Product Description
Florida's best selling Cuban home cooking cookbook. These time-honored dishes meld with the rhythm and spices of the Caribbean. Savor the artistry of authentic Cuban cuisine at its best: pollo frito, ropa vieja, carne con papas, garden eggs and many, many more! Distinctive flavors and easy preparation techniques abound. This very practical compilation contains the best of the classics, minus the tropical fats and oils commonly associated with island cuisines. A complete Cuban glossary in both English and Spanish offers simple substitutes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

I won't have to do without Cuban food in Colorado anymore...
I liked this cookbook.The recipes included are some of my favorite Cuban dishes.They are simple and easy to use.

Great Cookbook
Many books claim to give AUTHENTIC recipes with there Colorful Pictures and expensive price tag but most fail to claim. Having lived in South Florida and eating the foods on a regular basis I have to say that this little book is as Authentic as it gets from the ingredients of the black Beans to the secret ingredient in (Bistec Empanizado)Cracker Meal; which I could never figure out until reading this book,. A great book which I give five stars. If only they publish a greek cooking book as authentic as this one.

Cuban food
Good selection of Cuban dishes. A great book for those who like easy to follow directions.

Excellent & Easy Cuban Food!
Hi there,
I am half Cuban and was raised on the delicious cooking of my Cuban grandmother. The recipes in this book remind me of her cooking. They are easy to follow and tasty. I'm only an average cook with not much time and this was a good book to have. I once made six pounds of the black bean recipe for a family dinner and people where scraping the bottom of the pot for more! The picadillo is fast and yummy. As is the beef stew. Buy it and Enjoy!

Great book - and I'm Cuban-American!
Raised with typical Cuban dishes (both of my parents immigrated from Cuba to the US), I searched for a good, concise Cuban cookbook and found it! This it it! Sure, there aren't any fancy pictures but there are also no fancy ingredients or obscure dishes. The list of recipes covers all the basic dishes (I read the list to my mother and she agrees - it's all in there) and the recipes are so simple and easy (almost all are only a paragraph long).

I've tried other Cuban recipe books and I still *always* come back to this one for dishes that turn out as close to Mom's as possible. Maybe I'll just toss the other books out... all I need is this one! ... Read more

Product Description
Authentic Cuban recipes offer a mixture of Spanish, Indian, African, Chinese, and Portuguese cuisine, from appetizers like Green Plantain Chips, to such entrees as Roast Pork Creole, to tropical rum-based drinks and desserts.

Filled with reminiscences and evocative halftone photos of Randelman's childhood in pre-Castro Cuba, this book presents more than 200 traditional recipes for Cuban dishes, a cuisine that lusciously combines Spanish, Indian, African, Chinese, and Portuguese influences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

Some history too
Interesting tale of a Cuban immigrant family along with the recipes. All the recipes I have tried are yummy.Some ingredients are hard to find.Some od the specialty stuff is not well defined.But if you want to try a new cuisine and learn some Cuban history this is he book for you.

great cookbook
This is a great Cuban cook book that also gives some insight into the lifestyle of Cuba. The recipes are completely authentic and easy to follow. I had a Cuban stepmother and wanted a book so I could replicate her cooking and this does allow me to do that perfectly.

Delicioso
Great recipes and stories. I gave it to a great niece (1st generation Cuban) instead of a wedding card. I am sure she will enjoy making some of her grandfathers favorite recipes and pass on some family tradition. I love my dog eared copy!

Wonderful recipes.Brings back memories
Wonderful recipes. Coming from a Cuban family I can tell you these recipes are very authentic. Recipes are easy to prepare and taste wonderful. Brought back many memories of the meals my grandmother & mother prepared for us.

I love Cuban food
Having a dear friend who is from Cuba, we are treated to wonderful meals from his home land whenever he invites us for dinner.He doesn't cook with recipes and when we query him about how he put together such delicious empanadas or cuban roast pork, he waves his hand and says "I never measure.I go by instinct!"

Well his instinct is phenomenal...mine, not so much.When I constantly bemoaned the fact that I could never duplicate his delicious culinary creations, he surprised me one Christmas with this cookbook.He said he perused countless Cuban cookbooks out on the market to find the one he wanted for me and Memories of a Cuban Kitchen invoked the recipes and ingredients he remembered from his childhood.

The recipes are easy to follow and the cookbook is organized very nicely. There is also a glossary of terms that is very helpful. The ingredients you can find in any food store and after being introduced to Mojo, it is now a staple in my pantry.The recipes use lots of garlic which my friend always says to me..."if the recipe calls for four cloves, you put in eight!!"We love garlic and I think it is what makes the Cuban dishes so delicious. I always thought that Cuban food was spicy, but it is not.It is very flavorful, but not necessarily spicy hot.

Mom's Black Beans are to die for as are the Cuban Pork Chops.The Cuban sandwiches are all mouthwatering wonderful and the fillings for the tea sandwiches are amazing.I made the sandwiches for a church brunch and everyone was very impressed.The rice pudding is a fabulous dessert for the culmination of your Cuban feast.

