The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History Hardcover – October 28, 2014

I collect cookbooks and have for over 50 years. As a Cuban-American, a full two shelves of my cookbook stash is on Cuban cuisine. I have cookbooks that my mother brought from Cuba; the first booklets that were published by the exile community in the 60's (some of which are just a few pages stapled together). Not to mention binders and binders of recipes published in newspapers and magazines. I mention all this to establish myself as a Cuban cookbook fanatic. (I won't go into what kind of a cook I am, we can skip that part).Now, with my credentials in place, I have to say that, in my entire collection there isn't another book like this one. It is far and away, the BEST I've ever seen in every way that matters:--the recipes are genuine.--they are well-explained and easy to follow.--there is fascinating anecdotal information about them and their history.--traditional, current Cuban, and Cuban-American dishes are included.--It is almost encyclopedic in its scope.--they are presented and grouped logically.--the photography is beautiful.--the book is well-indexed and cross-referenced (not always a given in Latin cookbooks!)--the book (paper weight, quality, cover, layout, design, etc.) is first class.I have to congratulate the author for, not just her efficiency, but also for her sensitivity and her obvious love for her subject. I want to thank her not just on my own behalf but on behalf of my children's generation and other generations to come in both shores. And I have to congratulate myself on having had the sense to buy it the minute I saw it. I imagine that, someday, it will get a place of honor among my cookbooks but, for the time being, I'm just enjoying going on a culinary voyage of memory, imagination and taste.

I married into a Cuban family and absolutely love the cuisine, but almost none of my in-laws like to cook! Thus, I've spent the last several years collecting a mish-mash of Cuban recipes from a variety of sources. Now, with "The Cuban Table," I finally have a definitive, go-to Cuban cookbook.First things first, this cookbook is gorgeous. The sturdy cover, incredible photos, heavy paper stock, etc., all combine to create a cookbook that looks and feels like it belongs on the shelf of any serious home cook.But that means nothing if the recipes themselves are a bust. Thankfully, that is absolutely not the case here. What you'll find in this collection is essentially a "bible" of Cuban cuisine. Not only does it include just about any classic dish that you would find in any good Cuban restaurant, it also includes a number of lesser-known dishes that I was unfamiliar with. The recipes themselves are easy to follow and often include some good background information or stories to explain the recipes' origins.I've made about a half-dozen of the recipes so far, and they've all turned out fantastic. I've mostly been working my way through the classics--frijoles negros, arroz con pollo, ropa vieja, etc.--and everything so far has received rave reviews. In particular, the frijoles negros recipe turned out the single best batch of black beans I've ever made. Of course, as with any other cookbook, you might find that you want to tweak a recipe here or there to suit your own personal taste. For instance, while the ropa vieja was incredibly tasty just as written, when I make it again, I'll use green cabbage instead of red cabbage (I felt the red cabbage imparted too strong a flavor into the broth) and add a little bit of cumin, as I felt the dish was missing that particular element.Bottom line: If you love cooking Cuban food, this cookbook is a must-have.

I love this book!The Caldo Gallego (Galician Stew) is a fantastic, comfort food kind of dinner. The Potage de Frijoles Negros (black bean pottage) is flavorful. My kids loved the Ensalada de Aguacate (avocado salad), with onions that are marinated to take the sharpness out of the taste.Her Picadillo is great, too. I use it as a pastelitos filling, like the guava and queso at the beginning of the book. You place about a tablespoon of filling on a small round of puff pastry dough, and top it with a second round of puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm in the freezer) and seal the edges. I brush the tops with an egg wash or honey and sprinkle with sugar, and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.The tostone (plantain) cups are adorable. I've never seen them sculpted that way and can't wait to try! Amazon sells the presses - just search tostonera. Or you can make flat Tostones right in your tortilla press. Just don't press all the way.The Croquetas de Media Noche (midnight croquettes) are Cuban sandwiches in croquette form. Delicious! Marquitas Con Vinagreta de Cilantro y Limon (fried plantains with lime-cilantro vinaigrette) are crispy and semi-sweet, balanced with the garlicky citrus dipping sauce. That's the only error I've found so far. The Lime-cilantro vinaigrette doesn't make 4 cups, so don't scale it down, because it's fantastic stuff!She gives the names of the dishes in both Spanish and English. This is useful in two ways: 1) If you don't speak Spanish, you know what you're making, and 2) You know the real names to either try to make what you've enjoyed in restaurants, or to know what to order.There are plenty of photos in the book, adding to the charm, and letting you know what the dishes should look like.

Its a great book with many basic Cuban recipe. I just had to go in and tweek some of the recipe to my families traditional making for my children to learn when I'm not around secrets kept in the family for more sabor. Always remember to concina con azuca y amor! Not literlly sugar. The best additive to any Cuban cuisine is the love you put into it. Trust me people will taste it. Vaya con dios mi jente. I gave 4 stars because it arrived late.