Viva la Vida: Festive Recipes for Entertaining Latin-Style [Paperback]

Rafael Palomino (Author), Arlen Gargagliano (Author), Susie Cushner (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

Spicy shrimp ceviche, smoky steak with mole, refreshing mint mojitos, creamy dulce de leche...nothing says fiesta like Viva la Vida. This eclectic and colorful cookbook collects 100 mouthwatering recipes from all points south-Cuba to Colombia and beyond. From fiery salsas and dips to intensely flavored grilled or roasted meats to sinfully sweet desserts, Viva la Vida highlights simple yet special dishes guaranteed to liven up any fiesta latina. A source list and glossary offer readers a helpful hand in understanding and finding unusual ingredients. Stunning color photographs showcase the irresistible dishes and exotic drinks that will be the focal point of any gathering. With Viva la Vida, the theme of every party is always "long live life."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What to feed dinner quests? This too-often-recurring question is answered with inspiration by Viva la Vida: Festive Recipes for Entertaining Latin Style. The work of Colombian-born Manhattan chef Rafael Palomino and writer Arlen Gargagliano, the book showcases recipes that reflect Palomino's mixed cooking heritage--South American, French, and nuevo Latino, the cuisine of his New York City restaurant Sonora. His 90-plus recipes, for dishes ranging from salsas, dips, sides, and main dishes to drinks and desserts, are sophisticated yet down to earth--and easy to prepare. Hosts-to-be will welcome dishes like Ecuadorian Shrimp with a Chipotle-Citrus Marinade and Chicken Brochettes in a Mango Barbecue Sauce, and will also want to try Palomino's more casual pork and cheddar Midnight Sandwich or Chimichurri Lamb Chops.

Palomino knows his ingredients and how to combine them mouthwateringly, without fuss or eccentricity--not always the case with chefs' recipes. Want a surefire starter? Palomino's Black Bean, Corn, and Shrimp Quesadillas or his orange- and lime-juice-cured Tuna and Avocado Ceviche offer palate-whetting thrills. Main dishes like Sonora's Seared Salmon with Creamy Pepper Sauce or Sweet and Sour Long Island Duck Breasts with Mashed Plantains and Potatoes are equally exciting. Among other dishes, Argentine Hamburgers, made with a tangy chimichurri, garlic oil, cheese, and avocado, work beautifully for everyday eating. Palomino's pleasingly eclectic approach is also evident in desserts such as Peruvian Doughnuts and Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Guava Sauce. With drink accompaniments like Cuban Mint Cocktail, serving suggestions, and ingredient glossary, the color-illustrated book is a true you'll-cook-from-it winner. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly

Nuevo Latino cooking is still waiting for its breakthrough cookbook, and while this effort from Palomino (Bistro Latino) and writer Gargagliano lacks the heft needed to serve as a thorough exploration, it does open up new territory with fun, straightforward recipes. Palomino is a native of Colombia, but he has an enthusiasm for all the cuisines of Latin America, from chunky Palomino's Guacamole from Mexico to Sparky Peruvian Potato Salad with mangos and corn. He offers some appealing fusion, too, in the form of Asian Ceviche with soy sauce and rice vinegar and Tuna and Chipotle Burgers that he suggests be served at a Super Bowl party. As user-friendly as this book is, with its brightly colored layout and clearly written recipes, it does require some hard-to-find ingredients, like the malanga required to make Sea Scallops with a Malanga Crust and the panela (Colombian brown sugar) called for in Roasted Squab with Black Pepper and Panela. However, substitutions are offered, as is a list of mail order sources. Desserts include Fried Spanish Doughnuts with Dulce de Leche Sauce, and Dark Rum and Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, and what could have been a throw-away chapter on drinks is instead a source of all kinds of traditional and nontraditional cocktails such as Cuban Mint Cocktail, Mango and Lemongrass Sangria and Passion Fruit Margarita.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811831841
• ISBN-13: 978-0811831840
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,324,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!, August 28, 2003

By 

"kjohnson353" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viva la Vida: Festive Recipes for Entertaining Latin-Style (Paperback)

Found it while browsing. The pictures are so pretty -not only is the food beautiful for entertaining, the recipes are thoughtfully written out with delightful introductions, the ingredients are fresh, clean, some exciting because they are new (to me) yet easily found and the end result...delicious! These recipes make my family, friends and me HAPPY!
I'm also jumping into another gorgeous book from this team 'Nueva Salsa' mmmmmmm and looking forward to more to come.
Viva La Vida!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious, June 27, 2008

By 

Kay Bee (Brooklyn NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Viva LA Vida: Festive Recipes for Entertaining Latin-Sytle (Paperback)

We had a "Viva la Vida" themed party a while back and used some of the recipes in this book. Fantastic. Everything we prepared received rave reviews.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comments re Cookbook "Viva la Vida", March 22, 2007

By 

Cath Reid "Catt Bellotti" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Viva la Vida: Festive Recipes for Entertaining Latin-Style (Paperback)

Looks great. Fast delivery. Can hardly wait to try them out.