This cookbook is one to have on the shelf to pull out when you want to savor some outstanding comfort food from Cuba.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Cubanisima
These recipes are wonderful.. the food has all the cuban secrets that my Mom uses so the food comes out deliciosa.

Que Rico!
Honestly, I didn't need ANOTHER cookbook, but this one looked so enticing...I'm so glad I purchased it.What I love about it most is that nearly every recipe has a picture and everything looked not only easy to follow but simply scrumptious!

Best Cuban Cookbook for beginners
I've given this book to all my young relatives starting with our daughter... lots of easy authentic Cuban recipes, written simply and with lots of fun details about Cuban cooking...

Sabroso
I just purchased this book to add to my collection of Cuban Cookbooks.I'm enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying following the recipes.My husband and I are Cuban American and enjoy cooking some of our favorite Cuban recipes and this book is pretty much on the money. The only thing I have noticed is that Ana Quincoces Rodriguez uses white pepper and paprika in various recipes throughout the book, and to be honest growing up within a Cuban family where cooking was always part of every day's agenda and family occasion, I've never seen these two ingredients used.Black pepper, yes, but not white pepper.I asked my mother-in-law as well, just to confirm if perhaps it was only my family that had not heard of using these spices, and she also doesn't use.I'm not sure that these two spices should be part of the authentic list of ingredients for what's considered traditional Cuban dishes, but Ana's recipes have been great nonetheless. I would have to say these are Ana's twist to a few of the best recipes in the world! Kudos to Ana!

Now a believer.
At first when I got the book, I was dissapointment, because there were so many pictures of the author,I was ready to return it, but my daughter told me try some recipes if you like them, keep the book. I was so happy to listen to my daughter because now is my favorite book and I am not a good cook, but I was very satisfied with the results of the recipes I am glad I never returned, and you don't want to know how many Cuban Cooking books I have, now is the only one I use it. Thanks. ... Read more

Product Description
To “eat Cuban” is to savor a deliciously complex culinary culture. Spanish, Native American, African, Chinese, and French traditions have all contributed to Cuban cooking, producing a distinctive Caribbean cuisine as richly chorded as the island’s music.

Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs’s itinerary takes them from the barrio, paladars (private restaurants), and chic nightspots of Havana to the eateries of Florida’s emigré communities. From their journeys, they’ve gathered more than 120 recipes that comprehensively document Cuban cooking’s diversity, from the black bean soup found on any Cuban table, to the empanadas sold by Havana’s street vendors, to the grilled sandwiches that are a mainstay of Miami’s Calle Ocho, to the innovative dishes devised by chefs at top Cuban restaurants.

Gorgeously illustrated with Jacobs’s photographs —many shot on the authors’ travels through Cuba—Eating Cuban highlights Cuban food’s historical roots, the classic Creole dishes that evolved from these disparate cultural influences, current trends in Cuban cooking, street foods and on-the-go snacks, and quintessential Cuban beverages from café Cubano to the mojito. A valuable resource list helps American cooks locate the required ingredients, and a restaurant directory points the way to the very best in Cuban cuisine—in Cuba and the U.S. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Cuban cooking that makes sense
I could not put this book down. It's very very good for everyday cooking. Not ultra fancy and full of exotic ingredients and techniques. Very subtle guidance as to how to layer and build a Cuban dish which combines delicate and hearthy ingredients such as tubers. It organizes the layers and cooking times and makes it all work effortlesly. I can totally cook 80 maybe 90 percent of the recipes without much effort or thought on my part. And they are delicious and simple to make.

Very Authentic
Very authentic, these are the same recepies my cuban family has been using for years.

Contemporary recipes of Cuban food and updated classics
This is a great resource for Cuban recipes, both new and classics.We have made many of the recipes and all have been delicious and easy to follow.Our family is full of excellent Cuban cooks and these recipes rate high on our list. The photographs certainly enhance the whole Cuban cooking and eatingexperience.Highly recommend it.

NICE PHOTOGRAPHY...BUTZERO INPUT ON TRUE CUBAN CUSINE...
TAKE IT FROM A CUBAN..THIS BOOK IS A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY IF YOU ARE WANTING TRUE CUBAN CULINARY RECIPES...NOW IF YOU WANT NICE SCENERY PHOTOGRAPHY OF CUBA..THEN GO FOR IT..BUT A NICE CUBA TRAVEL BOOK GUIDE WILL DO, I GREWUP WITH EXCELLENT COOKS FROM CUBA AND SPAIN ...THIS BOOK DOES NOT COME CLOSE TO A REAL CUBAN CULINARY EXPERIANCE..SAVE YOUR MONEY..I DID NOT , BUT I DID RESALE IT!

