TACKLING so large and complex a
subject as Latin American-influenced cooking in
But Himilce Novas and
Rosemary Silva have managed to do it with skill and elan in their new book,
''Latin American Cooking Across the
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.
