Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America

by Maricel E. Presilla

Gran Cocina Latina unifies the vast culinary landscape of the Latin world, from Mexico to Argentina and all the Spanish-speaking countries of the Caribbean. In one volume it gives home cooks, armchair travelers, and curious chefs the first comprehensive collection of recipes from this region. An inquisitive historian and a successful restaurateur, Maricel E. Presilla has spent more than thirty years visiting each country personally. She’s gathered more than 500 recipes for the full range of dishes, from the foundational adobos and sofritos to empanadas and tamales to ceviches and moles to sancocho and desserts such as flan and tres leches cake. Detailed equipment notes, drink and serving suggestions, and color photographs of finished dishes are also included. This is a one-of-a-kind cookbook to be savored and read as much for the writing and information as for its introduction to heretofore unrevealed recipes.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Reference, History

912 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genius of Latin American cuisine is how it seamlessly combines the diverse flavors and cooking techniques of five different continents. The native ingredients and flavors of North and South Americas are imbued with the broad influence of European styles, especially Spanish and Portuguese cooking. There is also a distinct influence of west African cuisine, particularly in the Caribbean and northern Brazil. And finally the flavors of East Asia are prominent in some western parts of South America, including a strong Chinese influence in Peruvian cooking.

Latin American cuisine embraces all of this diversity, bringing together so many delicious combinations of flavors across meat and seafood, vegetable and grain dishes, and of course the amazing desserts. Gran Cocina Latina is the most comprehensive compilation of recipes across the whole of Latin America. All regions of Latin America are well represented here, from Mexico and the Caribbean through Central and South Americas. This cookbook is 900 pages of pure deliciousness.

Three of my most favorite recipes include a Bahia-style fish stew in coconut milk, a dish that I enjoyed on a previous trip to the northeastern Brazilian city of Salvador. Another favorite is a beef and potato stir fry from Peru that combines the flavors of China, Spain, and South America all in one dish. Finally, I should mention the delicious Argentine empanadas with ground beef, chopped olives, and seasoning.

Everything is so good here, and the diversity of flavors means that you can keep coming back to the same book to explore new regions and new flavors. This is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks.

[Maze Branch Oak Park Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

"...encyclopedic..." and "...intimidating..." pretty much sums up the What's Cooking group's thoughts on this cookbook. We had a fantastic turn out for our discussion without any duplication.

We tasted the following recipes...

- Quito's Potato and Cheese Soup
- Pupusas Salvadorenas with Encurtido
- Cuban Avocado, Watercress and Pineapple Salad
- Shrimp and Hearts of Palm Salad
- Puerto Rican Salt Cod Fritters
- Guatemalan Red Cabbage Relish
- Fried Green Plantains
- Polenta and Squash
- Cuban Shredded Beef
- Peruvian Rice Pudding
- Dulce de Leche
- Creamy Rice Pudding
- Coquitos
- Pumpkin and Rice Casserole

We all enjoyed about half of these recipes, and we were split about the other half. We found most recipes to be well written and easy to follow. A few tested our assumptions about cooking - rice in particular. We're used to a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice, but several recipes increased the water significantly. Most of the time, they worked out.

At 900 pages, this is a massive cookbook. We thought that it would be more accessible if it was broken down into volumes. That being said, we would have enjoyed seeing some images of the kitchens where these recipes are prepared in Latin America.

We recommend that you check out this book from your library and "playing with it" before you purchase it.

[John Gentry · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it has a wealth of knowledge I was honestly overwhelmed, and because of that I had difficulty getting into it.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough good things about this cookbook. The flavors are excellent, the technical instructions are great, and the cultural and historical lessons are interesting. This is a book you can spend a lifetime learning and cooking from.

[Rebekah Ricardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Maricel Presilla doesn't win a James Beard Award for this book, then there is something wrong. Presilla doesn't offer up any ordinary cookbook. Nor does she remain biased to her own Cuban heritage when it comes to culinary education and her offering of recipes. Instead, she gives us a comprehensive and informative publication on all aspects of Latin American cooking, from Mexico to Chile, Bolivia to Puerto Rico. She includes recipes and methods from a old lady's kitchens in the mountains of Peru as well as from her own family in Cuba, with the recipes ranging from various dry rubs and sauces to a wide array of breads, desserts, and empanada recipes. As a historian, Presilla takes care in also acknowledging the influence of Spain and Portugal on Latin America's cuisine.

The final product combines elements of a history book, encyclopedia, dictionary, and anthology textbook. All of these elements are carefully measured and mixed together to provide a final dish that is evident to have been prepared with love. For anyone who loves food and also enjoys history,cultural anthropology, geography, or linguistics, then this is a must-read!

[Mrs. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a some hesitation in rating this five stars, which I usually save for truly extraordinary books that I love. After some thought, I decided to give this five stars because it really fills a void in the cookbook market, namely a comprehensive OVERVIEW of Latin American cooking. So, the empanada and ajiaco recipes are not the same ones that I grew up with, but they are a great springboard for further exploration and tweaking.

[Krista Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough and authentic presentation. I found myself appreciating even more dishes I have been served while traveling through Latin America. Highly recommend!