UPCOMING FEASTS!
EATING CUBAN:
120 Authentic Recipes from the
Streets of Havana to
American Shores

By Beverly Cos and Martin Jacobs
Introduction by Ana Menendez


Most of us can get our hands on a ticket and travel to just about any place in the world we wish. Not so with Cuba, and it's been so for a long time. Soon, however, we may get to go, enjoy the night beat, savory foods and fun things Latino. Here's a chance to bring your Cuban food expectations up to date.

Cuba has a large uniqueness. She lives under strict restriction of goods. Yet, by calling upon their many ethnic backgrounds -- Spanish, African, Chinese, French and Native American - and sticking to Cuba's geographical restrictions, somepretty interesting recipes result. The cookbook, Eating Cuban, presents recipes in six parts:The Roots, Creole Classics, Street Food, New Wave Cooking and Beverages.

Check these:

* Galician White Bean Soup with white beans, chorizo onion, green pepper, garlic,ham hock, collards and potatoes.

* Creamy Pumpkin Soup:olive oil, onion, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream, pumpkin Cuban bread croutons and parsley.

* White Bean and Potato Salad:Red potatoes, white beans, onion, vinegar, cumin, garlic, olive oil parsley and lettuce leaves

* Sweet Potato Pudding:sweet potatoes, sugar, lime zest, cinnamon, egg yolks, cinnamon, rum and whipped cream

* Pickled Onions:red and white onions, vinegar, allspice, oregano, bay leaves, peppercorns, a jalapeno chile.

* Avocado Gaspacho El Bambu:avocados, lime juice, cucumbers, onion, broth, yogurt, fresh cilantro, red radishes, bell pepper, green onion tops

* Guava Barbecue Sauce:Guava paste, tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, cumin, dry mustard, chile-garlic sauce, dry sherry and cilantro

* Cream Cheese Ice Cream:cream cheese, sugar, fresh lemon juice, vanilla, heavy cream and milk

At the end of the book find a Glossary of Cuban Ingredients and Cooking Terms, Sources for Cuban Cooking Ingredients and a list of Some Favorite places for Eating Cuban both in Havana and in the U.S.



... Read more

Product Description
Havana is one of the oldest and most picturesque cities of the western hemisphere. It was a popular winter destination for North American tourists in the 1950s, and this cookbook recaptures the spirit of Old Havana-- Habana la vieja-- and its celebrated culinary traditions. Cuban cuisine, though derived from its mother country, Spain, has been modified and refined by locally available foods like pork, rice, corn, beans and sugar, and the requirements of a tropical climate. Fine Gulf Stream fish, crabs and lobsters, and an almost infinite variety of vegetables and luscious tropical fruits also have their places on the traditional Cuban table. This cookbook includes over 50 recipes, each in Spanish with side-by-side English translation-- all of them classic Cuban fare and old Havana specialties adapted for the North American kitchen. Among the recipes included are: Ajiaco (famous Cuban Stew), Boiled Pargo with Avocado Sauce, Lobster Havanaise, Tamal en Cazuela (Soft Tamal), Quimbombo (okra), Picadillo, Roast Suckling Pig, and Boniatillo (Sweet Potato Dulce), along with a whole chapter on famous Cuban cocktails and beverages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Very good
I have used a couple of the recipes.I found them pretty easy to use.I also like that it in Spanish as well, which helps me practice.

AUTHENTICALLY CUBAN
a friend who lived in cuba until her family left several years ago, recently stumbled on my edition of this charming little volume, pronounced it the most authentic of all my cuban cookbooks and asked to borrow it.although i hate lending books, she lives across the street and i felt there was very little risk.what did i know.after she'd had it for more than a month, i decided to get one for her as a christmas gift and retrieve mine. in the interim mine had been blessed with a few more grease spots. she had really used it!

as an additional piece of this book's charm, recipes are in spanish on one page and in english on the facing page (which helps me with my efforts to learn spanish). probably more people know about picadillo (a kind of ground-beef hash with raisins and olives) than about ajiaco, the national soup. but make this hearty dish once and you will have experienced a delicious piece of culinary cuba.

i have cooked my way though this book's 120+ pages and so far my guests and i have enjoyed everything. i don't much make desserts, but if someone made the apple pudding with bicardi rum for me, Old Havana Cookbook: Cuban Recipes in Spanish and English (Bilingual Cookbooks)i'd for sure eat it!

Oh, and if you're interested in a bit of bartending at home, there are also recipes for drinks, including the daiquiri, which originated in cuba.

Old Havanna Cookbook review
The cookbook is great, it just took FOREVER to get to me. I think I waited almost a month for a 12 dollar purchase. That part was really annoying. Other than that I love the recipes and I am glad I bought the book.

Buena Comida!
I got this book for my wife for Christmas. It's great, and has Spanish on one page and English on the opposite, so you can learn some words and phrases if you feel so inclined. There is a wide variety of recipes, and they're great. My wife loves to cook, and this has become one of her favorite cookbooks.

