An evocative feast for all the senses, A Taste of Old Cuba combines a Cuban expatriate's charming and vivid memories of a childhood on the idyllic island before Castro's revolution with more than 150 recipes for delicious, authentic, and traditional Cuban dishes.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
When reading de O'Higgins's first cookbook, evocative prose seems to bring a distant Cuba back to life. Thanks to a lifelong love of Cuban food and devotion to her extended family, O'Higgins never lost touch with her Caribbean roots: she was raised there in the 1920s and '30s. With a sensibility that is responsive to both the flavors of food and the feelings that accompany meals remembered, the writer lets readers understand the myriad of influences that have formed Cuban cuisine. From her Catalan grandmother came recipes for cocido and sopa de ajos-classic Spanish soups. From her father, sportsman and bon vivant, came recipes for rabbit stews and lisa frita, or black mullet fish, pan-fried in olive oil and lime juice. Dried shrimp, a staple of the Chinese immigrants who settled in Cuba, makes a Cuban-style fried rice when blended with saffron, Valencia rice and pimentos. The 150 recipes O'Higgins collected and tested are clear and accessible, with prefaces that both entertain and inform the cook, making the book a worthwhile addition to the cookbook lover's library. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Lluria de O'Higgins grew up in Cuba during the 1920s and 1930s, and her food memoir offers a look at a bygone culture as well as recipes for classic Cuban specialties. Because the author's family was rich for the early part of her life but thereafter relatively poor, she draws on a broader range of experiences-including both elaborate meals and simpler ones (she fondly describes some favorite dishes as "declasse")-than Mary Urrutia Randelman in Memories of a Cuban Kitchen (LJ 10/15/92). Her well-written text provides a vivid picture of her early life, and the recipes are indeed authentic. Joyce LaFray's Cuba Cocina (LJ 6/16/94) showcases today's Cuban American cuisine; Lluria de O'Higgins fills in the background. For most collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 58 people found the following review helpful
By D. Vazquez
Format:Hardcover
I cannot tell how much I love this book. When i first bought it i took it to my grandmother to share it with her. She got misty eyed reading it, she said that it reminded her of her mother cooking for her and her 11 brothers & sisters in Cuba - there were recipes in the book that she had not had since she left Cuba in the 60s. When she passed, she took some of the best cooking with her. The book gives me recipes that taste exactly the way i remember them - never fails. The following Christmas i bought 9 copies for my family's 3rd generation women so that we don't forget, and have since bought several more as gift whenever the subject of good Cuban recipes has come up. Buy the book, i promise you won't need anything else!
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I first read this book at a Library and enjoyed so that I took it out a second time. To a person who knows cuban food, this book is the portal to paradise. The recipies are authentic and are written very clearly and very easy to understand. I lived in Matanzas and Varadero during the 50s and the reminiscenses are true. I enjoyed this book tremendously and I will recommend it to many of my friends. It would be great if translated to spanish. A lot of people that live in Miami who came to the US from Cuba do not speak english.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you are looking for authentic Cuban recipe's, then this is the book for you.Having been raised in a Cuban household I grew up with just these kinds of foods. But alas I never did pay attention to the actual cooking,now that I have my own family, I needed and wanted these recipe's, but all previous book's I purchased were a big disappointment,they all missed the mark when it came to the authentic taste of my abuelas(grandma's) cooking! Finally I came across Mrs,Lluria De O'Higgins book and I am delighted to report that these are the recipe's I recall from my childhood. From the arroz con pollo to the paella all are truly wonderful!! Thank You Mrs, O'Higgins, I now have something to pass on to my own daughter!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Neposistic Review :)
This wonderful evocative book was authored by my late aunt of whom I only have the loveliest memories. It's a fine cookbook enhanced by flavourful anecdotes and social history. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Juan P. Lluria
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Simple to follow recipes, easy to find ingredients, don't take to much time. Nice family and friend history.
Best book on the market.
Best book on the market.
Published 7 months ago by Miguel J. Lluria
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Taste of Home
I was looking for a cuban cookbook to take with me to Ohio when I left Florida for grad school. One of four girls, my older sister was taught how to cook, but I wasn't. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Rocky Encalada
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Highly recommended book it contains traditional recipes from Cuba. Easy to understand home made Cuban cooking, already tried several recipes. A most for an amateur chef.
Published 20 months ago by Misu
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Ten Star Book, Tuned Like A Ferrari
To me this book truly is a Ferrari-like experience: tight, tuned, sublime.
I have been getting consistent raves for years for "my" Ropa Vieja (which is funny to me,... Read more
I have been getting consistent raves for years for "my" Ropa Vieja (which is funny to me,... Read more
Published 21 months ago by M. M. Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars
simply the best
Simply the best, classiest, most evocative, accurate and entertaining book about Cuba and its traditional cuisine. Genuinely historical and biographical in scope and texture. Read more
Published 21 months ago by eduardo gonzalez
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cuban Memories
My husband is of Cuban decent but can never return to his home land. I purchased this book for myself and my children so they can sample the tastes their father grew up enjoying.
Published on December 31, 2010 by Fran1950
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just Like Abuela's...
All I can really say about this cookbook is that it makes me cook like my grandmother does and that is saying a lot. Read more
Published on October 20, 2009 by Miss Laura
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Taste of Old Cuba
This is a wonderful book, I keep it at my side when I am cooking Cuban Food.
Easy instructions and preparations of foods with great tasting results. Read more
Easy instructions and preparations of foods with great tasting results. Read more
Published on March 27, 2009 by Jenny C.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid and authentic
She provides accurate information on the life and eating habits of Cubans. Solid recipes
Published on April 20, 2007 by Hypathia
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