Book Description

This award-winning cookbook by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz includes 500 recipes from the exotic culinary traditions of the Latin American World, covering the coasts, mountainous areas, and fertile plains between Mexico and Chile. Ortiz selects appetizers, soups, main courses, salads, and desserts from each region and explores the wild array of spices and styles that make these recipes unique.

Using delicious examples, she describes how the Spanish, Portuguese, African, and Middle Eastern influences have combined with the indiginous cooking of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Her recipes range from familiar favorites such as Guacamole and Feijao Preto (black beans), to more unusual recipes: Sopa de Topinambur (Jerusalem Artichoke Soup -- Chile), Matambre (Stuffed Rolled Flank Steak -- Argentina), Pichones con Salsa de Camarones (Squab in Shrimp Sauce -- Peru), Salada de Palmito (Hearts of Palm Salad -- Brazil), Quimbolitos (Steamed Puddings -- Equador), as well as a wide variety of sauces and breads.

This book is the prototype for all books on Latin American cooking and remains the definitive text on the subject.

Customer Reviews (9)

Delicious, exciting recipes with plenty of background
Since my father was Colombian and my mother born in America, I enjoyed delicious Colombian cuisine when we visited his family--arepas, sancocho, empanadas, etc--but never learned how to cook this type of food at home. Luckily for me, Elisabeth Ortiz has compiled this wonderful book!

She begins the book with a comprehensive list of common ingredients of South American cuisine, including a description of the ingredient and where one might find it. She then continues the book with the usual categories of Meats, Vegetables, Sauces, etc. She includes background and information about the food for each of her recipes. For example, she might describe when and where the meal might be served, or some helpful tips about a particular ingredient.

I have made several recipes from this book, and they've all turned out beautifully. The instructions are detailed and easy to follow, even for someone who, like me, has little experience in the particular cuisine. More importantly, though, everything is delicious!

I especially like to use the recipes in this book for special occasions. For example, my favorite dish, Pabellon Caraqueno (Steak with rice, black beans, a plantains--the national dish of Venezuela), while simple, takes several hours to prepare. However, I guarantee that, after you've arranged this meal on a platter and set it down in front of your guests, you will be rewarded with some 'Ooohs' and 'Aahhs' and many satisfied taste buds.

A must for lovers of Latin American cooking
This meticulously researched volume offers a mouthwatering and practical introduction to the region's cookery. It is packed with authentic and trustworthy recipes as well as a generous amount of essential information and would be an excellent addition to any cookbook collection.

Also recommended: "The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking," by the same author.

Great variety of South American Recipes
I spent my childhood in Colombia and greatly miss some of the "Criollo" cooking of the region.This is one of the few Latin American cookbooks that includes many recipes from South America, along with the more common Central and North American (Mexican) recipes.She has an extensive introduction describing the cooking of different regions and a chapter on ingredients.There are many recipes in different categories, but I believe in a book this size it was impossible to do justice to the cooking of some of the countries represented.Think of it more as an introduction to the cuisine of those countries.I found that there were only two Bolivian recipes listed, and there were very few Argentinian, Paraguayan, Peruvian or Venezuelan recipes.The book does include the Argentinian dishes with which I am most familiar.I wish she would visit the region again and write another book!I have found this book useful in recreating some of the recipes from my Childhood.Some of the recipes I looked up seemed complex and had ingredients that I could not locate, but most of the recipes seem easy to prepare, and adapted to ingredients that can be found in the US. The Colombian recipes included are representative of the two regions that she states she visited, the Coastal Region, and the area surrounding the Capital, Santafe de Bogota (However, my Aunts would be mortified to hear of an "Ajiaco Bogotano" made without Guascas and with just any kind of potato instead of with "papas criollas").There are not a lot of recipes from the Colombian interior and Mountain regions where I spent most of my childhood, or from the region bordering Venezuela.This is understandable in a cookbook that covers so many diverse cuisines.I will be purchasing some more specialized cookbooks on Colombian cooking.One that I like and I would recommend, is "Cocina Colombiana, Paso a Paso".It is currently out of print, but if Colombian Cooking interests you, you may be able to find a used copy.I am also looking for books on Argentinian and Peruvian Cooking.Any suggestions?Since I own this book in a paperback version that is just starting to fall apart, I will be purchasing it in hardback.

