Home Page

Autobiography / Biography   Travel / Places   Cooking / Food   Other / General

The Latin American Kitchen
by Elisabeth Luard
Laurel Glen
ISBN 1-57145-953-7
Published April 2003 - Hardcover - 240 pages - $27.95

Elisabeth Luard introduces us to the exotic Latin way of cooking with an extensive and interesting explanation at the beginning of her book.  She tells how she came to live in South America as a child.  This is a fascinating book and unlike anything I've seen, as there are food explanations (how it grows, appearance and taste, buying and storing, and medicinal uses) for each fruit or vegetable, along with a recipe or two.  Included is the incredible Squash family, the Avocado, Chiles, Rice 'n Beans, and Meat, Fish, and Poultry sections.  Even the old Tomato gets a mention.  I didn't realize just how many foods were native to South America other than cocoa, vanilla, pineapple, papaya, and chiles.  I was delighted to stumble across a recipe for Banana Bread too!  Interesting to me was the story about the Cape Gooseberry from Peru originally, which was later established as a crop on the Cape of Good Hope by Portuguese colonizers.  So that's how it got its name.  Apart from being a great book of recipes, this is also a wonderful nutritional reference book.  I was drawn to the following recipes to try: Cassava Coconut Cake, Fisherman's Seafood Platter, Mussels with Rice and Coconut Milk, and Potatoes with Cream and Cheese (and Chile).
THE LATIN AMERICAN KITCHEN may be purchased and/or ordered through your local bookstore.
Conclusion - Just a marvellously interesting and practical cookbook as you can probably get most ingredients anywhere these days.