5 comments about Authentic Recipes from Jamaica (Authentic Recipes Series).

1. There's always room for another Jamaican cookbook on the market. What makes Authentic Recipes From Jamaica appealing is a blend of traditional and new dishes gathered from the island's chefs and restaurants, paired with over 60 color photos shot on location. From a Smoked Marlin Salad created by James Palmer of Strawberry Hill to a variation of the classic Fricasseed Chicken created by Norma Shirley of Norma at the Wharfhouse, including pepper sauce, catsup, chili and thyme, it's these originals which delight.



2. There's always room for another Jamaican cookbook on the market. What makes Authentic Recipes From Jamaica appealing is a blend of traditional and new dishes gathered from the island's chefs and restaurants, paired with over 60 color photos shot on location. From a Smoked Marlin Salad created by James Palmer of Strawberry Hill to a variation of the classic Fricasseed Chicken created by Norma Shirley of Norma at the Wharfhouse, including pepper sauce, catsup, chili and thyme, it's these originals which delight.



3. There's always room for another Jamaican cookbook on the market. What makes Authentic Recipes From Jamaica appealing is a blend of traditional and new dishes gathered from the island's chefs and restaurants, paired with over 60 color photos shot on location. From a Smoked Marlin Salad created by James Palmer of Strawberry Hill to a variation of the classic Fricasseed Chicken created by Norma Shirley of Norma at the Wharfhouse, including pepper sauce, catsup, chili and thyme, it's these originals which delight.



4. There's always room for another Jamaican cookbook on the market. What makes Authentic Recipes From Jamaica appealing is a blend of traditional and new dishes gathered from the island's chefs and restaurants, paired with over 60 color photos shot on location. From a Smoked Marlin Salad created by James Palmer of Strawberry Hill to a variation of the classic Fricasseed Chicken created by Norma Shirley of Norma at the Wharfhouse, including pepper sauce, catsup, chili and thyme, it's these originals which delight.



5. First let me say the only reason I gave this book 1 star to is offset the multiple "reviews" done by a reviewer with over 37,000 reviews, every one of which is 5 star. This reviewer is actually a company that uses volunteer reviewers, many of which openly charge a fee to the author to review their book. Why does Amazon permit this? It devalues the whole premise of readers giving insight for others who are purchasing sight unseen.
   
   My actual review of the book would be 3 stars. The photography is gorgeous. The recipes are pretty good and cover a range of foods. The downside is that many call for ingredients that many people don't have available locally. In my experience, being an accomplished cook and owning dozens of cookbooks, this is one more for the coffee table than one that will get much use in most kitchens.

5 comments about A Taste of Old Cuba: More Than 150 Recipes for Delicious, Authentic, and Traditional Dishes.

1. It's hard to find good Cuban away from Miami [and I assume Cuba.] The recipes in this book smell and taste like my favorites from Calle Ocho; I prepare a dish, and I'm not homesick for a good 24 hours!



2. 
   Everything I have made from this book tastes exactly like the food in the famous Cuban restaurant "Versailles" in Miami, which to me is the essence of classic 1950s Cuba. This is not a "30-minutes meals" type of book. All the recipes aren't necessarily simple, though some are, but they are very authentic and Mrs. O'Higgins does a good job of explaining the procedures.
   
   Some of the recipes that I have tried are the Ropa Vieja, el Picadillo Clasico, of course the black beans, Arroz con Pollo, Tambor de Platano and the Andalusian Chicken Breasts, which is delicious, and all the recipes have been a success.
   
   Aside from the classic recipes, the book is dotted with "recuerdos", or reminiscences of life in early and mid-century Cuba and pictures of Mrs. O'Higgins family, making for a very enjoyable and endearing read.



3. Marrying into a Cuban family I knew absolutely nothing about cooking Cuban food and was constantly hearing the way His mom cooked this or that, This book and some natural talent at cooking has given me rave reviews from my Even my Widowed father in law. who ask me to look for it in Spanish IE why I am here now
   Thank you Maria



4. She provides accurate information on the life and eating habits of Cubans. Solid recipes



5. Years ago I used to frequent a great Cuban restaurant near where I worked. My favorite dish there was "picadillo" which is basically a hash made with ground beef, garlic, onions, olives, capers and tomato (and served over white or yellow rice). It was my favorite. So, when the restaurant closed its doors forever, I tried to duplicate the dish at home but never came close. One day I picked up A Taste of Old Cuba and lo and behold it had the picadillo recipe (all the ingredients were available at the supermarket). I cooked up the recipe as soon as I could and it was the exact dish that I used to have at the Cuban restaurant. Eventually I tried several other recipes from the book, however, they were not as good as the other Cuban dishes I've had in the past.

