5 comments about Estefan Kitchen.

1. This book is full of great receipies and the pictures make you want to make everything in there. Estefan KitchenI enjoyed reading it also.



2. This book is a joy to have ... I collect cookbooks and this is going to be one of my favorites. The recipes are very easy to follow and the pictures of the dishes are beautiful. Thank You to The Estefan Kitchen!!!



3. Overall, I've been very impressed with the recipes in this book. Flavors are incredible. I would have given 5 stars, but for one issue. I'll use the recipe for black beans as an example. Ingredients list does not include onion, yet the instructions call for 1/2 onion to cook with the beans and another 1/2 onion for the sofrito. Then, later in the instructions it says to fold the bean-sofrito mixture back in with the rest of the beans, but the recipe doesn't include any instructions that would create a bean-sofrito mixture. Looking at the photograph (and the photos in this book are really nice!), it appeared to me that some of the beans must have been mashed/pureed and added to the sofrito, then stirred back into the remaining beans. Tried this, and mine looked exactly like the photo. Good guess on my part, but clearly things were missing from the book. Detailed reading and a lot of common sense will get you a long way with the recipes.



4. It was for a secret santa present... but she really liked it and looking forward to use it.



5. I don't know who else has written Cuban cookbooks but I am very happy with this one. I have purchased a few cookbooks in the past and the recipes are sometimes awful. I love this book and I had no idea how to make Cuban beans. Well I will tell you that both recipes were easy to follow and the food was delicious. I got this book used for about $4 so I am very happy and will buy the other books when I can get them cheap. I highly recommend this book if you want to learn how to make Cuban dishes. Forget who has written what and when. Buy them all. It cant hurt!

5 comments about A Taste of Puerto Rico: Traditional and New Dishes from the Puerto Rican Community.

1. This book is great!!. This is the second time that I buy this book. I brought it to give away as a gift, for a male friend who wants to learn how to cook spanish food (Puerto Rican Style). Everything is easy to understand and easy to cook. So I highly recommend this book, to anyone that wants to learn how to cook spanish style.



2. I tried the recipe for the Coconut Guava Cookie. This recipe was a disaster. The ingredients were butter, coconut, sugar and vanilla. The cookies are to cook at 350. However, there is nothing to hold the cookie together and butter does exactly what butter does... it melts and there was a huge mess. This recipe should include flour. The ingredients make a great icing but they do not make a cookie.



3. The book is full of good old receipts dating from back when Indians walked the land.
   It gives the reader a bit of a home cooked meal. The many dishes keep the tongue wanting more and more. The reading and ease of following instructions help to produce and meal fit for a family.



4. I've used this cookbook for serval years, my hispanic background was the reason I purchased it. The recipes reminded me of the ones my grandmother used.
   
   I purchased a second cookbook as a gift for a friend, they love it. The recipes are very easy to follow.



5. This book gives lots of modern Puertorrican recipes, while illustrating culinary history and traditions.
   
   The author has a classical french training while having studied in NYC. She is based out of the same city.
   
   In most of her modern recipes, she blends french ingredients and techniques with traditional Puertorrican ones. There are also plenty of dishes using tropical fruits.
   
   Lots of classical dishes are updated to fit with today's healthy eating habits (eg less oil/butter used). Many recipes are also simplified.
   
   Overall, I would recommend this book for those looking to get an introduction on Puerto Rico's rich culinary traditions and also to those familiar with the island's cuisine who are looking for something new.
   
   For further reading, I would recommend Carmen Valldejuli's "Cocina Criolla" - the absolute Puertorrican cookbook -, and Jose L. Diaz de Villegas' "Puerto Rico: La Gran Cocina del Caribe", which is an illustrated gastronomic journey on the island's best restaurants, ingredients and chefs.

5 comments about Fine Haitian Cuisine.

1. I love this book so much, that I bought one for my sister and one for my best friend. I though I knew how to cook haitian food but I was wrong. My first dish was the rice and beans and it was wonderful. I tasted just like the ones I used to have back home. The only haitian cookbook you need.



2. I have heard that some people may think that $49 dollars is too high, but I've paid higher prices for college textbooks that I did not appreciate as much.
   
   I've purchased all three of the Haitian cookbooks that are currently on the market and I love having all three. My mom is an excellent Haitian cook, but I have only recently began my journey at learning the unique style of Haitian cooking. I like to compare some of the technique I've recently learned from my mom, to those included in the book. Also my mom doesn't cook anywhere close to as many recipes as those include in the book. I love my mom's Soup Joumou, but I like that the book has other options.
   
