Latin American Cooking

If you think a mole is only a beauty mark or a reason to go to the doctor's office, and gooey orange cheese from a jar is the best way to make your nachos grande, you're truly a lucky person. All the savors and flavors of real Latin American cuisine will be a fresh adventure for you. Imagine the aromas as you splash lean, grilled fish with a blend of citrus and peppers. The unique warmth of a true Mexican mole (pronounced moh-lay), a blending of roasted garlic, tomatoes, peppers, spices, nuts, vegetables and, yes, often chocolate! can be the heart of the meal, transforming meats, grains, and sturdy vegetables into an exotic yet homey cuisine that is perfect for the chilly autumn nights to come.

Latin American cuisine shows the influence of history as newcomers from Africa, Spain, and other parts of Europe adapted their own dishes to the amazing foods they found in the Western Hemisphere. Bear in mind that there are differences in regions of a country just as there are differences between countries themselves. Great chefs have made these many cuisines accessible to American kitchens, and their books often serve lessons about other cultures as well as recipes. Voyage to sunnier lands through these unique cookbooks. You will find they vary in difficulty. Some embrace the nervous beginner, while others relish the challenge of preparing exquisite and complicated dishes.

Finding the ingredients for these recipes can be a bit of a challenge, although it is not as daunting a task as it was perhaps ten years ago. With more Hispanic Americans making their homes in the Rappahannock area, local grocery stores such as Shoppers Food Warehouse and Food Lion have made an effort to stock many popular ingredients. Indeed, specialty shops, such as Bladna Food Imports in the Greenbriar Shopping Center, are wonderful places to find an array of enticing ingredients. If all else fails, most cookbooks will include a list of mail order suppliers to take care of your needs.

Cooking the South American Way

By Helga Parnell

An overview of South American cookery that includes information about the continent's holidays and festivals. Features simple recipes and menu planning that are perfect for school projects or the family kitchen where everybody cooks. This newer edition includes lower calorie and vegetarian recipes.