Cooking Review: Coco: The Official Cookbook

July 11, 2023

by Emma Smith, Assistant Editor

From Insight Editions comes un libro de cocina so fans of Coco can learn how to make traditional Mexican foods, including those featured in the film. With tasty recipes from author Gino Garcia’s heritage and expertise and beautiful photographs by Ted Thomas, this cookbook is well worth a look for fans of the movie, the cuisine or both (me!)

The Recipes

The cookbook contains more than 60 recipes, divided into seven sections. It includes ensaladas y antojitos (salads and appetizers), masa (corn dough and fillings), platos fuertes (main dishes), guarniciones (accompaniments), dulces y posters (sweets and pastries), pan dulce (sweet breads) and bebidas (drinks).

Garcia’s expertise and love of Mexican food is clear in all the recipes. They are clear and include estimations of difficulty, preparation times and dietary notes for those with allergies or specific diets. Garcia does not “talk down” to the reader or make assumptions about skill levels. He includes both simple recipes like Papaya with Coconut and Chile and complex recipes like an amazing recipe for red mole. While the long list of ingredients may tempt you to just buy the sauce, it is well worth the effort to make it from scratch.

The book also includes helpful additions to make cooking the recipes easer, like an ingredient guide and suggestions for what recipes can combine to form menus for various occasions.

The Pictures

There are full page photographs of the dishes throughout the book. Photographer Ted Thomas does a great job of making it look like you could just reach through the page and pick up the tamales (and other dishes). Not only are they beautiful, but I always appreciate a look at what exactly I’m aiming for when making something new.

The Coco Tie-In

In addition to the photographs, the book contains illustrations from Coco. Not only do the characters appear on various pages, but flower and Die de los Muertes designs wind through the pages. Some recipes include callbacks to their appearance in the movie, while others include information about their origins or popularity in parts of Mexico. Every recipe includes a fun and informative introduction.

Our Evaluation

There are many cookbooks with recipes from or inspired by movies, TV shows, and even video games. This one may be my favorite of all the ones I’ve come across. It is colorful and pretty enough for pride of place on the shelf, and the recipes are clearly written with love and flavor.