Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook by Illyanna Maisonet

Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook Reviews

• 
  Grace Convertino

  Before I can begin to explain the delicious, mouthwatering meals I’ve created using Illyanna Maisonet’s “Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook,” I feel I must define “diaspora” (diaspora + Puerto Rican = “Diasporican”). Diaspora in this case refers people of other heritages who live apart from their countries of nationality, while preserving their culture. We are specifically referring to the author, Ms. Maisonet, who was born in Sacramento, California and is perpetuating traditional Puerto Rican recipes from her mother and grandmother, while also researching the flavor influences of Puerto Rico, which are from the Taino, Spanish, and African people, and the United States. The food is representative of their diversity and shaped by many factors, including immigration, location, and colonization. The book is packed with gorgeous travel photos and pictures of the completed recipes, and “reveals how food connects us to family, history, conflict, and migration.” (Penguin Random House)
  
  This is an incredibly inviting cookbook, a memoir, and a fervent homage to Maisonet’s beloved Puerto Rico. Not only is the history of Puerto Rican cuisine extensively researched, the natural beauty of the island shows through the various included photos. She gives many cooking tips before she begins her recipes, and also includes how to make homemade seasoning, which is most convenient not only for authentic flavor, but for those who may not be able to find them premade in the sauce/spice aisles in their area. She describes various produce used in the recipes and even the traditional “equipment” needed. Maisonet also includes personal asides mentioning pointers such as when her family would serve a given recipe. I’d especially like to highlight the recipes for Empanadillas, Tostones, Maduros, Arañitas de plátanos, Guichis, Arepas, Arroz con gandules, Pinchos with guava bbq sauce, Perníl, Mofongo, Quesitos de queso y guyaba, and Arroz con dulce which were outstanding and happily eaten even by my pickiest family member. I look forward to recreating many more meals from the book as well. Though I am not Puerto Rican, I grew up with Cuban and Mexican friends who gladly came to my home for Italian food, and I to their homes for their cultural dishes. I lived in a beautiful melting pot city/neighborhood for most of my life, and I developed an enormous love and admiration for all cultures, especially Hispanic. I am thrilled to report that “Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook” is my first cookbook review, because deep down in my heart I consider myself a mujer hispana honoraria.
  
  I’d like to thank NetGalley, Illyanna Maisonet, and Ten Speed Press/Penguin Random House for allowing me to read and review this ARC.
• 
  Ivonne Rovira

  “Diasporican” refers to the Puerto Rican diaspora. Most people connect that diaspora to New York City, Orlando and Chicago; however, Boricua cookbook author Illyanna Maisonet grew up in a rundown working-class neighborhood of Sacramento. Her recipes reflect that fusion to an extent, but that’s not my problem with this cookbook.
  
  Maisonet makes Puerto Rican dishes needlessly complicated. Cuba and Puerto Rico were sister colonies (just look at their respective flags if you don’t believe me), and the two islands share very similar accents, colonial architecture, demographics and cuisines.
  
  If you don’t live in a foodie mecca, this book may or may not be for you, as you can’t get malanga (a potato-like Caribbean tuber), rabbit, longaniza sausage, persimmons, octopus, cubanelle peppers or pineapple vinegar. If you live in the rural United States, where you can’t get rice flour, plantains or chayote — much less bacalao (salted cod) or achiote, and you’ve never even heard of yucca or quenepa — this book is definitely not for you.
  
  Even if you can get all the ingredients (in Louisville, Ky., I can get nearly all), Maisonet complicates dishes for no reason. Wash rice twice before cooking? No thank you; I’ll use my rice cooker please. (My mother always called them “Hitachis,” which doesn’t even make them anymore from what I can discover.) Bell peppers are perfectly acceptable for cubanelles or ají dulce, and Bijol (available cheaply online) proves just as good as achiote for color and flavor. I buy my Puerto Rican sofrito at the grocery store. (Cuban sofrito is even easier to make, and I make that from scratch.) And my mother was using a pressure cooker to cook beans without presoaking when Fulgencio Batista was still the dictator of Cuba; just use your Instant Pot, okay? (Contact me if you want any recipes from my mamá.)
  
  My advice? Stick with
  Von Diaz and
  Cocina Criolla.
  
  In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press in exchange for an honest review.
  
