cookbook review: Authentic Cuban Cuisine by Martha Abreu Cortina

Authentic Cuban Cuisine

Author: Martha Abreu Cortina

Publisher: Pelican

Hard Cover : 303 Pages

Photos: Yes

Chapters/Sections: Important Safety Notes: Pressure Cookers, English and Spanish Recipe Ingredients, Appetizers and Salads, Soups and Beans, Seafood, Chicken and Turkey, Pork, Beef, and Other Meats, Accompaniments and Side Dishes, Desserts, Beverages, English Index, Spanish Index

Unique or Cool Features:  I love the English and Spanish Recipe Index in the beginning of the book...it lists an English term with Spanish term next to it. 

(a few of the) Recipes Destined for my Kitchen:  Bacon and Date Rolls, Chickpeas with Pigs' Feet, Arroz con Pollo, Ropa Vieja, Panetala Borracha

My Thoughts/Review:  It is obvious that this cookbook was a labor of love.  The recipes (and there are seemingly tons of them)  have all been cooked in Cortina's kitchen...and the kitchens of her Cuban family and friends...for years.  They contain secret ingredients and many have been sought after by years by other family and friends who have tried them.  The only complaint I have about this cookbook is the less-than-stellar food photography.  While I have a great imagination, some of these photos leave me wishing that there actually wasn't a photo of that particular dish.  That said, I do have tons of paper scraps sticking out the sides of the book for recipes that I want to try.  If you're the kind of reader or cook that doesn't require huge, mouthwatering photos, then this book has the potential of being well-loved in your possession.  Did I mention that it was packed with authentic Cuban recipes?

Recipe I have already tried:  Cuban Meatloaf (Salpicon)

*I received a free copy of this book to review from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.