“Where Sybaritic
Cyber Seekers Find Themselves.” ™
©
(Knopf Cooks American)
By Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva
January 7, 1998
By the Book; Yucca Fries and Other
Delights
By AMANDA HESSER
TACKLING so large and complex a subject as Latin
American-influenced cooking in America in a single cookbook seems a nearly
impossible task. But Himilce Novas
and Rosemary Silva have managed to do it with skill and elan
in their new book, ''Latin American
Cooking Across the U.S.A.'' (Alfred
A. Knopf, $27.50).
They've succeeded by offering a book that is a collection of
carefully selected recipes from home cooks and chefs, so that it's much like a
Junior League cookbook -- but with a Latin American bent. Ms. Novas and Ms. Silva crisscrossed the country seeking out
Hispanic neighborhoods, meeting people with varying approaches: some modern,
some traditional.
The recipe headnotes describe the people they met, their own
travels and how a recipe, like chicken soup with yucca, plantains and potatoes,
varies from country to country.They note when a
recipe is an American hybrid, so the reader can distinguish the authentic from
fusion.
The authors don't attempt to draw the big picture -- exactly how
various culinary influences have arrived at a particular dish. But you can
sample the result -- from dog sauce (a Cuban fish stew) to yucca fries to three
milks cake (a cake with condensed milk, evaporated milk and whole milk that
comes from Nicaragua and Costa Rica).
While some of the ingredients require shopping at a Hispanic
market or using sources listed at the back of the book, most of the recipes can
be made with items found at a good supermarket.
North Americans, too often, are burdened by the impression that
south-of-the-border cooking is Mexican and not much else. This book obliterates
that misconception.
THREE MILKS CAKE
Adapted from ''Latin American Cooking
Across the U.S.A.''
Total time: 50 minutes, plus three hours refrigeration time
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups of milk
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon light rum
1 cup heavy cream.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the cake flour and
baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, cream the 1 cup sugar and the butter
with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract, and beat until foamy. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in
the flour mixture in increments, alternating with 1/3 cup milk, until the
batter is smooth. 2. Pour cake batter into a lightly greased cake pan or baking
dish, 7 by 11 by 2 inches, and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when pressed.
Allow cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert onto a
serving platter. Pierce the cake with a fork in many places, and allow it to
cool completely.3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed milk,
evaporated milk, 1 cup milk and rum until well blended. Pour syrup evenly over
the cake a little at a time, until it is saturated; you may not need the entire
amount. Refrigerate, covered in plastic wrap, for at least 3
hours.4. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, whisk the heavy cream
until it begins to thicken. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
extract, and continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, spread the cream over the top and sides of the
cake. Serve, cut into squares.Yield: 10 servings.
LATIN AMERICAN COOKING ACROSS
THE
Food & Wine Magazine's Best of the Best
:
The Best Recipes from the Best Cookbooks of the Year by Food & Wine ed
Hardcover: 352 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.00 x 9.75 x 7.00
·
Publisher: Knopf; ISBN:
0679444084
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
If you've an unquenchable hankering for
Latin American fare--say Cuban Salsa de Perro
(Dog Sauce), Colombian Cazuela de Mariscos (Seafood Stew), or the Haitian confection of
Bananas with Rum Butter Cream--you'd be advised to turn to Latin American
Cooking Across the U.S.A. by Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva. The authors explain the history
of each dish, its typical presentation in its land of origin, and how to go
about preparing it in an American kitchen. It's a wonderful resource for a wide
audience, whether you have Latin American roots and want to cook the meals you
remember from grandma's house, have traveled in Latin America and want to
recreate the dishes you loved on vacation, or merely have a taste for the
cuisine of Latin America and want the option of cooking it up at home. The
authors collected a fine array of recipes--200 in all--a thorough sampling of
soups, appetizers, and salads; entrees with poultry, fish, or meat; various
rice, bean, and vegetable concoctions; plus turnovers, breads, desserts, and
drinks--all versions of traditional dishes culled from individuals living in
the United States so as to translate easily into American home meals. Replete
with family stories and culinary history, the recipes are intriguing to try,
easy to make, and resonate with the various flavors of
Book Description
In the first cookbook to encompass the
full spectrum of Latin American cooking all across America today, Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva
offer 200 enticing recipes that have been drawn from the home kitchens of
Americans with roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Brazil, Argentina,
Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, and nearly every other corner of
Latin America.