   It's worth the money- especially since it is so unique.



3. I was born in Haiti, but rasied in the US. I married a true born and raised Haitian from Port au Prince. On that note, its truly a big task trying to delight my husband's taste buds.
   
   After trying two other haitian book (Mountain Maid & Taste of Haiti), I find this book to be the best so far. The first dish that I'd served to my husband was "Poisson Gwo Sel",it tasted better then his mother's!:) To add more icing to the cake, he'd asked for seconds!!!!
   
   Pros: Clear/clean instructions, color pictures, a different outlook of preparing/cooking and unfamiliar/different recipes
   
   Cons: Book is heavy, the size and pages tear out easly
   
   Suggests: Divide the book in two or smaller print,soft cover instead of hard, pictures of individual dish, laminate pages, spiral binding and option of book on video.
   
   I highly reconmend the this book. Do not let the cost of the book be your deciding factor. By making this minor investment,it you come back to you in 100 folds. You will not be disappointed.



4. This book has most of teh great Haitian recipes with pictures. If someone does not know how to cook a recipe, at least they can see what it is supposed to look like.
   
   That helps.
   I would reccomend it.
   CFH



5. I think the book is a good book. But there are some things that Are being added to the recipes like soy sauce when in Haiti we do not cook with that. Soy sauce is not in the culture of Haiti. And as well as some other ingredents. I am only 25 and I have to ask my grandmother about the recipes because it does not look right. Also I notice not everything is added to certain recipes when they should be because it is part of the traditional of Haiti.

5 comments about Three Guys from Miami Celebrate Cuban: 100 Great Recipes for Cuban Entertaining.

1. Excellent Book. I bought one for a friend and she loved it so I had to buy my own after. Love my book. Very well made, beautiful recipes, beautiful pictures, just lovely.



2. I bought this as a gift for my daughter and she loved it. It's a very versatile book.



3. I have always really enjoyed Cuban food, especially the great grilled pork and seafood dishes, and have sought out books on the topic in the past. "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen", by Mary Urrutia Randelman, had long served as my resource, but now I've found another book that I think I like even better. "Three Guys from Miami Celebrate Cuban: 100 Great Recipes for Cuban Entertaining", by Glenn Lindgren, Raul Musibay and Jorge Castillo ($29.95, Gibbs Smith, 248 pp.), offers a wide range of recipes that are presented in an straightforward manner and richly illustrated.
   
   This is the second book for the trio, following up on their 2004 book, "Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban".
   
   If you don't already have an appreciation for Cuban food, I know you will after reading this book. You're sure to be be so indoctrinated into the Cuban-cooking culture that you'll telling your guests that your fixing "pollo de la plancha" (grilled chicken breasts), "costillitas" (baby back ribs) or "lechon asado" (roast pork).



4. Great follow up cookbook if you already own 3 Guys from Miami Cook Cuban. Wonderful choises for a party! Food and beverages!



5. I love this book! Five stars all the way! I'm experienced with cooking Cuban cuisine, having spent 25 years in Miami before moving north. I love the first book by the "three guys from Miami" for its coverage of essential Cuban cooking. They did it right!
   
   But this second book captivated me most because of how intelligently it borrows from Spanish cuisine and applies magnificently to the Cuban style. This is truly one of the great cookbooks. I very much appreciate that the recipes work well and were obviously tested carefully before publication, and readily obtainable ingredients are used.

5 comments about Cocina criolla.

1. My Mom had this book and my sister has it too. It is the classic cookbook for Puerto Rican food. There is also and English version that leaves nothing out.



2. I may be repeating what others have said ... but I became familiar with this book when I was growing up. I remember making Tembleque using this book as a kid, and it came out wonderful.
   
   My mom used this book as her main cookbook -- and when she gave it away instead of giving it to my sister and I we got really angry (because we wanted the book)! I'm planning to replace it as soon as I get a chance.
   
   The cookbook definitely has traditional puerto rican cooking. The recipes are great.



3. Sin duda un clasico. Este libro no debe faltar en ninguna cocina puertorriquena o en la cocina de alguien que desea cocinar comida puertorriquena. Buen provecho.



4. I am currently going to school to become a private chef. I have over 20 years cooking experience, and I wanted to go pro. My roots are of Puertorrican tradition (boricua). All of these recipes are down to the basics just like AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER Complete Guide To The Art of Modern Cookery. You really must understand traditional Puertorrican cooking to appreciate this book. Ask any puertorrican chef and yes they have it.



