What a beautiful book with lovely stories about the islands and how these recipes came to be. The photos are really vibrant and the recipes reflect the stories and the islands they come from. What a way to travel with your taste buds.

Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking includes 125 recipes from islands in the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. The photos are beautiful! Each recipe lists the origin of the dish. I also like that there are discussions about the places and ideas for good substitutes for ingredients that may be harder to find. I would have liked to see more appetizers/desserts or even a drink or two.

An excellent cookbook. Gives an exploratory look at individual countries and the recipes that can be found there. I deeply appreciated the details the author provided on the countries, specialty ingredients, and cooking styles. Now, I will say, I live in Florida which is a warm climate and close to the tropics, yet some of the ingredients featured in different recipes would be nearly impossible for me to find. I would've loved if these had been given optional substitute ingredients, so I could at least try something similar if not exactly the same. It didn't happen too often though. I could see this being a challenging cookbook to use in a more rural area without specialty and international grocery stores and markets. Still, the book is exactly what you would expect of it, and it's done very well.

While few of us are lucky enough to live on a tropical island, we can still enjoy the mouthwatering food of the islands at home. Von Diaz, a noted writer and radio producer who is an expert on Puerto Rico, has released an excellent cookbook, Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking―125 Recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands . This excellent is full of unique recipes that most of us aren’t familiar with, as well as some that we have probably eaten in restaurants. Although most of the recipes call for ingredients readily available at larger local grocery stores, a few of them call for things that require a specialty store. The recipes are written in the traditional format with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions. They are easy to follow. Many are quite easy to prepare, however there are a few that may be a bit of a challenge, albeit worth it. Diaz has put notes at the beginning of each recipe with tips and explanations that make it easier to relate to.

The book is beautiful and fun to peruse. Readers will feel they are on a beautiful island or on an island cruise when reading it, and will find dozens of amazing recipes that they want to make.

This cookbook features beautiful, professional photographs of the islands, as well as many of the dishes. If there is one drawback, it is only that every dish isn’t pictured. However, there are so many positive aspects about this book, that I still love it. Most of those cooks who enjoy preparing new dishes with island nuances will want to add this to their collection.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Not only are the recopies featured in this book detailed and authentic, the photographs used are absolutly stunning. This cookbook is a work of art! I love the background on island cooking.

This cookbook is beautiful. I can’t wait to see the print version because the digital version does not do the pictures justice.

The storytelling and recipes make this more than a cookbook. It is a love letter to the islands and how much they have influenced the world’s cuisine.

The recipes are interesting and flavorful, though they may be more difficult than people are used to in the home kitchen.

This cookbooks is a testament to how food and cooking connects us and provides deeper meaning to not only family but other visitors as well.

Von Diaz's captivating exploration of island cooking intertwines bold flavors with rich stories, complemented by stunning photography."

I absolutely loved the range of all the recipes and tested two out nos they came out so well. I love that it covered so many different types of dishes, ingredients and countries. The photos, headlines and colorful indexes were above the standard. I would love to own my own hardcover copy of this book. It’s a great resource for recipes, history and beautiful pictures to go with the recipes. An outstanding job on the editoras pics, designs and plate presentations!

Tropical islands...

Beautifully put together, lovely recipes, this book takes you on a staycation of islands and yummy treats. Very world-centric, recipes from the tropics abound.
Recommend.

February was not only a short month but also a busy one, so we didn’t get to make as many recipes from Islas as I wanted. But what we did make was all fantastic. I’ll definitely be buying my own copy when this is out so I can cook from it in the future. Here is what we made -

Mofongo with Shrimp and Lemongrass: I adore plantains so this was a hit. The broth was clearer than I expected but packed with seafood flavor. The shrimp cooking method resulted in perfect poaching. And the plantains reminded me of fries - they were deceptively filling and delightfully starchy

Lemongrass Adobo Grilled Chicken with Pineapple: the marinade was very tasty and herbaceous (we also used the recipe for homemade adobo seasoning). We only marinated it for about an hour but it really permeated the meat. I especially liked the sweetness of the pineapple when I got a bite of it with the chicken. This was a good easy weeknight meal

Stewed Oxtail: the oxtail was tender and rich. I loved the mouthfeel of the butter beans. The marinade was deep and rich, and the dish gets more flavorful and spicier as leftovers. As a bonus - cooking this makes your house smell amazing. I’ll definitely be making this again!

Giambo (Okra Fish Soup): I don’t know how to describe this other than it’s delightfully stringy. This is another dish that gets better the longer it sits because the okra breaks down even more. The oysters were a nice touch, and I loved the polenta cake/funchi. I will warn that I made this a bit too salty overall so be careful when seasoning. If I make this again, I think I’d likely add more additional veggies

Pates (Fried Meat Turnover): while this recipe didn’t make as many as predicted (we couldn’t roll the dough any thinner or it would rip) and it took a longer time to cook than it said (probably due to said thickness), these were my favorite dish we made. The filling was coarser than pates I’ve had before and I loved that, especially the peppers. We also got creative with dipping sauces, which was a lot of fun.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and Netgalley for this ARC. Islas is out on 3/12!

