One of the greatest gifts of living in San Diego is our connection to Mexico just across the border — even in these tumultuous times. It goes beyond mere proximity. It’s the melding of cultures: food, the arts, language.

Few understand that better than chef Claudette Zepeda. A border kid herself, she’s just released her first cookbook, “Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States” (Clarkson Potter, $35).

In “Cooking the Borderlands,” Zepeda takes readers beyond the San Diego/Tijuana/Baja border, also sharing her knowledge of food in the border cities going east through Arizona all the way through Texas. I spoke with her and got some great stories and tips for the three recipes included in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section. Dig in!