By Caron Golden
Erin O’Brien, the author of the new cookbook “Dig In! Over 100 Easy, Delicious, and Stress-Free Recipes to Make on Repeat” (Simon Element, $35), may have been raised in Pasadena, but so much of her experience with food originated in La Jolla by way of Mexico.
That’s because O’Brien’s Nana, Manuela “Nelly” Romera, once owned a popular restaurant called Lupita’s La Jolla. But Lupita’s, now the site of PopUp Bagels, was not the family’s first San Diego eatery. Back in 1959, Nelly’s mother — O’Brien’s great-grandmother, Jesús de Romero, or Guela — moved her family to San Diego from Mexico and opened Lupita’s Cafe in what’s now the Gaslamp Quarter. It was, as O’Brien described it, “a tiny lunch counter serving comforting homestyle Mexican dishes.”
Why Lupita’s for both restaurants? Well, both women had daughters named Lupe.
“Dig In!: Over 100 Easy, Delicious, and Stress-Free Recipes to Make on Repeat,” (2026 by Erin O’Brien LLC). Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. (Matt Armendariz)
O’Brien’s extended family still lives in San Diego, so the connection runs deep, as does her deep affinity for food. Her debut cookbook delves deeply into family recipes, sometimes with little twists, as well as offering enticing re-creations of contemporary dishes that she and her husband, Andrew, enjoyed in their many travels (especially in Italy) as well as local places she loves. With over 100 recipes, “Dig In!” is a delightful mix of bright and fresh flavors with comfort food, dishes that are perfect for both quick weekday meals or weekend entertaining.
O’Brien’s foray into a food career started as a lark with Andrew while she was pursuing a real estate career that wasn’t sparking joy.
“My husband and I kind of started this as a hobby on the side in 2019, where we’d both get home from our corporate jobs and share recipes [on social media],” she said. “And one of the first recipes I shared was a pasta salad that’s in the book, and it’s one of my mom’s recipes, and so many people made that, and it was just such a great feeling to be able to share that and see them say it’s delicious, and it brought them so much joy with their family. So that’s kind of what sparked it all.”
What started with Instagram has, since 2025, been joined with her Substack, “WTF to Make for Dinner.”
“It focuses much more on dinner recipes — one-pan meals, quick and easy. We now have over 130,000 readers there,” O’Brien said. “And we’ve really enjoyed being able to go a little more in depth with recipes. On Instagram I share a little bit of everything, some family recipes that are in this book, a little more involved but also easy, very approachable meals.”
While she and Andrew are a husband-and-wife team in this adventure, the 32-year-old O’Brien is definitely the cook, while Andrew does most of the filming and editing. He also contributed to recipe testing.
“So many of his favorite recipes are in here [the book], and he actually made, like all of the recipes in here during that testing process to make sure they’re all ‘Andrew proof,’ because he cares so much about it, and he’s truly been the most supportive partner,” O’Brien said, noting he’s not a good cook but “he is the best taste tester and he always says ‘if I can do it, like people can do it.’ We wanted to make sure they were really detailed so people wouldn’t have questions, and they feel kind of free to have fun in the kitchen.”
Like so many contemporary cookbooks, “Dig In!” has a chapter devoted to pantry suggestions and recommended kitchen tools. O’Brien has also included a useful internal meat thermometer cheat sheet and, because the couple adores wines, another chapter on wines and pairing tips, with a cheat sheet.
The recipes start with appetizers. One of the best recipes in the book is O’Brien’s mom’s salsa. You’ll see references to it as an ingredient throughout the book. What makes it just a bit out of the ordinary? One ingredient: chicken bouillon powder.
“That’s one of her secret ingredients,” explained O’Brien. “I think it creates that, you know, ‘Oh, what did you put in there? What’s that secret ingredient?’ It just boosts that flavor, and it seasons it so nicely. This is such an easy recipe to throw together, so it makes it taste a little bit more involved than it is.”
Yes, you’ll find the family’s Salsa Verde and Guac recipes, but O’Brien has also included her “Faux-caccia,” a “focaccia” made with store-bought pizza dough, and even “Green Goddess Hummus with Feta.”
I can’t wait to try her very simple, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that Crunchy Lemon Parm Salad, attributed to her Nan. It’s all of four ingredients, not counting ground black pepper and flaky sea salt: just romaine leaves, extra-virgin olive oil, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh lemon juice. As the days grow warmer, I want this simple, flavorful salad.
There were so many dishes in this book to feature here, but I went with the San Diego connection, starting with Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, or Mexican Garlic Shrimp. Buttery and garlicky, it was a stalwart at Lupita’s La Jolla and a fixture of O’Brien’s childhood. It includes a quick baking soda marinade before the shrimp are tossed in a spice mixture of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika and cumin. The shrimp are then released into a cast-iron skillet with olive oil to cook. Then they’re removed, the heat’s turned off and blanco tequila hits the pan to deglaze it. The heat goes back on, and in comes butter and finely chopped garlic. Turn off the heat, add back the shrimp to toss and coat, then serve with lemon wedges. I can imagine them on a bed of Mexican rice or stuffed into warmed tortillas.
