Recipes from LA Isla: New & Traditional Puerto Rican Cuisine

Rating:
Summary: Not so Puerto Rican - don't waste your money on this book
Review: I have no idea where the authors got those recipes or their ideas about Puerto Rican food, but I am disappointed that I wasted my money on this book. My parents are Puerto Rican and although I was born in New York, I lived in Puerto Rico for 34 years before moving to Maryland in 1998. Believe me, no one in PR uses ginger in their daily meals.... only in teas if their stomach is upset and in desserts like coconut rice pudding. I didn't need this book to learn how to cook Puerto Rican food since I've eaten it all of my life and have been cooking it for 41 years. I bought it just to have a nice collection of our food. I don't even remember where I put because I was so upset about how misleading it is, but I DO know it's not on my bookshelf! The only place you'll find this "new" type of cooking is in a restaurant geared toward the tourist trade, not in a Puerto Rican home. If you want real PR cooking I suggest buying "Puerto Rican Cookery" by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli or "Puerto Rican Dishes" by Berta Cabanillas & Carmen Ginorio to get a more realistic idea of what PR food is all about. It's unfortunate that I couldn't give this book "0" stars.

Rating:
Summary: determined american
Review: This cookbook has really helped me in being able to perfect my Puerto Rican cooking. My husband is from the island and I am very determined in trying to be able to cook his authentic food. When he tasted the food, he said that he was quite impressed with the way the way the food turned out. He is not an easy man to please when it comes to his cultural food. This cookbook made it very simple for someone who is not used to that type of cooking or food. I would recommend this to anyone who may also be in my situation or who is just looking to expand their horizons.