Havana cookbook
I purchased this book because my family is from Havana, Cuba, and I felt I could get some good authentic recipes. I was very dissapointed. My grandmother who has shown me how to cook cuban food was even surprised at some of the ingredients in the recipes. The recipes are from foods we eat but the ingredients were way off. Sorry just my opinion ... Read more

Product Description
Immensely appealing and alluringly spicy, Cuban food has exploded in popularity. Recently, many Nuevo Latino chefs have chosen to interpret it in various fusion dishes, but the real home cooking of Cuba is delicious and rewarding on its own. Discover in a new cookbook which not only explores the riches of the cuisine but also reveals the unique beauty of Cuba itself. Influenced by the diversity of cultures that have settled on this Caribbean island over the centuries, including Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese, true Cuban cooking is exciting and varied. From such festive finger foods as croquetas, pastelitos, and bocaditos to traditional entrees like arroz con pollo, picadillo, and bistec emanizado, there's a wealth of savory dishes to explore. Learn how to create the traditional medianoche, or Cuban sandwich, brew a cup of bracing café cubano, and make the sumptuous dessert known as dulce de leche. In addition to the treasury of 100 traditional recipes, compiled by an accomplished Cuban-born chef, IN A CUBAN KITCHEN provides a fascinating look at sugar cultivation, rum production, and other native resources essential to Cuban cuisine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Fantastic Cuban cookbook - love the recipes and pictures.
Love the book - simple ingredients that are readily available anywhere and straitforward instructions that are easy to follow.So far every recipe that I've tried has been very tasty.

cuban kitchen
I ordered two of these books, this is a great book for beginners. The books came in excellent condition.

In A Cuban Kitchen
Very good book ,... I am a certified Chef and I find this book very handy and practical for home use ,... the recipes are displayed in a very illustrative way and are easy to follow ,... it is a good conversation topic for a coffee table ,... Perfect conditions and I received it very fast ,... Thank You

delicious recipes!!
The recipes in this book really work!! I have tried few and they are delicious. I have tried other Cuban cooking books and have been disappointed by the dishes. It seems like some cookbook writers are not thinking that readers are actually going to try the recipes. That is not the case of this book. Chef Garcia's recipes are outstanding!

Honestly, I didn't Like it
I used to see Garcia on the Melting Pot and he was the dullest of the Food Network chefs.I guess I should NOT have expected any better from his book.The recipes are OK, but the only thing that even mentions him is the introduction.He would have sold a lot more books if he had Emeril write the intro!I guess Garcia was too busy these past two years to do any writing.I've got my copy up on the Marketplace and hope I can get a few dollars for it!


... Read more

Product Description
Cuban food is vibrant, earthy, sensuous food: cool avocado salads, enticingly spiced seafood, tropical rum drinks. In this unique cookbook, nearly 200 recipes celebrate the diverse melange of Cuban, Chinese, Spanish, African, and Portuguese influences that make up the popular cuisine of Cuba. Line drawings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Cuban-American, not Cuban
I got this book about a year ago when I was first gaining interest in Cuban cooking and I was satisfied with it until I began to dig a little deeper into the traditions and standards of Cuban cooking.The cover says "Recipes from the Cuban-American Community," and perhaps that can lend a little insight as to why there are so many non-traditional Cuban recipes and shortcuts in this book.

The first red flag for me was the recipe for Pan Cubano, which calls for olive oil instead of the traditional lard, no starter prepared beforehand, and is supposed to be placed in a loaf pan before baking instead of rolled into a loaf.I was interested in what this recipe would yield and unsurprisingly it had a completely different taste and texture than the pan cubano I have tasted in restaurants and specialty bakeries.In fact I have yet to find a recipe in this book that didn't need some quantity adjustments and/or didn't benefit from the substitution of conventional ingredients with more traditional ones discovered from outside research.

Many recipes have no basis in Cuban cooking at all, such as fried battered shrimp appetizers, sweet and sour pork, and almond cookies.Perhaps these are a favorite of the author but they do not have a place in a cookbook meant to introduce cooks to dishes that are Cuban in heritage.Also, some recipes appear twice with only minuscule modifications.An example of this is Frijoles Negroes, which correctly shows up among the bean dishes yet makes another appearance in the Soups chapter with quantities upped and a few chopped vegetables tacked on to the ingredients list.The author could have easily mentioned that this dish is enjoyed both ways and given simple suggestions for extra ingredients instead of filling pages with duplicate recipes.

Also, there are a LOT of recipes that include rum.Cuban cooking does not feature rum as heavily as one might think after perusing this book, and while it may be enjoyed by Cuban-Americans such as this family the majority of the rum dishes have no roots in Cuba itself.Similarly, the author touts Ajiaco as being "born in Cuba," however she completely omits the glaring fact that another completely different and more famous dish also named "Ajiaco" exists and is attributed to Colombia rather than Cuba.