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must have book of Latin Cuisine !!! Great historical facts and immensely curated recipes.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is like an encyclopedia. It is full of recipes from all over South America, with some Central America scattered throughout. As I have looked it over, it seems like Brazil kind of dominates the selections a bit, but the book is so vast, there really are recipes from nearly everywhere (notable exceptions are Honduras and Guyana - there are no recipes from Honduras and only 1 or 2 from Guyana, which seems like a surprising oversight in such a comprehensive book).

There are lots of photos and excellent technical instructions. If you don't know how to roll out empanada dough or crimp the edges to seal them, this cookbook explains exactly how to do it.

The author does not really seem to modify the recipes for a North American kitchen - she does occasionally suggest substitutions for particularly hard-to-find ingredients - but for the most part, she lists the ingredients that are found in the places where the recipes originate.

Everything I have made from this cookbook has turned out great! Some of the recipes have huge long ingredient lists, and some of the cooking techniques are complicated, but if you follow the instructions, they work. It's definitely not for beginners, though.

[Marnie Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

at over 900 pages I found this book to be overwhelming, I guess if you are looking for an encyclopedia of all things Latin food related this would be good but as another reviewer mentioned I think it would be better broken down into smaller books, also more photos would have been nice

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much a textbook as cookbook.

[Mills College Library]

641.5972 P933g 2012

[Travis morla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gracias ❤

[Anna Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I read cookbooks. And this one is a masterpiece. So many good recipes.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is an incredibly thoughtful, deep, and personal account of a large variety of food that has come to be known as 'latin cuisine.' she's a great storyteller. in fact, the book could be about 200 pages if it were just recipes and didn't rely so much on the history of pumpkin, sugar, every kind of pepper, etc. it's interesting, but i wonder who the audience is. it's organized very well. whole chapters on pepper pots, squash, tamal, cebiche, etc. it's just so very thorough that you can't help but be awed. i do wonder whether the recipes are any good (it's another book where each many of the recipes requires days of prep and ingredients you don't have on hand); i have yet to try them. also, it serves much better as a history than a cookbook. even my cookbook holder wouldn't be able to keep this tome (at 900 pages) open for very long.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not easy being a Latin Americanist and not liking cilantro, cooked peppers, or super spicy food. The book itself would be a great addition to an Intro to Latin American culture class, with food history and anecdotes about how different foods came to be a part of Latin American cooking, and what people are doing with them today. And despite the limitations mentioned above, I managed to flag at least 20 recipes, including for two favorites from places that I've spent extended periods of time - pupusas (El Salvador) and empanadas (from Chile - not to be confused with empanadas from anywhere else!). I also flagged some sweets, like flan, and alfajores, a favorite cookie made filled with dulce de leche (called manjar, in Chile).

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an encyclopedia of Latin American cuisine and has become my coffee table book as well as my favorite cookbook. I am constantly picking it up, just to read another section or reread a section. I've learned so much about Latino food and ingredients and flavors. I've had it for more than 6 years and learn something new every time I pick it up, which is at least once a week.

I haven't tried a lot of recipes but all of the one's I've tried were quite good with flavor different from what I normally eat. The book has given me many ideas on how to improve my own cooking and relationship with food.

[Beth Lequeuvre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am buying this book. This book deserves a lifetime achievement award. This 912 page hefty tome is part cookbook, part encyclopedia, part weight lifting device. I think there was somewhere around 500 recipes (not a lot of pictures, but the ones there were gorgeous). There was comprehensive Latin American factual history as well as anecdotal history. I saw complaints in the reviews that there were too many hard to find unless you live near a Latin grocer ingredients in the recipes. Yes, there were, but she also provided acceptable substitutions from more commonly found items.

[Cristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encyclopedic, comprehensive. Library checkout. Would like to own.

[Nancy Noyes-ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly comprehensive. I have already referred to this many times. This is a foodie's cookbook. I know my love of growing food makes me insanely interested in agricultural history. There are those who say this could be shorter without the in-depth on veggies. I have learned more geography and history from this than I did in any classroom!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an encyclopedia of Latin American cooking, 150 pages of ingredients alone. I have two minor quibbles, one is the lack of nutritional information and the other is that a fair amount of the recipes are restaurant or holiday recipes. I'm lucky to have Latin restaurants near me so I can get an empanada whenever I want, otherwise I would consider buying this book.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the recipes and historical context of this book. But I am unable to get fresh coconuts (always stale), which really limits my ability to cook the recipes in the authentic way they are presented. Still, I was able to adapt and enjoy several recipes and would read another book by this author.

[Jarakelian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge book. Inspired my son to want to make some different Latin American food but the book mostly made me realize that I am really interested in cooking Mexican food and not every kind of Latin American food on the planet.

[michaelben · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a foodies cookbook; where the difference between finely chopping and muddling the herbs matters. I haven't tried any of the hundreds of interesting recipes yet, but the food history and geography the author provides is very interesting and worth it alone.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diverse view of Latin american cooking but many ingredients aren't available easily even in big U.S. markets. And, many of the flavors I don't find appealing. Good for those looking for traditional, Latin american cooking.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got it from the library and thought I should have it, but decided to wait. And Saturday, it was sent tome as a gift by a great pal.

[Leeann Lavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I attended the Beard on Books lecture featuring author, Maricel Presilla. You can read later on my Examiner.com Food & Drink Column.

[Vandy Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made the fourth recipe in this massive book, Guatemalan Adobo, DELICIOUS!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, one of the best cookbooks I have ever read. And I read it page by page, beginning to end. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

The flan recipes are FANTASTIC!!