Ebury dishes up first solo cookbook from Ottolenghi protégé Belfrage  

Penguin Random House has landed Mezcla: Recipes to Excite, the "bold" debut cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi protégé Ixta Belfrage.  

Ebury Press editor Celia Palazzo acquired world all language rights from Sabhbh Curran at Curtis Brown. The book will be published by Ten Speed in America, Fontaine in the Netherlands, DKV in Germany and Filo in Poland. Mezcla will be published by Ebury in the UK on 7th July 2022.  

In Spanish, "mezcla" means “mix, blend or fusion” and in her first solo cookbook, Belfrage brings together recipes inspired by Italy, Brazil, Mexico and beyond. Divided into simpler recipes and ones that take more time, Mezcla includes recipes for any craving, meal or time, from giant cheese on toast with urfa butter to salsa roja risotto. More than half the book is vegetarian or vegan.  

Previously, Belfrage co-authored the bestseller Ottolenghi Flavour (Ebury) with Yotam Ottolenghi and was named one of the most influential women in food by Code Hospitality in 2021. “One-in-a-million creativity,” Ottolenghi commented, “Ixta’s food is simply outstanding!”  

Palazzo said: “Ixta is an astonishing talent, and we could not be more proud to be publishing her first solo cookbook. Bursting with creativity and flavour, her food is truly fresh and exciting, and her recipe titles alone are enough to make you want to get into the kitchen and start cooking.” 

Curran commented: “Ixta’s cooking is truly unique and I can’t wait for readers to bring her quintessential mixture of ingredients and flavour-packed recipes into their homes. This will be a must-have book for anyone who loves cooking bold, inventive and delicious food.”  

Belfrage added: “I’m incredibly excited to be sharing my favourite flavours inspired by a lifetime obsession with food and a childhood spent travelling around Italy, Brazil and Mexico. There are recipes for every mood in this book, from quick, midweek dishes, to longer projects for when you have the time to slow down and savour the process. The recipes celebrate fusion cooking, while the introduction is an ode to the countries that taught me to love food.”