Description:
It is New Year's Day, and friends and family from all over Latin America arrive at Carmen Teresa's house for the festivities. When a neighbor gives her a gift of a blank notebook, everyone has an idea of how she should fill it. The discussion leads to an outpouring of stories by Carmen Teresa's loved ones. Loosely following a year of Latin American holidays--the procession for the Lord of Miracles, a special birthday, the Night of San Juan, and Palm Sunday, among others--the narration gives a warm, lively sense of family tradition. The one common thread through all these stories from Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru, and Argentina, is... food! Scrumptious tortillas, coconut sherbet, chiles rellenos, arroz con pollo, codfish stew, nougat candy, and more. Following the seven heartwarming, humorous, and fascinating stories, author Lulu Delacre includes recipes for all the delicious-sounding foods mentioned. When award-winning author Delacre set out to collect family recipes for a cookbook of traditional Latin American foods, she was amazed at how much more she gleaned: "How often the flavors of our childhood unlock memories from our past." Delacre's wonderful stylized linocuts are just icing on the proverbial cake (or salsa on the tortilla). Young fans of Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate will love this delectable combination of food for the belly and food for the soul. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter
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