Gran Cocina Latina

I have caught the cooking bug. It began with my designation as the official pie maker of the family Thanksgiving meal.  After whipping up my favorite, a pumpkin pie, I decided to get a tad crazy and try my hand at a bacon, apple, cheddar pie. It was to die for. Literally and figuratively. This was just the beginning though. 

Before I knew it, I was off and running creating meringues, Christmas cookies, and scones galore and then, right when I was hitting my stride, my wife laid down the gauntlet. No more desserts and no more butter. Fortunately, a new cookbook arrived at the Library just in the nick of time.

A massive tome, Gran Cocina Latina attempts to bring together in one work, the food of all of Latin America. Although an undertaking of such size sounds destined to fail, author Maricel E. Presilla is no ordinary foodie. A Cuban American with a doctorate in medieval history, it is Presilla's rigorous approach as scholar and historian as well as cook that shape this work and make it utterly absorbing as well as exquisitely delicious.

Indeed, Presilla starts the book with a discussion of what Latin America is and what can be found in its kitchens and on its tables before turning to the Latin tradition of layering flavors all before getting to the bulk of the book 157 pages in. Yet even when Presilla turns to recipes for good, a history lesson or story is never far off. Take for example, the meal I made the other night.

Having lived in Chile briefly, when deciding upon what to cook, a Chilean empanada sounded perfect. Despite my best intentions, before I knew it, I was engrossed in a discussion of the Galician region of Spain and found myself attempting a traditional olive and tuna empanada baked in this region for hundreds of years. It was fabulous and I was even able to bore my wife with the history of the meal while we ate.

If all of this tradition and history sounds a little overwhelming, don't worry. Presilla also wisely includes modern varieties and discussions of variations that aid both those short on time and those short on traditional Latin American ingredients. It is this all-encompassing nature that led one reviewer to call it the "bible" of Latin American food and truly, the combination of history, culture, people, places, and great recipes makes Gran Cocina Latina a treasure trove.

Starry River of the Sky

Grace Lin's 2010 Newbery Honor book "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" was my favorite chapter book aimed at 8-12 year-olds to come out in 2010. So when I discovered that Lin was working on a companion novel, "Starry River of the Sky," I was both utterly excited  and a tad bit nervous.

I was enlivened by the possibility of another book that could successfully weave together a protagonist and plot from the long past, traditional Chinese folklore, and a very modern melding of multiple narrative voices and intricate and beautiful images. And truth be told, I was anxious that Lin couldn't possibly replicate such a feat.

My apprehension was of course, unfounded. Not only does "Starry River of the Sky" wonderfully pull together all of these elements, but it does so in a manner that, as a companion should, builds on rather than recycles these features. The Folklore and storytelling for instance, don't just shed light on the main character, but instead become the tools he must use to complete his inward journey. And unlike "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon," "Starry River of the Sky" is predominantly, an inward journey.

The individual at the center of the odyssey is  Rendi,  a sour-puss and stowaway young boy that is dumped in the remote village of Clear Sky. Working as the chore boy at the lone Inn, he is unwillingly drawn into the lives and problems of the Village including a missing moon, feuding neighbors and much more. However, when a mysterious woman with a gift for story telling arrives at the Inn, the truth about Rendi, the sky, and so much more is slowly drawn out and together from a tapestry of stories and folklore altering the Village and everyone in it.

Altogether, Grace Lin's "Starry River of the Sky" is like a fantastic meal. It presents both individual ingredients that beg to be savored as well as a whole that will leave any age satiated and satisfied.