Cook This: 3 Mexican recipes from Salsa Daddy, including coconut fried shrimp and pineapple salsa

National Post

13-06-2025

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Jump to the recipes: camarones al coco (coconut shrimp), la piña (the pineapple) and salsa de cebolla y serrano caramelizado (caramelized onion and serrano salsa).
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Salsa Daddy emanates happiness. Rick Martínez 's new cookbook is filled with light and levity, bright colours and vibrant flavours. Having recently marked five years of living in the Sinaloan town of Mazatlán on Mexico's Pacific coast, it reflects his love of salsa as much as it does his state of mind.
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Researching his first book, Mi Cocina (2022), took Martínez to 156 cities and all 32 Mexican states. He first visited Mazatlán in pursuit of its 'incredibly sweet shrimp' and chose not to return to New York City, where he'd lived for 20 years. That decision changed his life. 'I'm so happy,' says Martínez. 'It's been an incredible ride.'
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Part of Martínez's aim with the book was to create an escape. He frequently whips up salsa for one but recognizes that, more often than not, people make it for a crowd. 'There's an inherent joy and happiness that goes around salsa because it's communal. And you're typically very happy while you're eating it and probably drinking something that's going to make you even happier. And so, I wanted the book to be kind of the pre-game to that and start that festive, happy vibe.'
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Martínez dedicated his second cookbook to salsa mainly because of feedback from his fans and followers. He featured 16 salsa recipes in Mi Cocina, thinking that would satisfy his audience's appetite, but they wanted more. 'I also just personally love making salsas,' says Martínez. Adding to his inspiration, he'd noticed a trend since moving to Mazatlán.
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'Whenever I was invited to a family gathering or carne asada (barbecue), the thing I noticed about the family dynamic is that the elder folk in the family usually have the dishes they always cook. So it's like, 'My tía makes the rice, this cousin makes the beans, Abuelita (Grandma) makes the tamales.' And nobody steps on those toes. You step away. So, it doesn't really leave that much for the younger folks to make.'
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As a result, kids from 10 years old to young adults in their 20s are typically tasked with bringing salsa. Which makes sense, Martínez emphasizes — it's a relatively low-risk, low-investment dish, and you don't have to be an experienced cook to make it. More importantly, salsa is an opportunity for expression.