Rick Martínez Author Talk • Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way into Mexican Cooking

Chef Rick Martinez is a celebrated Mexican-American chef, author, food personality, and recipe developer, who regularly contributes to The New York Times. Known for his vibrant, effervescent personality and innovative cooking style, Rick has received numerous accolades for his debut cookbook, including the prestigious James Beard Award for International Cooking, as well as two IACP awards for Best International Cookbook and Book of the Year in 2023. Born and raised in Austin, TX, and now based in Mazatlán, Mexico, Rick spent decades in advertising before following his dream of working with food. Rick graduated from the French Culinary Institute and worked under Dan Kluger at ABC Kitchen before working at Bon Appetit as a senior food editor. Years later, he discovered his true passion—to challenge misconceptions about Mexican cuisine. Through his work and cookbooks, he now showcases the vibrancy and diversity of Mexican food, highlighting its rich cultural heritage and how easily it can be incorporated into everyday cooking.

Salsa Daddy - The James Beard Award–winning author of the New York Times bestseller Mi Cocina is back with a guide to the brightest dish in any Mexican meal, snack-filled afternoon, or sun-drenched beach day: salsa. From refreshing classics to rich sauces, this collection of over seventy salsas and twenty-four easy meals is a fun-loving introduction to the joy of Mexican cooking.

Chips, salsa, happiness. We know that essential truth. But after over 500 years of salsa history, there’s so much more to discover about this staple dish, one that cooks today can customize and riff on freely. Salsa can be an irresistible dip, yes, or a flavorful condiment, or it can be the basis for iconic Mexican meals—not to mention a savior for grilled cheese, burgers, rotisserie chicken, or platters of roasted vegetables.

Rick takes us deep into the world of traditional and modern salsas, where a playful pico de gallo with tomatoes, avocados, and chipotles is chopped up in a few minutes or where you might blend roasted peanuts with caramelized onions and toasted chiles for a nutty-savory spicy sauce. You’ll find smashed salsas, like La Tatemada Cremosa (charred tomato, chipotle in adobo, and crema), chopped salsas, such as Xnipec (tomato, habanero, and sour orange), as well as cooked salsas, like Pipián Verde (pepitas, peanuts, and tomatillo) and specials like Salsa Macha (peanuts, guiajillo, and chile de árbol) and Aioli Rojo (morita, guajillo, garlic, and lime). Turn these incredibly delicious salsas into easy meals like Chilaquiles, Enchiladas Gratinadas, Puffy Tacos, or Pozole Verde con Pollo.