The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History by Ana Sofia Peláez and Ellen Silverman immediately caught my eye on the shelf. Its playful, bright cover invited me in with its delicious arrangement of ingredients like fresh sliced avocado and a cold minty mojito. There is no mistaking that Peláez’s Cuban cookbook that has mastered the art of the “coffee table book.” Though much of the cookbook is steeped in tradition, she manages to introduce, or perhaps reunite, us with Cuban food for the contemporary cook.      

Ana Sofia Peláez grew up in the U.S. but never lost sight of her Cuban heritage. Some of her fondest memories were watching her Cuban grandparents cooking recipes they brought with them across the Straits of Florida. She attributes the genesis of her own interest in Cuban cooking to inheriting her grandmother’s yellow Sunbeam mixer. Determined to recreate childhood memories with her grandparents, she began a lifelong project to connect with Cuba.

However, Peláez quickly realized that the generations and distance that separated her from her roots made for a challenge. Her journey to find more recipes led to her creating the blog hungry sofia. Here she compiled collections of dishes and shared her experience with the internet. Soon after, she met Ellen Silverman, a photographer, and the two embarked on a project to make a Cuban cookbook. To be sure they were getting the best recipes, techniques, and stories, they went to Havana.

The goal of The Cuban Table is to bridge the gap between Cuban-Americans and their Cuban identity through food and photography. Appropriately, the cookbook is written for the American cook (Cuban heritage not required). Peláez’s passionate research takes readers into the private kitchens, local bakeries, and popular restaurants of Havana. It is much more than an index of recipes; it is an archive of Cuba’s people, history, culture, and, of course, food- all for the reader to enjoy in their own home.

Peláez’s voice throughout the book is respectful and admiring. Her passion for Cuba and cooking radiates throughout. Clearly, she is excited about sharing her knowledge with the reader. With an inviting tone and colorful descriptions, the reader feels welcomed. This accessibility is carried over into the recipes themselves which are concise and easy to follow. They are reminiscent of family recipes written on scrap paper- a list of ingredients followed by a simple description of the cooking or baking process. No frills. No fuss. Anyone with basic cooking experience can recreate the dishes in this book.        

Peláez organizes the book into nine chapters: baked goods; lunches; soups and stews; dishes using rice, beans, or eggs; meat dishes; fish and seafood; fruits and vegetables; desserts; and finally cocktails. At the start of each chapter, there is a short anecdote or history lesson regarding the section. These are accompanied by bright, glossy photos of flaky pastries, Cubans smiling behind their vegetable stall in the market, or snapshots of rustic kitchens. The photography is an excellent accompaniment. Clearly, capturing all elements of Cuban life was Silverman’s goal. The scope of The Cuban Table is quite large. Therefore, the options for a passionate cook are endless. Sadly, one drawback is that many of the recipes do not have visuals, but the ones that do are absolutely mouth-watering.

Upon reading this cookbook, one section caught my eye. The chapter titled “View from the Bakery Window” beckoned me in. I must admit I have a sweet tooth that often sabotages my better judgment. I never say no dessert, so this instance was no different. My experience with Cuban food is admittedly limited. By limited, I mean one restaurant near my parents’ townhouse in Duluth, Georgia. I have many memories Mojitos Bistro. It is a place I have taken all my exes and best friends. It is where I chose to celebrate my last three birthdays. I can’t visit home and not stop by for dinner. The owners are a Cuban family and they serve some of the most delicious dishes I have ever eaten. It is a tradition to end the meal with their famous homemade Guava Cheesecake. This is my experience with Cuban dessert, so Cuban pastry seemed as foreign as Mexican pasta. Needless to say, I enjoyed exploring the vast options provided by Peláez.

I decided on “Pastelitos de Queso.” In English, this roughly translates to “cheese puff pastries.” These delicate golden triangles are filled with a tangy sweet cream cheese. Not only were they delicious, but they were also easy to make. The process is divided into three main steps. First, making the filling. This involves mixing the cream cheese with sugar, water, lemon juice, and orange blossom water. The second step is preparing the puff pastry dough. The recipe calls for frozen store-bought dough. Listen, I have seen enough of The Great British Bake Off to know that making your own puff pastry is an extremely tedious task. Therefore, I was not going to argue with this suggestion. Basically, dough prep is thawing, rolling, and slicing the pastry into 9 squares. You do this twice because you have two sheets of puff pastry (18 Pastelitos altogether). Finally, the filling is placed in the middle of the squares, coated with an egg wash, folded, and baked. It took no time at all to prepare my Pastelitos, and I quite enjoyed the process. Once they had cooled, I tasted them. The pastry was a soft, flaky, buttery cocoon wrapped around a slightly sweet, citrusy cheesecake filling. It reminded me of a fancy Toaster Strudel. I could imagine eating these with a warm cappuccino in the morning.

Overall, I found The Cuban Table both charming and informative. Not only does it contain a variety of recipes, but it teaches the reader about Cuban culture in its chapter introductions and with beautiful photography. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone interested in making flavorful dishes that don’t require a lot of time or energy. I think they will leave the cook feeling satisfied, accomplished, and eager to make more. Even for those who are not confident in their cooking abilities, Peláez has a lot to offer in terms of drinks, simple desserts, and quick dishes. It is beautifully constructed and looks great on any kitchen bookshelf. This cookbook was a joy to read, and I hope to use it again soon.       

Order The Cuban Table here!