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HIMILCE NOVAS: BREAKING DOWN LATINO
STEREOTYPES
(Knopf Cooks American)
By Himilce Novas and Rosemary
Silva
·
Hardcover: 352 pages ; Dimensions
(in inches): 1.00 x 9.75 x 7.00
·
Publisher: Knopf; (December 1997)
·
ISBN: 0679444084
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
If you've an unquenchable hankering for Latin American
fare--say Cuban Salsa de Perro (Dog Sauce), Colombian Cazuela de
Mariscos (Seafood Stew), or the Haitian confection of Bananas with Rum
Butter Cream--you'd be advised to turn to Latin American Cooking Across the
U.S.A. by Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva. The authors explain the history
of each dish, its typical presentation in its land of origin, and how to go
about preparing it in an American kitchen. It's a wonderful resource for a wide
audience, whether you have Latin American roots and want to cook the meals you
remember from grandma's house, have traveled in Latin America and want to
recreate the dishes you loved on vacation, or merely have a taste for the
cuisine of Latin America and want the option of cooking it up at home. The
authors collected a fine array of recipes--200 in all--a thorough sampling of
soups, appetizers, and salads; entrees with poultry, fish, or meat; various
rice, bean, and vegetable concoctions; plus turnovers, breads, desserts, and
drinks--all versions of traditional dishes culled from individuals living in
the United States so as to translate easily into American home meals. Replete
with family stories and culinary history, the recipes are intriguing to try,
easy to make, and resonate with the various flavors of
Book Description
In the first cookbook to encompass the full spectrum of
Latin American cooking all across America today, Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva
offer 200 enticing recipes that have been drawn from the home kitchens of
Americans with roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Brazil, Argentina,
Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, and nearly every other corner of
Latin America.
Spicy, colorful, and full of surprises, Latin flavors are the latest rage with
Nuevo Latino chefs from
For starters, Novas and Silva give us luscious Chilled Roasted Sweet Red Pepper
and Coconut Soup or Orange-Scented Roasted Pumpkin Soup and appetizers known as
antojitos ("little whims")--Bayamo's Fried Wontons with Chorizo and
Chiles or a Costa Rican Black Bean and Bacon Dip.
For main courses, there are hearty delights like Piri Thomas's Chicken Asopao
or a Heavenly Potato Pie with Minced Beef, Raisins, and Olives.
Center stage in many a meal are the rice and bean dishes with countless
delicious variations on the theme, like Gallo pinto, Red Kidney Beans and Rice,
and "Jamaican coat of arms", also called Rice and Peas (which are
actually small red beans).
And to satisfy the Latin appetite any time of day, also included here is a rich
array of tamales, empanadas, and other turnovers, like Little
From Cristina, the Cuban American talk show hostess in Miami, to U.S.
Representative Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas, from film producers and opera
singers to young students and grandmothers, the authors have gathered, along
with the family recipes and their origins, stories of the past and of the good
times celebrated in America. Novas and Silva also offer invaluable information
on Latin American chiles, on the earthy appeal of plantains and tubers like
yuca and taro, and on other special foods that give these dishes their unique
character, along with mail-order sources for hard-to-get ingredients.
An exuberant one-of-a-kind cookbook that will add a new dimension to the
American table.
Ingram
Latino flavors are the latest rage from
About the Author
Himilce Novas is a novelist, poet, playwright, historian,
and radio commentator. She has written for the New York Times, the Christian
Science Monitor, Connoisseur, and Cuisine, and is also the author of four
previous books and the host of a popular
Rosemary Silva is a teacher and the author of two previous books. A gifted
cook, she spent many summers perfecting her craft at her mother's restaurant in
DINING IN, DINING OUT/STYLE DESK |
By AMANDA HESSER (NYT) 647 words
Late Edition - Final , Section F , Page 2 ,
Column 4
DISPLAYING FIRST 50 OF 647 WORDS - TACKLING so large and complex a subject as Latin
American-influenced cooking in America in a single cookbook seems a nearly
impossible ... But Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva have managed to do it
with skill and elan in their new book, ''Latin American Cooking Across the
U.S.A.'' (Alfred A. Knopf)…
Latin American Cooking Across the USA by Himilce
Novas and
Rosemary Silva (Knopf, $27.50). This book represents the development of Latin
American cooking in the United States. The authors interviewed immigrants from
26 Latin American countries, from Mexico to Brazil to Costa Rica. Each
recipe includes a detailed introduction that makes you want to go into the
kitchen now and start cooking. While there are a few expected recipes
(guacamole, flan), there are many others that surprise and entice, such as
tropical duck with pineapple sauce.
Customer Reviews
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THE BEST AND MOST DELICIOUS RECIPES! WHAT A
GIFT!,
Reviewer: GAIL JENKS from
THIS BOOK IS A KEEPER, FOREVER AND EVER.
