The celebration of Mexican cooking that food lovers have been waiting for.

Richly photographed and authentically local, L.A. Mexicano showcases L.A.’s famously rich and complex Mexican-food culture, including recipes, profiles of chefs, bakers, restaurateurs, and vendors, and neighborhood guides. Part cookbook, part food journalism, and part love song to Los Angeles, it’s the definitive resource for home cooks nationwide, hungry Angelenos, and food-loving visitors. Features a foreword by Taco USA’s Gustavo Arellano and more than 100 photos by Staci Valentine.

Bill Esparza is recent winner of a James Beard award for his coverage of the L.A. taco scene in Los Angeles Magazine. Considered one of the country’s leading experts on Mexican food, the L.A. native curates the annual Tacolandia festival in Los Angeles; writes about Mexican food for Los Angeles Magazine and others; appears regularly on CNN, KCRW’s radio show Good Food; and appears on such television shows as I’ll Have What Phil’s Having, Bizarre Foods, and Top Chef. A noted saxophone player, Esparza has traveled and eaten extensively throughout Mexico, Latin America, and, of course, Southern California.