I've never been to Puerto Rico but it's on my list. There are lots of recipes in this book that I would like to try, but I think I wouldn't personally make them them at home. The recipes have nice photos. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

A dream come true. I have been a fan of Illyanna Maisonet's writing for a while now and am over the moon that this cookbook is coming out so soon. There is no doubt in my mind that cooking recipes from this book will make me a better cook and I am grateful for it. It has exceeded my expectations. While I am personally a pescatarian, I enjoyed reading and learning about the pork and beef recipes just as much as the others. Highly recommend!

I absolutely adore this cookbook. Maisonet does not mince words to describe everything from her history to techniques. I especially enjoyed the one titled, "Washing Rice and Why the 2:1 Ratio is Bullshit." Her raw approach completely immerses you and helps you indelibly understand what she aims to teach about Puerto Rican cuisine. I can't help but also appreciate the great lengths she takes to research the history behind the food speculating on the origination of achiote oil, for example, or the debate on whether the pigeon peas (or Gandules) come from Africa or India. The recipes follow in a similar thoughtful, intentional vein. I cannot wait to try one of her seafood dishes - the califas shrimp and the halibut with mojo isleno in particular are calling out to me. The recipes range from simple to intricate and a well balanced variety of all to appeal to every comfort level of home cook. Honestly, so many of the dishes have names and ingredients that are new to me that I wouldn't know where to start a recommendation. But Maisonet has made all of these dishes feel approachable and comforting so I have no doubt that I'll enjoy every second spending my time getting to know them. I would highly recommend getting the book for yourself or the cookbook lover in your life. It's one not to be missed.

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!

I really enjoyed the mix of personal narrative, recipes, and the unique takes on food that Maisonet includes throughout the book. I think this is a great book for anyone interested in a visual record of Puerto Rican/Diasporican food

Let me start by saying that I am part the target audience for this. My dad grew up near San Juan, but was never able to afford to go back or to take me to visit. The recipes in this book take me back to things that taste like his nights to cook. It is a reminder of a food culture that is mine, but that I haven't been able to explore as much as I would want. The recipes themselves are easy to follow and fully solid on flavor. The writing introducing and explaining those recipes reads like an energetic friend showing you how its done. I got this as an ARC, but I'm going to be buying it for my cookbook collection too.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a feast for the eyes and the stomach! A beautiful collection of recipes I am so excited to try. This is a book I feel I have been waiting for all of my life as a mixed Latina!

I've written before about picking up a recipe book not knowing the first thing about what I should expect. This, focussing as it does on Puerto Rican cuisine – and principally the PR cuisine as used by the 5.5 million "Boriquas" in the United States at any one time – was one of those books. And it immediately demands that it's not a Puerto Rican cookbook, and that it's for and about and because of that diaspora.

Which is all well and wonderful, but this was a useless book for me – I might be able to find a taro here in the UK, with effort, but so much of this used a perplexing blend of African, Caribbean and Southern American ingredients, and all was left specialist in my eyes. (First, catch your block of guava paste...) Technically, the focus is on the word as opposed to the picture, with some recipes getting more than a page of introduction, autobiography and more, as the whole window into this cuisine is opened as widely as possible. It's unfortunate for many, then, it will be stuck hanging in the wind, with little guarantee people other than a small coterie of readers will get to use it. I'm sure it'll be a success to a target audience, and it does look intelligent, correct and thorough, but for the already-initiated, and certainly not for the outsider newbie like me.

Oh, and there's a surprising amount of F-words for a cookery book. Is this Gordon F888ing Ramsay in disguise?!

Author Illyanna Maisonet presents Puerto Rican recipes some with twists she has made making them Diasporican recipes. Along with the recipes she shares interesting stories of her experiences and her families experiences in the United States and Puerto Rico. She also weaves Puerto Rican history into the cook book and her stories along with photos of many of her recipes.

More than just another cook book but a family history told through food. Hadn't tried Puerto Rican food till now, tried a couple of recipes delicious they were.
I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley for a review.

"How I became a cook is not a romantic story," writes Maisonet in her introduction and this is an important statement because of its challenge to the dominant culinary story for food writers of the diaspora. All too often, there is only space for writers who have grown up at the knee of Abuela/ Yiayia/Grand Mere/Bibi/ Nenek learning her secrets before they are barely able to walk. And this limits their scope. The beauty of Maisonet's first book is that she will not allow herself to be limited by publishing tropes and most likely this is why it is taken far too long for her to get a deal.

So what we have here is a book about Puerto Rican cooking both on the island and among the diaspora that emphasises its non-singular nature. It is a book that is far more than the sum of its beautifully-detailed parts which make up a painful, glorious, and indefinable cultural history. And the food is delicious too, but you know that already if you follow Illyana on social media.

This family food history takes you through the island and across the way through the diverse and rich recipes of the Puerto Rican culinary landscape. A family's guide to the island's flavor traditions.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting book!

I was hoping for more pictures to see what the finished products look like, since that's something I like in cook books. This is an interesting introduction to the food and culture of Puerto Rico. There's a variety of recipes for all times of day. Some of the recipes are time intensive, but seem like they would be good.

Overall a nice find!

Throughout history, countless sons and daughters have learned their family history and culture while clutching the apron strings of a parent, who talks and teaches while cooking a meal. Learning who you are while breathing in the aromas of heritage recipes is a powerful combination. Our food becomes a part of who we are in more than a nutritional sense.

As we enter Illyanna Maisonet's kitchen, she offers us her apron strings and begins to tell us her stories. As she talks, she'll prepare over 90 recipes, while teaching us about her family's incredible food. As we are taught how to blend flavors, we also learn why certain ingredients are used and why others aren't. We learn about Puerto Rico's food chain - even the broken and rusty links. Don't let these delicious foods and the beautiful country they come from lead you to believe that her story is pure bliss, though. Maisonet says, "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."

Because these recipes were hard-won over many years by a crafty, determined family, I feel grateful and honored to be able to prepare them in my own kitchen.

I'll be filing this review under multiple categories - cookbooks of course, but also non-fiction history, memoir, and Women's literature. It deserves to be read for a wide variety of reasons.

My thanks to author Illyanna Maisonet, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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.

This cookbook is full of rich stories and delicious recipes. The pictures of all of the food look amazing! This is a great book for people interested in Puerto Rican cuisine.

This cookbook has some very lengthy recipes so it isn't a fix it fast kind if book. However, the recipes are very goid and authentic.

The book was also a fascinating introduction to Puerto Rico's culture. It has great tidbits about the food. Overall a great read I realky enjoyed it!

The recipes in this book, while lengthy, are well worth it. The variety of taste and spice is amazing and I can't wait to make more of the recipes.