This is a wonderful cookbook! I love the stories before each section: Condiments, sauces, stewing, frying, grilling, steaming and in ground cooking, and all the photographs are beautiful! Most importantly are the authentic recipes from each represented island like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica, just to name a few! The recipes are so easy to follow because of the detailed instructions. Dive into the recipes and experience each region thru its cuisine!

Absolutely stunning cookbook. I was able to test 5 recipes and all of them were easy to execute and very tasty. I’m excited to try more in the future. Items were easily sourced and didn’t require too many specialty items or equipment.

"Islas" by von Diaz is a visually stunning cookbook that doubles as a work of art. The vibrant pictures captivate, adding to the overall appeal. As a proud Puerto Rican, I appreciated the diverse array of recipes not only from my homeland but also from other islands like the Philippines, Guam, and Cuba just to name a few. The inclusion of spice recipes, such as adobo and sazon impressed me. I’m always trying find alternatives to store brought spices that have unnecessary additives. Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. A flavorful journey through island cuisines awaits within these pages.

Absolutely Gorgeous Photographs. The cover makes you want to grab the book, the photos inside make you drool.

The book contains information on the techniques of the islands, the pantry and tools suggested, and recipes for sauces, condiments, and spice blends. A few pages are spent describing rices, another couple for coconut. However, there isn’t always a photograph for each recipe.

The author provides recipes from multiple island locations in the world. At the top of each page, the location is clearly identified. For instance, the Chamoru Barbeque Port Ribs recipe comes from Guam and the OkaI’a (coconut cucumber fish ceviche) come from American Somoa.

The author provides guidance on some of the ingredients, for instance where you might find Calamansi juice or what makes a good substitute. Most ingredients should not be a problem to find in a typical North American kitchen or grocery store.

One of the recipes that I’m going to try right away is Ginger Beer. I do love it and the recipe sounds easy.

If you want to try a variety of new dishes and flavors, this is a great book to try. It’s 306 pages of great meal ideas.

Not only was this a beautiful cover, Von Diaz wrote an extremely thorough book. It is part cook book and anthropology treasure guide. It worked at making me feel like I was invited to these Islas and partake in a beautiful and colorful ceremony of people, history, culture, food and Isla beauty.

What I’m Loving
The history, the Island pictures. Islas offers such a detailed description of culinary history, instructions on how to prepare different kids of rice, sauces and the uses for each.

What I especially found helpful:
The rice instructions! I’m terrible at preparing brown rice.
The Essentials list: I stick to the same spices and herbs so I pick up books like this to remind me of the rest of my options!!

Annnnd The tool section is so descriptive and instructive for people who use few tools in the kitchen!

This is the first cookbook with vibrant staple lists, sauces and each contains a short history of their uses.

I really can’t wait to get the physical copy of the book because it’s really useful and become part of me.

I want to try the following:

Pg. 67 Citrus Marinated Shrimp with Coconut

Pg. 96 Lemon Lasary (pickled lemons and Chile)

Pg. 112 cucumber, mango, pineapple salad

The only thing I would add is more food photography of the recipes in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this gift of culture and recipes!

This is a gorgeous cookbook, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the recipes. They are clear, easy to follow, and sound delicious. I have already marked several that I'd like to try. The photos of the recipes make you want to be on a tropical vacation, eating this amazing food and drinking something with a tiny umbrella.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle books for the opportunity to read this ARC. I really enjoyed everything about this book. It is so much more than just a cookbook. The pictures and stories about these islands. I can’t wait to try these recipes.

What an amazing and creative concept for a cookbook! New York Times Cooking contributor Von Diaz wrote a cookbook that covers islands in the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. The book is beautifully photographed, clearly written, and full of creative and unexpected ideas for meals and feasts.

Islas is A Celebration of Tropical Cooking—125 Recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands. 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.
I like that this cookbook includes recipes different island regions around the world.
The author provides very detailed information on the various islands their history and culture and communities of the recipes represented by those islands. We also get in depth detail on different cooking techniques such as cooking in the ground. I found that super interesting. The cookbook is broken into six parts. My personal favorite was Pickling and Fermentation. I also liked how towards the end we are given menu pairings. The cookbook is well put together educational with wonderful stories of the island communities. It is visually beautiful although I do wish there were more pictures of specific recipes. The added photos were gorgeous. A truly immersive cookbook.

Islas combines culture, cuisine and a combination of cooking styles.

The organization by cooking styles laid out against the locations from where recipes come from show the contrast and similarities in what is cooked and how it is cooked. My favorite recipes are from the grilling, roasting and smoking (i.e. Sugarcane Smoked Chicken from Martinique) and in ground cooking sections.

The author includes recipes and cooking styles but the local stories and insight into how the people of the islands live and how food and preparation is an important aspect of everyday life. The book transcends just being a cookbook with pictures of each recipe by showing the people, place, ingredients, and inputs to make the dishes included.

If you want a cookbook that brings the local flavors, customs, perceptions into play along with recipes, Islas is a good choice.