Cuban Flavor
Exploring the Island's Unique Places, People, and Cuisine
Liza Gershman, Mari Aixalá
- 240 Pages
- February 6, 2018
- ISBN: 9781510710122
- Trim Size: 8.5in x 11in x 0in
Description
For Cubans, food is a complex story—a tapestry of love and loss woven so deeply into their culture that it goes well beyond that of history or sustenance. Gershman, who’s love affair with Cuba began long before her first visit, takes you along on a photojournalistic journey through the streets of Cuba and its paladares through her stunning photographs of the country’s glorious sights, the lively people, and, of course, the amazing variety of food.
Much more than a cookbook, Cuban Flavor is an introduction to a revolutionary era of Cuban cuisine: a new frontier. Growth and transition foster the seed of invention and innovation, and these shifts often begin with food. From the succulent spiced meat of the national Ropa Viejo, simmered in a tomato-based criollo sauce, to the sweet and sticky Arroz Con Leche or the local favorite, Flan served in a soda can, Cuban cuisine has something for every palate. Pair these delights with a warm, sultry night, an old convertible, and a jazz band, and sit back as you fall deeply in love again . . . or for the very first time.
This visually arresting volume features more than fifty Cuban recipes, from appetizers to main courses and drinks to desserts. Along with color photographs of the dishes, you’ll also get to meet the people who create them. This remarkable volume offers a taste of the little-known culture to a public that has long been deprived of its intoxicating flavors.
Authors
Mari Aixalá is a creative writer and executive producer of Cuban descent. She has spent the last two decades focused on Cuba and women’s untold stories via AniMari Films. She serves as a board member on the Bacardi Family Foundation as a sixth-generation heir, and she is a sponsor or TEDxHavana. She is presently working on her TV debut series, CUBA LIBRE.
Reviews
—Bill Fink, award-winning travel writer for Lonely Planet, Frommer's BBC, and National Geographic Traveler
"I love cookbooks—and I love them even more when they go beyond the food to include the culture that creates the cuisine, particularly when it’s somewhere as exotic as Cuba. Liza Gershman has masterfully captured the color and excitement of Cuba in her photographs as skillfully as she captured the mouthwatering food. During the first decades of the revolution, the Cuban dining scene left much to be desired. Basic ingredients were difficult to find, supplies were rationed, and the quality was at best mediocre. However, in recent years the proliferation of private restaurants, paladares, has transformed the way people eat. Liza Gershman has got to the soul of Cuba through its food. Cuban Flavor is the next best thing to hopping on a plane to Havana."
—Robert Holmes, recipient of the 2017 Travel Photographer of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers
"Sometimes you pick up a dream disguised as a book. This is such a book. Whether you are an avid world traveler looking for new adventures or a home chef in search of family-pleasing menus, Liza Gershman’s Cuban Flavor pairs the history, traditions, and recipes of the Cuban people with glorious photographs and reminds us that Cuba will always be a dream-worthy destination."
—Rayne Wolfe, author and cookbook stylist
"Much more than a just another ethnic regional cookbook, Cuban Flavor is an introduction to a revolutionary era of Cuban cuisine that ranges from the succulent spiced meat of the national Ropa Viejo, simmered in a tomato-based criollo sauce; to the sweet and sticky Arroz Con Leche; or the local favorite, Flan served in a soda can. Cuban cuisine has something for every palate and this visually arresting culinary compendium showcases more than fifty Cuban recipes, from appetizers to main courses and drinks to desserts. An impressive and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' collection of authentic, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying Cuban dishes suitable for any and all dining occasions, Cuban Flavor is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections."
—Midwest Book Review
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