The Cuban table : a celebration of food, flavors, and history

The Cuban table A celebration of food, flavors, and history

Ana Sofia Pelaez

Book - 2014

"The Cuban Table is a comprehensive, contemporary overview of Cuban food, recipes and culture as recounted by serious home cooks and professional chefs, restaurateurs and food writers. Cuban-American food writer Ana Sofia Pelaez and award-winning photographer Ellen Silverman traveled through Cuba, Miami and New York to document and learn about traditional Cuban cooking from a wide range of authentic sources. Cuban home cooks are fiercely protective of their secrets. Content with a private kind of renown, they demonstrate an elusive turn of hand that transforms simple recipes into bright and memorable meals that draw family and friends to their tables time and again. More than just a list of ingredients or series of steps, Cuban cooks&#...039; tricks and touches hide in plain sight, staying within families or being passed down in well-worn copies of old cookbooks largely unread outside of the Cuban community. Here you'll find documented recipes for everything from iconic Cuban sandwiches to rich stews with Spanish accents and African ingredients, accompanied by details about historical context and insight into cultural nuances. More than a cookbook, The Cuban Table is a celebration of Cuban cooking, culture and cuisine. With stunning photographs throughout and over 110 deliciously authentic recipes this cookbook invites you into one of the Caribbean's most interesting and vibrant cuisines. "--

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Subjects
Cooking, Cuban.
Cookbooks.
Genres
Cookbooks
Published
New York : St. Martin's Press November 2014.
Language
English
Main Author
Ana Sofia Pelaez (author)
Edition
First edition
Item Description
Includes index.
Physical Description
xi, 323 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781250036087
  • View from the bakery window
  • Sitting around the lunch counter
  • Soups and stews
  • Beans, rice, and eggs
  • Chicken, beef, and pork
  • Fish and seafood
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Sweets and desserts
  • Cocktails.
Review by Booklist Review

Cuban food is rich in flavor and history, and this home-cooking-focused Cuban-cuisine primer doesn't skimp on either. The book, with museum-worthy photography from Ellen Silverman, highlights staples such as the Cuban sandwich, flan, and ropa vieja, along with lesser-known dishes like cornmeal stew with crab, and stuffed pot roast. Each one of the more than 100 recipes in the book, from baked goods to soups to main dishes as well as desserts and cocktails, is preceded by an anecdote about its origins. The book's author and photographer traveled through Cuba, Miami, and New York City during their research, and the book packed with tricks for home cooks is testament to their thorough reporting. A seat at this table will be a welcome one for those who grew up eating and preparing Cuban food as well as those who are curious and ready to learn about it.--Lalley, Heather Copyright 2014 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Starred Review. From Pelaez, the woman behind the popular blog Hungry Sofia, comes this heartfelt tribute to Cuban cuisine. Ushering readers into the homes and restaurants of some of the country's best cooks, Pelaez clearly and concisely demonstrates the depth and breadth of Cuban cuisine with flavor-packed recipes such as a creole fried chicken, a show-stopping riff on a classic centered around chicken steeped in a sour orange marinade; potaje de garbanzos , a rich chickpea stew; and classics like escabeche , ropa vieja , and the Cuban sandwich. Silverman's crisp photos highlight the dishes themselves as well as the people who make them, giving readers an even deeper appreciation of Cuban cuisine and culture. A patient and detailed tutor, Pelaez thoughtfully guides cooks through the sometimes lengthy process of creating their own sausages and the perfect pork rinds (the key is removing the top layer of fat) in addition to discussing how to make the best toothsome desserts like cappuccino cake, coconut and almond candy cones, and rum-laced Cuban ice creams before closing with recipes for cocktails like daiquiris and mojitos. Cooks will want to add this immersive and inspirational book to their collection. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Starred Review. Food writer Pelaez's (hungrysofia.com) and photographer Silverman's passion for Cuban cooking leaps off the page, and their new cookbook the fruit of travel and research in Cuba, Miami, and New York is bursting with exotic and enticing words and tastes. Recipes gathered from home cooks, chefs, and restaurateurs aren't always familiar, but they're easy to imagine and savor. Flaky butter and lard pastries stuffed with guava paste; mango and papaya marmalades; croquettes studded with diced ham and pickles; beef braised with allspice, cloves, and spearmint these and other dishes will inspire any reader who loves good food to take on new ingredients and techniques (some helpfully explained in a glossary and resource list). VERDICT Let's hope Pelaez and Silverman undertake more collaborations. Their thorough and respectful treatment of their subject results in a compelling cookbook that conveys a strong sense of place. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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