5. I just bought 3 of the Cocina Criolla books, it is so great to know that we can still find the same great cooking book that I got when I got 25 years ago. The recipes are still excellent and now our daughters, a new generation, continues the tradition.

5 comments about Puerto Rican Cuisine in America: Nuyorican and Bodega Recipes.

1. I purchased this book and the recipes sound great but there was no illustration to show you what the dish should look like (very dissappointing). I also found that a lot of the ingredients could only be purchased at "Bodegas" or spanish neighborhoods.



2. I love this cookbook! It has so many recipes in it. I've tried a number of them and I loved them all. this book is so great. My mom never really taught me how to cook or my grandmom, and what they did show me, I never remembered, I have to use recipes and with this book at my side, I can make everything. My rice is fabulous. My kids love my cooking and they tell me all the time that I should be a chef! :) thanks Mr. Rivera.



3. I am African American and I purchased this wonderful cookbook several years ago. The cover on my book was different than what's shown here, but all I can say is WOW!!! What a pleasure, there were always certain Puerto Rican recipes that I loved and whenever I would ask how to make it I would get "I don't know, I just make it, I don't use a recipe." I always loved the flavor in the beans and never knew how to accomplish the taste, now I know it's sofrito, I now make my own. The description on how to make pasteles is a big positive too. I have a Greek friend and she makes pasteles around the holidays and gives them as gifts. One Puerto Rican guy couldn't believe that a Greek girl made the pasteles. But thanks to Oswald Rivera's fine cookbook it's possible. I especially enjoy his humor and the stories, I feel he's right there in the kitchen with me. I feel contrary to what the other reviewer said about pictures I didn't miss them at all I just wanted these basic recipes for my friends and family to enjoy. BRAVO! Mr. Rivera, you've put a smile on my face.



4. great book to fully understand and learn what magic grandma has used all these years to make these great meals. Book does a very good job at explaining exactly how to make the cuisines. Great book



5. This book is amazing, it details foods from two different revenues. Puerto Ricans from Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans from New York, it gave me even more reasons to enjoy cooking Spanish foods. My sister came over to visit and decided she wanted a copy, so she took mine. This is my second purchase of this book. It seems to capture the eye's of people who already cook Spanish foods and those wanting to learn how to cook good old country Puerto Rican foods. The details and ease of ingredients make it a joy to follow along.

5 comments about Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban.

1. I was given this cookbook by a friend at work. I was born in Cuba but left when I was 1 year old. I know how to make dishes handed down from my Mom and my sister. Neither one could make a decent (chichen and rice (arroz con pollo)). Now I can, my sister was amazed and she is an awesome cook. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to try out Cuban food and thought it would be too difficult. I enjoyed everything about it, the photographs are beautiful, the guys are funny and the food is delicious.



2. This is an excellent book for those who enjoy an upbeat version of, sometimes bland, Cuban cuisine. I enjoyed the "fun-style" by which the Three Guys present their recipes - real Cuban lingo. I liked the book so much so that I bought their later book "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban" and I'm very pleased with it also. Enjoy! Bob Peters



3. I recommend this cook book to anybody that Loves Cuban Food Believe Me!
   
   Sincerely,
   C.A.



4. Wonderful recipes for typical Cuban dishes. Easy to follow directions. Anyone getting this book should follow it up with " 3 Guys from Miami Celebrate Cuban. 100 Great Recipes for Cuban Entertaining."



5. I was raised in a Cuban family in South Florida and ate Cuban food every day of my life until I left home at 17. I'm not a huge cook, but occasionally I enjoy making something traditionally Cuban if I'm in the mood for some comfort food. I've owned "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" by Mary Urrutia Randelman for many years, and I have to say all the recipes I've tried from that book are very close to what I'm used to getting from Mom or Cuban restaurants in Miami.
   
   I was getting bored of using the same book, so I decided to give the Three Guys book a try. I started with two standard recipes -- the seafood enchilado and the picadillo, the latter being probably the most basic, traditional Cuban dish. I probably had it at least once a week growing up. Enchilado is a little more refined and is usually reserved for special occasions.
   
   Anyhow, I made the enchilado first, and while I have to say the flavor was good, it was nothing like the enchilado I'm used to, which was disappointing, since that is the whole point of cooking Cuban food for me. I asked my mom for her recipe and it couldn't have been more different than the book's. I then made her version, and voila. Now I know every mom has her own methods but I've also eaten this food at restaurants and while I like my mom's better, it is still basically the same thing. The Three Guys version was very different.
   
