Frida's Fiestas : Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo

Rating:
Summary: Delicious!
Review: It is a treat to look into the life of Frida. You will want to take a trip to Mexico to savor the treats or follow the recipes to understand why these dishes stand out. Try the dishes before the movie about Frida is released.

Rating:
Summary: Cookbook or Picture Book?
Review: Lucky for us, this book is a 5-star in both categories: cookbooks and picture books. The recipes are magnificent: easy-to-follow and mouth-watering delicious. We're not veteran cooks yet we've been able to procure all ingredients and complete every recipe we've attempted just as they are pictured. Some of these recipes may become staples in your family as they have in ours. Others you'll want to pull out for special events. Additionally, the photography is real eye candy. Not only does this book contain crisp photos of completed dishes, but also numerous scenic shots and other interesting photos. The real challenge with this book is whether to keep it with your cookbooks or on your coffee table.

Rating:
Summary: Cookbook or Picture Book?
Review: Lucky for us, this book is a 5-star in both categories: cookbooks and picture books. The recipes are magnificent: easy-to-follow and mouth-watering delicious. We're not veteran cooks yet we've been able to procure all ingredients and complete every recipe we've attempted just as they are pictured. Some of these recipes may become staples in your family as they have in ours. Others you'll want to pull out for special events. Additionally, the photography is real eye candy. Not only does this book contain crisp photos of completed dishes, but also numerous scenic shots and other interesting photos. The real challenge with this book is whether to keep it with your cookbooks or on your coffee table.

Rating:
Summary: A visual and gustative fiesta!
Review: This book is a true sensory experience. From the first page on, your senses will be teased by the wide array of mouth-watering recipes, organized by fiesta type (which will simplify your search once you go back to prepare one of them), the anecdotes will nourish your imagination and the exceptional photographic work provide for an exceptional visual experience. More than a simple cookbook, it is a passport to a great cultural experience. One can also discover in the book a nice set of views about the famous Blue House in Coyoacan near Mexico-City, once residence of the famous couple Frida Kahlo-Diego Rivera, nowadays a museum. The authors are to be commended for their work, as this book, beyond a mere cookbook, provides a very intimistic view of the house and the lives of its inhabitants, without making the reader feel like a "voyeur". but rather like a guest. It is the "most often picked and looked at" book of my cookbook collection, and I have noticed several of my friends had ended up buying their own copy. There definitely is something about htis book...

Rating:
Summary: Art and food, what a nice combination!
Review: This book is wonderful. I could never have imagined that Frida was so Mexican that even the food from her native country was important in her life. Diego Rivera's daughter, Guadalupe, does an excellent job describing what she saw in the year she spent living with her father and Kahlo in "La Casa Azul."
The major strength in the book lies in the stories the author tells in relation to the dishes she introduces in each chapter, and why and when Frida ate them. You would think this is banal, but it is not: it can offer you insights into Frida's personality, her social standing, her love for her country, and sometimes her art.
Another plus is the photos of the actual dishes; they are very beautiful, very colorful, but most importantly, they are taken in context, with various parts of "La Casa Azul" as the background, such as the garden and the dining room. You can almost see Frida, sitting at the table, enjoying a good conversation with her guests.
Finally, I have already cooked several of the dishes, and my favorite by far is "Carnitas." It's really tasty!
I highly recommend this book. You won't regret buying it.

Rating:
Summary: alegría de la vida
Review: This is a charming, joyful book in a delightful format. The chapters cover a different celebration for each month of the year and begin with personal anecdotes from Lupe Rivera's experiences of the magical times her step-mother created for their family and friends. The impression one gets is the Rivera's loved to eat, especially Diego, and celebrate all the events that came their way with Frida as the instigator and creator of these moments. The bonus is the foods described in each story appear in the menu at the end of each chapter with colorful photographs to entice. This is the real charm of the book, giving the reader a true sense of connection to the story. One does not get a complete picture of Frida from this book, nor does the author intend to do this. It is simply the happy remembrances surrounding the celebrations of their lives, the events that connect a family.