Daisy Cooks: Latin Flavors That Will Rock Your World (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Martinez serves up a jazzy tie-in to her new public television cooking show of the same name, and while the subtitle's claim that the recipes within will "rock your world" is pure hyperbole, Martinez does offer a decent introduction to Latin "soul food." The overly chirpy tone can feel cloying, yet Martinez succeeds in demystifying staples of Latin cooking. Starting with important such basics as Sofrito (a blend of onions, peppers, tomatoes and herbs that adds "zing" to dishes), Achiote Oil (which also adds a "quick kick") and Recaito (a Sofrito-like seasoning, sans the color and extra liquid), she moves on to tapas, soups, meats, vegetables, starches and desserts. Recipes for the truly cooking-impaired (e.g., Guacamole, Black Beans, Basic White Rice) are unnecessary, but exotic dishes like Breadfruit Tostones (twice-fried crispy chips), Sole Baked in a Banana Leaf, and Stuffed Flank Steak are welcome. Health-conscious readers, beware: this cuisine is laden with animal products, carbs and things fried and refried, and Martinez admits to leaning toward too-large portions, which she calls "Daisy Servings." Still, anyone new to Latin classics like Paella, Ropa Vieja, and Dulce de Leche should find plenty of motivation within these colorful pages. Photos. (Sept.)
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Product Description

Julia Child introduced us to French cooking. Lidia Bastianich introduced us to Italian cooking. Now Daisy Martinez will introduce all of America to Latin cooking-her way. In a country where salsa now outsells ketchup, Daisy Martinez is out on a mission to change the way we cook. In her new cookbook, a tie-in to her public television show, Daisy introduces us to the mouthwatering meals of her Latin ancestry-and not just to the pork, beans, rice, and burritos many people associate with Latino culture. Here are Stuffed Yucca Fritters, Peruvian Minestrone, and Braised Chicken with Figs, to name just a few. By combining the delicious flavor of Latino cultures with ingredients available in any kitchen, Daisy shows us how to -daisy-fy+ regular meals and turn them into something extraordinary.Divided into twelve chapters such as Turnovers and Tamales, Appetizers and Little Bites, Soups and One-Bowl Meals, and Chicken, Duck, and Turkey, and filled with more than 200 recipes and color photographs throughout, this is a cookbook that will introduce a new culinary star.Special features in the book include: l-Daisy+s Top Ten: palate-rocking staple dishes and condiments that will expand your repertoire.l-Daisy+s Corner: a series of essays about the intersection of food, family, and culture.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (September 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401301606
• ISBN-13: 978-1401301606
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,057 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It actually did rock my world!, October 11, 2005

By	Sparkle Reed "smartmouth" (MILWAUKEE, WI USA) - See all my reviews

I do agree with some of the reviewers that Daisy can be somewhat perky and annoying in her television show - but every time I watched it, I found myself salivating over those dishes. I anxiously awaited this book, thinking about all the things I would make - especially the homemade sofrito as I was sick of buying the frozen stuff at my local bodega.

I was not disappointed! This book is gorgeous to look at - nice pictures of the food and Daisy's beautiful family. And the recipes are not hard at all. I have been cooking away like a fiend - recreating many of the recipes featured on her PBS show. No one here has been unhappy - or hungry since! The sofrito recipe makes all that frozen stuff appear flavorless! We especially enjoyed the Chicken Diablo recipe - really amazing! Daisy DOES rock!

59 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Daisy! As always, doing her thang!, September 23, 2005

By	Deborah M. Hons "LoveMyBooks" (Ronkonkoma, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a fan of Daisy's since they began showing her cooking show this summer on PBS. She is a real person, cooking real food to those of us familiar to traditional hispanic cusuine. As another reviewer said, they are not extraordinary recipies but they all have a Daisy-fied flare and are not typical to most non-hispanics. You will learn new spins on old dishes and if you watch the syndicated program, you know that Daisy does it all from the heart. She is awesome and so is this book! :)

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a try, October 6, 2005

By	Joanne "Gotta Eat, Gotta Cook" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

Unlike another reviewer, I find Daisy a joy to watch and listen to. She is passionate about her cooking and not 'over the top' as some TV cooks are where you need to press the "mute" button to deal with it! I, too, tried her 'Grandma's pork chops' b/c they seemed the simplest one to get started with and they were...not to mention absolutely delicious. The marinade made them tender and moist just like she said it would; and they had such a great caramelized appearance, you ate them with your eyes before taking a bite. Hands down though, if you buy this book for her "yellow rice" recipe alone, it's worth the price of admission. It is so incredibly flavorful and delicious, I never would have thought a rice recipe would have brought me to my knees. I get WOWS everytime I serve it to someone new--even my Latina daughter in law! I find this book serves the purpose (for this "Italian girl") of offering up to me the basics of another culture's dishes that are new to me to make; and in the process, it demystifies it. Being a passionate cook myself, I like using new ingredients I never would have used before yet see all the time...tomatillos, yucca, chorizo, etc.. We all eyeball these items regularly in the produce dept with a feeling of reservation, not knowing what we would ever do with them, so we leave them behind. Now it's time to use some of those neglected items and 'test drive'them. I appreciate her teaching in the book the flavor bases of many Latin dishes...sofrito, recaito, etc...similar to the pestos and tomato sauces that are common in Italian cuisine, (of which we couldn't live without). To learn about and use some of the different Latin spices, vegetables, meats, etc.--this is what makes cooking an exploration that's educational and fun. Chapters are easily organized and the book is easy to use. Although it's impossible to cook everything in any one cookbook, there is enough here in all categories of food (soups, one pot meals, vegetable side dishes, snacks, etc) that anyone should find appealing enough to experiment with...and isn't that what cooking is all about anyway?