MEXICAN COOKBOOK EXHIBIT FEATURED IN ZIMMERMAN LIBRARY

September 22, 2003

MEXICAN COOKBOOK EXHIBIT FEATURED IN ZIMMERMAN LIBRARY

The University of New Mexico features a new exhibit, "El Sabor del Mestizaje: The Cuisine of Mexico in Print, The Baca Family and Bueno Foods' Mexican Cookbook Collection," in the Herzstein Latin American Reading Room on the second floor of Zimmerman Library.

"We have nearly 700 cookbooks as part of the collection and about 40 of them are part of the exhibit," said Carolyn Mountain, director of the Division of Iberian and Latin American Resources and Services (DILARES), in the UNM General Library.

Mountain and Russ Davidson, curator of the library's Latin American and Iberian collections, worked with a collector in Mexico to put together the collection.

The oldest cookbooks are a three volume set, "El Cocinero Mexicano," published in 1831. Approximately 10 volumes will need preservation work before they will be able to be used by patrons. Most of the items, however, are mid-20th century books produced for popular audiences, said Wendy Pederson, Ibero-American collections and acquisitions specialist.

"The collection has not yet been fully processed yet, so the items aren't listed in LIBROS, the library's online catalog. Once cataloged, the books will be accessed through the paging desk at the Center for Southwest Research," Mountain said. They will not be available for checkout but patrons will be able to use them in the Anderson Reading Room, she said.

Among the items are several pamphlet-type cookbooks put together by a Mexican agency much like the agricultural extension service in the United States.

"Those items are crumbling and will definitely need some preservation work," said Pederson, who helped Mountain put up the exhibit.

"We are extremely grateful to the Baca family for their assistance in putting together the exhibit," Mountain said.

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