Turn your kitchen into an authentic Cuban cocina with these flavorful tropical recipes.
"This book is meant to preserve for future generations the rich culinary tradition of a people, and to reflect the best of my two worlds: the Cuba of the 1950s, when I was a child, and our Hispanic presence in today's America," writes Roque in the introduction. Mission accomplished. With recipes ranging from the traditional (croquettes and empanadas) to the exotic (homemade baby food with tropical ingredients and Cuban candies), the author’s guide to all things Cuban also features family favorites and long-kept kitchen secrets. Not just a step-by-step guide, Roque’s book is full of warm, cozy kitchen lore, both personal and historical. When offering the recipe for Cuban American Hamburgers, the author writes, “We all had to speak English at the table when my mom had cooked American hamburgers.” When instructing readers in the fine art of tamale making, the author traces tamales through the ages—from their origins among the native Ciboney people to their modern incarnation as popular street food. The author begins with lists of equipment and pantry essentials and also provides a list of resources for home cooks in search of ingredients or tools. Helpful tips for a variety of kitchen quandaries, such as how to use leftovers, debone fish or store a suckling pig overnight, can be found throughout Roque’s spirited guide to Cuban cuisine and culture. A spicy mélange of Cuban and Cuban-American cuisine.
Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-71196-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