I FELT I WAS TRAVELING THE WHOLE HEMISPHERE WITHOUT LEAVING MY BED! NOT ONLY
ARE THE RECIPES DIFFERENT, IMPRESSIVE AND EASY TO PREPARE, THIS BOOK IS A
TREASURE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY ABOUT THE MANY LATINO GROUPS WITHIN OUR OWN
A great resource for Latin American cookery!,
Reviewer: Marya from
This book features a wide variety of
recipes from across the spectrum of Latin American cookery, including
contributions by notables Celia Cruz, Cristina Saralegui and others.
Our
favorites have been the "Latin from
There are also interesting side articles
such as "How Jamaican beef patties came to be sold in
A great resource for the novice or
experienced cook!
La Buena Mesa (Latin American Cooking across the U. S.):
La Autentica Cocina Latinoamerica En Los Estados Unidos
From the Publisher
El primer libro de cocina que presenta la gran variedad de
platos latinoamericanos tal y como se preparan en los Estados Unidos hoy en
dia.
Himilce Novas y
Rosemary Silva ofrecen 200 deliciosas recetas proveidas por familias
norteamericanas con raices mexicanas, puertorriquefias, cubanas, jamaiquinas,
brasilenas, argentinas, chilenas, peruanas, colombianas, guatemaltecas, y de
casi todos los rincones de America Latina.
Sabrosos, vistosos y
llenos de sorpresas, los platos "nuevo latinos" son la ultima moda en
restaurantes famosos desde Nueva York hasta Los Angeles. Con este libro, lo que
parece exotico y dificil de cocinar se convierte en manjares maravillosos que
cualquier cocinera o cocinero puede preparar facilmente en casa.
— Para comenzar, las autoras nos ofrecen sopas exquisitas, como la Sopa
fria de pimientos colorados y coco, o Sopa de calabaza con aroma de naranja,
asi como sabrosisimos antojitos como los Wontons fritos con chorizo, chile y
queso Monterey Jack a la Bayamo o Frijoles molidos costarricenses.
— Los platos principales incluyen el Asopao de pollo Piri Thomas y el
Pastel de papas celestial, entre otras creaciones fabulosas caseras.
— Entre la gran variedad de platos de arroz con frijoles se destacan El
gallo pinto, preparado con arroz y frijoles colorados, igual que el plato
jamaiquino Jamaican Coat of Arms (arroz con frijoles colorados). Tambien nos
ofrecen una elegante variedad de tamales, empanadas y otros sabrosos rellenos
para satisfacer el apetito latino a cualquier hora del dia — entre ellos,
las deliciosas Empanadas de camaron brasileno-americano.
Cristina, la
anfitriona famosa del Show de Cristina, el congresista HenryB. Gonzalez, entre
otras muchas personalidades y extraordinarios cocineros, cantantes famosos, autores,
abuelas y jovenes estudiantes, comparten sus recetas favoritas en este libro.
De la misma manera, Himilce Novas y Rosemary Silva, las autoras, aportan sus
codiciadas recetas familiares, y a la vez cuentan la historia y la preparacion
de los chiles frescos y secos, los platanos tropicales, la yuca, el taro y
otras frutas y vegetales, y donde conseguirlos aqui en los Estados Unidos.
Este es un libro unico que le anade una nueva dimension a
la mesa americana.
From The
Critics
Library Journal
With the increasing popularity of Latin American cuisine, it's about time that
someone published a book on the subject. Novas and Silva (coauthors of
Remembering Selena, St. Martin's, 1995) offer more than 200 home-cooked recipes
handed down from mothers to daughters, plus examples of more innovative new
cuisines that display the great culinary diversity of Hispanic American
cultures. All explained in a clear, easy-does-it way, the recipes cover such
dishes as arepas, pan de jamn, tres leches, tamales, and pisco agrio.
Interesting and useful culinary lore and legends surrounding each dish round
out the text. Recommended for public libraries. Ondina Arrondo
LATIN AMERICAN COOKING ACROSS THE U. S. was selected
among the BEST cookbooks of the year in FOOD
& WINE’S collection:
Food & Wine Magazine's Best of the Best : The Best
Recipes from the Best Cookbooks of the Year by Food & Wine ed
Pupusas: El Salvador's Comfort Food
Los
latinos: Un estereotipo que no cambia
THINGS TO DO FOR LATINO HERITAGE MONTH
By
Ricardo Parra
LatinoLink
LATINO HERITAGE MONTH
is an action month. Here are some suggestions to
help you get into the spirit of things:
1.
Read some good books
about Latinos. I enjoyed "Everything
You Need to Know About Latino History" by Himilce Novas (Penguin Book, New York, 1994-2003).
Also, I found the new book by Augusto Failde and William Doyle, "Latino Success (Simon and Schuster) full of
insights. There are many fine
2.
Energize the day with
a cup of Colombian coffee. Try out the different kinds of coffee, Puerto Rican
and Cuban coffees, cafi Mexicano, and cafi from
3.
Take pan dulce
to the office or work to share with your friends.
4.
Serenade your friends
and co-workers with Las Maňanitas.
5.
Take time to be less
in a hurry in order to pay more attention to our elders and children who need
us.
6.
