Wednesday, October 28, 2015

La Latina - A cook’s journey through Latin America


La Latina
A cook’s journey through Latin America
Grace Ramirez

VIVA LA LATINA!
Mexican, Central and South American cuisine is the hottest food trend worldwide. Welcome to La Latina, a sparkling gem of a cookbook by Grace Ramirez, a North American-raised chef of Venezuelan descent, now dividing her time between New Zealand and New York.
Grace introduces us to terrific, authentic Latin American food, which is healthy, flavoursome, easy, economical and perfect to share with family and friends.
With extensive text on the rich and fascinating history of the cuisine of each country, and lots of handy hints and tips, Grace’s book provides an expert guide to creating fabulous Latin American feasts.

Grace is once again a judge in the knockout rounds of the popular New Zealand series, My Kitchen Rules, screening later this year on TV2. A former producer with The Food Network in the US and contestant on US MasterChef, Grace is in demand from TV production companies worldwide thanks to her delightful personality and infectious laugh.

In La Latina she gathers together mouth-watering recipes for every meal, with soups, seafood, eggs and poultry, rice, salads and vegetables, sauces and condiments, sweets and, of course, drinks. Think Salmon with Caramelised Shallot and Mango Salsa, Steamed Corn Parcels, Black Ink Rice, Tortillas, Empanadas and Spiced Brittle. There are old favourites with new twists, too, including Guacamole, Salsa Verde, Chimichurri and Pina Colada.

With its energetic design, high production values, stunning photographs and more than 100 recipes, La Latina is a must-have for foodies and a great gift.

About the author:
Grace Ramirez is a former TV producer and director, first at children’s channel Nickelodeon, then MTV and finally, the Food Network. There she directed and produced one of the biggest-ever US food shows, Throwdown with Bobby Flay. She was later selected from more than 60,000 people to appear as a contestant on the US series of MasterChef, hosted by Gordon Ramsay. Shortly afterwards Grace was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious French Culinary Institute in New York City and worked at the restaurant Eataly under chefs Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich.
She is an ambassador for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, a non-profit organisation that helps orphaned, abandoned and at-risk children in South America and locally she volunteers for the Garden to Table programme.

Grace says she owes her love of food to her grandmother, who cooked Venezuelan specialities for the 50 or so family members who often gathered for meals. Grace has lived in a host of Latin American countries, but now divides her time between Auckland and New York, where her husband is a senior executive with Saatchi & Saatchi. www.chefgraceramirez.com


La Latina by Grace Ramirez | Penguin Random House | 23 October 2016 | rrp. $60 

1 comment:

  1. I just came across this...Just wanted to say thanks for this beautiful review. Hope you are enjoying cooking from the book. Buen Provecho! xo

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