2 comments about Puerto Rican Dishes (Cookbook).

1. A young man from that delightful island works at the local market, and sometimes delivers groceries to our home. He often eulogizes the young ladies of his homeland quite salaciously, particularly one Miss "Jay Lowe" (an odd name for a woman, but he seems to be quite smitten). As Christmas approached I spied this book's title in a long list of closed-out items in a catalog and ordered it for Manuel, hoping to ease his homesickness with a visual panegyric to San Juan womanhood. However it turns out that this is a cookbook, as any less prurient reader would have immediately gleaned from its title. So I instead made it a gift to Mrs. Higgensworth, née Ramirez, who can hold more than just a candle to any number of Jay Lowe's in or out of the kitchen. We have dined on delectable series of Puerto Rican entrees throughout the subsequent weeks - a marked improvement on the Panamanian specialties that Mrs. Higgensworth mastered in the kitchens of her youth. A masterful chapter on Puerto Rican desserts will be particularly debilitating to the waistline of any gentleman lucky enough to have a Latina vixen attending to his oven. Andelé!



2. good if you are familar with the receipts and have are handy around the kitchen

5 comments about Cocina al minuto/ Cooking in a Minute: Selecciones De Recetas Favoritas/ Selections of Favorite Recipes.

1. They don't call this "The Cuban Bible" for nothing. My Mom and Aunt brought theirs from Cuba when they immigrated to the United States. It is so worn out they are falling apart. It is the best cookbook I have ever used. The recipes are simply wonderful. Anytime I want to make a special Cuban dish I pull out "Cocina Al Minuto." I have also purchased several copies as gifts for family and friends.
   
   Cristina



2. 
   This is no mere cookbook, it is an institution.
   
   This book defined Cuban home cooking for 1st generation Cuban American children whose parents came to the US from Cuba in search of a better life for their families. Being one of those children, my mom's cooking (with help from this book) forever defined what great home cooked Cuban food should be. It is the touchstone to which I will always compare anyone elses Cuban food. And to be honest, none so far has compared.
   
   "Cocina al Minuto" represents a piece of Cuban culture and tradition in every household. Not nuevo Latino, fusion, or any other interpretation of the moment, these recipes are the bedrock of all great cuban dishes. Cuban family cooking at its best.
   
   My mom passed the book on to me when I moved away and each time I cook a recipe it takes me back to my childhood, watching my mom cook in the house I grew up in. One of my favorites is Frijoles Negros. When I make this dish of dishes, and nail it, as my mom used to make, an incredible sense of joy and pride come over me. It is a little piece of my childhood in a spoon.
   
   I hope to pass these same recipes on to my children and perpetuate the tradition of wonderful Cuban home cooking.



3. The recipes are delicious. They come out exactly the way they are suppose to. One of the best Cuban Recipe books that exist. My parents used to have the same book in Cuba. Too bad it doesn't come in English. I've had several friends ask about it.



4. This is an excellent cookbook if you are true to the notion that homestyle food is the basis for all good food prepared in elaborate ways with exotic ingredients that become Gourmet by attention to preperation! This the is the Betty Crocker of Cuban Cookbooks. About as important to own if you study Cuban Cuisine as I have and an indespensable tool or ingredient in any Cuban Cookery. That speaks volumes; correct? My only compalint is I cannot read it, Its IN SPANISH!. So receiving the Spanish Version seems authentic but it never the less can't be accurately put to use.
   Its IN SPANISH!



5. This is a reprint of a Cuban cookbook first published in pre-Castro Cuba in the 1950s. My book was my mom's & it's dilapidated, so I bought this one for my step-daughter. It's a classic and the real "bible" of TRADITIONAL Cuban cuisine.

5 comments about The Ethnic Vegetarian: Traditional and Modern Recipes from Africa, America, and the Caribbean.

1. While a few recipes do use eggs or cheese, most do not. Lots of tasty vegan options here.



2. We are not vegetarians, but I have been toying with reducing meats in my family's diet. When I picked up this book, I was skeptical. However, each recipie that I have tried has been fantastic! My husband loves the spiciness of the dishes, and I love the rich flavors. The meals are substantial, and you won't miss the meat. Enjoy!