   The next recipe was picadillo. First of all the ingredient list is VERY different from the traditional one. Keep in mind that traditional picadillo calls for no spices other than salt and pepper (the latter being optional). This one called for cumin, cinnamon (?), cloves (??) and oregano (???). The taste that this produces is OK, but definitely NOT traditional Cuban picadillo. I've made this dish hundreds of times from Mary Urrutia's book and it tastes exactly like home. It's a very basic dish, not rocket science. Perhaps this is a different take on it, but that's not what I was looking for.
   
   Anyway, the point is that I'm not sure how these guys developed their recipes, but if you are Cuban and looking to re-create mom's cooking, this is not the book for you -- stick instead with "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen".

5 comments about A Taste of Haiti (Hippocrene Cookbook Library).

1. As a woman who has married into a Haitian family, I really wanted to learn to cook some great Haitian meals. I've tried most of the recipes in this cookbook, and they couldn't be more accurate! The ingredients are simple enough to find in any supermarket, and I love the Creole/French/English names listed on each recipe.
   As a good test, I've cooked for my husband's family, and they've been very impressed. Even my mother-in-law has agreed that the recipes are authentic and delicious! I highly recommend it!



2. Mirta Yurnet-Thomas beat me by writing this book sooner than I did. :) I love having found this book. I too am married to a Haitian. My Mother-in-Law, (also last name Thomas), has all of her recipes written out, but in Creole. In order to cook all of my husband's favorite recipes, I'd have to be physically present with my in-law due to the language/thick accent. I Love my Haitian family, thus my quest to learn the language and their foods, which, I agree with Mirta, are very similar to my Puertorican dishes.
   
   I do wonder why Chicken in Stew (Poule) wasn't included in this cookbook. I found that recipe elsewhere: http://www.islandflave.com/recipes/haiti.html.
   
   I love this investment -- thank you for the time spent in creating this book for your fellow PuertoRican sisters, married to the awesome Haitian men. ;)



3. I have to say I was highly disappointed in this book. I am Haitian born here but I have seen my mom and aunts cooking and some of the recipes in the book seem off to me. I can cook Legume, bouyon, diri djon djon etc. the main Haitian dishes but I was hoping this book would help me master my dishes better. After reading this I was slight annoyed because I realized she (Mirta) got the recipes from others and they were not her own. If you are going to write a cook book you your self should at least be an expert in cooking. If you are Haitian or have plenty of Haitian friends please don't waste your money on this book because there is nothing special in there that you could not learn from a Haitian relative or friend. I guess I am still on the hunt for a good Haitian cookbook because this was not it.



4. Like the author, Mirta Yurnet-Thomas, mentioned in her book, there are not a lot of Haitian cookbooks out there. I am very glad that I bought this book because it has about 100 recipes that I can follow and cook for my family. The author didn't just write a book full of recipes. She also added Haiti's history, cultural traditions, Haiti's art and music, and history of different kinds of Haitian food. She also has a story for each of the recipes; some of them are really interesting.
   The book "A Taste of Haiti" is written in English. Therefore, it attracts people of different backgrounds, such as non-creole speakers. But the author didn't forget about the non-English speakers either. There are also translations of the food names. To name a few examples:
   - Chicken fritters .......... Marinad ak poul
   - Creole conch .............. Lanbi
   - Pork bits ................. Griyo
   - Corn flour drink .......... Akasan and many more...
   This is a very good book and I'm enjoying it so much. My husband has been going for seconds since I started following these recipes. Buy it!!! You won't regret it because it'll be worth it.
   
   D.P.S.



5. This book is good but there is some ingredents that are being added like ketchup to food that should not be added to but I guess that how the arthor feel about the tast of the food.... And ingredents are missing as well in some recipes. I would have to ask my grandmother for a second opinion about some of them to.
   I was really surprise of how the book look like when I got it... It looks like a big book with lots of color pictures next to the ingredents from here but it was not.

5 comments about Puerto Rican Cookery.

1. If you want to cook Puerto Rican food and have it come out the way it's supposed to taste, this is the book. There is no other book like it. My mother is Venezuelan, but she learned how to cook Puerto Rican with the Spanish version of the book. I can do it too, and now my husband, who is Dutch, can cook as well as mi abuela from Arecibo. When we go to a party we often take a roast pork. Those who know think I made it since I'm Puerto Rican, but I tell them, no it's all my husband. The instructions are clear and if you follow them the food tastes awesome.
   