My most delapidated cookbook
_The Book of Latin American Cooking_ is one of my favorite cookbooks.It's full of unique ideas and combinations that you just can't find elsewhere. For example, I was surprised to see how much a pureed corn sauce tasted like it contained dairy.
I would never have thought of making a soup with pureed avocados!A lot of the recipes sound odd but are delicious. A few, admittedly, are just odd.

I was having a look here to see if there might be a hardback edition. My current copy needs to be replaced!

Great Cookbook to add to your library...
Lots of wonderful authentic latin recipies.They have all been very intersting and delightful so far.Some of the dishes can be a little complicated to prepare though. ... Read more

Amazon.com
If you've an unquenchable hankering for Latin American fare--say Cuban Salsa de Perro (Dog Sauce), Colombian Cazuela de Mariscos (Seafood Stew), or the Haitian confection of Bananas with Rum Butter Cream--you'd be advised to turn to Latin American Cooking Across the U.S.A. by Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva. The authors explain the history of each dish, its typical presentation in its land of origin, and how to go about preparing it in an American kitchen. It's a wonderful resource for a wide audience, whether you have Latin American roots and want to cook the meals you remember from grandma's house, have traveled in Latin America and want to recreate the dishes you loved on vacation, or merely have a taste for the cuisine of Latin America and want the option of cooking it up at home. The authors collected a fine array of recipes--200 in all--a thorough sampling of soups, appetizers, and salads; entrees with poultry, fish, or meat; various rice, bean, and vegetable concoctions; plus turnovers, breads, desserts, and drinks--all versions of traditional dishes culled from individuals living in the United States so as to translate easily into American home meals. Replete with family stories and culinary history, the recipes are intriguing to try, easy to make, and resonate with the various flavors of Latin America. --Stephanie GoldBook Description
In the first cookbook to encompass the full spectrum of Latin American cooking all across America today, Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva offer 200 enticing recipes that have been drawn from the home kitchens of Americans with roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, and nearly every other corner of Latin America.

Spicy, colorful, and full of surprises, Latin flavors are the latest rage with Nuevo Latino chefs from New York to Los Angeles. But here the exotic is translated into wonderful everyday dishes that home cooks can easily master.

For starters, Novas and Silva give us luscious Chilled Roasted Sweet Red Pepper and Coconut Soup or Orange-Scented Roasted Pumpkin Soup and appetizers known as antojitos ("little whims")--Bayamo's Fried Wontons with Chorizo and Chiles or a Costa Rican Black Bean and Bacon Dip.

For main courses, there are hearty delights like Piri Thomas's Chicken Asopao or a Heavenly Potato Pie with Minced Beef, Raisins, and Olives.

Center stage in many a meal are the rice and bean dishes with countless delicious variations on the theme, like Gallo pinto, Red Kidney Beans and Rice, and "Jamaican coat of arms",  also called Rice and Peas (which are actually small red beans).

And to satisfy the Latin appetite any time of day, also included here is a rich array of tamales, empanadas, and other turnovers, like Little Brazil Shrimp Turnovers stuffed with shrimp and hearts of palm.

From Cristina, the Cuban American talk show hostess in Miami, to U.S. Representative Henry B. González of Texas, from film producers and opera singers to young students and grandmothers, the authors have gathered, along with the family recipes and their origins, stories of the past and of the good times celebrated in America. Novas and Silva also offer invaluable information on Latin American chiles, on the earthy appeal of plantains and tubers like yuca and taro, and on other special foods that give these dishes their unique character, along with mail-order sources for hard-to-get ingredients.