3. I've tried about 5 recipes from this book and all of them were dismal failures. The author is way off with the amounts needed for each ingredient. I tried the jerk tofu and plantain and black bean fritters. What a mess! This is the worst vegetarian cookbook I have and I will not be trying anything else in the book.



4. I have tried almost half of the recipes and loved every single one. I was worried about the large amount of food - but I have never had leftovers for very long. Excellent and creative uses for veggie meat.



5. I used to only cook Thai and Indian vegetarian foods, then saw this book and was impressed by the variety of new recipes, including things I knew from Southern and African restaurants. When tagging the recipes I wanted to try first, I found myself marking half the pages! It's great for planning a week of menus using similar ingredients to make a ton of different things. I half all the recipe quantities, and they are good for 2-3 people that way. It's all been delicious and easy, with most main dishes only using one pot. The instructions for Injera (Ethiopian bread) were creative and it turned out great! I'm starting to use the more authentic ingredients suggested in the recipe descriptions instead of the Americanized versions, using produce and flours from Mexican and Indian grocers (we don't have an African grocer here), and it is even better that way. It's all very protein-rich, so I've never been tempted to add meat to anything in this book.

5 comments about Eating Cuban: 120 Recipes from the Streets of Havana to American Shores.

1. EATING CUBAN:
   120 Authentic Recipes from the
   Streets of Havana to
   American Shores
   
   By Beverly Cos and Martin Jacobs
   Introduction by Ana Menendez
   
   
   Most of us can get our hands on a ticket and travel to just about any place in the world we wish. Not so with Cuba, and it's been so for a long time. Soon, however, we may get to go, enjoy the night beat, savory foods and fun things Latino. Here's a chance to bring your Cuban food expectations up to date.
   
   Cuba has a large uniqueness. She lives under strict restriction of goods. Yet, by calling upon their many ethnic backgrounds -- Spanish, African, Chinese, French and Native American - and sticking to Cuba's geographical restrictions, some pretty interesting recipes result. The cookbook, Eating Cuban, presents recipes in six parts: The Roots, Creole Classics, Street Food, New Wave Cooking and Beverages.
   
   Check these:
   
   * Galician White Bean Soup with white beans, chorizo onion, green pepper, garlic,ham hock, collards and potatoes.
   
   * Creamy Pumpkin Soup: olive oil, onion, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream, pumpkin Cuban bread croutons and parsley.
   
   * White Bean and Potato Salad: Red potatoes, white beans, onion, vinegar, cumin, garlic, olive oil parsley and lettuce leaves
   
   * Sweet Potato Pudding: sweet potatoes, sugar, lime zest, cinnamon, egg yolks, cinnamon, rum and whipped cream
   
   * Pickled Onions: red and white onions, vinegar, allspice, oregano, bay leaves, peppercorns, a jalapeno chile.
   
   * Avocado Gaspacho El Bambu: avocados, lime juice, cucumbers, onion, broth, yogurt, fresh cilantro, red radishes, bell pepper, green onion tops
   
   * Guava Barbecue Sauce: Guava paste, tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, cumin, dry mustard, chile-garlic sauce, dry sherry and cilantro
   
   * Cream Cheese Ice Cream: cream cheese, sugar, fresh lemon juice, vanilla, heavy cream and milk
   
   At the end of the book find a Glossary of Cuban Ingredients and Cooking Terms, Sources for Cuban Cooking Ingredients and a list of Some Favorite places for Eating Cuban both in Havana and in the U.S.



2. TAKE IT FROM A CUBAN..THIS BOOK IS A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY IF YOU ARE WANTING TRUE CUBAN CULINARY RECIPES...NOW IF YOU WANT NICE SCENERY PHOTOGRAPHY OF CUBA..THEN GO FOR IT..BUT A NICE CUBA TRAVEL BOOK GUIDE WILL DO, I GREWUP WITH EXCELLENT COOKS FROM CUBA AND SPAIN ...THIS BOOK DOES NOT COME CLOSE TO A REAL CUBAN CULINARY EXPERIANCE..SAVE YOUR MONEY..I DID NOT , BUT I DID RESALE IT!



3. This is a great resource for Cuban recipes, both new and classics. We have made many of the recipes and all have been delicious and easy to follow. Our family is full of excellent Cuban cooks and these recipes rate high on our list. The photographs certainly enhance the whole Cuban cooking and eatingexperience. Highly recommend it.



