Mmmmiami: Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere

Caribbean food is the hot new sensation--here is what to do with mangoes in Minneapolis, papayas in Peoria. Miami chefs put the city on the culinary map in the 1980s by drawing on Cuban, Jamaican, Haitian, Peruvian, and Salvadoran cooking in a zippy fusion cooking style called New World Cuisine. Here two Miami food pros show how to incorporate these exotic produce and seasonings into everyday cooking and entertaining. Try Yuca Puffs or Coconut Shrimp in Island-Spiced Batter or main course entrees such as Roast Chicken with Savory Guava Glaze, Macho Steak, and Cashew Crusted Pompano. There are recipes for soups and stews, salads and dressings, side dishes, salsas, chutneys, and sauces, as well as twenty-eight tempting desserts including Free-Form Mango Tart, Carambola Upside-down Cake, and individual Chocolate-Cuban Coffee Souffles. The ingredient guide gives directions on buying, storing, and preparing tropical produce. Menu suggestions include wine choices.