Spicy, colorful, and full of surprises, Latin flavors are the latest rage with
Nuevo Latino chefs from
For starters, Novas and Silva give us luscious
Chilled Roasted Sweet Red Pepper and Coconut Soup or Orange-Scented Roasted
Pumpkin Soup and appetizers known as antojitos
("little whims")--Bayamo's Fried Wontons
with Chorizo and Chiles or a Costa Rican Black Bean and Bacon Dip.
For main courses, there are hearty delights like Piri
Thomas's Chicken Asopao or a Heavenly Potato Pie with
Minced Beef, Raisins, and Olives.
Center stage in many a meal are the rice and bean dishes with countless
delicious variations on the theme, like Gallo pinto, Red Kidney Beans and Rice,
and "Jamaican coat of arms", also called Rice and Peas (which are
actually small red beans).
And to satisfy the Latin appetite any time of day, also included here is a rich
array of tamales, empanadas, and other turnovers, like Little
From Cristina, the Cuban American talk show hostess in Miami, to U.S.
Representative Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas, from film producers and opera
singers to young students and grandmothers, the authors have gathered, along
with the family recipes and their origins, stories of the past and of the good
times celebrated in America. Novas and Silva also
offer invaluable information on Latin American chiles,
on the earthy appeal of plantains and tubers like yuca
and taro, and on other special foods that give these dishes their unique
character, along with mail-order sources for hard-to-get ingredients.
An exuberant one-of-a-kind cookbook that will add a new dimension to the
American table.
Ingram
Latino flavors are the latest rage from
About the Author
Himilce Novas is a novelist, poet,
playwright, historian, and radio commentator. She has written for the New York
Times, the Christian Science Monitor, Connoisseur, and Cuisine, and is also the
author of four previous books and the host of a popular
Rosemary Silva is a teacher and the author of two previous books. A gifted
cook, she spent many summers perfecting her craft at her mother's restaurant in
Latin American Cooking Across the USA by Himilce Novas
and
Rosemary Silva (Knopf, $27.50). This book represents the development of Latin
American cooking in the United States. The authors interviewed immigrants from
26 Latin American countries, from Mexico to Brazil to Costa Rica. Each
recipe includes a detailed introduction that makes you want to go into the kitchen
now and start cooking. While there are a few expected recipes (guacamole,
flan), there are many others that surprise and entice, such as tropical duck
with pineapple sauce.
Customer Reviews
Avg. Customer Review: 
Write an online review and share your thoughts
with other customers.
THE BEST AND MOST DELICIOUS RECIPES! WHAT
A GIFT!,
Reviewer:
GAIL JENKS from
THIS BOOK IS A KEEPER,
FOREVER AND EVER. I FELT I WAS TRAVELING THE WHOLE HEMISPHERE WITHOUT LEAVING
MY BED! NOT ONLY ARE THE RECIPES DIFFERENT, IMPRESSIVE AND EASY TO PREPARE,
THIS BOOK IS A TREASURE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY ABOUT THE MANY LATINO GROUPS
WITHIN OUR OWN
A great resource for Latin American
cookery!,
Reviewer:
Marya from
This book features a wide
variety of recipes from across the spectrum of Latin American cookery,
including contributions by notables Celia Cruz, Cristina Saralegui
and others.
Our favorites have been the "Latin from
There are also interesting
side articles such as "How Jamaican beef patties came to be sold in
A great resource for the
novice or experienced cook!
La Buena Mesa (Latin American Cooking
across the U. S.): La Autentica Cocina
Latinoamerica En Los Estados
Unidos
From the Publisher
El primer libro
de cocina que presenta la gran variedad de platos latinoamericanos tal y como se preparan
en los Estados Unidos hoy
en dia.
Himilce Novas y
Rosemary Silva ofrecen 200 deliciosas
recetas proveidas por familias norteamericanas
con raices mexicanas, puertorriquefias, cubanas, jamaiquinas, brasilenas, argentinas, chilenas, peruanas, colombianas, guatemaltecas, y de casi todos los rincones de America
Latina.