4. Very authentic, these are the same recepies my cuban family has been using for years.



5. This book is filled with nostalgic old fotos of Cuba and famous dishes that we all adore. The book is sectioned off by Raices (Our Roots), Clasicos Creolos (Creole Classics), Comidas Ambulantes (Street Foods), Cocina Nueva Onda (New Wave Cooking), and Bebidas (Beverages). Try out the Classic Cuban-Style Black Beans, Poast Pork Loin and Cuban Cold Pumpkin Salad. Delicioso!!!

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

1. Good Book for all your basic cooking,To many refer on other pages of this book .



2. Great book for anyone wanting to learn how to cook Puerto Rican Food



3. This is a wonderful cookbook for those of us who knew how to eat all that Puerto Rican food that our mama's cooked for us, but we did not want to learn how to cook back them. This easy to read and prepare cook books has brought back so many memories and aroma's of my mom's cooking to my very own kitchen today..



4. I love this cookbook. It is my bible of making traditional and new dishes from Puerto Rico. My mom didn't teach me to cook Puerto Rican food but I grew up eating it and smelling the beautiful aroma of sofito. I have other Puerto Rican cookbooks and they were so complicated to follow that I almost gave up on trying to learn. This book is easy to follow and you really learn the basic and traditions of cooking Puerto Rican tasty, sweet delicious food. This cookbook is a keeper.



5. 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.

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

1. If you love cooking (and eating) delicious food, beautiful photography and insightful (and fun!) recipe notes -- you have to add this fabulous cookbook to your collection. I loved the first cookbook from the Three Guys and their second offering does not disappoint! I'm a New Englander stuck in "Mud Season" and just reading this book brought me to the sunny skies, friendly faces and delectable, unforgettable foods of Florida. Can't wait to try more of the recipes!



2. Lots of color-drenched photos of the food, the ingredients, the authors and the place enliven this party approach to Cuban cooking. The authors begin with deserts - Mango Upside Down Cake, Pumpkin Flan - before moving on to drinks (Pina Colada).
   
   Each recipe includes banter in the margins from the three authors. Occasionally there's a nugget of useful advice, but mostly these can be skipped. While there are some rich and elegant dishes (Shrimp in Cilantro Cream Sauce, Cuban Style Lobster), the guys tend to feature mostly casual traditional (Spanish Bean Soup, Rice with Seafood, Roast Pork, Fried Shredded Chicken) cooking.
   
   The basics are here - Black Beans and Rice, Mashed Plantains, Empanadas, Tamales - and there's a chapter on grilling which includes seafood and meat kebabs. Those who've wondered what to do with guava jelly will find plenty of opportunities here from Baby Back Ribs with Guava Sauce to Guava Cake.
   
   The recipes are straightforward and mostly simple so that even those with no experience of Cuban food can go tropical without fear



3. Every recipe that I have made from this book has been excellent. The garlic chicken is our favorite! The anecdotes by the "3 Guys" are cute and informative. I highly recommend this book.



4. 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.



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

5 comments about Steven Raichlen's Healthy Latin Cooking: 200 Sizzling Recipes from Mexico, Cuba, Caribbean, Brazil, and Beyond.

1. This book is packed with a wide variety of recipes each tastier than the last. They're not all that difficult to pull off either. The book really captures that spiced flavor that I love, and now i dont have to go out to a restaurant to get it. If you're looking for a great recipe book, this will do, but if you want something with pizazz, then this is the choice for you.



2. Dissappointing for content; had especially wanted receipe for Feijoada and was referenced, but not provided in cookbook.



3. Of my ever-growing cookbook collection, this, along with Jay Solomon's Great Bowls of Fire, probably gets the most use. The recipes are clearly presented and easy to follow, and many of them (marked in the book with "Pronto!") can be prepared in under 30 minutes. We've made recipes from almost all the chapters, from Halibut Veracruz (wonderful), to "Plantain Spiders" (delicious and fun appetizer), with only a few missteps. (I found the black bean salsa to be a bit bland). The turkey picadillo on baked plantain "surfboards" was innovative and a real treat.
   Recipes and photos can be viewed at:
   http://weheartfood.blogspot.com/search/label/healthylatincooking



4. Although my mom was one of the better cooks I knew, I grew up in a household where dinner was not dinner if there was no meat. I knew first hand of many other cooks who fried foods in lard, or cooked with heavy creams, whole milks, white rice and sugar (brown rice and sugar were unheard of). I loved Latin American cooking and if I ate in my adulthood as I did as a child, I would probably have died of a heart attack by age 40. Stephen Raichlen presents healthy alternatives to traditional ingredients and takes the time to explain why he's made those substitutions. This is a great book if you savor Latin American cooking and want to enjoy it for years to come.



