The Rosetta Notebooks are published as part of an innovative project at the Mexico City restaurant led by Chef Elena Reygadas. Each volume offers a short, incisive text written by a renowned scholar who explores aspects of food culture, health, and environmental concerns. Chef Reygadas notes: I’m convinced that we should also consider our work as cooks beyond its hedonistic function. In a world like ours—devastated by climate change, social inequality, systemic violence, sexism, racism, and the degradation of political life, to mention just a few of many ills—a restaurant should provide a platform for reflection and positive contributions to society.In Our Maize, Cristina Barros, an award-winning food historian, examines the centrality of maize to Mexican life and identity, She notes that "In Mexico, with a population of over 130 million people, no less than 300 million tortillas are consumed each day. Corn, particularly as tortillas, contributes (on average) fifty percent of carbohydrates, thirty percent of protein, and thirty percent of bioavailable calcium in our diet."Written without resort to academic jargon, this is a clear introduction to the idea that Without Maize There is No Country, an idea expressed in the name of an national campaign in Mexico to which Barros belongs. Although the cover sample above is in Spanish, our copies are in English. Paperback. Staplebound. 8 ⅛” x 10 ⅝”. 28 pages. In English.
