Customer Reviews

The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic Home Cooking from Patagonia to Rio De Janeiro, With 450 Recipes (NYM Series)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have discovered, through reading this book, a renewed love for my South American culture that has been long left behind. I came to this country 15 years ago and ever since then have been longing for the exotic tastes which i so vividly remember from my birthplace of Venezuela. I recently came across this book after hearing continuous praise from my many South American friends who have bought and fallen in love with Maria Baez Kijac's delicious recipes and well written historical tidbits relating to South America. I recomend The South American Table to anyone who is looking to discover something new about the South American culture and also to those looking for the delectable and exquisite recipes found in this wonderful book.

I am thrilled with this book. Here are 3 recepies I tried for our Spanish dinner party at home last week, which was a real success!
The "Torta Pascualina de Verduras" or Vegetable Pie worked out great since I was able to make it the day before. Everyone loved its taste, texture, and richness in color. It was the perfect dish for our vegetarian neighbors!
The "Papas Chorreadas" or Potatoes with Tomatoe and Cheese Sauce are absolutely delicious. This was my husband's favorite dish that evening.
"The Pechugas de Pollo al Cilantro" or Chicken Breasts with Cilantro Sauce were excellent and very easy to prepare.
I like this book so much that I have ordered 5 of them to give to my closest friends as Chistmas presents.

World cuisine is with us, and here is excellent volume to enter into world of SA cuisine. Helpful is the opening chapter which delves into the geography and food history of this continent.

Grouping of recipes follow into normal categories of appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, etc.

Especially fond of Quinoa Soup with Pork, made with delicious peanut puree with milk finish. Also, the Uruguayan Beef Stew with Vegetables and Fruit is tasty offering which utilizes fruit in this savory dish.

Excellent section on Basics and Essential Methods as well as Source recommendations and a unique "Dictionary of South American Ingredients" which provides chart of english, spanish/portuguese and scientific names.

This book is a really good voyage into the art of South American cooking. The text talking about traditions and the culture in general is very informative and interesting. I bought this product because I read that the book had pictures - I prefer cookbooks that show photos of the recipes - and this book has zero photos of the recipes. I was a little disappointed. Just wanted to make sure that no one else bought the book without knowing this fact. I have tired a few recipes and they are very good, it's just the lack of pictures that bothered me. Happy cooking!

I recently took this book out on loan from my local libary, but love it so much, I'm going to buy a copy for myself. I am half-Colombian and grew up in New York where South American cuisine, particularly Colombian, was plentiful (from homecooked, family meals to countless restaurants in Queens). I've been living in California for ten years and often long for an authentic sancocho, platanos, arepas, empanadas, aji piques, etc, but have never had any luck. Now, with these recipes and the wonderfully informative glossary of South American ingredients - and where to get them - I can make the meals I love so much myself and discover so many others. I especially enjoyed the brief history of the South American cuisine.

An elaborated acomplishment it deserves praise for such an acomplishment. A great reference and guide to foods from Latin America. Maria Kijac presents a complete and extense set of recipe with simplicity.
Definetly a must for the food lover that likes to cook every day something nutritious and diferent.

So far the best recipe book ever made for the Hispanic Market

I just bought this book today and have yet to cook from it (hence holding off on the 5th star) but this is what I was looking for in a South American cookbook. While others may give a brief intro about a dish, Ms. Kijac gives several pages of history and background that really helps one understand this cuisine. The book is so well-researched that one can see it was truly a labor of love. The food glossary is a big bonus! My only criticism is that each recipe is not associated with its country of origin.

This book is way more than just the very best cook book of Latin American food...it's a short history of South America. From the time I opened it, I could not stop reading until I got to the end of the South America background information. I am from Venezuela and loved ALL the recipes. The lack of pictures is not a big deal at all, because the words are totally descriptive. Now that I have this book, I don't see the need for any other.

The South American Table contains authentic flavorful recipes from South America.

Maria Baez Kijac is a food writer, cooking instructor and culinary historian. She was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador and spent 15 years researching this book.

Coming from a native of South American and currently living in the United States, Baez Kijac knows what we are missing in our lives - genuine South American foods! Having lived in South America myself, I see that South American food is gaining in popularity but is still under-recognized. This cookbook helps people enjoy a variety of dishes without focusing too greatly on one area of the continent.

Her recipes are easy-to-follow and extremely flavorful! I was happy to see some of my favorites in here too!

If you enjoyed "The Book of Latin American Cooking" by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, then you will love "The South American Table" by Maria Baez Kijac!

Before picking up this cookbook I had little familiarity with South American cooking. I had rarely eaten it in a restaurant, let alone made it. This cookbook made it very approachable to start cooking South American food. It gives you all the details on ingredients, methods, and traditions you need to be successful. Best of all the recipes are well written and turn out impeccably. I picked up this cookbook for the arepa recipes which were fantastic. I made the Arepas Rellenas con Guiso de Carne (Stuffed Arepas from Venezuela) using the Masa de Arepa (Basic Arepa Dough) that is also in this cookbook. They were absolutely fantastic and definitely are on my 'to repeat' list. Among the other delicious recipes I have tried have been the Chucula/Masato (Ripe Plantain and Milk Drink) and Sopa de Zanahoria (Paraguyan Carrot and Cheese Soup). I also have even more recipes on my to try list like the Chicken Breasts with Cilantro Sauce, Humita en Cacerola, Potatoes with Spicy Cheese Sauce, the Hot Quinoa Drink and more. I appreciate that none of the recipes seem 'Americanized' and yet are sure to appeal to a broad range of preferences.

The bottom line is that a fanastic cookbook that will help you turn out great home cooking-style South American meals even if you have never cooked anything from the region before. It's right up there with some of my favorite cookbooks on international cuisine like World Vegetarian Classics and Mexico One Plate At A Time. Highly recommended!