• 
  Grace

  Thank you to NetGalley & Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Really lovely concept, with some great stories and a decent breadth of recipes. I actually really appreciated the approach to "traditional" cuisine here, with many recipes using ingredients that are more difficult to source in the USA (at least where I live) but others, for instance, utilizing Jiffy Cornbread mix. That said, most of the recipes are quite involved, and the majority do seem to rely on ingredients that I don't keep on hand and would be quite difficult to source, and surprisingly very few of them peaked my personal "I have to make that!" interest. While I can understand and respect the decision not to indicate possible ingredient swaps, I'm just personally not inclined to make recipes that tell me I need to special order an ingredient online.
  
  A lot of the recipes also had as part of their ingredient lists other recipes from the book, and in my ARC there were no page numbers, though I have to assume that will be fixed for production.
  
  There were also FAR fewer photos than expected, even less than usual in a cookbook (when IMO, every recipe should have a photo) and it was particularly noticeable here because for many recipes, I'd never heard of the food before and had no way to visualize what the recipe was for. In fact, the only recipes I ended up bookmarking for later either had photos, or were foods I'd eaten before. Overall, this wasn't a cookbook that spoke to me as much as I wanted it to, but I definitely think that's entirely personal.
• 
  The Sassy Bookworm

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
  This was a really interesting cookbook to read. Part memoir, part cookbook, and a whole lot of yumminess! Diasporican is broken down into the following chapters...
  
  Poultry
  Pork
  Beef
  Rice and Other Grains
  Salads and Sides
  Sweets and Drinks
  
  There is also a "forward" and "introduction" full of personal anecdotes and history. Introductions to flavors, produce, equipment, etc. If you are like me and love plenty of photos in your cookbooks, then you will not be disappointed. The recipes themselves are easy to follow. Though some do contain ingredients that may be hard to find depending where you live. I also really loved the personal stories before most of the recipes.
  
  **ARC Via NetGalley**
• 
  Emmalita

  I will read anything Illyanna Maisonet wants to write. She is like a breath of salt-tinged fresh air in a stuffy room. Reading Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook is a no-brainer for me. I want her to have the resources to write whatever she wants to write.
  
  On almost every page of Diasporican I found myself muttering, “I love her.” This is one of the most quotable cookbooks I’ve read. I cannot share as many quotes as I’d like because I’m working from an advance reader copy, but I will share a couple. The water to rice ratio lie was one I came to grips with during my first professional (ish) cooking stint, so when I read this passage I threw my fist in the air:
  
  

  And the 2:1 Eurocentric ratio most of y’all have been taught is a fucking lie.

  
  
  Maisonet’s cooking is rooted in her life and the lives of her grandmother and mother:
  
  

  Margarita, Carmen, and I became cooks out of economic necessity. We did not have the privilege of cooking for pleasure or joy. Our story is one of generational poverty and trauma with glimpses of pride and laughter, all of which have been the catalysts of ample good food in my life.

  
  
  In the introduction and throughout the book, Maisonet shares glimpses of her life, the fusion of cultures at the heart of Puerto Rican cooking, the immigrant experience that makes her cooking Diasporican, and her experiences in Puerto Rico. She also points out places where Puerto Rico has been shaped by Spanish colonialism, slavery, and US Imperialism.
  
  Some of the recipes were familiar to me because my bff is a Jewish Puerto Rican vegetarian who taught me how to make sofrito and arroz con gandules. (I will never forget the time she made bacalao when we were studying for finals and forgot to rinse the salted cod. It was still delicious and I was obsessed for years.) Sofrito is magical, though the recipe I have from my bff is different from Maisonet’s. Not all of the recipes are going to be accessible to everyone, because not all the ingredients will be accessible. Sometimes this bothers me in cookbooks, but it didn’t here. I think that was mostly because I found the cookbook such an engaging read.
  
  I’ve ordered a hardback copy which has not arrived yet. I already plan to make Salmorejo, which is not tomato soup in Puerto Rico, but a crab dish served over rice. I have made Pinchos (chicken skewers) with Guava BBQ sauce and it was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.
  
  I received this as an advance reader copy from Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
• 
  Elizabeth

  I really wanted to at least like this book. Living on the West Coast, we have limited access to Puerto Rican food and culture (yes, I realize the author lives in Sacramento). There is no real guidance given on how to find ingredients, and you have to dig through the anecdotes to locate definitions for some of the foods used.
  
