8 replies to this topic

[gfron1]

Beyond Mexican cookbooks, what are your favorite Latin American / South American cookbooks? Are there good ones for Brazilian, Peruvian, Argentinian, etc.? Thanks.

[ryanj]

The Art of Peruvian Cuisine and Peru Mucho Gusto are two both very nice cookbooks. The second one is in the style of the el bulli book, w/o the cd rom. It is a collaboration from a variety of Peru's chefs. The Art is also a collaboration work so to speak and a little more approachable. Those are two of my Peruvian favorites. There is a colorful Brazilian cookbook I had that I forget the name of, but it is readily available in bookstores. I haven't seen that many Argentinian books, except for ones that have been brought back from that country, which are also only in Spanish. Douglas Rodriguez has a few books out that also aren't that bad. They are a little more fusion and focus on the islands more however.

[gfron1]

Thanks Ryan. That's a sparse list...is that really all there is? Do cookbook writers feel there's not enough distinction in this genre to make it worth a book of its own?

[Marigene]

I have The South American Table (Maria Baez Kijac) and find it to be as good as any other I have perused.

[heyjude]

Felipe Rojas-Lombardi's THe Art of South American Cooking is a terrific book from 1991. There are several copies available on Bookfinder.com.

[Chris Amirault]

One of my prized objects is Tropical Cooking in Panama: A Handbook of Tropical Foods and How To Use Them by one Gladys R. Graham, a cookbook given to me by two thesis students from Panama who convinced me that this was the real deal. Need to cook a parrot or armadillo? Give me a call.

A more frequently used book in our house is Brazilian Cookery: Traditional and Modern by Margarette de Andrade. It's encyclopedic and a great read, with lots of interesting information about Afro-Brazilian cuisine, holiday cooking, and the importance of the coconut. I got it at a yard sale from a chef cleaning out the attic and have never seen it anywhere else. I've seen it called the standard in a few places.

[hapacooking]

I just got back from Peru and picked up Peru Mucho Gusto. The first part of the book explains the history of Peruvian cuisine followed by some recipes for the basic dishes found throughout Peru and the last section includes innovative recipes from some of the top chefs from Peru. The book is quite heavy similar in size to Alain Ducasse's Spoon cookbook housed in a box along with a thin supplement which is the recipes in english. Throughout the book there is a fair amount of english translation but for some odd reason the english recipes are included the thin supplement and not in the main book. I picked it up for around $90US in Lima and highly reccomend it.

The Art of Peruvian Cuisine and Peru Mucho Gusto are two both very nice cookbooks. The second one is in the style of the el bulli book, w/o the cd rom. It is a collaboration from a variety of Peru's chefs. The Art is also a collaboration work so to speak and a little more approachable. Those are two of my Peruvian favorites. There is a colorful Brazilian cookbook I had that I forget the name of, but it is readily available in bookstores. I haven't seen that many Argentinian books, except for ones that have been brought back from that country, which are also only in Spanish. Douglas Rodriguez has a few books out that also aren't that bad. They are a little more fusion and focus on the islands more however.

[gfron1]

Thanks for all the replies - now I'll start looking through them at the library.

[DerekW]

Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz's "The book of Latin American Cooking" has been a good resource for me. It's still in print, too, suggesting I'm not alone

Covering an entire continent's cuisine in one paperback is a tall order, but the book packs in a lot of things which have become standards in what I laughingly call my 'repertoire' - from ceviche through Matambre and on. Lots of interesting background too e.g. Making your own freeze-dried potatoes by leaving them out overnight in the mountains, anyone? Chuño