Sabrosos, vistosos y llenos de sorpresas, los platos "nuevo latinos" son la ultima moda en restaurantes famosos desde Nueva York hasta
Los Angeles. Con este libro,
lo que parece exotico y dificil de cocinar se convierte en manjares maravillosos que cualquier cocinera
o cocinero puede preparar facilmente en casa.
— Para comenzar, las autoras nos ofrecen
sopas exquisitas, como la Sopa fria
de pimientos colorados y coco, o Sopa
de calabaza con aroma de naranja,
asi como sabrosisimos antojitos como los Wontons fritos con
chorizo, chile y queso
Monterey Jack a la Bayamo o Frijoles molidos costarricenses.
— Los platos principales incluyen el Asopao de pollo Piri Thomas y el Pastel de
papas celestial, entre otras creaciones
fabulosas caseras.
— Entre la gran variedad de platos
de arroz con frijoles se destacan
El gallo pinto, preparado
con arroz y frijoles colorados,
igual que el plato jamaiquino Jamaican Coat of
Arms (arroz con frijoles colorados).
Tambien nos ofrecen una elegante
variedad de tamales, empanadas y otros
sabrosos rellenos para satisfacer el apetito latino a cualquier hora del dia — entre ellos, las deliciosas Empanadas de camaron brasileno-americano.
Cristina,
la anfitriona famosa del
Show de Cristina, el congresista HenryB.
Gonzalez, entre otras muchas
personalidades y extraordinarios
cocineros, cantantes famosos, autores, abuelas y jovenes estudiantes, comparten sus recetas favoritas
en este libro. De la misma manera, Himilce
Novas y Rosemary Silva, las
autoras, aportan sus codiciadas recetas familiares, y a la vez cuentan la historia y la preparacion de los chiles frescos y secos, los platanos tropicales, la yuca, el taro y otras frutas y vegetales, y donde conseguirlos aqui en los Estados Unidos.
Este es un libro unico que
le anade una nueva dimension a la mesa americana.
From The
Critics
Library Journal
With the increasing popularity of Latin American cuisine, it's about time that
someone published a book on the subject. Novas and
Silva (coauthors of Remembering Selena, St. Martin's, 1995) offer more than 200
home-cooked recipes handed down from mothers to daughters, plus examples of
more innovative new cuisines that display the great culinary diversity of
Hispanic American cultures. All explained in a clear, easy-does-it way, the
recipes cover such dishes as arepas, pan de jamn, tres leches,
tamales, and pisco agrio.
Interesting and useful culinary lore and legends surrounding each dish round
out the text. Recommended for public libraries. Ondina
Arrondo
Pupusas: El Salvador's Comfort Food
AMAZON.COM LISTING OF BOOKS BY HIMILCE NOVAS
AND BOOKS WHERE HIMILCE OF HER BOOKS ARE REFERENCED
THINGS TO DO FOR LATINO HERITAGE MONTH
By Ricardo Parra
LatinoLink
LATINO HERITAGE MONTH
is an action month. Here are some suggestions
to help you get into the spirit of things:
1. Read some good books about Latinos. I
enjoyed "Everything You Need to
Know About Latino History" by Himilce Novas (Penguin Book, New York, 1994-2003). Also, I found
the new book by Augusto Failde and William Doyle,
"Latino Success (Simon and Schuster) full of
insights. There are many fine
2. Energize the day with a cup of Colombian
coffee. Try out the different kinds of coffee, Puerto Rican and Cuban coffees, cafi Mexicano,
and cafi from
3. Take pan dulce
to the office or work to share with your friends.
4. Serenade your friends and co-workers with
Las Maňanitas.
5. Take time to be less in a hurry in order
to pay more attention to our elders and children who need us.
6. Read some Latino magazines such as the
new Latina
Magazine, Hispanic,
and Sm.
7. Catch a good movie featuring Latino
stars. I recently saw Lone Star with Elizabeth Peňa.
It was quite excellent.
8. Give to Hispanic causes and charities
that are working to help the community and youth such as the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
9. Listen to some salsa, Latin Jazz or the Tejano sound.
10. Treat your family and friends to variety
of Latino food this month such as arroz
con pollo, chicken and mole, caldo
de res, fajitas, gandules,
empanadas, tortas or other good stuff.
11. Learn new Latino recipes whether from the Southwest or
other Latino communities.
