3 comments about The Book of Carribbean Cooking (Book of...).

1. In its almost 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes.
   
   This installment, the Book of Caribbean Cooking, starts with glossary of ingredients, and then presents recipe suggestions for all major courses, from soups and appetizers to bread, cakes, desserts and drinks. Special chapters are dedicated to fish, poultry and game, and (red) meat dishes, vegetables, salads and rice. Classics such as banana bread, callaloo, rum, pineapple and other tropical punches, fried plantains, glazed sweet potatoes, tuna steaks, palm hearts, picadillo, pina colada, pineapple and coconut cake, and pork and banana kabobs appear next to unique dishes such as Grenadan coo-coo (fried cornmeal and coconut squares) with papaya salsa, lime and coconut meringue pie, mango turkey, pineapple and ginger ribs, and quail in rum and raisin sauce.
   
   From ackee and saltfish to yam salad, this collection of recipes, while not all-encompassing, is a great introduction to the richness of the Caribbean cuisine - and at a relative bargain price, to boot.
   
   Also recommended:
   Around the World Cookbook
   Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day
   Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery)
   Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World
   On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (4th Edition) Textbook only
   Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006



2. If you've ever traveled to the Caribbean and developed a taste for the cuisine of the islands, this is a very good book for learning some of the basics. Classic dishes such as Callaloo, Beef Patties, Jerk Pork, and Picadillo are all presented, as well as more unusual and elegant dishes such as Banana-Stuffed Chicken and Calypso Rabbit. An introduction to common Caribbean foodstuffs is presented, as well as photographs of each dish and the various ingredients as needed for them.
   
   Difficulty of the dishes varies from easy and quick to fairly complicated and time-consuming. One thing I would have liked included in the recipe descriptions is the island of origin of each dish, as some definitely have more Spanish influences than others, or are unlike any I've seen on the islands I've personally visited. While not an extensive encyclopedia of Caribbean cooking, this book is a fine introduction for most home chefs, and much more useful, than many of the small volumes of recipes often sold to tourists on the islands.



3. All recipes are good, although I don't know some products, I can replace them with others, easy to follow instructions and very nice pictures in each recipe.

No comments about Cooking Caribbean: A way of life, with Small tales from a small isle, and a Nevis cookbook.

No comments about Caribbean Light.

1 comments about A Taste of Mustique.

1. The combination of recipes and photography in this book is intoxicating. Almost as sumptuous as basking in the sunlit beach on the island itself... This cookbook truly captures the essence of the marvelous people, flora and fauna of Mustique.

5 comments about Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking.

1. .............I had bought this cookbook for a friend and for three weekends straight she has enjoyed cooking from it. What initially attracted me to this Caribbean cookbook in particular was the wonderful way Jessica Harris covers the cooking history and traditions of each of the countries in the region and for its extensive ingredient and utensil glossary.

   Although there are no photos in the book, the delicious sounding recipes really appealed to me and have not disappointed my friend, who has been always been a big fan of Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine, in general. We've had great fun cooking together from it and have been particularly pleased with: Jerked Pork (Jamaica), Garlic Pork (Guyana), Curried Chicken (Trinidad), and the Shrimp Creole (Caribbean). The Surullito appetizer (Puerto Rican cornmeal and cheese snack) was also delectable. There are also chapters in this cookbook filled with soup recipes, desserts, beverages, vegetable, condiment and sauce recipes. I highly recommend this cookbook not only for its great recipes, but for its Caribbean cooking history lessons. The recipes have also proven to be a lot of fun to cook with a group of friends.




2. You have NEVER cooked like this. The first night I made REAL AUTHENTIC SHRIMP CREOLE & SWEET CORNBREAD made with coconut milk. This book is fun, easy to read and the recipes are most delicious. a MUST for those looking to get away from the boring. But also - not too exotic for those family members afraid to try new dishes (my kids) !

   I recommend this book to new cooks as well as the experienced.




3. Not one recipe for flying fish in the whole book! What a disappointment.



4. One day 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.
   
   SKY JUICE AND FLYING FISH is one of the books I kept. In addition to traditional Caribbean recipes, this book also has one of the best Jerk Seasoning recipes I've ever tasted. The" Bananes Jaunes au Gratin des Deux Fromages" which translates to "Yellow Bananas aux Gratin with Two Cheeses", for those of you who don't read French, is simply a mouthwatering dish that is to die for. I must confess to never having seen this dish served, it's French, so you can probably get it in a restaurant in Martinique or Guadeloupe, but with the recipe in this book, you can make it yourself. You won't be disappointed.
   
   The "Sopa de Frijol Negro" ("Black Bean Soup") from Cuba is very, very good and easy to make if you've got a left over ham hock. And it's good to have something to do with that ham bone besides split pea soup. Also, have you ever had Cream of Banana soup? It's in this book and you'll love it. In fact you'll love most of the recipes in SKY JUICE AND FLYING FISH. I know I do.
   
   Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne



5. This book has a lot of staples that I grew up eating when visiting my grandparents out in Long Island. I know I will never cook the way my grandmother cooked, but I can put my own spin on the food. I am looking forward to creating wonderful dishes that represent my grandmother's culture.

No comments about Virgin Islands Cookbook.

4 comments about Recipes from La Isla : New & Traditional Puerto Rican Cuisine.

1. This cookbook has really helped me in being able to perfect my Puerto Rican cooking. My husband is from the island and I am very determined in trying to be able to cook his authentic food. When he tasted the food, he said that he was quite impressed with the way the way the food turned out. He is not an easy man to please when it comes to his cultural food. This cookbook made it very simple for someone who is not used to that type of cooking or food. I would recommend this to anyone who may also be in my situation or who is just looking to expand their horizons.



2. I have no idea where the authors got those recipes or their ideas about Puerto Rican food, but I am disappointed that I wasted my money on this book. My parents are Puerto Rican and although I was born in New York, I lived in Puerto Rico for 34 years before moving to Maryland in 1998. Believe me, no one in PR uses ginger in their daily meals.... only in teas if their stomach is upset and in desserts like coconut rice pudding. I didn't need this book to learn how to cook Puerto Rican food since I've eaten it all of my life and have been cooking it for 41 years. I bought it just to have a nice collection of our food. I don't even remember where I put because I was so upset about how misleading it is, but I DO know it's not on my bookshelf! The only place you'll find this "new" type of cooking is in a restaurant geared toward the tourist trade, not in a Puerto Rican home. If you want real PR cooking I suggest buying "Puerto Rican Cookery" by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli or "Puerto Rican Dishes" by Berta Cabanillas & Carmen Ginorio to get a more realistic idea of what PR food is all about. It's unfortunate that I couldn't give this book "0" stars.



3. I enjoyed this book very much. MR. Rosado is a caterer & he pre sented in his book elegant & versatile versions of our native recipes. He has the advantage of knowing the american palate better than us in PR, therefore he adapted our recipes to contain an international flair & a decided cosmopolitan taste. That is not bad because the essence of the recipe is preserved. I also enjoyed the historical facts presented. It is a valuable addition to any Puerto Rican Cooking Library.



4. Every person who cooks uses different ingredients for different reasons. My mother has never used tomatoes or vinegar in her sofrito. Because of this book, I had her experiment. She enjoyed the "slight" difference in taste. In the end, she loved the slight difference in color, ingredients, and taste. Every cookbook enhances your cooking to some extent. This book did so in many ways. It doesn't hurt your cooking but enhances it when you learn something new. Hats off to both authors; American & Puerto Riqueño.

3 comments about The Complete Caribbean Cookbook.

1. A beautifully written and constructed book, containing every recipe from Guyana, Suriname, and from the Caribbean (U.S. French, Spanish, British, etc.) that you could possibly wish for; e.g. Souse, Pepperpot, Metagee, Jerk Chicken, Sancocho, Garlic Pork, Crab (& Calloo) Soup, Foo Foo, Cou-cou, Roti, Tooloom, Muzik Di Zumbi. The recipes are very easy to follow, even if you are new to this type of cusine. Full colour photographs throughout make the reading soooo satisfying .



2. This hardcover reference is chock full of great recipes from the region. Although from Guyana, Pamela Lalbachan offers recipes from all of the Caribbean islands. Lots of great colour photos compliment this work. An excellent compliment to the web site "Recipes from Guyana and the Caribbean.



3. If you are looking for a Caribbean cookbook you've got to have this one. You won't be disappointed. Just wait for the right price. I paid $90 for my book and later found another one for my kid for half the price.

4 comments about The Kingston Hotel Cafe Cookbook: Free-Spirited Recipes to Warm the Soul.

1. The Kingston Hotel Cafe has been my family and friends favorite place for the best food on the Kitsap peninsula. Now to be able to recreate all my favorite recipes from Braided Salmon and Halibut with Sorrel sauce to the Hazelnut Torte and all her wonderful soups is very exciting. The cook book is fabulous as is the author who has created it. Thanks Judith!!!



2. The recipes in this book hold up to the high quality of food served in the restaurant. I have spent many mornings munching on fresh homemade scones, and my palate waters at the thought of the many varied deserts inside. Every recipe is a treasure in itself, and no kitchen can truly be complete without them.



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4. This cookbook is a delight, mixing fresh, seasonal ingredients in surprising but always appetizing ways -- and best of all, using recipes that are not arcane or terribly time-consuming (but do expect to spend a fair amount of time chopping). My personal favorites are two unusual summer dishes, one a fruit gazpacho and the other a hot blueberry soup with coconut milk and lime. Yum! I *will* seek out the restaurant when next I'm in the Pacific Northwest.

1 comments about Caribbean Cooking (Secrets of).

1. Every recipe we did from this book has turned out perfect and tasty. Usually I am skeptic when I see a cookbook with so many beautiful pictures. But my concern was misplaced.
   
   Another thing is that while the recipes are tasty they are not too hot. My wife and I really love this book!