  The recipes read as being overly complicated. The tone was off-putting as well. That I walked away neither wanting to try any of the recipes nor feeling like I learned something about the cuisine or culture makes me wonder what I missed.
• 
  Mary

  Great collection of stories and recipes and I can value the depth of time taken in the collection. There is a great deal of foul language in this cookbook that I felt was unnecessary. In personal conversation it may be how Illyanna speaks, but I do not believe it translates well to a cookbook and the written page.
• 
  Dali Castillo

  Not Your Run of the Mill Cookbook
  
  If you're looking at Diasporican as your run of the mill cookbook, you will be sorely disappointed, and you will end up missing out on a great experience. Diasporican is a combination memoir, history book, and cookbook, which is what makes it so special. The author does a great job of bringing her personal connections into the recipes. She also shares a lot of the history behind the culture of Puerto Rico and its impact on the foods.
  
  I like that the recipes are not watered down with non traditional ingredients. They are very much the real deal which is what true Puerto Rican cuisine is all about. I also appreciate the anecdotes the author shared with the recipes. While I greatly enjoyed the book, I will caution you that the author did not filter her use of some profanity. It is not overdone, but it does exist, so be forewarned. In my humble opinion, I feel that language isn't necessary and is the only thing that put me off a bit. Even so, I recommend Diasporican to all.
  
  I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All comments and opinions are strictly my own.
• 
  Kerry Croucier

  When I picked up DIASPORICAN: A PUERTO RICAN COOKBOOK, I was immediately intrigued and curious. Puerto Rican cuisine is one that I haven’t tried, but I am very familiar with Cuban cuisine and the influences on it, as my husband was the first in his family born in the US, so I have first-hand experience with Cuban recipes influenced by the move to the US. Illyanna Maisonet shares recipes that are personal and evoke deeply emotional reactions and memories, as well as those that she feels belong in a cookbook highlighting Puerto Rican cuisine and how it has been influenced by colonization and immigration. Maisonet’s story, included with the history of the food and Puerto Rico, moves this into memoir and cookbook and helps tie food to family and friends. There were quite a few recipes that were similar to those Cuban recipes I currently cook (or eat) not completely surprising, as their colonial history is similar, but the divergence comes in more recent times, when the US became involved in Puerto Rico’s journey and that has had a major impact on the food, both on the island and all those who have come to the United States, trying to source traditional ingredients. Maisionet has included a wide variety of recipes and I am sure that anyone who picks up this one will find many recipes that they will enjoy. It’s gorgeously photographed, making me wish I could jump on a plane and explore the areas and restaurants she highlighted with her recipes. The step-by-step photos for more complex recipes, especially the roasted pig, are helpful, but I wish there were photos for all the recipes. I love the addition of cheese to Nina DeeDee’s Beans (why didn’t I think of that?) and the Califas Shrimp are amazing! Funnily enough, the Sloppy Joes recipe is similar to the one that I grew up with, so the nostalgia is high. The Arroz Mamposteao is similar to something that I make quite a bit when we have leftover beans and rice (often in a Cuban/Mexican—me home). I hate using the packages of Sazón, so I love having a recipe to make my own.
  Some ingredients may be hard to source, depending on where you are and I wish Maisonet had given substitution options, but overall, this is an important and delicious cookbook, and I am excited to have this one on my shelf. I can’t wait to see what Illyanna Maisonet does next.
  Thanks to Ten Speed Press for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own and freely given.
  #Diasporican #IllyannaMaisonet #PuertoRicanCookbook #PuertoRicanFood #TenSpeedPress
  
• 
  Annie

  Originally posted on my blog:
  Nonstop Reader.
  
  Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook is a culture and history lesson, meticulously annotated, with recipes curated by
  Illyanna Maisonet. Due out 18th Oct 2022 from Penguin Random House on their
  Ten Speed Press imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
  
  I learned a lot reading this book; about maritime trade, the history of Puerto Rico (often brutal, poverty stricken, and touched by injustice and racism), food security, resilience, and more. In addition to the understated pride and clear-sighted realistic memories of learning to cook under challenging conditions amidst generational poverty, the author provides more than 90 authentic (family) recipes.
  
  The recipes are arranged thematically: frituras (fried), beans soups & stews, seafood, poultry, pork, beef, rice & other grains, salads & sides, and sweets & drinks. Recipe ingredients are listed bullet style in a sidebar with measurements in imperial (American) units, followed by step-by-step cooking directions. The author is generous with translations - I had no trouble understanding terms or ingredients.
  
  Some of the seasonings and ingredients were unfamiliar to me, and will require access to an international grocery or specialist grocery, but many/most of the ingredients will be easily found at any grocery store in North America. The recipes are appetizing and the serving suggestions are attractive and portions are generous. Nutritional info is not included.
  
  The photography is a standout success - lavish, in full color, and plentiful. About 20% of the recipes are accompanied by photos. There are also many location photos in the book, showing Puerto Rico and the people who live there as well as the diaspora who have emigrated.
  
