Caribbean Cooking

This classic cookbook, which was originally published in the early 1970s, offers a generous amount of information on ingredients, cooking methods, and equipment plus a large number of recipes that illustrate the great diversity of the region's cooking. Ms. Ortiz explains how foods and cooking techniques from widely scattered parts of the world have been combined with local ingredients to produce an exciting and eclectic cuisine. I found it especially interesting to read about the ways in which different islands interpret the same dish and how some islands have dishes that are uniquely their own. This book was a labor of love for the author, who worked on it for six years. If you can locate a copy, it would still be a worthwhile addition to your kitchen library. I also recommend "The Cooking of the Caribbean Islands" (Time-Life Foods of the World), for which Ms. Ortiz was the consultant.

This pocket-size book offers a concise and wide variety of traditional Caribbean food and drink recipes. Ms. Ortiz has certainly done her research. If you like this book, you will love the recently released "A Taste of the Caribbean" by Angela Spenceley. Features cooking tips, information and nutritional count of countless exotic fruits, vegetables and spices, and charming blurbs deciphering local island lingo. This book is a must for any good cookbook library.

When I bought this book I was searching for receipes from Puerto Rico. Being Puerto Rican and having been raised in the United States, I learned to love all the native dishes that my mother would fix for us. As a new military bride I soon discovered that even though I knew how to cook some of the staples i.e. arroz con gandules, carne guisada, etc., there was a lot I didn't know. My mother was not much help because she never measured anything, just threw it together and it was delicious and she was not nearby so I could observe and learn. I remember yearning for mom's delicious "sancocho criollo" and not knowing how to cook it. I went searching for receipes and came upon this wonderful book. It is full of great receipes and resources as to where to find ingredients throughout the USA and Canada. I have received numerous compliments for my "Empanada de Pollo". I have also learned to cook and enjoy foods from other islands such as "Pulpeta" from Cuba and "Flying Fish Pie" from Barbados.