When all of this adds up, there are simply too many transparencies in this book and I cannot recommend it to anyone.There are some good regular recipes to be found if you look and I am sure these recipes are treasured by the Cuban-American community as proven by the positive reviews here, however for those of us looking for instruction on Cuban cuisine rather than a Cuban-American's family recipe collection I would suggest looking to Memories of A Cuban Kitchen or, if you are looking for Florida favorites, the Three Guys from Miami.

Cuban recipes
The recipes are very good, they follow our greatgrandomothers way to cook. Some ofthe recipes are time consuming but that's probably why cuban food taste so good

Cuban Recipes for Miami or Montana.
The Cuban cook in our household reviewed the book before it was shipped in a parcel of Cuban food items. The cookbook was deemed to be well organized and comprehensive. The recipes wererepresentative of that which might be served within the Cuban-American community.

Don't Buy it
I purchased this book many years ago, and for many years it has sat in my buffet (where I put all cookbooks whose recipes I don't like).I am Cuban, as over 400 years of my ancestors were, and I found nothing in this book that reminded me of anything I grew up eating.Instead, I strongly suggest you buy "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" by Mary Urrutia Randelmann.This book provides true Cuban food.

Best English Language Cuban Cookbook
As a Cuban born American, I know real Cuban cooking when I taste it, and this book has brought my family and friends countless kitchen joys.Simple, direct and easy to follow --- with little embellishment that serves to improve the recipes themselves --- "A Taste Of Cuba" allows us to experience the true essence of Cuban cookery.Unlike the "chic Cuban" styles of Asia de Cuba, Patria, chino-latino, Green makes no daring attempts to improve on the real thing, and that's the best way to enjoy this colorful delicious food over and over again!From standards like "Arroz Con Pollo" and "Lechon Asado" to "Camarones enchilados" and "ropa vieja" Green's passion for the condiments shines through. INstead of embellishing the dishes she realizes they're best left to the natural scents and zeitgeist that the best Cuban cooks - our abuelas and mami's - know is at the heart of the matter.Only "Cocina Criolla" - Nydia Villapol's(sp?) 60's classic is better or tastier or truer to the food's indigenous roots (alas, that's only available in SPanish, but every Cubano should proudly display a copy in their homw!)Linnette Green has done a fine job of mixing together the magical qualities of a legendary cuisine - fresh ingredients, attention bordering on love, colorful presentation, and a passion for the dishes themselves.Here, her characters are malangas and mangoes, frijoles and arroz, but "Like Water for Chocolate" her memories and passion stir the senses making your tastebuds soar!A WINNER! ... Read more

Product Description
Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban is the latest effort of Glenn Lindgren, Raúl Musibay, and Jorge Castillo – three brothers-in-law with a passion for Cuban food and culture. This is a unique cookbook by three hombres who love Cuban culture and food so much that they created the tremendously popular website iCuban.com: The Internet Cuban.

Millions of people have already discovered these Three Guys and their recipes. Now the rest of the world can too, in this delightfully witty and entertaining new cookbook complete with a Cuban food glossary, personal stories, and hilarious asides that represent the Three Guys’ own distinctive brand of humor.

With amazing family recipes, Miami influence, and food secrets from Cuba, The Three Guys share twenty years of experimentation, refinement, and a lot of trial and error that have made these recipes uniquely their own. The book is lavishly illustrated with 75 full-color photographs by photographer Nancy Bundt.

The Three Guys From Miami have made several appearances on the Food Network, ABC Family, The Travel Channel, National Public Radio, and Public TV.They are frequent sources of Cuban cooking tips and advice for professional chefs and amateur cooks all over the world.Their recipes have appeared in several major newspapers and magazines.

The Three Guys from Miami started small, but quickly became known for their great parties, centered on whole pigroasts or an elaborate Cuban-style paella. In fact, the Three Guys' "Paella Cubana" was featured on "Tyler's Ultimate" with Tyler Florence on the Food Network.

Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban is a fun, and easy-to-follow guide that will let even inexperienced home cooks turn out some great Cuban meals. The recipes are easy to prepare and you'll actually enjoy the entire process.Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban has been extremely well received by food editors and writers all over the United States.The Chicago Sun Times says, "I swear I could almost feel the Miami sunshine beaming down on me as I read through the book… The photography is beautiful and inviting, making one ready to hop on a plane to Miami. For most of us that's not possible, so this cookbook is the next best thing."

The Miami Times says, "With Colombian arepas and Nicaraguan tres leches in the mix, the title might more accurately be 'Three Guys From Miami Cook Miami,' but there are plenty of Cuban standards here, from picadillo and arroz con pollo to rice pudding and flan. We even get the Elena Ruz, a turkey, cream cheese and strawberry-jam sandwich named for the customer who ordered it at a 1930s Havana restaurant. Best of all, we get the good-natured byplay -- Jorge: Someday we'd like to have a sandwich named after us. Raul: Probably something with plenty of spice and a lot of tongue! -- that makes these guys such good company."

