Comemos - by Alejandra Graf (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

With Comemos Alejandra Graf offers 85 plant-forward, authentic yet modern Mexican recipes, with variations for non-vegans.

"Few people are better positioned to write this book than Alejandra Graf. As a bilingual, bicultural Mexican cook who spent eighteen years cooking plant-based for a family of enthusiastic meat eaters, she has lived both sides of the table -- and Comemos is the delicious proof. Her recipes are plant-forward without ever feeling like less: chilaquiles that can lean toward cashew crema and tofu or swing toward crema, cotija, and shredded chicken. Ale cooks the way Mexico loves -- generously, flexibly, with the door always open. This book is going to live on a lot of kitchen counters, mine included." --Pati Jinich, Chef, TV Host and Cookbook Author of Foods of La Frontera

Comemos (let's eat or we eat) is Alejandra Graf calling her family, friends, and readers to the table. Her fresh, contemporary, and vegan Mexican recipes, often with dairy and meat options, and warm writing style, make sure that everyone is welcome and well fed.

Like many home cooks, Graf was faced with a dilemma: she is vegan, but the rest of her family is not. Her challenge was to create delicious, healthy, easy recipes that would appeal to vegans and omnivores alike. As she developed recipes for family meals, she also shared them through her blogs, Piloncillo&Vainilla and AleCooks. And now those much-sought-after recipes, plus more, have become a cookbook.

Comemos offers only authentic Mexican recipes and shares how Mexicans approach food. The concept of "comemos" is about how Mexicans savor each bite, spending time at the table enjoying each other's company. Through chapter openers and recipe headnotes Graf puts her recipes in Mexico's rich cultural context. You will find information about specific tools and ingredients for the dishes, along with chapters for Los Básicos (The Basics), Desayuno (Breakfast), Botanas (Starters), La Comida (Lunch and Dinner), Para el Fin (For the Weekend), Sobremesa (Small Sweet Bites), and Bebidas (Beverages). Let's eat!

More Accolades:

"What a beautiful cookbook. I truly enjoyed reading through it and cooking from it. I love how Alejandra found such creative ways to include more vegetables while still keeping the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine that we all love. The recipes feel comforting and familiar, the kind that take you back to childhood memories and home-cooked meals around the family table, but with a modern touch that makes them feel fresh and exciting. The Pasta with Poblano and Alcachofas and the Pasta with Salsa Macha both sound absolutely mouthwatering. This is one of those cookbooks that will inspire you to keep cooking from it again and again." --Mely Martinez, cookbook author and blogger at Mexico in My Kitchen

"Thoughtful and delicious, Comemos is a heartfelt tribute to Mexican family cooking." --Jorge Gaviria, James Beard Award-winning founder of Masienda, bestselling author of MASA

"Comemos brought me back to the flavors of my childhood in a way that felt both deeply comforting and entirely new- especially for my lifestyle in a city like NYC. From the refreshing mango water, to the memories of fideo seco, and new ways to recreate enchiladas suizas, so many of these dishes became accessible being away from my hometown... It's a beautiful reminder that home can live inside a recipe, no matter where you are." --Mariana Fernández, bilingual Spanish/ English fitness instruction at Peloton: Running.Yoga.Meditation

Review Quotes

What a beautiful cookbook. I truly enjoyed reading through it and cooking from it. I love how Alejandra found such creative ways to include more vegetables while still keeping the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine that we all love. The recipes feel comforting and familiar, the kind that take you back to childhood memories and home-cooked meals around the family table, but with a modern touch that makes them feel fresh and exciting. The Pasta with Poblano and Alcachofas and the Pasta with Salsa Macha both sound absolutely mouthwatering. This is one of those cookbooks that will inspire you to keep cooking from it again and again.--Mely Martinez, cookbook author and blogger at Mexico in My Kitchen

Comemos brought me back to the flavors of my childhood in a way that felt both deeply comforting and entirely new- especially for my lifestyle in a city like NYC. From the refreshing mango water, to the memories of fideo seco, and new ways to recreate enchiladas suizas, so many of these dishes became accessible being away from my hometown... It's a beautiful reminder that home can live inside a recipe, no matter where you are.--Mariana Fernández, bilingual Spanish/ English fitness instruction at Peloton: Running.Yoga.Meditation

Thoughtful and delicious, Comemos is a heartfelt tribute to Mexican family cooking.--Jorge Gaviria, James Beard Award-winning founder of Masienda, bestselling author of MASA

Alejandra Graf captures the quiet, beautiful power of Latino culture--where food is not just nourishment, but a ritual of love, connection, and belonging. In Comemos, she brings to life the essence of who we are: gathering around the table, sharing all we have, pouring our souls in every recipe for our beloved ones, and the indescribable pleasure of a sobremesa where stories, laughter, and memories are made. Her cooking reflects our Hispanic values--generosity, warmth, and the joy of being together. Ale, this is my open invitation to a sobremesa with you with one of your recipes and a glass of Sotol Romo. With admiration.--Claudia Romo Edelman, Founder, Are All Human, Hispanic Star, and Sotol Romo

Few people are better positioned to write this book than Alejandra Graf. As a bilingual, bicultural Mexican cook who spent eighteen years cooking plant-based for a family of enthusiastic meat eaters, she has lived both sides of the table -- and Comemos is the delicious proof. Her recipes are plant-forward without ever feeling like less: chilaquiles that can lean toward cashew crema and tofu or swing toward crema, cotija, and shredded chicken. Ale cooks the way Mexico loves -- generously, flexibly, with the door always open. This book is going to live on a lot of kitchen counters, mine included.--Pati Jinich, Chef, TV Host and Cookbook Author of Foods of La Frontera

About the Author

Alejandra Graf is a Mexican food lover and wellness advocate who follows a plant-based diet. She has a degree in art history and a professional certification as a plant-based cook. She shares her food philosophy and recipes on her two popular blogs, Piloncillo&Vainilla and AleCooks. Originally from Mexico, she now lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and three children.