An exuberant one-of-a-kind cookbook that will add a new dimension to the American table. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

a pleasurable way to expand my horizons
I wasn't sure at first if I was going to enjoy this cookbook because I am not at all familiar with Latin dishes or ingredients. The recipes in "Latin American Cooking Across the USA" are very accessible, as I've read many of them I've thought to myself "that sounds really good", even ones with ingredient combinations and preparations completely unfamiliar. I am happy that this book dispels the notion that all Latin food is super-spicy, there are subtle and flavorful recipes in this book not just heat ( I think Americans have gone way overboard with hot spices and garlic as if that is a guarantee of good flavor, which it is not). It is also interesting to see how recipes have changed because of availability of ingredients in the US or because of change in tastes by later generations. I can't wait to try so many of these recipes!

one of my most treasured (cook)books
This is a great cookbook. If you have any interest in cookbooks that are worth reading, as well as using to cook from, just buy it already. You will learn a lot about Latin American family traditions, too.

More than 10 years ago, while browsing cookbooks at the Strand bookstore in New York, I came across this book, and discovered Puerto Rican holiday recipes. "Why not try them this year?", I thought. So, I made Puerto Rican christmas that year, and ever since. A testament to how good/authentic these recipes are is that in that first year, the guests included my (Puerto Rican) mother-in-law and a family friend in from La Isla. The results we warmly greeted. "Eddie's Puerto Rican Roast Pork" is one of those recipes that is super easy, but will result in an indescribably good dish, and a beautiful centerpiece to your dinner. I have made many of the other dishes, too -- all to great acclaim.

Favorites inclue the "Arroz con Gandules", "Panama Canal Seviche", "Shrimp Seviche", both Flan recipes, and, of course, "Coquito", the yummy Puerto Rican version of eggnog, with rum and coconut.

The stories are as good as the recipes, so even if you don't cook, the book is a terrific read. But, be warned, it _will_ make you hungry.

Excellent comprehensive collection of recipes
I tried the Jerk marinade recipe for chicken and curry goat (lamb) and both came out delicious. Even though the jerk recipe I have been following for a while now calls for green onions and brown sugar, both of which are omitted in the recipe from this book, the result (it uses ginger and garlic that I havent seen in other jerk rubs before) was delectable. Following the recommendation of the author, we recently visited Vernon's Jerk place in the Bronx and were very pleased with the food!! I have been dabbling in caribbean/cuban/spanish cuisine for a little while now and this book is a must have if you wanna prepare authentic latin american dishes! This book also has a huge dessert section. Colombian American Guava Bread, Pumpkin Flan and Coconut Bread Pudding all came out excellent! Happy cooking! I am sure this will be a book you'll keep coming back to every time you feel like whipping together something spicy and exotic!

THE BEST AND MOST DELICIOUS RECIPES! WHAT A GIFT!
THIS BOOK IS A KEEPER, FOREVER AND EVER. I FELT I WAS TRAVELING THE WHOLE HEMISPHERE WITHOUT LEAVING MY BED! NOT ONLY ARE THE RECIPES DIFFERENT, IMPRESSIVE AND EASY TO PREPARE, THIS BOOK IS A TREASURE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY ABOUT THE MANY LATINO GROUPS WITHIN OUR OWN USA BORDERS. I LEARNED CULTURE AND GOT A FEW LAUGHS AND IMMEDIATELY TRIED SOME RECIPES THAT REALLY IMPRESSED MY FAMILY. IT'S THE BEST COOKBOOK I'VE EVER HAD. IF THE AUTHORS READ THIS, I'D LIKE TO REALLY CONGRATULATE THEM FROM MY HEART!

A great resource forLatin American cookery!
This book features a wide variety of recipes from across the spectrum of Latin American cookery, including contributions by notables Celia Cruz, Cristina Saralegui and others.