   Next Thanksgiving make "pavochon" pavo (turkey) with taste of lechon (roast pork). Just go ahead, season the turkey like you would the pork, per Aboy Valldejuli's instructions, and it will come out fantastic. Use the ground beef filling and you'll have a new family classic!
   
   Many recipes can be modified and made a little bit less fattening by cutting down on the amount of butter or oil. The desserts are awesome, many types of flans, pound cakes, merengues, in summary it's the book to follow if you want to cook authentic Puerto Rican food. In addition she has recipes for many Spanish recipes. I'm going to stop here, because I'm salivating already!



2. I grew up with recipes from this cookbook and now that i've got my own family, this cookbook has really come in handy when i'm in the mood for comfort food! brings back great memories! good book! great yummy authentic puerto rican food! very happy with quality.



3. I really loved this cookbook. It has everything from the very basic dishes to the more advanced dishes! I am not Puerto Rican but I think I may be able to cook like one with this cookbook.



4. I came to the states as a teen from Puerto Rico and I was never really interested in learning how to cook authentic Puertorican food until a couple of years ago. I tried asking my mom how to do certain dishes but that didn't work out well; I couldn't replicate her pinches of seasoning or the intuitive way she handled the cooking. I needed the basic recipes I grew up eating but also a reliable reference I could go back to and I am pleased to say this cookbook met that expectation. So far this is the only Puertorican cuisine cookbook I have and I don't think I need to own another. I was impressed by the sofrito recipe (one that actually calls for culantro) and that it has most of the traditional desserts, such as besitos de coco, budin de pan, etc. One important suggestion I have is to be careful with the amounts of salt called for in some recipes - if you suspect it may be too much salt then you are probably right!



5. Although this book was listed in good condition, I feel the condition is poorer than advertised. it took 3 weeks to recieve, which tells me someone is lazy, The cover was ripped in several areas, it was also yellowed. Some pages are torn and feel I have to be delicate when using it. Overall, i would buy a new book next time. The advertiser was less than honest when advertising and I paid more because it was signed by the Author. I should just call my Puerto Rican Relatives for recipes as I would have recieved better results.if you are seeking a book of your favorite "Family recipes" then don't but this book.Call a relative and do the best you can with a dash and or a pinch.

5 comments about Memories of a Cuban Kitchen: More Than 200 Classic Recipes.

1. This is another outstanding cookbook. I loved the information about cuban culture, and now that I'm developing a "feel" for this style of food preparation the recipes are keeping my table full of exciting meals! Although there are no pictures of the finished meals, it is still a fantastic investment.



2. The title says it all. My wife and mother-in law have been looking for good Cuban recipes and this book fits the bill. All the tradition Cuban dishes are here with some common variations.



3. This is one of the best Cuban cookbooks available. It is authentic, easy to follow and gives insight to the author's family and heritage.



4. Having a dear friend who is from Cuba, we are treated to wonderful meals from his home land whenever he invites us for dinner. He doesn't cook with recipes and when we query him about how he put together such delicious empanadas or cuban roast pork, he waves his hand and says "I never measure. I go by instinct!"
   
   Well his instinct is phenomenal...mine, not so much. When I constantly bemoaned the fact that I could never duplicate his delicious culinary creations, he surprised me one Christmas with this cookbook. He said he perused countless Cuban cookbooks out on the market to find the one he wanted for me and Memories of a Cuban Kitchen invoked the recipes and ingredients he remembered from his childhood.
   
   The recipes are easy to follow and the cookbook is organized very nicely. There is also a glossary of terms that is very helpful. The ingredients you can find in any food store and after being introduced to Mojo, it is now a staple in my pantry. The recipes use lots of garlic which my friend always says to me..."if the recipe calls for four cloves, you put in eight!!" We love garlic and I think it is what makes the Cuban dishes so delicious. I always thought that Cuban food was spicy, but it is not. It is very flavorful, but not necessarily spicy hot.
   
   Mom's Black Beans are to die for as are the Cuban Pork Chops. The Cuban sandwiches are all mouthwatering wonderful and the fillings for the tea sandwiches are amazing. I made the sandwiches for a church brunch and everyone was very impressed. The rice pudding is a fabulous dessert for the culmination of your Cuban feast.
   
   This cookbook is one to have on the shelf to pull out when you want to savor some outstanding comfort food from Cuba.



5. Wonderful recipes. Coming from a Cuban family I can tell you these recipes are very authentic. Recipes are easy to prepare and taste wonderful. Brought back many memories of the meals my grandmother & mother prepared for us.