  Five stars. This is a very well written cookbook and a love letter to the culinary traditions of the island.
  
  Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
• 
  Stephanie Nelson

  This was probably one of the best cookbooks I have read in my life; and that is no exaggeration. Until I started reviewing things on Netgalley I hadn't really thought of reading a whole cookbook like a novel, but when I began doing it I realized how unique they can be.
  This cookbook goes into parts of the author's upbringing in multiple areas, and goes into the origin of the dishes she writes about, as well as the origin of some of her original recipes she uses personally. The author dives into the history of Puerto Rico and colonization, including how African, Puerto Rican, and Chinese cultures all basically got mixed together. It's crazy to think that I have one daughter who is half Puerto Rican, and I have been around Puerto Rican people literally my whole life, and I knew none of this. For instance, to think of getting Chinese food in the heart of the city of Buffalo, NY, and how some Puerto Rican items are sold there with the Chinese food. I never understood it, and I always thought it was a crazy Buffalo thing. Now I understand somewhat why this happens.
  I can't say how much I enjoyed reading the cookbook, and how well the author wrote. It flows so well, and it is written with true honesty, and it's evident.
  I have not been able to try the recipes yet, however, I will be purchasing a copy of this book to promptly do so. It's a lot harder for me to read the electronic version and be able to follow directions, etc. Thankfully I have many of the spices and ingredients at home already. Definitely would recommend this book to all who have a yearning to learn more about the true history of Puerto Rico, and to learn how to cook their delicious food!
• 
  Elysian Fields

  Diasporican is a stunning cookbook for more than the recipes. Turing the page of this cookbook feels like being honored by stepping into a sacred kitchen, being allowed to observe and learn about tradition, generational recipes, culture, and the heart and love of food and family. Not only are the photographs gorgeous but the stories and the recipes as well. As well as traditional recipes and family stories, this author talks about how she wove the past with the present and adjusted for the current atmosphere. The way this cookbook is both historical and modern really celebrates the food within on all levels.
  
  I was exciting to get some great Puerto Rican family recipes from this cookbook, to learn about the choice of ingredients, a secret recipe or two, and a funny anecdote. I wasn't expecting to become a part of the author's family, part of her kitchen and experience just a rich inversion into culture.
  
  Delicious food, amazing stories, comforting friends, and beautiful scenes; this is a top cookbook for sure. A must have for those looking for authentic Puerto Rican foods. A HUGE thank you to NetGalley, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and the author for an ARC of this amazing book. I will be getting myself a finished hard copy to display enjoy though with all my cooking practice! I am leaving an honest review.
• 
  Charles Eldridge

  This one is was a struggle to get through. Were the recipes just not inspiring to me? Was the writing style with its fair amount of cussing a bit off-putting? Pretty much.
  
  The author does point out that Puerto Rican cuisine really is brown on brown on brown with a starch. One singular positive was that I appreciated that the author added a little backstory to every recipe - but did I expect the rice chapter to focus on her own experience of seeing domestic violence in her home? No. No I didn’t.
  
  Maybe it’s just me, but I just didn’t feel anything toward this cookbook. Very few recipes presented seemed intriguing and the writing style just made me feel sad for the author and her experiences in addition to continually pointing out that many of the book’s recipes aren’t really Puerto Rican but rather just how her grandma made or he own take on her grandma’s way. And then a random recipe for Laotian laap?
  
  Unless you have a personal connection to PR cuisine and want to see if this cookbook can help you make something at home, I think it’s a pass. Go spend time with something that leaves a good taste in the experience.
  
  
• 
  T

  Books like these are so important. Yes, some ingredients will be hard to source and there weren't nearly enough pictures of the recipes.
  
  Despite the above, I choose to look at this book holistically. It's introducing Americans to a cuisine that is in their own freaking country and so many have never had the amazing fortune to experience. It joins the pantheon of cookbooks that are FINALLY being published that focus in on American cuisine that isn't yet another Pioneer Woman clone (full disclosure, I do love me some PDub recipes, but there's a time and place for it. The time is when I'm feeling trashy and the place is at the corner of Lazy and I'm Not Feeling Like Ordering More Takeout). These cookbooks include the spotlight on Gullah Geechee cuisine and Indigenous cuisine. And now we can add Puerto Rican cuisine to that list.
  
