La Comida del Barrio: Latin-American Cooking in the U.S.A.

In this groundbreaking cookbook, chef Aarón Sanchez explores the delicious food and exciting culture of the barrios—the vibrant Latin-American neighborhoods from Miami’s Little Havana and New York’s Spanish Harlem to San Francisco’s Mission, and the entire United States in between. These rich neighborhoods have spawned a new cuisine, melding tradition with experimentation, and taking advantage of locally available ingredients and modern cooking methods. This book is a celebration of that cuisine: not the painstakingly authentic dishes of the homeland, or the hypercreative chef-y inventions of fusion cuisine, but the comforting, delicious food that’s enjoyed in home kitchens and mom-and-pop restaurants across the country, accessible to all cooks.

Since a defining aspect of Latin-American culture is the variety in eating establishments—from casual street vendors to upscale sit-down restaurants, the meal is defined as much by the place as by the dish—La Comida del Barrio is organized by types of eatery:

•Fondas, market stands, for soups such as Pozole Verde and Black Bean Soup
•Paladares, home-kitchen restaurants, for hearty entrées like Chicken Fricassée and Carne Mechada (Shredded Beef)
•Taquerías, street stands, for quick snacks that include tacos, tamales, gorditas, sopes, tortas, and other portable foods
•Rotiserías, cafés, for roast meats such as Steak in Red Chile Sauce and Cuban Pot Roast
•Comedores, restaurants, for sit-down meals with starters like Cactus Salad with Shrimp and main courses like Arroz con Pollo
•El Mercado, the market, for sides such as Refried Black Beans, Roasted Corn with Chile-Lime Butter, and Stuffed Plantains
•Panaderías, bakeries, for desserts that include Flan de Coco, Dulce de Leche, and Rice Pudding
•Jugoerías, juice stands, for drinks like Batidos (tropical shakes) and Sangría