The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History

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.

This Cuban cooking book does not only have incredible Cuban recipes, (which some I had forgotten about them,) but it also gives you the history behind the dish and cultural background of how the Cuban food evolved thru the years due to the many changes Cuba and its people went thru since the "Revolución" in 1959. For me, it's been a trip through memory lane. I left Cuba 1960 age 9, and grew up in Puerto Rico. My memories of good Cuban food are mixed with the delicious dishes we learned to make from Puerto Rico. (I was very young, so forgot some of them.) But, as I was perusing this book, what delicious memories started flooding back. ❤️❤️ In short, if you are only looking for a specific Cuban recipe, but not interested in how it came to be, move on to other Cuban cooking books. This one is historical, cultural, and delicious and it's perfect for that person that loves to cook recipes from other countries and likes to learn its roots!

What an amazing cook book. I left the island when I was a child, and I even though all my mom cooks is Cuban food, a lot of the flavors have changed due to assimilation of the American culture and the fact that where we reside it’s hard to have access to authentic Ingredients that gives cuban food its flavor. I got this book because I love cooking for my family, and to help me reconnect with my childhood and my culture. I have tried almost every single recipe, and it still hasn’t disappointed me ONCE. My family has even asked ME for the secret to my meals, haha. I’m so happy I came across it; I feel that I’ve gathered enough knowledge and tricks of what makes food taste like Cuban food to further try other Cuban dishes that are not in the book. I love it. I highly highly recommend it, it has many known, unknown and forgotten recipes to dishes, all very much authentic. Take it from my mom, who had my pastelitos of guayaba and she started talking about her childhood. Hahaha.

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.

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.

Given as a gift for Christmas - very well received. Absolutely beautiful book - lovely recipes, beautiful photography and a fascinating read into the bargain.

I have already tried a few of the recipes. So far very good. I wish they were more recipes and a few less stories. Good book as a whole.

Absolutely love this book ! Recipes are easy to follow , illustrations are beautiful . It’s such a pleasure to make our Cuban favorites especially the ones we have been missing since the travel ban due to Covid .

Beautiful food. Ropa vieja.

Great photography, great stories, great recipes. We have cooked a few things already and everything has been delicious. Since my better half is Cuban, I can also say that the recipes are authentically Cuban. He was able to revisit many of his childhood favourites.