Our favorites have been the "Latinfrom Manhattan" chicken soup, pork and rice, black bean soup, chickenfricasee *and* the Guatamelan coffee.And this Thanksgiving I will bemaking the wine-infused turkey!Other recipes include pasteles, chickenand beef dishes, milk shakes and desserts.

There are also interestingside articles such as "How Jamaican beef patties came to be sold inNew York pizzerias" (I had always wondered about that!)

A greatresource for the novice or experienced cook! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Valeria Sisti grew up in Brazil. She trained professionally at Leith's School of Food and Wine in London, where she now teaches. In Leith's Latin-American Cooking, she explains how all the influences that make Latin America perhaps the ultimate culinary melting pot came together. As Sisti shows, appreciating the flavors and variety of Latin American cooking requires understanding what happened as waves of invaders overtook the existing cultures and as immigrants arrived. This influx of new influences began with the Spanish Conquistadors and the Portuguese in the 15th century and continued with the Italians, Germans, and Asians who came as laborers in the 19th century. Sisti tells how ingredients and dishes brought during the conquests, along with those that came with the Africans imported as slaves, were assimilated and adapted. Many of the imported ingredients are indeed the ones most likely associated with Latin American cookery, including wheat, beef, pork, chicken, sugar, rice, citrus fruits, bananas, and coconuts.

This book is a mixed bag of recipes. The great Feijoada, the Brazilian mixed stew of meats and black beans, and Picadillo, a kind of hash made in various Latin American countries, are the original classics. Most dishes, though, are adaptations or just use local ingredients. Hence you find a Chorizo Sausage Quesadilla with Parmesan Cheese, Salmon Tacos, and a Tex-Mex chili containing potatoes as well as meat and beans. The glossary is a comprehensive collection of important definitions. Handsome color photos of food and people enrich this book.

Finally, a warning is necessary. The directions for making Milk Pudding (Dulce de Leche) instruct you to boil an unopened can of condensed milk. This can cause the can to explode, leading to serious injury. --Dana Jacobi ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Admirable
I bought this book some years ago in the UK.It is an admirable introduction to south and central American cooking, and is an encouragement to explore further.Her range is wide, but not recherche: the reader will look in vain for a recipe for Bolivia's charque kan.The pictures alone are an encouragement, not only to cook south American, but to go there and see for yourself. ... Read more

Product Description
Cuisine from all over South Ameeica ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Cook Book and more! The best Latin American cuisne ever
This book not only has great and authentic recipes of foods that Latinos are cooking across the USA, it has great stories and explanations and the best FLAVOR of any cookboook I've used in a long time. The recipes work and the people who share their recipes--from Gloria Estefan to New Mexico Santero artist Charlie Carrillo and scores and scores of other famous and important Latinos--are real and easy to cook, yet different and captivating in a very special way. ... Read more

Product Description
Cuisine from Moctezuma, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Columbia, Venezuela, Argentina and Chile ... Read more

Amazon.com
The Latin-American population is the fastest growing in the United States--over 30 million people. Just look at the starting lineup of Major League Baseball if you need deeper proof. It's a population rich in cultural diversity, roots reaching back all over the place--Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru, Argentina. And the nice thing that happens in this country, as Aaron Sanchez so eloquently points out in his first cookbook, La Comida del Barrio, is that this multilayerd diversity melts all over itself and becomes something new while suggesting something old and stable.

"This book is not about 'authentic' regional dishes," Sanchez writes in his introduction. Rather, it's about the real food of the real barrio, the Latin neighborhood, wherever that may be these days in the US. You'll find a small soup stand, la fonda, in the marketplace and that's his first chapter--black bean soup, shrimp chowder, plantain soup, menudo. Then there's the home kitchen restaurant, el paladar, open to the lucky ones who can find it. Stews are typical, and that's the next chapter--Brazilian cassoulet, roasted rabbit. The chapters march right up the Latin dining scale: la taquería for street snacks, la rosticcería for roasted meats, el comedor (the restaurant) for salads and entrees, el Mercado for vegetables and side dishes, la pandería for baked goods and sweets, la jugería for drinks, and a final chapter on essential recipes.

