Hello Gemmies! I have an exciting book review to share with you today. Please note: I received a digital ARC of this book (via NetGalley) from its publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.
The Easy Puerto Rican Cookbook is the new cookbook by Tony Rican. I am Puerto Rican and was thrilled to receive this ARC for review. I immediately jumped at the chance to try some of the recipes at home. This is a great overview of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. With 100 recipes there are many options to choose from. I appreciate that the table of contents are divided into sections like staples, 5 ingredients or less, 30 mins or less, etc. instead of the standard breakfast, lunch, dinner breakdowns.
There are short chapters to give you insight into the authors life and passion for Puerto Rican food. I enjoyed learning that like me, Tony Rican is a first generation Puerto Rican stateside and his family is from the same town in PR as mine....Santurce. This book was a joyful reconnection of my culture through food.
As mentioned The Easy Puerto Rican Cookbook is chock full of delicious recipes. I tried three recipes from the book. The first, Guineos en Escabeche. I have never made this dish in a slow cooker before and it worked surprisingly well! I'll be using this cooking method going forward. Next I tried the Guayaba Smoothie, this was super easy to make and I had all of the ingredients in my pantry! Lastly, I made the Ensalada de Aguacate y Tomate. This is a refreshingly simple and delicious salad. I added fresh garlic to the dressing recipe because everything should have garlic LOL. I cannot wait to try the mofongo and mojito recipes!
I like the notes and tips provided at the end of each recipe to make the cooking experience even easier. I just wish photos of each recipe were provided, this would have been especially helpful for those unfamiliar with Puerto Rican food to let them know if they are on track when making the recipes.
If you are a fan of yummy recipes, learning about other cultures through food, and trying new things then go read this book! This gem published by Rockridge Press is available for pre-order from all major booksellers and is set to release on May 12, 2020. I give The Easy Puerto Rican Cookbook 4 out of 5 gems. I cannot wait to try even more recipes in the book! Happy Reading and Happy Eating!
