The first book to celebrate Santa Fe's world-famous Plaza Cafe with stories, mouthwatering photographs, and over ninety recipes from the oldest restaurant in continuous service in one of the oldest cities in America. Since 1905 the Plaza Cafe has been serving inspired favorites to Santa Fe locals as well as to destination travelers who seek out the bustling restaurant in the heart of the old city. It's hard to miss this culinary gem, with its enviable position smack on the central plaza in one of America's most beautiful and most visited cities. Known for its longtime family ownership, the Plaza Cafe offers warm hospitality, a casual atmosphere, and reliably mouthwatering home-style American, Mexican, and New Mexican specialties. Now the Plaza Cafe Cookbook serves up a winning combination plate of over ninety recipes-from Mexican shakshuka to green chile stew, from blue corn enchiladas to the Cafe's famous house margaritas-along with the rich history behind this treasured establishment. The Plaza Cafe appears on every "best of" Santa Fe list and in travel magazines and websites worldwide. In this first-ever cookbook from the Southwest landmark, four-time James Beard Award-winning author Cheryl Alters Jamison teams with Plaza Cafe owner Leonardo Razatos, who grew up helping his parents in the Cafe. With stunning full-color photographs by noted photographer Douglas Merriam, The Plaza Cafe Cookbook is your guide to re-creating the award-winning, fabulous flavors of Santa Fe at home.
Four-time James Beard Book Award-winner Cheryl Alters Jamison is one of the nation's premiere food writers, the author of numerous cookbooks, former Food Editor for New Mexico Magazine, and the host of Heating It Up, a food talk radio show. Her Excited About Food website is a place that embraces good eating and creates enticing meals the whole family will enjoy. She is the coauthor of Smoke & Spice, The Border Cookbook: Authentic Home Cooking of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico, and The Rancho de Chimayoi Cookbook: The Traditional Cooking of New Mexico, among others. She lives in Santa Fe. Leonardo Razatos, along with his business partner and husband Giuliano Marcheschi, is the owner of Plaza Cafe Downtown, Plaza Cafe Southside, and the Italian Piazza Caffe. He is the son of longtime proprietors Dan and Beneranda Razatos. Douglas Merriam is a Santa Fe food photographer and contributor to Espana: Exploring the Flavors of Spain and The Harbor Cafe Cookbook. He is also the author and photographer of The Farm Fresh Journey: Santa Fe Farmer
"Absolutely delicious and enduring! Part memoir, part menu, this cookbook is a refined celebration of culture, comfort, and history, a timeless expression of the beloved Plaza Cafe." - Kelley Cleary Coffeen, author of The Big Book of Hatch Chile "If you've ever eaten at a restaurant on Santa Fe's plaza and wanted to cook those same dishes at home, this is the book for you! Full of easy-to-make, mouthwatering recipes with a Santa Fe twist, it will satisfy your craving for New Mexico food no matter where your kitchen is located." - Sharon Hudgins, former editor of Chile Pepper Magazine and author of T-Bone Whacks and Caviar Snacks: Cooking with Two Texans in Siberia and the Russian Far East "You can feel it when a place is proud of its history, and you can taste the celebration of that in every bite. The Plaza Cafe has always delivered genuine, honest New Mexican food with a warm, welcoming cup of Santa Fe hospitality. The recipes here capture all of that aroma and flavor." - James Campbell Caruso, chef and owner of La Boca and author of Espana: Exploring the Flavors of Spain.