Where Miami reports, "They’re not famous chefs, but Glenn Lindgren, Raúl Musibay and Jorge Castillo know their food. In the just-released Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban, the Miami natives offer up the best of Miami-Cuban specialties-from the Papa Hemingway Daiquiris to empanadas de carne asada to arepas to their own version of paella Cubana that even novice cooks can try at home. Best of all, the cookbook is chock full of colorful pictures of the marketplaces, landmarks and people that make Miami so indefinably unique."

And the Library Journal provides the last word, "In their first book, they present many of their favorite recipes and stories. Lindgren is the writer, but the three share a somewhat wacky sense of humor (as documented in some of the photographs here). However, their book includes a lot of culinary and social history, along with 100 recipes for both traditional Cuban dishes and more contemporary variations. Numerous color photographs and an attractive design add to the appeal. One of the few recent titles on the subject, this is strongly recommended."

The Three Guys recipes represent three lifetimes of enjoying Cuban food, and a long process creating, collecting, and refining the recipes they love.They have combined the best ideas from these great chefs with their own special twists to create the "tried and true" recipes they like best.Everyone, from the most amateur home chef to the seasoned professional will enjoy this excellent and unique Cuban cookbook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (59)

Let's get the cooking started!!
Very delicious recipes with ingredients that I can find at my local grocery store. Simple steps to a great meal!

Not authentic
I was raised in a Cuban family in South Florida and ate Cuban food every day of my life until I left home at 17. I'm not a huge cook, but occasionally I enjoy making something traditionally Cuban if I'm in the mood for some comfort food. I've owned "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" by Mary Urrutia Randelman for many years, and I have to say all the recipes I've tried from that book are very close to what I'm used to getting from Mom or Cuban restaurants in Miami.

I was getting bored of using the same book, so I decided to give the Three Guys book a try. I started with two standard recipes -- the seafood enchilado and the picadillo, the latter being probably the most basic, traditional Cuban dish. I probably had it at least once a week growing up. Enchilado is a little more refined and is usually reserved for special occasions.

Anyhow, I made the enchilado first, and while I have to say the flavor was good, it was nothing like the enchilado I'm used to, which was disappointing, since that is the whole point of cooking Cuban food for me. I asked my mom for her recipe and it couldn't have been more different than the book's. I then made her version, and voila. Now I know every mom has her own methods but I've also eaten this food at restaurants and while I like my mom's better, it is still basically the same thing. The Three Guys version was very different.

The next recipe was picadillo. First of all the ingredient list is VERY different from the traditional one. Keep in mind that traditional picadillo calls for no spices other than salt and pepper (the latter being optional). This one called for cumin, cinnamon (?), cloves (??) and oregano (???). The taste that this produces is OK, but definitely NOT traditional Cuban picadillo. I've made this dish hundreds of times from Mary Urrutia's book and it tastes exactly like home. It's a very basic dish, not rocket science. Perhaps this is a different take on it, but that's not what I was looking for.

Anyway, the point is that I'm not sure how these guys developed their recipes, but if you are Cuban and looking to re-create mom's cooking, this is not the book for you -- stick instead with "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen".

Cuban cooking
Wonderful recipes for typical Cuban dishes. Easy to follow directions. Anyone getting this book should follow it up with " 3 Guys from Miami Celebrate Cuban. 100 Great Recipes for Cuban Entertaining."

I Love my Cooking Book Very Much!
I recommend this cook book to anybody that Loves Cuban Food Believe Me!

Sincerely,
C.A.

Excellent Miami-style Cuban recipes
This is an excellent book for those who enjoy an upbeat version of, sometimes bland, Cuban cuisine. I enjoyed the "fun-style" by which the Three Guys present their recipes - real Cuban lingo. I liked the book so much so that I bought their later book "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban" and I'm very pleased with it also. Enjoy! Bob Peters ... Read more

Product Description

Traditional classico dishes to exciting nuevo Latin foods, ¡Cuba Cocina! is filled with recipes that incorporate the bold flavors of the Caribbean. You'll recognize favorites like ropa vieja, arroz con pollo, and seviche, and be enticed by the new tastes of dishes like Baby Back Ribs with Guava Sauce, Lobster and Stone Crab Creole, and Fresh Mango Coconut Cake. Don't forget to round out the meal with a tall, icy mojito!

Customer Reviews (7)

Ok, but not Cuban!
I bought this cookbook thinking I was going to have a whole slew of receipes that I hadn't seen before. True. But the taste is not Cuban. It is a hodgepodge of Latin flavors influenced by Mexico and Puerto Rico. They taste well, but it is not Cuban. So, I believe if you are going to put Cuban on the title, the food has to be Cuban. That said, I've done several receipes and they are easy to follow and tasty. If you want a Hispanic cookbook -- whatever that U.S. census "race" is -- then, this is it. The ingredients are easy to find. But again, not Cuban and that to a Cubanita Cook is a sin.

