La cocina de la familia

Rating:
Summary: fun read with an interesting range of family recipes
Review: If you, like me, are always curious about a recipe¹s significance, you will thoroughly enjoy La Cocina de la Familia. Every recipe has a story--and what a range. From comical anecdotes of lessons learned from grandma, to notes about the origins of certain foods, I enjoyed reading this book even away from my kitchen. Add to this the fact that many of the recipes are quite interesting--and also delicious!! I especially love the Salted Codfish Salad, although I did have to go on a search to find some of the ingredients. Several Lower East Side restaurants have also contributed wonderful recipes, including Minted Sweet Pea Soup from Indiana Market and Catering and Apple Cobbler from Mama's Food Shop. The range of contributors is quite a feat, with Al Gore's recipe next to recipes from local restaurants and neighborhood residents. And the Lower East Side/Alphabet City restaurant listing in the back is an added bonus. I plan to make this one of my more popular stocking stuffers! Happily, all the proceeds go to benefit a neighborhood drug crisis center, so I get a good gift and a good deed.

Rating:
Summary: A keeper!
Review: Nothing beats recipes that have been passed down (and refined) for generations. The recipes are diverse, easy to follow, and accompanied by (heartwarming) stories of their origin or significance. The range of cultures and recipes---from Tabbouleh to Pasta y Fagioli to Bahia-Style Shrimp---is astounding. And I love that there are two, differently inspired recipes for empanadas! P.S. This book is absolutely gorgeous---beautifully designed! I gave this book to a friend as a holiday gift, but I'll be buying more copies after the holidays.

Rating:
Summary: Very good!
Review: They could include more dishes. I liked the fact that it is a TRULY bilingual edition. I mean the translation is clean. It's a great book to have.