Customer Reviews

Three Generations of Chilean Cuisine

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Im very happy that there is an american published book about chilean food Viva Chile!!! I got in to this page ,cause i was looking for dulce de leche info.Im chilean and live in Manhattan .I cant find it and i would love to know if anyone knows how to get the real thing, not the condensed milk one, the one like my grandmother would do, stirring milk and sugar for a long time.Im happy that more people beyond the Andes is going to be able to enjoy the delectibles from my country through this book.Thanks to the autor and please reply

I AM CHILEAN, AND FOR YEARS MY MOTHER HAS BEEN FOLLOWING RECEIPES PASTED DOWN FROM MY GRANDMOTHER,THRU THIS VERY OLD COOKBOOK, THATS FALLING APART.I'M VERY EXCITED TO GIVE THIS TO HER AS A GIFT, AND FOR ME AS WELL..SINCE THE OLD COOKBOOK IS IN SPANISH AND WAS A LITTLE HARD FOR ME TO FOLLOW ALONG. THANKS AGAIN!

I have found that this cookbook drives me nuts. Many of the recipes call for sauces or spices or marinades that are included in the end of the book. This means I need to flip pages. On top of that, some of the condiments/sauces require additional construction.

Here is an example:
On page 143, Adaso Jugoso, sounds good. Seems simple. But I have to go to page 209 for instructions on Adobo para Asado. On page 209, Adobo para Asado calls for three additional ingredients from other pages: Mostza (page 208), Pasta de Albahaca (page 204-205), Vinagre Aromatico (page 202).

My problem is that since I do not stock all these items, I have to first construct them (timing unknown) and then construct the main recipe.

I would have preferred the recipes to involve less flipping back and forth through the book.

I've been searching for a long time for a book that recaps all of the recipes that I grew up on and never thought to write them all down. It's like being at my grandmother's house all over again.

This is in my opinion, the best Chilean cookbook out there. Period. It's very sad it's been out of print for so long. If you can get it used (as I did) don't hesitate. You will not regret it.

The recipes in this book are very carefully adapted to American ingredients, measurements and taste. Some of them deviate of their original versions by using vegetable shortening instead of lard for example (although lard is coming back big time now that some of its myths have been debunked) or using pumpkin instead of the newly arrived varieties of squash you can get in any supermarket (at least here in Northern California). But don't get me wrong. These are small sins easily forgiven from the perspective of a purist Chilean like me.

A new edition would be great, considering that we live in a much more globalized economy since the time the book was written, and many original Chilean products (not substitutes) can easily be obtained over the Internet.

But I have to say, what I like the most of this book, is the connection that the author makes between food, history and family. These are values that are deeply reflected in our Chilean culture and heritage, and they absolutely need to be understood and considered when preparing a recipe.

Waves of immigration from the Spanish, the Germans, the Italians, the Lebanese and Syrians, the Koreans and recently, Peruvians, Argentinians and other Latin American nations attracted to Chile for its booming economy and political stability, have merged with the deep roots of the original Mapuche inhabitants, bringing their foods and culture for a new melting pot in the South of the world.

Who knows how Chilean food will evolve in the 21st century. What I can say is that this book reflects a more traditional, romantic Chile, as beautifully expressed in Isabel Allende's books. For us expats here in the US, it's an invaluable connection with our home land, while embracing the richness of our new home.

I didn't know if I should cry or jump for joy when I found this cookbook. I am a first generation American who has vivid memories of my grandmother's cooking. She passed away suddenly and unfortunately my mother and aunts were never "the cooks" in the family. Thanks to this cookbook I can now continue the legacy for my own home and hopefully for generations to come.