The best Cuban recipes I have tested in a long time!!
I have eaten Cuban food for a very long time, growing up in Miami with my best friends that were Cuban and continuing to create my own recipes through trial and error, AND I can definitely say that Ms. LaFray knows her Cuban food!!The recipes in this book are extremely authentic.I definitely do not agree with the reviewer before mine. Trust me, Ms. LaFray could not be more authentic with her recipes in this book.And from following many of her titles and reading about her years of experience with food from several different cultures., I know that you can't get much more authentic than obtaining your knowledge straight from the one and only CUBA!!!I would recommend this book to anyone that loves authentic Cuban food....

Disappointing
Ms Lafray is lacking in authenticity, in addition for a reviewer not to have so many mistakes, even in issues a simple as the correct spelling of the restaurant that started the Elena Ruth, she has it misspelled. Proof reading anyone, and the recipes are not authentic.

An excellent cookbook from one of Floridas top food critics
As a native Key Wester, most of my knowledge of Cuban cooking has been passed on to me via my family and local friends.When I moved to Tampa, (and on many trips to Miami) I noticed many differences and interpretations of classic Cuban dishes of my youth. Such differences are natural due to the verbal, generation-to-generation passing of Cuban cooking. It is very nice to see a cookbook that records this tradition and its variety.

Joyce LaFray's book is the best example that I have seen of capturing true Cuban cooking.I have made a few of the recipes and can honestly say that they are excellent!Her recipe for "Erasmo's Black Beans" is out of this world - having sampled a hefty portion recently at a food tasting event.

If you are experienced in cooking Cuban food; or a beginner who wants to look like a brilliant Cuban food chef - this book is for you.Go ahead and order it - you will be glad you did!

This is it--best Cuban recipes!!!!!!!!!
Cuba Cucina has not only the best traditional recipes, but also incredible neuvo Cuban cuisine--the hottest food in South Beach, Miami. The black beans are the best! The recipe came from none other that from Castro's private chef. My guests were transported by "Hemingway's Daquiri" . It's out of this world delicious! Of all the Cuban cookbooks I've tried this unquestionably has the best recipes and is the most fun reading.My compliments to the chef/author! ... Read more

Product Description
The Three Guys from Miami have done it again with 100 ALL-NEW delicious Cuban recipes that will definitely get you in a party mood!

These festive recipes are perfect for ALL occasions:The Three Guys know that when you eat Cuban food, EVERY meal is a celebration.That's why "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban" is NOT just a party book! Although this book is built around a Cuban party theme, the recipes are just as easily made for everyday eating. In fact, most of the recipes are simple and easy to prepare for some great lunches and dinners at home.

Even if you're not in a party mood, you can treat yourself and your family to a delicious meal.The recipes follow the spirit of their first book, "Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban," with clear, easy-to-follow instructions that make creating spectacular dishes a snap.

When you do want to party, why not try a Cuban-style party? Cuban parties have always revolved around food and oh, the food! Huge platters of tender roasted pork, plates of crispy yellow tostones, bowls of black beans cooked to perfection in a thick aromatic stew, tall glasses of tropical drinks, trays of sweet desserts, the tang of citrus and garlic in the air... Are you hungry yet? We thought so.As the Three Guys say, "Party when you can, but always eat well!"

The Guys pair their amazing recipes with cultural anecdotes on all things Cuban and colorful photography that captures the food and soul of Miami. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Superb! Excellent and innovative recipes!
I love this book! Five stars all the way! I'm experienced with cooking Cuban cuisine, having spent 25 years in Miami before moving north. I love the first book by the "three guys from Miami" for its coverage of essential Cuban cooking. They did it right!

But this second book captivated me most because of how intelligently it borrows from Spanish cuisine and applies magnificently to the Cuban style. This is truly one of the great cookbooks. I very much appreciate that the recipes work well and were obviously tested carefully before publication, and readily obtainable ingredients are used.

Cuban party food recipes.
Great follow up cookbook if you already own 3 Guys from Miami Cook Cuban. Wonderful choises for a party! Food and beverages!

Excerpted from my January 2008 review column in The National Barbecue News
I have always really enjoyed Cuban food, especially the great grilled pork and seafood dishes, and have sought out books on the topic in the past. "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen", by Mary Urrutia Randelman, had long served as my resource, but now I've found another book that I think I like even better. "Three Guys from Miami Celebrate Cuban: 100 Great Recipes for Cuban Entertaining", by Glenn Lindgren, Raul Musibay and Jorge Castillo ($29.95, Gibbs Smith, 248 pp.), offers a wide range of recipes that are presented in an straightforward manner and richly illustrated.

This is the second book for the trio, following up on their 2004 book, "Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban".

If you don't already have an appreciation for Cuban food, I know you will after reading this book. You're sure to be be so indoctrinated into the Cuban-cooking culture that you'll telling your guests that your fixing "pollo de la plancha" (grilled chicken breasts), "costillitas" (baby back ribs) or "lechon asado" (roast pork).