  Not only is it a cookbook, it's an important history - both food and colonial - of that island. And for that, I will be purchasing my own copy of it to add to my permanent collection because cookbooks like these are VITAL.
• 
  Jaime Fellis

  Diasporican is much more than a cookbook. It's filled with vibrant and heartfelt stories of the people and culture of Puerto Rico. Knowing the origins of a dish always heightens the excitement of creating it for me so this compilation of recipes has been a delight to cook through!
  The author/chef speaks of her home with love and wit in equal measure and her recopies are easy to follow without also being "dumbed down". If you love to explore culture through food this one is a must have!
  As someone who has been blessed to spend some time in Puerto Rico, I can attest to the fact that these taste like they've been plucked straight from the restaurants and street markets I have explored there.
  
  Endless thanks to Netgalley for the early look.
• 
  Deborah Cleaves

  Diasporican is just as diverse as the people of Puerto Rico and includes recipes both from the island and from new dishes created created as islanders left and adapted traditional recipes to the places where they immigrated to. But it’s not merely a cookbook. It’s a paean to history of the island, its people, and the author’s family. It’s an ode to survival of the poorest, a nation that has limited access to affordable food. It is rude in the best ways like a chat with friends. I adore this book. It’s not simply a resource for recipes but begs to be read cover to cover for the people and places and history. With as little as we know about Puerto Rico, this book is a wonderful resource on many levels.
• 
  A Girl From Queens

  This book has beautiful photos and a frank personal point of view on Puerto Rican cuisine and the diaspora it inhabits. I especially appreciate this book at a time that Puerto Rico needs so much support and funding for rebuilding after being devastated twice by hurricanes.
  
  The recipes have accompanying photos and range from simple to complex and have very clear, specific instructions that are easy to follow. There is even a recipe and detailed instructions on how to roast a whole pig!
  
  There aren't a lot of great Puerto Rican cookbooks out there, particularly from this much-needed perspective. I highly recommend it.
  
  Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Sara Spock

  5-Stars!
  
  I cannot call this a cookbook. It's equal parts history, photography, and recipes. So gorgeously written and laid out. I love the way that Maisonet builds your knowledge, providing the history behind food, giving you the base recipes for items you're going to need along the way, before digging into the meals. The arepas de coco quickly became a favorite for my family, served along side the Puerto Rican Habichuelas and Mojo Braised Chicken. The seafood recipes make me long to live closer to the sea with its bounty of crab, shrimp, fish, and more. I am going to enjoy slowly working my way through Maisonet's history, stories, and gorgeous recipes.
• 
  Danielle D

  Part cookbook and part memoir, this book brings you historical culture and traditions as well as recipes for dishes. The author also speaks about how recipes have evolved. Knowing the origins of the dishes enhances my interests and gives me talking points with family and friends when sharing the delicious meals.
  
  I was ecstatic to receive this book. I love Puerto Rican cuisine and cannot wait to learn how to make certain recipes within, especially the Pernil and Tembleque.
  
  I want to thank NetGalley, Illyanna Maisonet and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Press for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.
• 
  Emma

  This cookbook is more than just a group of recipes; it is an invitation in to get a clear view of what makes Puerto Rican cooking so phenomenal; from the rich history to the influence of outsiders, the recipes are more of the history of this Island paradise and the people who made them.
  
  My only complaint was that I wish there were more pictures! The pictures that were included were stunning.
  
  I received a digital copy via #NetGalley and the publishers and will go out and purchase a hard copy because I enjoyed it that much.
  
  
• 
  Jenessa

  I received this arc in exchange for my honest review.
  
  I loooove Latin food. I was so excited to get my hands on this book full of Puerto Rican recipes. Tostones are my absolute favorite, as are maduros. I also enjoyed the plethora of new recipes.
  
  The recipes started with a little introduction, sometimes a story,and provided clear instructions. The pictures looked so so tasty. Don't hesitate to grab this book and expand your culinary horizons!
• 
  Leo

  In Diasporican, you'll find historical accounts and nostalgic recipes. These recipes were a blast from the past reminding me of my grandmother’s recipes. While yes, each family and even individual person has their own version of these recipes, the ones in this cookbook are as authentic as they get. Having made a few, the instructions were clear and easy to follow. The end result was full of flavor and good memories. This cookbook is highly recommended!
• 
  Dani

  I really liked how much information about the culture and surrounding culture of Puerto Rico, about its foods, and where some of it comes from. I expected a simple cookbook and to learn a couple of new recipes, which I did, but I also got to learn more about a culture that I am a part of, which is something I appreciate it immensely.
  Thank you NetGalley, Clarkson Potter & Ten Speed Press for trusting me with this.