The entire Latin culinary landscape as it's found throughout the US is captured between the covers of La Comida del Barrio. Sanchez has done a wonderful job. You can take this food into your own home. But what's especially nice, with this book tucked under your wing, you can explore the barrio nearest you and taste it all for real. --Schuyler IngleBook Description
In this groundbreaking cookbook, chef Aarón Sanchez explores the delicious food and exciting culture of the barrios—the vibrant Latin-American neighborhoods from Miami’s Little Havana and New York’s Spanish Harlem to San Francisco’s Mission, and the entire United States in between. These rich neighborhoods have spawned a new cuisine, melding tradition with experimentation, and taking advantage of locally available ingredients and modern cooking methods. This book is a celebration of that cuisine: not the painstakingly authentic dishes of the homeland, or the hypercreative chef-y inventions of fusion cuisine, but the comforting, delicious food that’s enjoyed in home kitchens and mom-and-pop restaurants across the country, accessible to all cooks.

Since a defining aspect of Latin-American culture is the variety in eating establishments—from casual street vendors to upscale sit-down restaurants, the meal is defined as much by the place as by the dish—La Comida del Barrio is organized by types of eatery:

•Fondas, market stands, for soups such as Pozole Verde and Black Bean Soup
•Paladares, home-kitchen restaurants, for hearty entrées like Chicken Fricassée and Carne Mechada (Shredded Beef)
•Taquerías, street stands, for quick snacks that include tacos, tamales, gorditas, sopes, tortas, and other portable foods
•Rotiserías, cafés, for roast meats such as Steak in Red Chile Sauce and Cuban Pot Roast
•Comedores, restaurants, for sit-down meals with starters like Cactus Salad with Shrimp and main courses like Arroz con Pollo
•El Mercado, the market, for sides such as Refried Black Beans, Roasted Corn with Chile-Lime Butter, and Stuffed Plantains
•Panaderías, bakeries, for desserts that include Flan de Coco, Dulce de Leche, and Rice Pudding
•Jugoerías, juice stands, for drinks like Batidos (tropical shakes) and Sangría ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Worth It!
Author Aaron Sanchez was at the South Beach Food and Wine festival last week and was FANTASTIC! He made recipes from the book and made traditional dishes like mole effortless. His personality and love of cooking and tradition clearly showed.

Not bad
Because I am Latin American I found these recipes to be familiar.I was looking for a cookbook that had traditional meals and I found it in this book.Having my share of cookbooks, I actually found this book to be one of the easiest.As I write this review, I am marinating a Pork Shoulder with Oregano, Salt, Galic and Olive Oil.It really can't get much easier than that.But if you are looking for quick easy cooking during the week, this might not be the best cookbook for you. My one complaint about this book is that it does not have any pictures of the food itself.For those that have never eaten or seen these recipes cooked it can be pretty hard to imagine what it's suppose to look like. Also, being familiar with these recipes I know what to leave out and what substitues I can use.

Great book for latinos learning to cook staples with some variations
This is a great book for latinos learning to cook the foods their families made.This is not however a "traditional" cookbook for regional dishes. These recipes were as close to my mothers recipes and she's a great cook. If you want to make various dishes from Latin America, this is the book for you.

Have owned this cookbook forlittle over a year..
Have owned this cookbook forlittle over a year..and have cooked nothing from it.nada. zilch.So... I am not basing my review on the quality of the recipes, but rather the appeal of them as a whole.I have many cookbooks, and in almost everyone one, their is usually at least one recipe that screams "make me" .. alas.. this one tends to be a shelf filler. ... Read more

Product Description
Laminated and pictorial cover with Recipes ... Read more