Read some Latino
magazines such as the new Latina Magazine, Hispanic, and Sm.
7.
Catch a good movie
featuring Latino stars. I recently saw Lone Star
with Elizabeth Peňa. It was quite excellent.
8.
Give to Hispanic
causes and charities that are working to help the community and youth such as
the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
9.
Listen to some salsa,
Latin Jazz or the Tejano sound.
10.
Treat your family and
friends to variety of Latino food this month such as arroz con pollo,
chicken and mole, caldo de res, fajitas, gandules, empanadas,
tortas or other good stuff.
11.
Learn new Latino recipes whether from
the Southwest or other Latino communities.
12.
Go to the fiestas
and bailes and visit with old friends.
13.
Learn some new Latino
dances, yes!
14.
Dance and encourage
your kids to dance in community fiestas.
15.
Learn to play a
musical instrument or play it better.
16.
If alcohol is involved
in some of this month's celebrations, know when to say when, or don't even
start. There's nothing wrong with sober celebrations. Help out others and serve
as a designated driver.
17.
Regarding fitness and
health, learn how to make some of the Latino recipes with less or no
18.
Visit a Spanish
speaking country, learn about your roots but also learn about the roots of
other Latinos.
19.
Buy a personal
computer for you and your family as this is the gateway to the future for this
information age.
20.
Learn how to surf the
net and visit the various Latino web sites such a LatinoLink,
Hispanic Online,
or Latino Web.
21.
Make it a priority to
start setting aside money to invest in your education and the education of your
children. Because of the changing nature of politics, we cannot rely on the
idea that equal opportunity policies will always be in place to allow us to
participate fully and fairly in the areas of education, employment and
business, and therefore, we must redouble our effort to support self and
community empowerment through education and economics.
22.
Stand and deliver. Promote
math and science education in the Latino communities with the fine words of
Jaime Escalante: Ganas! Ganas! Ganas!
23.
Start being mindful to
support Latino businesses whenever and wherever possible.
24.
Start volunteering in
the community or rededicate your commitment to do more. Siempre se puede
mas.
25.
Learn about issues
affecting Latinos like English only, immigration, affirmative action, welfare
reform, education, youth, violence, drugs, teen pregnancy, and child and
spousal abuse.
26.
Speak out against immigrant
bashing, prejudice, racism and sexism when you see it occur.
27.
Help build solidarity
in and among the Latino communities.
28.
Write letters to local
newspapers about Latino issues, and also write about positive efforts, events,
and achievements.
29.
Serve as a volunteer
in English classes to help immigrants learn English.
30.
Help with citizenship
drives to aid immigrants in becoming citizens.
31.
Help out with voter
registration drives and vote!
32.
Take quiet time for
yourself to gather your thoughts and see if you are paying enough attention to
the key areas of your life: the physical, mental, social and emotional, and the
spiritual.
33.
Write a poem or a
letter to someone you love.
34.
Tell your parents you
love them and say a prayer of thanks.
35.
Tell your spouse more often
that you love him or her; he or she needs to hear it more often.
36.
Learn how to be a
better parent in this ever changing complex society.
37.
Do what is necessary
to promote the health of Latino family unity.
38.
Teach the youth the
value and "coolness" of being a peacemaker when it comes to violence
in this "in-your-face world" and how to act in a cool way to
"quash it." Keep the peace. Even if you are treated unjustly by
others, never treat other persons or groups unjustly to even things out.
39.
Pass on the best of
Latino family values to your children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, and god
children.
40.
Give support to
fatherless/motherless Latino families.
41.
Learn to become a
better role model for yourself and others.
42.
Teach young people to
say thank you/Gracias and Gracias a Dios.
43.
Be mindful of those
who have lost love ones or who have been ill, and be caring.
44.
Do random acts of
kindness for Latinos and all people in need of kindness and compassion.
45.
Learn to grow and
appreciate the many beautiful cultures and rich traditions of others. Avoid
being a cultural chauvinist. Be open to people, experiences and life.
46.
Work to help build a
diverse, technologically sophisticated and cosmopolitan society with decent
human values and principles.
The above actions will help us pass on our traditions and
values to our youth and future, la nueva generacion of the 21st century.
If you eat
fajitas, listen to Selena, have studied the Spanish-American War, read Julia
Alvarez, visited Miami, or seen Charlie Sheen in a movie, you're probably aware
that Latino culture is an integral part of American life. But most Americans do
not know much about Latino history, or realize the impact it has on the
politics, economy, and culture of American life. Everything You Need To Know
About Latino History covers the contributions of Spaniards, Mexicans, Puerto
Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, and Central and South Americans whose cultures have
given us everything from chocolate to chili peppers, from mambo to machismo,
and from Desi Arnaz to Oscar Hijuelos. Presented in a question and answer
format, this revised edition includes new information on Central and South
Americans, the largest group of new Latino immigrants, the passing of
Proposition 187 in California, and how Latino women are playing a larger role
in politics and the arts. This accessible reference book is perfect for both
the history buff and the curious reader who want to learn more about Latino
American history.
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