A truly unique collection of Yucatecan recipes garnered from home kitchens and comedores of rural market towns, this book recognizes that the Yucatan has an amazing culinary culture. The author gives us an inside look into a variety of kitchens from Mayan families and Latino fisherman to American expatriates.

It seems that whenever food is prepared in the Yucatan, a crowd will gather. So the descriptions of food include stories from the guests at the table. The tales are both hilarious and touching. There is a lovely description of a Mayan family preparing for the traditional Onsiquil , a venison dish, and mucbil pollo , a chicken dish for the Day of the Dead. The very name of Isla de Mujeres is enough to transport the reader to a warm place where food with delicious names like Gisela's langosta al mojo de ajo and pavo en relleno negro are daily fare.

Lyman Morton has been visiting the Yucatan since 1972. His fascination with the food was sparked by the custom of afternoon botanas . Trying to find a recipe for pavo en relleno negro , he discovered there was no cookbook with this information. After having taught in the Los Angeles Unified School System and private schools in California, he is now living in the historic city of Merida.

SAMPLE RECIPE:

PUERCO en SIDRA
Pork with Cider

1 pound potatoes
4 pounds pork loin or leg
10 small cloves garlic
10 prunes with pits removed
1 large onion
2 tablespoons mustard
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 pint apple cider
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup catsup
3 tablespoons oil to fry apples
4 apples, sliced
Salt

Boil potatoes until tender. Let cool and remove jackets.

Put 10 holes in the meat. Put a prune and garlic clove in each one. Place pork in a greased baking dish. Blend onion and spread over pork. Place pork in a 450° F. pre-heated oven, and reduce the heat to 350°.

Mix mustard and butter together. Pour over pork when it begins to brown. After 10 minutes, pour 1/4 cup apple cider over pork every 15 minutes.

Cook 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Mix cream and catsup together. Pour about a third of this on pork. Do this two more times at 10 minute intervals. Pour the last of the apple cider over pork just before it is done.

Fry sliced apples in a little oil for 10 minutes, until golden.

Mix some juice from the pork into the potatoes and mash. Keep warm over low heat. Serve pork with apples and potatoes.