• marnone on August 30, 2016

  Some recipes knock it out of the ballpark (Ropa Vieja, Frijoles Negros, Ensalada de Aguacate), and some are tasty, but not inspirational (Camarones Enchilados was very plain, Pan de Manteca was heavier than my normal lard breads). It seems that the more complex recipes and processes may yield better results.

• FJT on August 04, 2015

  Absolutely love this book - I've made 6 or 7 recipes from it so far and have always been really impressed with the results. Can't wait for it to be indexed so I can add notes to those recipes!

• JuneHawk on April 13, 2015

  The Sopa De Lentejas recipe is way off on the water; 6 cups is not enough by a long way. I ended up using 7 and it was still not enough. Also, it feed more 8 than 4-6 people. This is the first recipe I try from this book and I'm not impressed; hopefully the rest are better.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Pastelitos de queso y guayaba

  • Baxter850 on August 22, 2025

    Delicious and simple. Make sure top the guava with cheese so that you get both in every bite.

• Guava layered cake (Masa real con guayaba)

  • helskitchenvt on February 18, 2017

    For a variation, I do half the sugar, 1/4 tsp of cayenne, and then for the filling I cook diced bacon (mine comes as pieces not strips) with guava paste (start with bacon then melt the guava in), mince the concoction fine. I started to do this because I had leaf lard, but I always make sure non-vegetarian food has obvious meat when it's for sharing - so I figured I'd add bacon. I serve that alongside the regular guava version made with shortening instead of lard.

• Miniature poundcakes (Panquecitos)

  • tges on May 30, 2021

    Made with extra virgin olive oil (the conversion brings it to 12 tbsp) instead of butter as I didn't have any. Very sweet with the suggested amount of sugar, so would even try to cut it in half.

• Midnight croquettes (Croquetas de media noche)

  • jessica_iia7a3 on January 20, 2026

    Made a spicy mustard dipping sauce with mayo, Greek yogurt, yellow mustard & horseradish.

• Chicken noodle soup (Sopa de pollo con fideos)

  • twoyolks on January 09, 2021

    It's a pretty basic chicken noodle soup. The major difference is the addition of lime juice where it's pretty easy to over do it so add it carefully.

• Black bean pottage (Potaje de frijoles negros)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    Really nice way to do black beans. I usually use Rancho Gordo Midnight Black Beans for this.

  • Baxter850 on May 21, 2020

    Not all the beans were soft event after the 2 hours. Flavor was good, sherry really came through, although I would go with a different recipe next time.

  • Stephenn31 on March 10, 2024

    Solid black bean recipe. Made in the instant pot with a 15 min and quick release before adding the sofrito and repeating.

• White rice (Arroz blanco)

  • twoyolks on April 18, 2020

    Simple, but nice rice recipe.

  • Baxter850 on May 21, 2020

    Great way to cook rice. Easy and flavorful. Did not rinse first and still was not as sticky as normal. Try with Cajun dishes.

  • jessica_iia7a3 on January 20, 2026

    Good, flavorful rice recipe

• Spanish-style tortilla (Tortilla española)

  • jessica_iia7a3 on January 20, 2026

    Easy recipe that's good for any meal

• Creole fried chicken (Pollo frito a la Criolla)

  • twoyolks on January 12, 2021

    The sauce was extremely bitter. I did use defrosted sour oranges for the juice which may be related. The chicken was otherwise fine.

• Stuffed pot roast (Boliche mechado)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    I use the stock I have left over from making the Ropa Vieja recipe in this book instead of water for this pot roast. It adds a bit of extra flavour. Great pot roast recipe.

  • Baxter850 on January 13, 2024

    Do not get Mexican chorizo!!! Whoops. Made it greasy. Cooked in instapot on high pressure for 60 minutes. The broth did not cover the meat and the meat only get tender where it was submerged in the broth. Will try again.

• Classic beef picadillo (Picadillo clásico)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    This is a firm favourite in my house. Easy to make and very, very tasty. I have served it to Cuban friends and they say it is authentic.

  • jenburkholder on February 02, 2021

    Omitted the finishing herbs and used Impossible ground instead of beef. In order to not overcook the Impossible, added that near the end, browning in a separate pan first. Very tasty, would make again.

  • mjes on August 26, 2021

    This is a much more flavorful picadillo that the Johnson White House version I've made for years. This picadillo is very versatile - put it in a tortilla, serve with rice or other grain, add a poached egg, . . . I highly recommend this recipe.

  • D.Barker on October 13, 2021

    Not sure what I didn't love about this, but maybe it was just a little too sweet? I don't know, but as a personal preference I have tried other picadillos I think I like a smidgeon better. It was really easy, though!

• Lime-marinated crispy beef (Vaca frita)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    Nice enough but took much longer to cook so that the meat was shreddable than stated in the recipe.

• "Old clothes" braised beef with peppers and onions (Ropa vieja)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    Love this recipe. Whilst it takes a while to make, it is worthwhile for the flavour of the finished stew. I have served this to Cuban friends alongside the Black bean pottage from this book and had rave reviews. I always add more of the broth from cooking the brisket to the end dish than the recipe calls for and I save the extra broth to make the Stuffed pot roast (Boliche Mechado) from the same book.

  • Stephenn31 on May 11, 2024

    It was ok. More tomato than I would have liked or have had in other versions. The ingredients in the list didn’t match up to the book I have (ie no mustard or cinnamon in the book version, though maybe good additions)

  • jessica_iia7a3 on January 20, 2026

    Made it over the course of 2 days. Save the leftover broth for future recipes

• Oxtail in caper sauce (Rabo alcaparrado)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    One of the few recipes from this book that just haven't worked for me. It took more than 5 hours for the oxtail to become tender enough to fall off the bone. The stew was OK but it wasn't worth all the effort and wasn't as good as other oxtail stews I've made.

• Fried pork chunks (Masas de puerco)

  • jessica_iia7a3 on January 20, 2026

    Instructions a bit off. Oil will not boil but still a tasty recipe

• Pork loin in adobo (Carne de cerdo adobado)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    Really, really tasty. I've made this several times and it is always extremely well received.

  • jessica_iia7a3 on February 03, 2026

    Accidentally overcooked the pork slightly but still delicious. Marinade overnight.

• Fish in coconut sauce (Pescado en salsa de coco)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    I couldn't get hold of the cachucha peppers and used green bell pepper instead (I did some online searches for alternatives). This was a mistake!! I think if you can get the correct peppers this might turn out far better than mine did, as it was it wasn't anything special.

• Lime-cilantro vinaigrette (Vinagreta de cilantro y limon)

  • jessica_iia7a3 on January 20, 2026

    Does not make 4 cups

• Egg custard (Natilla)

  • FJT on February 13, 2017

    This recipe is dangerously addictive!! It is ridiculously easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes on my induction hob. The recipe calls for a cup of sugar and that is far too sweet - I usually make it with about half a cup and it still tastes rich. We've tried some alternative toppings to the ground cinnamon: freshly grated lime zest is the favourite in my family.

• Daiquirí

  • hbakke on April 28, 2023

    Nicely tart cocktail, but the Maraschino liqueur was barely detectable.

• Moros y Cristianos

  • Stephenn31 on April 17, 2025

    An additional/ sub-recipe of another recipe, so there isn't vinegar or olives in the moros y cristianos version. But a nice change from rice and beans separately.

• Tasting Table

  ...Cuban cuisine...a vital part of the American food story, is often underrepresented and misunderstood, so we're thrilled that one of our favorite Cuban-American writers is tackling the subject...

  Full review