Santiago Lastra Author Talk • Mexican Soul: A New Style of Cooking

Santiago Lastra- Born in Mexico City and raised in Cuernavaca, Santiago Lastra has worked in Michelin-starred establishments around the globe, including the legendary Mugaritz in San Sebastián, Spain and noma in Copenhagen. In October 2020, he opened the doors of KOL in Marylebone, immediately capturing the attention and acclaim of the world’s media. Within three years, KOL secured its first Michelin star, a place on The World’s 50 Best and La Liste, and is regarded as the best Mexican restaurant outside of Mexico. Santiago was also awarded Best Chef at the GQ Food and Drink Awards, and Three Knives by The Best Chef Awards. In 2024, Santiago opened Fonda, a family-style restaurant serving vibrant interpretations of the food found in Mexican markets and homes.

Santiago’s ethos is to develop food that celebrates his homeland’s rich cultural tastes, aromas and textures with meticulously sourced seasonal local produce. Mexican Soul is his first book.

Mexican Soul - Did you know you can make the best guacamole you’ve ever tasted without using avocado? Or that tortillas and tamales can be made with potato?

Through years of research, exploration and cooking in restaurants around the globe, chef Santiago Lastra has discovered a secret: you can make incredible Mexican food without having to hunt down specific ingredients or buy traditional produce that has lost its freshness by the time it lands in your kitchen. Mexican flavor can be unlocked anywhere in the world, with almost any ingredient, and this book is the key to finding it.

By breaking down the basics of Mexican flavour profiles then exploring how you can find a wide variety of these elements in your home kitchen, Santiago shows a new way of understanding one of the richest cuisines on the planet so that anything from a Salsa Macha and Tomato and Cherry Aguachile to Tinga Tostadas and Chocolate Tamales with Chocolate and Mezcal Cream can be on the table in minutes, regardless of what you have to hand.

Get ready to discover Mexican Soul: A New Style of Cooking.