Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking - 125 Recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands by Von Diaz

  • Sofrito (page 38)

    from Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking - 125 Recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands Islas by Von Diaz

    • Categories: Sauces, general; Quick / easy; Cooking ahead; Puerto Rican; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: red peppers; aji dulce peppers; garlic; yellow onions; culantro; cilantro
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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Tuna poke (Shoyu ahi poke)

    • ethedens on April 13, 2024

      Too much ginger for us. Tasted a bit bitter. But good and easy to put together. 3 5/5. Would have been 4/5 if we had halved the ginger.

  • Stewed oxtail

    • xanetta_k0su2r on February 11, 2026

      Good but my cook time was an hr longer than the recipe calls for. I also feel like it was slightly more bitter than I prefer. Next time I will half the bitters and see if that makes it a 4

  • Spicy pickled vegetable relish (Pikliz)

    • ethedens on April 20, 2024

      So good. 4.5/5. Would absolutely make again. Very acidic and spicy.

  • Cucumber, mango, and pineapple salad with tamarind and chile

    • Babycarrot on June 18, 2024

      Delicious with grilled meat. I used a red thai chili, and it did have a kick.

  • Fried braised pork (Griot)

    • ethedens on April 20, 2024

      So good. Would absolutely make again. The piklitz or some sort of pickle is necessary to cut through the richness. Would also do pork in about half the size chunks. Takes some planning, but very doable if you are comfortable with frying. 4.5/5 with the piklitz.

  • Grilled marinated skirt steak (Churrasco)

    • john_hpn9i3 on May 23, 2026

      This is a really easy, approachable recipe that is absolutely delicious. I marinated for an hour, and I thought the flavor was perfect. You HAVE to make the wasakaka along with it, it takes it to another level.

  • Jerk pork tenderloin

    • Babycarrot on June 18, 2024

      Delicious and relatively simple. I subbed prickly pear marmalade for the guava jam and used one habanero instead of two which was a good call as the marinade definitely had a kick to it. I left this to marinate overnight in the fridge. Definitely line your pan well with foil as the drippings from the marinade and the sugar from the final broil gets very burnt/charred. Went perfectly with sweet plantains and the cucumber pineapple mango salad from the same book. Will make again.

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  • ISBN 10 1797215248
  • ISBN 13 9781797215242
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Mar 12 2024
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 304
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Chronicle Books

Publishers Text

More than 125 recipes and intimate stories that exemplify the food and history of the island nations of the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans, organized by ancestral techniques. Presented by Von Diaz through her personal family history and tireless research.

The islands spanning the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans are remarkable places, sharing dozens of ingredients and cooking techniques, including marinating, pickling + fermentation, braising + stewing, frying, grilling + smoking, and steaming + in-ground roasting. Bold flavors drip from the edges of each dish—tastes that represent stories of resistance, persistence, and wisdom passed down from generation to generation.

This narrative cookbook by writer, documentary producer, and author Von Diaz, travels across oceans and nations to uplift the shared ancestral cooking techniques of these islands in more than 125 recipes, including intimate profiles of the historical context of each technique, stories from islanders, and step-by-step guides for recreating them at home.

Recipes include: Coco Bread from Jamaica Arroz Con Jueyes (Stewed Crab Rice) from Puerto Rico Masikita (Papaya-Marinated Beef Skewer) from Madagascar Bebek Betutu (Roasted Duck in Banana Leaf) from Indonesia Lechon Kawali (Crispy Fried Pork Belly) from the Philippines

Bright citrus and vinegars, verdant herbs, slow-cooked and smoky grilled meats, fresh seafood, aromatic rice, and earthy root vegetables: These flavors, found in the meals and recipes across these island nations pair remarkably well together, despite distance and cultural differences. The ingredients and deep-rooted cooking techniques in each of these recipes typify the harmonious, synchronous spirit found in each culture's unique cuisines. Even amid environmental chaos and food insecurity, islanders cook in ways that are soul-nourishing and flavorful.

Islas is about preserving the wisdom, values, and resilience of the people who live in some of the most volatile, vulnerable places on this planet. Each recipe, an archive of strategies for persistence, creativity, and ingenuity, provides a path for cooking delicious food. But above all, these stories and recipes acknowledge that cooking delicious food for others is always a selfless act.

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