Paladares: Recipes Inspired by the Private Restaurants of Cuba

When first looking at this book's cover I wondered what the heck is a Paladares? Was it a nickname? I was more confused when Google told me this --- So being the real-life librarian that I am ... here were go: Paladar (plural: paladares) is a term that in Spanish translates literally to "Palatal".

What was Palatal? SO I turned to the publisher, whose introduction read as this:

Cuba is experiencing a cultural and culinary renaissance. With a recent influx of investment and tourism flooding the country, paladares (private restaurants) are on the forefront of change. This is the first book to tell the story of Cuban cuisine through the lens of the restaurant owners, chefs, farmers, and patrons while examining the implications of food short­ages, tourism, and international influences of a country experiencing a paradigm shift in cooking.

Oh, now I get it! Much like "private dinner clubs" in NYC (you pay the person a "donation" and get a meal as a result cooked out of their home) paladares are actually licensed to sell to both tourists and locals. And much like church cookbooks where NO ONE would not put in a perfect, amazing recipe. this book does not disappoint!

Accompanied by amazing photographs (the author is a photographer, food stylist, and recipe maven, to name a few descriptors) the recipes sent me first to the grocery store and then the kitchen as I was dying to try all these creations. Interspersed amongst the recipes are stories of well-known paladares.

If you are allergic to pork as I am you may have some difficulties making them allergy-friendly (I have never been able to re-create bean soup to be tasty without a ham hock) but there were a great number of recipes that I can make for my husband and family, myself included, with a little ingenuity and a little chicken.

The Dulces/Sweet sections made me drool and I plan on making the Cuatro Leches cake this weekend.

I have never been to Cuba as the idea of being stuck at a resort for 7 days with the ubiquitous buffets and people taking the "free alcohol" as a challenge was torturous to this food and history buff. These photos and recipes make me want to stay a week in Havana and explore, photograph, learn and most all eat there!!!

This is a great book and is worthy of any foodies' and cookbook fans shelves!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NETGALLEY.COM for allowing me to read and review your book! As people who follow me know, I do not regurgitate what the book is about as the title and cover is usually a giveaway PLUS that is what the description from the author and publisher at the top of the pages where I post reviews are for. (Goodreads, Amazon. etc. )