A TASTE OF CUBA

Creen is not Cuban-American herself, but she has come to know the cuisine from visiting Miami homes and restaurants, and here she offers a full range of recipes, from sweet and zippy appetizers and party foods to various Cuban coffees and rum drinks, along with background notes and a guide to such ingredients as malanga, green and ripe coconut, green and ripe plantains, side pork, and yucca. Most of the recipes seem to be imported whole from Cuba, though some also feature conch, adopted by Florida Cubans (and available frozen elsewhere), or a Florida-American corn-and-orange stuffing for the Christmas suckling pig. Overall, the food is distinctive, hearty, and uncomplicated, less spicy than much Latin American fare, and appropriate for festive occasions and everyday meals. (One question: Do Cubans really stir their rice while it's cooking? If so, they are breaking everybody else's rule.)