“Dig In!” cookbook author Erin O’Brien will appear at a book launch event hosted by Warwick’s on May 20 at PopUp Bagels in La Jolla. It is on the site where her grandmother’s restaurant once stood, Lupita’s La Jolla. (Matt Armendariz)
“You can make shrimp tacos out of it,” O’Brien noted. “You can even serve this as like a fun communal app. But these are just like little flavor bombs, and I love including the tequila to deglaze the pan. Who doesn’t love garlic? They’re very garlic-forward, and they’re just so easy, they come together in no time.”
Need a veggie side? We’re heading into zucchini season, so how about Mom’s Cheesy Calabacitas (Mexican Squash)? It’s got the squash, of course, but also sweet Vidalia onions, corn kernels and a Roma tomato — all sauteed together, along with chicken bouillon powder (the savory to the onion’s sweetness, for balance) and salt. The mixture is covered to cook, then topped with butter before adding queso fresco and cotija and covering it to melt the cheese before serving.
“I love the sweet onion in this recipe: It’s so important. Usually I’m like, use whatever you have on hand, but I think the sweet Vidalia onion truly complements the zucchini,” O’Brien said.
“It’s a really quick recipe, so it’s just six to eight minutes in the pan, and you’re covering it to kind of steam it, but you’re not blasting it with heat,” O’Brien said. “So it’s kind of a gentle cook, and it’s still fresh and vibrant, and such a good one for spring and summer. My mom makes it along with her Mexican rice.”
Finally, warm weather calls for a tropical cocktail. O’Brien’s Frozen Coconut Mojito was inspired by a drink she enjoyed in Kauai.
“I’m a huge coconut lover, and it was this little outside bar where we were staying, and I was truly like, snooping around trying to figure out what they did, and I saw that they used coconut gelato, and I was like, that’s genius!,” she said. “So just throw everything into a blender. It is the most refreshing cocktail.”
“Everything” means coconut gelato, coconut rum, light rum, fresh mint, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and fresh lime juice, which you put in the blender with ice. It’s sweet and boozy and perfect for when it’s 90 degrees outside.
O’Brien will be in San Diego for a book launch event hosted by Warwick’s at 5 p.m. on May 20 at — guess where — PopUp Bagels, the former site of her family’s restaurant (637 Pearl St. in La Jolla). You can get tickets here: warwicks.com/event/obrien-2026.
Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Mexican Garlic Shrimp)
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons blanco tequila (I love LALO)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Zest and juice of one lemon
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1: In a large bowl, toss the shrimp and the baking soda. Refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes.
2: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin and set aside.
3: Rinse the shrimp, drain in a colander, and pat dry. Add to the bowl with the spices and toss to coat thoroughly.
4: Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the shrimp and cook until opaque and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side (working in batches if necessary, and adding more oil as needed). Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Turn off the heat (to avoid flame flare-ups), add the tequila, and return the heat to medium-low, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the butter until melted, add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
5: Turn the heat off and return the shrimp and any juices to the pan. Gently toss to fully coat in the tequila garlic butter.
6: To serve: Transfer the shrimp to a serving dish, and spoon the sauce over the top. Top with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
Mom’s Cheesy Calabacitas (Mexican Squash) from “Dig In!” by Erin O’Brien. (Matt Armendariz)
Mom’s Cheesy Calabacitas (Mexican Squash)
Makes 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons avocado or other neutral oil
1/2 medium sweet onion (such as Vidalia), finely chopped
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 (7-ounce) can corn kernels, drained, or 1 cup fresh or frozen, thawed corn kernels
1 Roma (plum) tomato, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (see Tips)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1: Heat the oil in a large stainless steel lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook until vibrant green, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the corn, tomato, bouillon powder, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato starts to soften, about 1 minute. Spread into an even layer in the pan, cover, and cook, stirring halfway through, until the squash is tender but not mushy, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover, add the butter, and stir until melted.
2: Off heat, sprinkle with the queso fresco and cotija, cover, and let the cheese melt, about 3 minutes.
3: Serve directly out of the skillet or transfer to a serving dish and garnish with more cotija.
Tips:
• If you don’t have any bouillon powder on hand, add 2 generous pinches of salt.
• If you can’t find queso fresco or cotija, swap in crumbled feta cheese.
Frozen Coconut Mojito from “Dig In!” by Erin O’Brien. (Matt Armendariz)
Frozen Coconut Mojito
Makes 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup coconut gelato (such as Talenti)
3 ounces coconut rum (such as Malibu)
3 ounces light rum
1/3 cup fresh mint, plus sprigs for garnish
1 ounce pineapple juice
1 ounce cream of coconut (such as Coco Reàl)
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
2 cups of ice
DIRECTIONS
1: In a blender, combine the coconut gelato, coconut rum, light rum, mint, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, lime juice, and ice and blend until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds.
2: Pour into 2 highball glasses and garnish with the mint sprigs.
Recipes excerpted from “Dig In!: Over 100 Easy, Delicious, and Stress-Free Recipes to Make on Repeat,” copyright © 2026 by Erin O’Brien LLC. Photography copyright © Matt Armendariz. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.