Nixta Taqueria celebrates seven years and the release of its first cookbook, Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig, with a Pachanga/Mehmooni featuring chef friends from around the country. First Light Books will be onsite with copies of the book.

Pachanga/Mehmooni 6:00–9:00 PM · Books available for purchase onsite · October 6 · Nixta Taqueria

The 5:00 PM Cookbook Conversation are sold out. Tickets to the 6:00–9:00 PM Pachanga/Mehmooni are still available. Pachanga/Mehmooni tickets are $45 and do not include a copy of the book or admission to the 5:00 PM conversation.

Seven years in, Sara Mardanbigi and Chef Edgar Rico are marking the occasion with a party for the food, people, and community that have shaped Nixta. For the evening, they're bringing in some of their favorite chefs to cook alongside the Nixta team: Mason Hereford of Turkey and the Wolf in New Orleans, Nicole Krasinski and Stuart Brioza of Atomic Workshop in San Francisco, and, from Austin, Amir of Roya and Julian of Mercado Sin Nombre.

Wander between chef stations, meet the people behind the food, and grab a drink. This is a standing party with heavy snacks throughout the evening, not a seated dinner, so come ready to graze and mingle. TOMO will be popping up with their blue bus, and First Light Books will be onsite with copies of Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig for purchase.

NIXTA TAQUERIA PRESENTS: FROM TACOS TO TAHDIG
Recipes and Stories from Mexico, Iran, and the In-Between

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Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico are first-generation Americans, Iranian and Mexican respectively, and that combination is the foundation of their award-winning Austin restaurant. Their first cookbook gathers more than 100 recipes for tacos, salsas, polos, khoreshts, and more, pairing tostadas and tacos with golden rice, slow-stewed meats, and plenty of herbs.

The book moves in three parts. It begins with Edgar's childhood in Visalia, California, and family dishes like Tortas de Milanesa de Pollo and Chicharrones en Salsa Verde. Sara follows with recipes from the Arkansas Ozarks and family trips to Iran, including Maman's Fish with Kuku Sabzi and Ash Reshteh. The final section brings both kitchens together in dishes like Smashburgers Al Pastor and Saffron Tres Leches.

Recipe highlights include:
Duck Carnitas Tacos
Barbacoa Empanadas
Fesenjoon
Beet "Tartare" Tostada
Sholeh Zard

Illustrated with full-color photography, Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig celebrates where Edgar and Sara come from and where they are now.

About the authors
Edgar Rico is the co-owner and chef of Nixta Taqueria in Austin. Raised in California's Central Valley, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and cooked at Craft under Tom Colicchio; at Son of a Gun, Trois Mec, and Sqirl in Los Angeles; and at Pujol in Mexico City. Nixta is built around nixtamalization, the centuries-old process that transforms corn into masa. His honors include the James Beard Award for Emerging Chef, the MICHELIN Young Chef Award, TIME100 Next, and Food & Wine Best New Chef. He has also represented the United States in the State Department's Culinary Corps.

Sara Mardanbigi is the co-owner of Nixta Taqueria and runs operations. Originally from Northwest Arkansas, she moved to Austin and worked in international education and event management before opening Nixta with Edgar. She is a participant in the James Beard Foundation's Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership program with Cornell University and the creator of Friendly's, a recurring pop-up at Nixta named for her grandfather's café in the Ozarks.

Nixta Taqueria was recently named one of the 41 greatest Mexican restaurants in the United States by The New York Times.

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