The Immigrant Cookbook

Along with their hopes and dreams, these immigrants brought their recipes that transformed the way America eats and made us a true melting pot of flavors and people. The Immigrant Cookbook is a culinary celebration of the many ethnic groups that have contributed to America's vibrant food culture. This beautifully photographed cookbook features appetizers, entrees, and desserts some familiar favorites, some likely to be new encounters by renowned chefs from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe. An added bonus is that a minimum of $5 from the sale of each book will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union to support the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project. 

Every page in this book is a jewel from the profiles of legendary chefs such as Salma Hage or Joan Nathan that include their recipe contributions of Vegan Lebanese moussaka and German plum tart, respectively to recipes from a new generation of immigrant chefs. For instance, we have Donkaas buttermilk fried pork from Thomas Kim and from Chicken adobo and mixed mushroom fricassee from Top Chef fan favorite Sheldon Simeon. This is a must have book for any serious cookbook collector.

Recently, I was talking to one of my best friends who owns a bookstore. We are dismayed by the many things that are happening in the world. She told me that she is visited by a nearly 100 year old Holocaust survivor who comes in her shop bringing her treats and stories of his life. This man fills her day with joy and I envy her this connection. The world would be such a sad, dull place without the sharing of experiences and my friend's story and this cookbook makes that crystal clear.

There is a lady in a New York harbor that still beckons "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."  What we don't appreciate is that we have been given so much more over the decades from our immigrants that we can never repay. As a people and as a country, we have a great deal to learn but first we must know that America is great and will continue to be great as long as we open our doors and our hearts to those who bring us their world. 

Special thanks to the publisher, Interlink, for sharing the following recipe with our members and for providing two copies of this title in our giveaway below.  

Carnitas tacos Aarón Sánchez
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Origin: Mexico

At large gatherings, this dish was a family favorite. During summers in El Paso, we would get everyone together and throw these huge fiestas, and the carnitas tacos were always a big hit. It's a communal dish that is rich and layered in flavor, and some of the best childhood memories I have are of eating this dish with family and loved ones.

Serves 6 to 8

• 3½ lb (1.5 kg) boneless pork shoulder
• 3-4 cups (11/3-1¾ lb/600-800g) rendered pork fat or lard (or more, if needed to mostly cover the meat)
• Half a 7 oz (200 g) can chipotle peppers, in adobo, or more to taste 
• Juice of 1 orange
• Juice of 1 lime 
• Salt and pepper

Brine

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stick canella (Mexican cinnamon)
• 1 cup (7 oz/200 g) brown sugar
• 1 cup (8 oz/225 g) kosher salt

To serve  

• 18-24 small tortillas
• 1 cup (240 ml) Mexican crema or sour
• cream (optional)
• ½ cup (3½ oz/100 g) pickled red onions 
• ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)
• Cucumber slices, seeds removed
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves separated 
• Lime wedges

In a nonreactive stockpot, combine the brine ingredients with enough water to cover the pork (about 8½ cups/2 liters). Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let cool completely. Add the pork to the pot, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

Once the pork has brined, preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C). Remove the pork from the brine, patting it dry with paper towels, and cut it into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the fat over medium heat until it melts. Add the pork pieces, cover the pot, and roast in the oven until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a mixing bowl, discarding the oil. Finely chop the chipotles and add them to the meat with their sauce. Add the orange and lime juice, toss to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

To assemble, spread each tortilla with crema, if using, and top with a generous amount of the seasoned pork. Sprinkle with the pickled onions and jalapeños, if using, and top with cucumber slices, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Pickled red onions or jalapeño peppers

Makes about 1 pint (1 lb/450 g)

• 1-1¼ cups (240-300 ml) white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 cup (4 oz/115g) thinly sliced red onion or jalapeño peppers 

In a small pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Place the onion or jalapeño slices in a jar or tub, pour in the vinegar mixture to completely cover them, seal, and refrigerate for at least one hour before using, or for up to several days.

Recipe fromThe Immigrant Cookbook, © Aarón Sánchez   

The publisher is offering two copies of this book to EYB Members in the US. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won't be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on March 12th, 2018.