Great cookbook
I bought this as a gift for my daughter and she loved it.It's a very versatile book.

Three Guys from Miami Celebrate Cuban
Excellent Book.I bought one for a friend and she loved it so I had to buy my own after.Love my book.Very well made, beautiful recipes, beautiful pictures, just lovely. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

The best of Cuba
Sprinkled with socio-economic commentary, historical synopses, and cursory food policy judgments, this book offers a modern version of Cuban food with recipes taken from Rose's Floridita restaurant. I assume the name is a reference to the Spanish translation of "floridita" (the little florid place" or "the flowery spot") and not Miami, Florida -the capitalist version of Cuba. In fact, Floridita has a branch in London, Madrid, Dublin, and Moscow but not one in Miami, where the authors' views on Cuba would cause considerable indigestion among many exiles.

That said, any book that is about Cuban food in the abstract -as if it were not from a very unique and fiery island- that took an apolitical posture would be like going to the Kentucky Derby and not betting on a horse. So kudos to the authors for being themselves.

And an enormous high five for the illustration of this book. The illustration oozes the beauty of the Cuban people, Cuban ingredients, the Cuban calle, and the resulting recipes. ..sort of. Not all the recipes are Cuban. In the introduction, Mr. Rose states: "Although Cuba is geographically in the Caribbean, I discovered that many Cubans feel that they are both Caribbean and Latin American. So, on that basis I have widened my ingredients to include some Latin American produce and imagined how Cuba's cuisine would have developed, had its history taken a different course, enabling a greater variety of ingredients available to its cooks."

Translation: there are recipes in my book that are definitely not Cuban but maybe they would be if the ingredients I use in London were available in Havana. For example, on pp. 50-51, there is a recipe for "Chilean Sea Bass with Shrimps and Clams in a Beurre Blanc Sauce" that, besides the origin of the fish, is not at all Latin American and about as Cuban as coffee without sugar. I would rather the author said, "I love Cuba, but I am not confined to it." No apologies required, especially when you are a talented chef.


Top on my list of must-try recipes are the: pineapple sage mojito, the guava duck breast, and the pumpkin salad. Mint is widely called for and there are more vegetables in this book thank in all the menus of Little Havana combined.All of the recipes are accessible and conveniently rated in terms of preparation time. Most could be easily altered to suit the tastes of the executer. Finally, there are recipes for all courses.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Flavor of Cuba in now on the Web
Come visit us at http://www2.pace.edu/~docwoman/rpphome.html for free recipes and chapter tidbits on "The Flavor of Cuba". ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Vegetarian Journal, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1993 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cuban family cooking in a vegetarian kitchen.
Author: Cecilia Peterson
Publication: Vegetarian Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 25Issue: 3Page: 14(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Presents recipes for dishes, such as Bird's Nest Soup, Stargazy Pie, and Hopping John, from eleven different countries. Includes lists of cooking utensils, terms, and special ingredients. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

FROM A CUBAN
TAKE IT FROM A CUBAN WHO GREWUP WITH TRUE CUBAN COOKS IN THE KITCHEN.....THIS IS NOT CUBAN..DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.

Not Very Cuban
I'm not sure why they call this cooking the Cuban Way. There are only a few Cuban recipes here, and nothing that really stands out. Low-fat and Vegetarian are two terms that are completely foreign to Cuban cuisine! There are much better Cuban cookbooks: Memories of a Cuban Kitchen, Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban, and Cuba Cocina just to name a few. ... Read more

Product Description
African, Latin American, North American and European cuisines combine to produce mouth-watering and unique recipes in Classic Cuban Cuisine. Evoking the faded grandeur of Havana, it offers more than 120 authentic and delicious recipes, including Rainbow Peanut Soup, Cuban Papaya Cheese, Havana Pickle Sauce, Quiqui Marina's Caldosa Stew, and Zapote Sorbet. The book covers the history and usage of Cuban ingredients, profiles Havana's main restaurants, and lists alternatives for ingredients difficult to obtain. Gravette tells the story of Cuban rum and offers exciting cocktails from mojitos to 4 kinds of daiquiri. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fine As Rare Wine
I love this cookbook.The recipes are easy yet gourmet when served.
I have 2 Cuban in-laws and were they every surprised when I made them Cuban Meatloaf with Garlic Eddoes.
For dessert I made Souffle de Corazon.CAn't wait to explore the cookbook more.

Beyond Classic
I was very surpriused at how many recipes are in the book.They bring back fond memories of dishes my Granmother used to serve us.
I have made the Paella Cubano 3 times now, everyone wants the recipe once they taste it.
The Cuba Bella is a favorite drink.
I highly recommend this cookbook.

This is not realcuban cuisine
I was very dissapointed in this book. I purchased this book at the same time that I bought "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" and WOW what a difference.Memories of a cuban Kitchen is all you really need to learn & cook real cuban food.Andy doesn't have a clue! The only good part of the book is the beautiful cover of the flag. ... Read more