Put the egg yolks in the bowl of a mixer with the sugar and beat for a few minutes, until the yolks have tripled in volume. Empty the nuts on to a baking sheet and toast in the oven for five to 10 minutes, until pale golden. Do put on a timer – there is nothing more irritating than burning nuts! I'm a working mum," she says, "I'm perpetually short of time. For me, food has got to fit into busy lives." There's even a place for Tex Mex, with her 'chile non carne' - a handy family favourite. Some people will spend two days making a recipe and that's great - and I used to do that, before kids," Miers adds with a laugh. "But not everyone has that time.

Thomasina Miers captures the dazzling biodiversity of plant life that exists within Mexican cooking: herbs, zucchini blossoms, chillis, wild mushrooms, and so much more come alive in these vibrant recipes.' ALICE WATERS While the tart is in the oven, transfer the cream, sugar and rum to a large bowl and whip until you have soft peaks. Chill until you’re ready to serve. The mum-of-three first fell in love with the food of Mexico while travelling there between school and university. Before that, she'd always thought of Mexican cuisine as American-style Tex-Mex - but eating her way around the valleys of Oaxaca, the coast of Campeche and the rainforests of Veracruz, falling in love with "the colour, the vibrancy, the creativity" soon opened her eyes. She later returned to live in Mexico City and opened her first Wahaca restaurant in London's Covent Garden in 2007 - now there are 13 across the UK. Celebrating fresh, seasonal vegetables, earthy pulses and bold herbs, this is an enticing collection of recipes that are simple enough to cook every day and delicious enough to cook for feasts, with seasonal and dairy-free swap-ins to cater for every month and diet.

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Avocados are lovely - but as treats," she says. "Anything that grows within 50 or 100 miles of you is a great staple to eat because there's less of an impact. Exotic fruit is great for special occasions, but having them as a mainstay of your diet is going to be bad for the environment. We've got too used to eating whatever we want, at whatever cost to the planet, she suggests. But we can still enjoy a lot of food responsibly. "Cooking should be fun, it should be about feeding the people you love, it should be about pleasure, but within limits. It's not about having whatever you want, whenever you want, but it is about flavour and taste, and joy," says Miers. Make the caramel next. Pour the caster sugar into a wide pan and put over a medium heat. Cook for six to nine minutes, occasionally swirling the pan (but not stirring) until the sugar has melted and turns amber. Add the pineapple, butter, vanilla, spices and salt, and simmer for six to eight minutes, basting and turning each slice in the sauce every few minutes. The sugar may clump but it will melt again. Thomasina Miers captures the dazzling biodiversity of plant life that exists within Mexican cooking: herbs, zucchini blossoms, chillis, wild mushrooms, and so much more come alive in these vibrant recipes.

Heap flavour onto your plates and fill your kitchen with Tommi's Mexican-inspired vegetarian and vegan recipes. Why should we eat meat all the time at the expense of species decline and insect extinction and the total destruction of our soil? For the future of mankind, apart from anything else, it doesn't seem to make sense to me." Meat-Free Mexican proves that you don’t need meat to make bold, tasty and exciting Mexican food, from the comfort of your own home. Thomasina never fails to inspire and this book is no exception. I can’t wait to try these dishes!’ GORDON RAMSAY What I love about Mexican food is you can spend a weekend making your own flour tortillas (I love making flour tortillas from scratch because they taste so good and they're really easy). Equally, if it's midweek, I'm just going buy some and that's fine." This is full of recipes which are fresh, fiery and fun. There is something so convivial and energetic about Mexican food, which Thomasina captures so well.’ YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

Food: Thomasina Miers on sustainability, Mexican food without the meat, and why avocados aren't for everyday

Meat-Free Mexican proves that you don't need meat to make bold, tasty and exciting Mexican food, from the comfort of your own home. Thomasina never fails to inspire and this book is no exception. I can't wait to try these dishes! This deliriously gooey chocolate cake was inspired by a pudding I tried in Mexico City, steeped with the sweet notes of ancho chilli. The twice-baked method is one from St.John restaurant, recently given a renaissance by the wonderful pastry chef Ravneet Gill – it is foolproof and ensures a squidgy molten core. This is full of recipes which are fresh, fiery and fun. There is something so convivial and energetic about Mexican food, which Thomasina captures so well. Pile flavour onto your plates and fill your kitchen with Mexican-inspired vegetarian and vegan recipes from Thomasina Miers, co-founder of Wahaca, Guardian columnist and best-selling author.