Customer Reviews

Eating Cuban: 120 Authentic Recipes from the Streets of Havana to American Shores

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

"Eating Cuban" will probably spend more time on your coffee table than in your kitchen -- the pictures are just gorgeous. I've never been to Cuba, but the photographer, who evidently spent a lot of time there, makes it look like a real paradise. Most of the recipes look pretty complex, although the pictures are very appetizing showing Cuban food in abundance.

The book includes many of the Cuban standards that I've seen lately in several other Cuban cookbooks, including 2004's "Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban." Many of the Nuevo-Latino recipes that are included here look interesting, although they do tend to lean to the gourmet side of the Cuban food spectrum. Scholars will appreciate the fact that the book features a lot of encyclopedic background information on food origins and the various dishes.

The author even includes a list of restaurants in Cuba for Canadian and European travelers who are allowed to tour there. The stunning photos of this incredible island nation make "Eating Cuban" a worthy addition to your coffee table collection.

Also recommended: "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban."

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.

I could not put this book down. It's very very good for everyday cooking. Not ultra fancy and full of exotic ingredients and techniques. Very subtle guidance as to how to layer and build a Cuban dish which combines delicate and hearthy ingredients such as tubers. It organizes the layers and cooking times and makes it all work effortlesly. I can totally cook 80 maybe 90 percent of the recipes without much effort or thought on my part. And they are delicious and simple to make.

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

I've been teaching how to cook Cuban food for over 10 years now, and this is easily one of the best cookbooks in my collection.

I'm honestly confused by the reviews stating that the meals included in this cookbook aren't authentic. There are traditional recipes for dishes like:

* Boliche (Cuban pot roast)
* Moros y Cristianos (black beans & rice)
* Tostones & fried plantains
* Ropa Vieja
* Cuban shakes & cocktails
* Beef Picadillo
* Cuban Bread

The chapter on street food alone is worth its weight in gold, it's filled with recipes for plenty of meals you can find in Havana today. You get the full breakdown on how to prepare Cuban sandwiches, croquettes, Cuban hamburgers, and even papas rellenas (meat-stuffed potato balls).

One of the best aspects of this cookbook is that the authors often include a historical background for some of the dishes, or how they fit into the Cuban dining experience. The photos of completed dishes as well as scenery in Cuba are gorgeous, and worth the price of the book alone.

This is a terrific cookbook, filled with recipes for Cuban dishes that range from classic to obscure. If you enjoy Caribbean cooking, definitely add this one to your collection.

I received this cookbook and cannot put it down. I cannot wait to try some of the recipes this weekend. The format of the pictures and the stories of country that we do not have access to in the U.S. is really something. Thanks to the authors for a super job.
C. Cameron
Crawfordville, Florida

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.