The SalviSoul Cookbook

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I never thought a cookbook would make me cry, but THE SALVISOUL COOKBOOK did just that. Not once, not twice, but thrice. I only requested this cookbook because I have an extensive collection of cookbooks from many countries and regions, but this was the first one I'd seen for El Salvador and so of course, I was very interested. In that regard, this book is magnificent - it has lots of mouthwatering recipes and vibrant photos of Salvadoran landscapes and foodways and it's worth getting just for that. But what takes this book to another level is its glorious storytelling of individual Salvadoran women's life journeys. In vignette after vignette, portrait after portrait, you will come across incredibly brave, resilient, creative, and dynamic women. Though their stories vary, the women have a shared experience of what it was like in El Salvador before the war, and what life was like as Salvadoran women surviving in their new home in the United States. Their stories make this an immersive cookbook that can be read page to page.

A quick note on the recipes: I have a hard time following instructions when 2-3 of them are bunched together in paragraphs. But that could just be me. I followed a couple of recipes faithfully for rellenos de papa and pupusas de frijol con queso that turned out amazing, so just something to keep in mind. This one is a gem and I'm definitely getting a hardcover to add to my collection.

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great cookbook. But it's more than just a cookbook. I also learned a lot about El Salvador from this book!

I love that the author made it her mission to never forget her roots. The stories about El Salvador, and the backstories about the recipes are absolutely amazing. I also love how she wore her mom down to get the teachings of some of her recipes. I can't wait to use the many pupusa(El Salvador's national dish) recipes. As well as the Tamale recipes.

I love how this is more thank a cookbook, this is an educational celebration on El Salvador. The stories that are shared throughout the book add so much sentiment to the recipes.