5. Excellent book, I have made several of the recepies and have not found any that I do not like......

4 comments about Delicious Jamaica: Vegetarian Cuisine (Healthy World Cuisine).

1. I had the pleasure of meeting and dining in the home of Yvonne Mc Calla Sobers of Kingston, Jamaica in July 1997. It was indeed memorable, to sit and rest after the long drive from the northcoast, in the hot midday, and enjoy the quiet breezy veranda of the Lingunea Mansion gifted to her by her childhood friend, Prime Minister Hon. Michael Manley, Chatting in depth about Jamaica, Food and Life, with her Sons and Herself, and reminesing of a childhood in Jamaica when "Bustamante Backbone" was a treat.

   The Ben Johnson Vegetable Stew, made of all the great leftovers and pieces of vegetable in the fridge made for an adventurous treat on a hot afternoon, when shopping was out of the question. Sweet, Flavorful, Rich, Filling, Heaven in a bowl.

   Yvonne treated us to her Fried Breadfruit, and some creamy vegeterian Solomon Gundy, which I have yet to locate outside Jamaica, namely in Kingston. Her conversations about the 38 different Mango's that were introduced to Jamaica and the West Indies, assures you that this isn't just some Local Cook.

   We brought with us 2 bunches of country Gynip to the dinner party, and that was the payment for the truly fabulous country delicacies. approximatly $1.00 u.s. Unbelievable.

   Indeed Mrs Sobers, is an internationally known consultant, responsible for bringing many international development projects closer to the people of Jamaica, instead of just the Tourist Regions. Hearing Her name mentioned daily on the radio stations in Jamaica, and seeing her Photograph in the Newspapers Islandwide, makes one know this is a Very Special Lady, and to be invited to sit on her special part of the earth and enjoy the treat of her hand is truly a dream come true for this aspiring cookbook writer.

   I Advise, if you are looking for a Great New concept in Vegeterian Healthy Cooking Buy This Book and Share it With someone You Love.

   My Recommendations - Hot and Spicy Shepards Pie, Ben Johnson Stew, Cashew and Gungo Loaf, Jamdown Curry, JamaicanStyle Veggy Burgers, Maro! ons, Callalalu - in all the styles; and of course Breadfruit, Tropical Gingerbread, Number 11 Mango Chutney named for one of the 38 types of Mango found in Jamaica; and Chef Yvonnes' Special Ital Rasta Pasta; (much better than that place on the hill in ochi.) This book is recommended for Senior Citizens, Dieters, Fat Free and Low FatDiets, Diabetics, Children, and Fussy Folks. The food is so delicious they will never know how healthy it really is. Guaranteed.




2. We bought this book last year before leaving for a vacation in Jamaica. In Jamaica we had rented a house that had a cook. She was a wonderful Jamaican woman unfamiliar with vegetarian cooking. We showed her this book. She was familiar with many of the dishes in this book, but in non-vegetarian forms. With this book she was able to adapt her recipes and we had a wonderful week of home-cooked Jamaican, vegetarian meals. At the end of our vacation she was delighted when we left her our copy of this book.



3. When I became vegetarian I worried about missing out on some of my favorite flavors like jamaican jerk. This book has a number of terrific recipes for doing jerk potatoes, jerk vegetables and even jerk tofu (I haven't tried that yet but certainly will). It has all the classics in here - pepperpot soup, plantains, etc.I've only scratched the surface in terms of making my way through the recipes but so far so good.



4. Last week I went through my cookbooks, to see if I could weed some out, because I have too many to mention. It's hard getting rid of a cookbook, especially one with a few recipes in it that you've come to love. But I've scanned the recipes I need to keep forever into my MacBook. However, there were an even dozen I couldn't part with. These are books I turn to time and time again, even though I consider myself somewhat of a gourmet chef.
   
   DELICIOUS JAMAICA is one of the books I kept and to my way of thinking it's just about the best vegetarian cookbook out there. If you like exotic cooking and you've given up meat or just plain don't eat it, then this is the book for you. Veggies don't have to be bland, just try the "Callalu Run Down" on page 30 and you'll see what I mean. Then there's the "Yam Run Down Casserole" which is simply too tasty to be true. If you're not a vegetarian, you can make a lot of the recipes in this book as a side dish. The "Spice Rice" for example works very well with just about anything. There is a whole lot more in this nifty cookbook that belongs with any serious collection of Caribbean cookbooks.
   
   Review submitted by Capatin Katie Osborne