New Orleans con Sabor Latino
The History and Passion of Latino Cooking
A feature dish of the cuisine that has been too long overlooked in New Orleans cooking
Description
New Orleans con Sabor Latino is a documentary cookbook that draws on the rich Latino culture and history of New Orleans by focusing on thirteen New Orleanian Latinos from diverse backgrounds. Their stories are compelling and reveal what for too long has been overlooked. The book celebrates the influence of Latino cuisine on the food culture of New Orleans from the eighteenth century to the influx of Latino migration post-Katrina and up to today. From farmers' markets, finedining restaurants, street cart vendors, and home cooks, there isn't a part of the food industry that has been left untouched by this fusion of cultures.
Zella Palmer Cuadra visited and interviewed each creator. Each dish is placed in historical context and is presented in full-color images, along with photographs of the cooks. Latino culture has left an indelible mark on classic New Orleans cuisine and its history, and now this contribution is celebrated and recognized in this beautifully illustrated volume.
The cookbook includes a lagniappe (something extra) section of New Orleans recipes from a Latin perspective. Such creations as seafood paella with shrimp boudin, Puerto Rican po'boy (jibarito) with grillades, and Cuban chicken soup bring to life this delicious mix of traditional recipes and new flavors.
Reviews
Zella Palmer Cuadra captures the vibrant present of Latino cooking in New Orleans, which like all things in New Orleans, has become happily Creolized by the flavors of the city. Natalie Root's inviting photographs reflect the energy of the people and the complexity of the food. What is most important are the historical connections that Cuadra establishes to the Spanish colonial period--actually longer than the French--of the city, the shared Caribbean heritage, and the web of Latino influences on the food of New Orleans. Tasting New Orleans as a Caribbean, Latino, and American city is just another way to understand the many nuances that make the food of the city unique. Good context, representative people, excellent photos, and imaginative recipes: this book should be open on the counter in your kitchen.
- Elizabeth Williams, president and CEO of the SoFAB Institute (home of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans), lawyer, and author of New Orleans: A Food Biography
New Orleans con Sabor Latino is an intriguing guide to Latino-style southern hospitality. All the ingredients are there for a go-to book when you want your party to say 'mi casa es su casa. ' As a fellow Latino chef in the South, I am inspired by Adolfo Garcia and others like him who combine heritage with a sense of place.
- Anthony Lamas, executive chef/owner of Seviche in Louisville, Kentucky