12. Go to the fiestas and bailes and visit with old friends.
13. Learn some new Latino dances, yes!
14. Dance and encourage your kids to dance in
community fiestas.
15. Learn to play a musical instrument or
play it better.
16. If alcohol is involved in some of this
month's celebrations, know when to say when, or don't even start. There's
nothing wrong with sober celebrations. Help out others and serve as a
designated driver.
17. Regarding fitness and health, learn how
to make some of the Latino recipes with less or no
18. Visit a Spanish speaking country, learn
about your roots but also learn about the roots of other Latinos.
19. Buy a personal computer for you and your
family as this is the gateway to the future for this information age.
20. Learn how to surf the net and visit the
various Latino web sites such a LatinoLink,
Hispanic Online,
or Latino Web.
21. Make it a priority to start setting aside
money to invest in your education and the education of your children. Because
of the changing nature of politics, we cannot rely on the idea that equal
opportunity policies will always be in place to allow us to participate fully
and fairly in the areas of education, employment and business, and therefore,
we must redouble our effort to support self and community empowerment through
education and economics.
22. Stand and deliver. Promote math and
science education in the Latino communities with the fine words of Jaime
Escalante: Ganas! Ganas!
Ganas!
23. Start being mindful to support Latino
businesses whenever and wherever possible.
24. Start volunteering in the community or
rededicate your commitment to do more. Siempre
se puede mas.
25. Learn about issues affecting Latinos like
English only, immigration, affirmative action, welfare reform, education,
youth, violence, drugs, teen pregnancy, and child and spousal abuse.
26. Speak out against immigrant bashing,
prejudice, racism and sexism when you see it occur.
27. Help build solidarity in and among the
Latino communities.
28. Write letters to local newspapers about
Latino issues, and also write about positive efforts, events, and achievements.
29. Serve as a volunteer in English classes
to help immigrants learn English.
30. Help with citizenship drives to aid
immigrants in becoming citizens.
31. Help out with voter registration drives
and vote!
32. Take quiet time for yourself to gather
your thoughts and see if you are paying enough attention to the key areas of
your life: the physical, mental, social and emotional, and the spiritual.
33. Write a poem or a letter to someone you
love.
34. Tell your parents you love them and say a
prayer of thanks.
35. Tell your spouse more often that you love
him or her; he or she needs to hear it more often.
36. Learn how to be a better parent in this
ever changing complex society.
37. Do what is necessary to promote the
health of Latino family unity.
38. Teach the youth the value and
"coolness" of being a peacemaker when it comes to violence in this
"in-your-face world" and how to act in a cool way to "quash
it." Keep the peace. Even if you are treated unjustly by others, never
treat other persons or groups unjustly to even things out.
39. Pass on the best of Latino family values
to your children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, and god children.
40. Give support to fatherless/motherless
Latino families.
41. Learn to become a better role model for
yourself and others.
42. Teach young people to say thank you/Gracias
and Gracias a Dios.
43. Be mindful of those who have lost love
ones or who have been ill, and be caring.
44. Do random acts of kindness for Latinos
and all people in need of kindness and compassion.
45. Learn to grow and appreciate the many
beautiful cultures and rich traditions of others. Avoid being a cultural
chauvinist. Be open to people, experiences and life.
46. Work to help build a diverse,
technologically sophisticated and cosmopolitan society with decent human values
and principles.
The above actions will help us pass on
our traditions and values to our youth and future, la nueva
generacion of the 21st century.
If you eat fajitas, listen to Selena, have studied the Spanish-American
War, read Julia Alvarez, visited Miami, or seen Charlie Sheen in a movie,
you're probably aware that Latino culture is an integral part of American life.
But most Americans do not know much about Latino history, or realize the impact
it has on the politics, economy, and culture of American life. Everything You
Need To Know About Latino History covers the contributions of Spaniards,
Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, and Central and South Americans
whose cultures have given us everything from chocolate to chili peppers, from
mambo to machismo, and from Desi Arnaz
to Oscar Hijuelos. Presented in a question and answer
format, this revised edition includes new information on Central and South
Americans, the largest group of new Latino immigrants, the passing of
Proposition 187 in California, and how Latino women are playing a larger role
in politics and the arts. This accessible reference book is perfect for both
the history buff and the curious reader who want to learn more about Latino
American history.
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