Though the current age of social media cookbooks may seem newfangled, in some ways, it is a return to form. Before Jacques Pepín, James Beard, and Julia Child became household names, the modern era of kitchen advice began with "influencers" like Isabella Beeton and Eliza Acton sharing tips and techniques developed in their homes. Austin TikToker Ari Monika may use a form unimaginable to the Victorians, but she is carrying on a proud tradition.

In October, Monika will publish her first cookbook, Mi Cocina Mexicana. The 60 beginner-level recipes span desserts, sides, and entrees, emphasizing minimal ingredients and techniques. Like her 19th-century predecessors, she aims to make feeding a family achievable.

The focus is no accident. Monika says her cooking prowess came from a lot of trial and error.

"I made my first recipe alone when I was just a child, Monika tells CultureMap. "I vividly remember a bare chicken breast and coating it in one single seasoning. Long story short, it was terrible! It gave me the push I needed once I put a bite of the white, chewy, overcooked chicken into my mouth. In retrospect, I wasn't born an experienced cook, and the truth is nobody is."

Despite the underwhelming results of her first foray into cooking, Monika stuck with it, learning to cook out of necessity. Expecting a child out of high school, she had minimal cooking knowledge, but a tight $30-a-day budget prohibited her from eating out. As a server, she gained confidence in making chips, lemonade, and horchata. The latter recipe became her most viral video to date.

Buoyed by early internet success, she quickly found a niche in teaching the public how to avoid the pitfalls she experienced as a young cook. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she got even more traction with her now-famous tagline, "I'm your mom now."

"I remember a young lady from another country that was still in full lockdown had informed me that she only had a sack of potatoes at home and was banned from walking to any markets to get fresh groceries," recalls Monika. "I had a sack of potatoes in my pantry and remembered that was one of the staples I usually had if not anything else. I would peel and chop the potatoes.
Creating a dish on its own, I'd pair it with a taco. Flour, salt, and fat were all I needed for a tortilla, and I could whip these up quickly.

"I decided to open [a video with] the punchline with 'I'm your mom now,'" she continues. "I do remember it taking about 10 takes due to my voice trembling and wondering what people would think. I hastily posted it, and the reaction I received was very positive, along with some creeped-out individuals. The punchline was definitely made for any beginner cook to have the confidence and knowledge to succeed in cooking."

Although Monika says she enjoys all sorts of cooking, her earliest style was influenced by her grandmother's Mexican cuisine. It was only natural for her cookbook to follow suit.

"The earliest years of my life, I would wake up to the smell of chorizo and eggs on the light beige '80s kitchen countertop with my grandmother rolling out tortillas. She would always have an extra pin nearby for me to help roll them out. Of course, I always struggled to get the perfect circle, but as I got older and could understand more of the actual dough-making process, I was gifted with the knowledge, tips, and tricks to make the perfect one."

The tortilla forms the foundation of much of Mi Cocina Mexicana, published by Page Street Publishing. Cooks will also find recipes for familiar favorites like carne asada tacos, chilaquiles, and, naturally, horchata. Preorders are open now through Amazon and other retailers.