MEZCLA: Recipes to Excite

Who’s the author? Ixta Belfrage is a food writer and recipe developer. She co-authored the bestselling Ottolenghi FLAVOUR, and has spent the last five years honing her skills in the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen. If you want to know more about Ixta, read our Q&A here.

What’s it about? Having spent her youth absorbing the diverse culinary traditions of Italy, Mexico, and Brazil, Ixta Belfrage’s style of cooking has always been defined by her inventive ingredient combinations and her bold approach to flavour fusions. In MEZCLA, her first solo cookbook, she draws on her many influences to create a truly exciting and unique set of recipes. The Spanish word mezcla translates as mix, blend, or fusion, and that’s exactly what this book is; expect classic Italian dishes infused with vibrant Mexican flavours, traditional Mediterranean ingredients sitting side-by-side with Brazilian spices, and thoroughly idiosyncratic twists on familiar favourites.

Ixta’s aim is to help you put vibrant, colourful, and flavour-packed food on the table, on any day of the week. With 100 dishes, helpfully divided into quick, high-impact recipes and slower recipes for when you have time to savour the cooking process, MEZCLA truly is a book for every day and for every occasion.

Recipes we love: Giant Cheese on Toast with Honey and Urfa Butter, Chicken with Pineapple and ‘Nduja, Chiles Rellenos with Salsa Roja Risotto, and Prawn Lasagne with Habanero Oil.

Perfect for: Ottolenghi fans will love MEZCLA, as will anyone interested in experimenting with flavour and deepening their understanding of global cuisines.