About this item
From the steamy jungles of the Yucatn to the verdant valleys along the Andes, Latin Grilling goes beyond typical barbecue fare and familiar Mexican and Tex-Mex standards to present more than 90 recipes that showcase the diversity of Latin American cooking. Acclaimed cooking teacher Lourdes Castro takes you on a culinary tour of the Americas with ten fiestas featuring authentic Latin flavors tailored for home cooking and backyard grilling. In addition to steak and other grilled meats, Latin Grilling includes options for chicken, fish, shrimp, and vegetables to offer a bounty of delicious dishes sure to please all of your guests. Kick off your Peruvian party with a trio of fresh ceviches or host a Cuban Cookout complete with a whole roasted hog. With country-by-country entertaining plans and menus including beverages, starters, entres, sides, and desserts, this celebration of traditional Latin American grilling is a refreshing change of pace. Lourdes captures the essence of Latin America in each meticulously formulated recipe, and to ensure you feel comfortable at the grill, she shares tips and notes on ingredients, flavor variations, techniques, and entertaining ideas throughout. Whether you're hosting a festive Brazilian Rodizio kicked off with Caipiroska cocktails and Skewered Shrimp with Coconut Lime Sauce, or a hearty Andean Barbecue featuring Arepas, Grilled Salt-Crusted Beef Tenderloin, and Chocolate Pudding with Espresso Cream, Latin Grilling is sure to get the party started - and keep your amigos coming back for more.
About the Author
Professor and chef Lourdes Castro is passionate about teaching and cooking and is as comfortable in the classroom as she is in the kitchen. She was her own first student, teaching herself how to cook while in graduate school. Lourdes's initial experiments in the kitchen lead to her profound understanding of food and flavor. Her self-taught background helps her relate to her students, contributing to her dynamic and accessible teaching style. Lourdes entered the culinary world as a college student at New York University, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Food in 1993. She then attended Columbia University, earning a Master's in Nutritional Sciences. Shortly after graduation, Lourdes served as an associate at the James Beard Foundation. But it was Lourdes's love of teaching that inspired her to return to her alma mater, NYU, where she is a Professor of Food Science in the Food Studies department. A natural at explaining culinary concepts, Lourdes founded the Ars Magirica Cooking School in Miami, Florida in 2001. She created an acclaimed private catering service for high-profile clients seeking nutritious and flavorful meals. In 2006, she sold the cooking school to pursue other opportunities. In 2008, Lourdes was approached by the Biltmore Hotel to launch their first on-premise recreational cooking school. As director Lourdes oversees classes, workshops and team-building events for adults and children. Inspired to teach an even broader audience, Lourdes wrote two cookbooks Simply Mexican (2009) and Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish (2009) . Her straightforward and user-friendly style contributed to Food & Wine magazine's selection of Simply Mexican as one of the 25 best cookbooks of 2009. Lourdes third cookbook, Latin Grilling, was published April 2011. Born in Miami to Cuban parents, Lourdes is fluent in both English and Spanish. She has translated for acclaimed chefs such as Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana, Dani Garcia, Paco Torreblanca, Harold McGee, and Tetsuya Wakuda. She also translated events hosted by The James Beard Foundation, Madrid Fusion Culinary Conference, StarChefs.com, and the South Beach Food & Wine Festival. Bacardi USA made her the face of a video series in which she created and explained rum and cocktails in English and Spanish.Lourdes' talent and success are profiled in noteworthy publications such as Food & Wine magazine, Ocean Drive, Miami Luxury Living, The Miami Herald, Ocean Drive en Español, and El Nuevo Herald. Her recipes appeared in Men's Health, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, South Hampton Press, Pittsburgh Tribune, and The Seattle Times among others.Lourdes is an active member of Les Dames d'Escoffier and was selected by the organization to contribute a recipe to their cookbook, Cooking with Les Dames d'Escoffier (2009) . She currently lives in New York City. from:
