Miami Spice: The New Florida Cuisine

by Steven Raichlen

The new star of the culinary galaxy is South Florida, declares The New York Times . And no wonder. Out of America's tropical melting pot comes an inventive cuisine bursting with flavor--and now Steven Raichlen, an award-winning food writer, shares the best of it in Miami Spice . With 200 recipes and firsthand reports from around the state, Miami Spice captures the irresistible convergence of Latin, Caribbean, and Cuban influences with Florida's cornucopia of stone crabs, snapper, plantains, star fruit, and other exotic native ingredients (most of which can be found today in supermarkets around the country).

Main selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club's HomeStyle Books. Winner of a 1993 IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Reference

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 11, 1993

About the author

Steven Raichlen is a multi-award winning writer, television host, and novelist. His books include the international blockbusters The Barbecue Bible, How To Grill, Project Smoke, and the New York Times bestselling Planet Barbecue. His novel, The Hermit of Chappaquiddick, tells a story of love, loss, redemption and really good food set on Martha's Vineyard. Translated into 17 languages, Raichlen's books have won 5 James Beard Awards and 3 IACP-Julia Child Awards and have sold more than 5 million copies. Raichlen also hosts the popular TV shows, Project Smoke and Project Fire on PBS; Steven Raichlen Grills Italy in Italy; and Le Maitre du Grill in Quebec. He lives and writes in Coconut Grove, Florida, and on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. His websites are stevenraichlen.com and barbecuebible.com

Reviews

[Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thus began the part of my Goodreads journey where I started to make forays into cookbooks. Well, this one rocks, anyway. Florida cuisine might conjure images of oranges, oranges, oranges, and gator, and while this contains plenty of recipes that include all four, it's also a handy Cuban, Haitian, and Nicaraguan cookbook in disguise. Usually when I make cookbook recipes they're underspiced (that could be the recipes, or it could be my having been a smoker for ten years... you be the judge). This one is most definitely not - there's a delicious recipe for Haitian pickled cole slaw that recommends "one to four scotch bonnet peppers..." which is zero to three too many.

The best thing about this cookbook is its lengthy sidebars that explain various ingredients, including prep and substitutions. It would've been nice to have a diagram of how to clean a conch, but hey, I'm never going to find fresh conch in Brooklyn anyway, so who am I kidding. Overall, this is an excellent book, with the caveat that not all ingredients are widely available outside of Florida (which is why I'm not giving it five stars.)

[Arline]

This book was written before the author wrote his excellent books on grilling. He had moved from NYC to Miami and became enamored of the abundance of ingredients here-to-for unknown to him.

[NList · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the best Key Lime Pie recipe I have ever used. In addition, the author gives history behind dishes and ingredients.

[Kendall P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe I’ve never reviewed this on GR - let’s fix that.

For starters, I am a central-KY born Latin-American. My mom is first generation American (Cuban + Argentine parents) born and raised in Miami. I’m named Kendall because she was homesick <3. I spent my life living 9 months in KY, and 3 months in Miami from birth until college - and now live in Cincinnati with frequent trips home to Miami.

This cookbook does a phenomenal job capturing the essence of the Miami food scene. It’s vivacious, its adventurous, it’s wild- but it’s also clean, classy, and timeless. It’s simple, staple recipes that any one could shift to fit their own personal palette.

The picadillo recipe is a STAPLE in my cuisine. It’s the base recipe I’ve used to win countless chili cook-offs, give to hundreds of hungry friends, and teach in a Cuban comfort foods cooking class.

I’ve bought this book 11 times on Amazon to gift to fellow chefs/cooks as gifts, so I think that speaks for itself.

¡Dale!

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book and I walked away with several recipes which are on my "test" list. Recipes were interesting and unique partnered with easy prep for most. It is a large book so it is a recipe packed book. Well worth the bucks.

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really interesting recipes! I'll definitely be trying some!

[Carrie Honaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every recipe in this book works and is delicious!

[AdultNonFiction Teton County Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

TCL Call#: No holdings

Madeleine - 2 stars
I so wanted to love this cookbook but cannot.
No photos = no no
Tropical ingredients = of course but this is WY!
Florid green and orange type = eyesore

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Nice recipes. Liked it enough to buy the kindle version on sale for quick & easy reference. Some recipes seem fairly authentic. Have only tried a couple to date.