«Contrariamente a las críticas que se le han hecho, y que pudieran hacérsele, la revolución culinaria futurista presentada en este volumen se propone el grande, noble y útil designio de modificar radicalmente la alimentación de nuestra raza, fortificándola, dinamizándola y espiritualizándola con la ayuda de alimentos absolutamente nuevos en los que la experiencia, la inteligencia y la imaginación forman un sustituto económico a la trivialidad, la repetición y el gasto. Nuestra cocina futurista, regulada para las grandes velocidades como el motor de un hidroavión, parecerá loca y peligrosa a los ojos de un paseante melindroso, cuando en realidad tiende a crear una armonía entre el palacio de los hombres y su vida de hoy y de mañana. Con algunas célebres y legendarias excepciones, los hombres se han alimentado hasta el presente como las hormigas, las ratas, los gatos y los bueyes. Con nosotros, los futuristas, nace la primera cocina auténticamente humana, el arte de cocinar que, como todo arte, excluye el plagio y exige la originalidad creadora. Publicamos esta obra no por azar durante una crisis económica mundial cuyo desarrollo futuro puede parecer incierto pero que con seguridad nos supondrá la depresión y el pánico. A este pánico nosotros oponemos una cocina futurista, es decir: el optimismo a la mesa.»

Connections between what people eat and who they are--between cuisine and identity--reach deep into Mexican history, beginning with pre-Columbian inhabitants offering sacrifices of human flesh to maize gods in hope of securing plentiful crops. This cultural history of food in Mexico traces the influence of gender, race, and class on food preferences from Aztec times to the present and relates cuisine to the formation of national identity. The metate and mano, used by women for grinding corn and chiles since pre-Columbian times, remained essential to preparing such Mexican foods as tamales, tortillas, and mole poblano well into the twentieth century. Part of the ongoing effort by intellectuals and political leaders to Europeanize Mexico was an attempt to replace corn with wheat. But native foods and flavors persisted and became an essential part of indigenista ideology and what it meant to be authentically Mexican after 1940, when a growing urban middle class appropriated the popular native foods of the lower class and proclaimed them as national cuisine.

Carmen Aboy Valldejuli was, according to New York Times food critic Craig Claiborne, "the foremost authority on Puerto Rican cooking" whose cookbooks are "the definitive books on island cooking." Her cookbook, Juntos en la Cocina (Together in the Kitchen), is the result of fifty years of love, sharing and hard work. Carmen and her husband, Luis presented their favorite recipes in this new volume. Now these flavorful meals are available to anyone interested in learning the art of Puerto Rican cuisine from two of its finest teachers. Written in Spanish, Juntos en la Cocina provides a complete tour of the culinary arts of Puerto Rico. Adobo and sofrito, the bases of many island dishes, are despcribed in detail. To enable both novice and experienced cooks to create savory meals, each recipe gives step-by-step instructions, with special emphasis on preparation and serving. Sample Chili con Carne, Chicken Fiesta, Carne Empanada and traditional black beans and rice. Pasta is never dull with recipes for Lasagna a la San Juan and Spaghetti Florentine. And dessert temptations include chocolate and mango flan, queen's cake and other exotic pastries. Whether you are working alone in the kitchen or with someone you love, Juntos en la Cocina is a friend you won't want to be without.

In 1611 Francisco Martínez Montiño, chef to Philip II, Philip III, and Philip IV of Spain, published what would become the most recognized Spanish cookbook for centuries: Arte de cocina, pastelería, vizcochería y conservería. This first English translation of The Art of Cooking, Pie Making, Pastry Making, and Preserving will delight and surprise readers with the rich array of ingredients and techniques found in the early modern kitchen. Based on her substantial research and hands-on experimentation, Carolyn A. Nadeau reveals how early cookbooks were organized and read and presents an in-depth analysis of the ingredients featured in the book. She also introduces Martínez Montiño and his contributions to culinary history, and provides an assessment of taste at court and an explanation of regional, ethnic, and international foodstuffs and recipes. The 506 recipes and treatises reproduced in The Art of Cooking, Pie Making, Pastry Making, and Preserving outline everything from rules for kitchen cleanliness to abstinence foods to seasonal banquet menus, providing insight into why this cookbook, penned by the chef of kings, stayed in production for centuries.

Mexican food, Tex-Mex, Southwestern cuisine—call it what you will, the foods that originated in Mexico have become everyone's favorites. Yet as we dig into nachos and enchiladas, many people worry about the fats and calories that traditional Mexican food contains. Deleites de la Cocina Mexicana proves that Mexican cooking can be both delicious and healthy. In this bilingual cookbook, Maria Luisa Urdaneta and Daryl F. Kanter provide over 200 recipes for some of the most popular Mexican dishes-guacamole, frijoles, Spanish rice, chiles rellenos, chile con carne, chalupas, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, menudo, tamales, and flan-to name only a few. Without sacrificing a bit of flavor, the authors have modified the recipes to increase complex carbohydrates and total dietary fiber, while decreasing saturated and total fats. These modifications make the recipes suitable for people with diabetes-and all those who want to reduce the fats and calories in their diet. Each recipe also includes a nutritional analysis of calories, fats, sodium, etc., and American Diabetic Association exchange rates. Because diabetes is a growing problem in the Mexican-American community, Deleites de la Cocina Mexicana is vital for all those who need to manage their diet without giving up the foods they love. Let it be your one-stop guide to cooking and eating guilt-free Mexican food.