order Oaxaca al Gusto on Amazon straightaway (I don’t need the NYT to tell me that Diana Kennedy’s books are worth owning – I’ve got almost every one of her books already!).
Nice!
I found that Washington Post article totally offensive; I was the first commenter on it… What a bummer of an article. I wish Bill Booth had taken the opportunity to write something that would be actually interesting instead of the (likely more popular) gossip piece.
Hey, I wanted to personally invite you to our festival next week. I can promise you some pretty stellar vegetarian/Mexican/international fusion foods. Our food is usually a main attraction, and Cumbre Yah is the funnest festival of the year.
http://cumbreyah.com
Thanks for the invite, Marie. Your event sounds totally up my alley, but my schedule has been insane lately. (As evidenced by the fact that I’m finally responding to your comment three weeks later.) Maybe next year?
I admire Diana Kennedy for all she has done for Mexico and how she respects Mexicans. I have to agree with every word written in the Washington Post article but I still respect her work, passion and purpose.
I took a class at her home in Zitacuaro in 2007 and found her disrespectful and rude. My take-away was that she has no time for gringos, and was doing the classes only for the money. We were bothersome to her.
I have found her books to be for reading and not often for cooking. To me they are referencial, historical, cultural and anthropological. I wish Diana could have found glory within those fields rather than in the cookbook section of bookstores. Diana Kennedy contribution to the world is much bigger than recipes.
We’ll I’ve had Oaxaca al Gusto sice October of last year and am only on the Chinantla region. This was a big eye opener and gave me much pride and appreciation about Mexican food. So far I’ve only been able to cook 3 recipes from the book, being in Japan it’s hard to get the ingredients. Thanks for the article.
I am so jealous, this sounds like an amazing event!! Also thanks for sharing even the part where you felt embarrassed, it’s a really neat insight into her personality 🙂
Just got off the phone with Diana. Her internet has been down for a while, so I read your post to her. She was muttering about silly Chicanas fiddle-farting about in electric kitchens, I think she knows you! She’s really a nice old lady. I’d be pleased to introduce you one day.
Hi Citlale: Really?? She knows about my electric kitchen? I’ve met her a few times through my friend Ruth, but they were very quick introductions and I was assuming she didn’t remember me. Also: thank you very much for taking the time to read my post to her. I’m honored. I’d love to meet her again someday.
I remember reading the Washington Post piece. I thought it was so self-serving and disrespectful. A close friend of mine traveled to Mexico to interview her shortly after it was published and had the opposite experience. Anyway, the woman is in her 80s! People get grumpy in their 80s! They’ve earned the right! I’m only responding here to some of the comments above (not at all to your interaction with her).
Also, isn’t it always the case that when you FINALLY meet your creative-genius-idol-mentor, he or she always catches you off guard in some way?
Great post and pics. You really capture her light.
Did you catch this review of her book?
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/apr/28/high-art-tamale/?pagination=false
I did! I absolutely loved that article. Posted it on my Facebook page, actually.
Attending a book signing of Oaxaca al Gusto last year in Puerto Vallarta was a real highlight for me. I had arrived so early, that I was able to sit down with Mrs. Kennedy for a private chat until others arrived. It was so special, I almost wanted to pinch myself that I was really talking to this wonderful writer and cook. Yes, she can be acerbic, but she is so knowledgeable, so real, that her sharpness can be forgiven. Mrs. Kennedy may be the reason why I fell in love with Mexican cooking in the first place, many years ago.
Kathleen
Hola Mija,
loved your post about Diana Kennedy’s book signing. I have known DK for 22 years and spent time at her home. One day, as I was looking at a picture of her husband Paul, I asked “how did you meet?” She gave me “that” look and asked “don’t you have a copy of Nothing Fancy?” Yes – “well then you did not read it because I tell the story of how we met!” End of conversation!
I live in San Miguel de Allende, where I give cooking classes. Come and visit some time. I have worked 8 years with Rick Bayless on his cookbooks, I know Ruth Alegria very well and a whole slew of Mexican chefs.
I have just started my blog and do not know how to link but I am learning. I will all yours as soon as I get it.
Saludos, Kirsten