Lily Ramirez shares the secret to the ultimate summer feast and all things Tacos
Salsa for Tacos de Carne Asada by Lily Ramirez at Picado. Photograph Moya Nolan
When Nigella Lawson says that she has fallen in love with your cookbook you know you are onto a good thing. Lily Ramirez was having tea with the Mexican ambassador to Ireland when her phone started hopping around her handbag, alerting her to something urgent. Lily, having adopted the Irish assumption that this kind of activity bears bad news during her 21 years here, rushed to finish her tea and find her phone, bracing herself for what was to come.
The first message she saw was from her publisher Kristin Jensen of Nine Bean Books. “NIGELLA.” The excitement was thanks to an article published on Nigella’s website, citing Lily’s book Tacos to be one of the finds of the year. “This is the simple, undeniable state of affairs right now: I have fallen in love with Lily Ramirez-Foran’s beautiful little book, Tacos, and I can’t wait for you to as well! It’s a real shout-it-from-the-rooftops moment.” Shook by such an accolade by one of her heroes, Lily dissolved into tears. It had been a long journey to get here. As well as confirmation that Ramirez’ book was actually really very good, this accolade signified something else to the Mexican cook. “It was validation for me, but also it was healing.”
