When Thomasina Miers first visited  Mexico at the tender age of eighteen,  she fell so in love with its food that she went back to live there, opening up a cocktail bar in Mexico City and using her free time to travel the country and cook with some of Mexico’s top chefs. Returning to London, she entered and won  BBC’s MasterChef in 2005. She went on to open a  Mexican street food cantina, Wahaca, which won the Observer Food Monthly’s ‘best cheap eats’ award, and has now opened three branches. She writes a regular recipe column in the Times and is co-editor of Soup Kitchen (2005) and the author of Cook (2006) and Wild Gourmets (2007). Her latest book Mexican Food Made Simple is a really great introduction into Mexican food, as she puts it  “It’s not necessarily completely authentic – I’m not trying to prove how good at making this food I am! It’s meant to be fun and accessible.“

And accessible it certainly is.  Recipes are simple to follow, yet at the same time wholesome and full of Mexican flavour.  The book is written in a very easy to read style. it has some great chapters including sauces and salsas, salads, soups, snacks and easy dishes for the grill.  If you like it spicy, this book is a definite must.

Click here for a delicious recipe from the book.

Interested in buying this book? visit – Red Pepper Books – The South African online bookshop, they will be able to offer you great prices on any book you are looking for.

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.