Peppers of the Americas: The Remarkable Capsicums That Forever Changed Flavor [A Cookbook]

This is an astonishing work on the history, distribution and uses of peppers. Beautifully written and researched. This is much more than just a cookbook.

I got excited when I saw that Maricel Pressila had written a new book, as I was familiar with some of her previous works: Her “Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America” from 2012 is awesome and almost overwhelming in its magnitude. After reading it, I knew that Pressila was an author whose works I would always devour. Her books are some of the most detailed, involved, comprehensive and descriptive works you could possibly come across. Her books are meaty and jam-packed with invaluable and trustworthy information. Her writing is solid and thoughtful and personable. When I saw the topic of this new effort is peppers, I was thrilled, and I pre-ordered a copy knowing it was a book I needed in my personal library. In all my nuanced, provocative and improvised cooking--hot and spicy or savory fruity--I am, truly am, a pepper person. The topic of this book is very important to me, and I am very aware of it and peppers' influence on me and my style of cooking--has been that way for many, many decades and will be until the day I stop eating.I have to shout it to you: I have not been disappointed in Peppers of the Americas!Before I delved into the book, I first went looking for mention of my favorite—and somewhat obscure—pepper. It’s not a hot one, and from my Caribbean background, I know it as aji dulce. And of course--as I trusted it would be--it was right there listed in the index with three references and two recipes! And one of those two recipes is a variation on one I make when I am missing the Islands and willing to dip into my dwindling bag of aji dulce from the freezer. I thought: If this book has aji dulce in it, it is very comprehensive. I very seldom find it mentioned in Latin cookbooks. Presilla's descriptive words on dulce aji are right on. And there are pictures, too.I mention my personal favorite pepper and how I found it in this book for one reason: You have your personal favorite(s), too. And you will go looking for it/them in this book. And I’m pretty positive you will find them listed—with recipes, with interesting information and descriptive words, with pictures.And, like me, after being assured that your favorites were not forgotten, you will read through the book and learn about all the others. It is a comprehensive book. It is a beautiful book. If you love your peppers—hot or sweet—chili head or pepper lover, cook or gardener, or a combo of all—you will be happy with this book.It is a reference book and it is a cookbook. I know I will refer to it over and over again. It is beautiful enough to be considered a cocktail table book. It is not dull, nor is it dry: It is bursting with color and luscious and mouth-watering descriptions.The book delves into the history of peppers, beginning in prehistoric Bolivia and continuing through their travels throughout the world, and into research in the present. You will learn pepper anatomy, and learn about their heat. There are pictures of the fruit, the flower, and the seeds. You will learn something about how to identify the different members of the capsicum family.Photography and drawings are beautiful and varied. Pictures are clear and large enough to see details.You will find an excellent photo for each fresh and dried pepper, along with its history, description of the plant, its heat and flavor, and how best to use it.There is a chapter with helpful hints for growing peppers, and one for “cooking with peppers”. Very helpful to me are the instructions for drying peppers and grinding into powders and roasting them, making pepper vinegars, fermenting hot peppers, and making other pepper condiments. (I especially liked the pepper-spiced pineapple vinegar, with vinegar made from fermenting strips of pineapple skin.)It may not seem like 40 recipes is a lot, but considering that Presilla provides a wealth of information regarding techniques I mention in the previous paragraph, potential is there for way more than forty recipes. As I read, creative thoughts were pounding and swirling around in my head! And when I counted, there were more than 50, with some recipes within recipes.There is a decent bibliography and a thorough index. There is an invaluable page of resources, too.

This is a really nice book, interesting and well-written text and beautiful pictures, lots of pepper history, culinary uses, and some recipes. I bought this for my son and was planning to read it first then send it off, but I liked it so much I bought him one and kept mine! There are a LOT of peppers described in here, and though it obviously won’t have all the new cross-varieties coming on the market these days, it does have a surprising number of newer ones. Now I’m on a mission to try new peppers, both in the garden and the kitchen!

An accomplished author and chef, Presilla shares her experience with growing Chilies in her garden. What a treat. If you are looking for a reference book about chilies I doubt you can find something more comprehensive. I particularly like the dried chilies section since you can find them Year around.Stunning photography In the entire book.The last third of the book give some recipe ideas but not exact recipes. One of the more innovative ideas is the pepper Leaf Chimichurri.Overall a great book.

The author is a chef who grows peppers. Who cooks with peppers. Who loves peppers. And who has written a big, lovely, book about peppers.She starts with the early cultivation starting in South America. Then comes some botanical information about peppers. Next, Columbus arrives, and peppers spread around the world and become integral parts of many cuisines.Following this background comes an encyclopedic section, covering first fresh peppers and then dried peppers. While a great reference, you'll have to be really hard core to simply read it through.She then discusses growing peppers, although her experiences are based on the limited growing season in New Jersey. As a Southern Californian I can grow peppers as perennials, and have had plants last for years, sometimes even fruiting in the winter.She also covers buying fresh peppers, drying fresh peppers, and buying dried peppers.And, of course, cooking with peppers. Both general advice and also recipes, including sauces, condiments, and full up dishes.Oh, did I mention the book is full of wonderful color pictures? Mostly of peppers, of course!The author's love of peppers infuses the book. If you love peppers you'll want this book.I received a copy for review from the publisher, but ordered a copy of the final version for my library.

A great reference for pepper enthusiasts with interesting evolution/ historical information and a great index of cultivars with images, flavor profile and origins... problem is, it’s January at time of this writing, there’s 20 inches of snow on the ground and I’ve already placed orders for over 20 plants that she details here...If you enjoy growing and eating peppers, this is the bool for you

This is a good compendium about peppers of the Americas - big section on types of peppers and their history, smaller section on useful recipes. Doesn't deal with African or European peppers, though many used in their cuisines came from the Americas. A solid reference book.

I love to cook. Most of my friends are afraid to eat peppers due to the heat. Some turn slightly red and begin to sweat when eating a pepper. I have not met anyone who is able to differentiate between the various types of peppers and cares to talk about the flavor variations. This book gave me some great insight into the world of peppers and tweaked my curiosity enough to try the different peppers found in local stores. The book is not written so much for botanists or scientists, but for the pure pleasure of enjoying peppers. If you are curious about food and spices, this is a great read.

I loved this book, and before I was even half way through the ARC computer download I pre-ordered a hard copy from Amazon. I have been a fan of peppers – particularly the hot ones – for a long time. Mainly to cook with and to eat, but also to admire the look of the fresh fruit. But even so, I was really gobsmacked by the incredible variety and beauty of the many peppers pictured and described in this book. With each picture is an idea of how the pepper is best used, what sort of heat, flavours, perfume etc that is commonly has, often where it grows, and sometimes a bit of history attached to that particular cultivar. I wanted to grow and taste every single one of the peppers – though I have had to realise that won’t really be possible. Still I can dream. And that is just the dictionary part in the middle of the book.The book begins with an exhaustively researched and fascinating history of peppers, starting with their first appearance in Bolivia and Peru, and then tracking their branching into the five main species: Capsicum annum; C. frutescens; C. chinense;, C. pubescens and C. baccatum, by looking at archaeological findings going back eight thousand years and up to the Hispanic conquests, and then the writings of Spanish and Portuguese invaders, missionaries and travellers, onto the spread to the rest of Europe (particularly through the monasteries), to India, Asia, to Africa – basically everywhere – through recipe books, travellers, physicians and botanists reports … This is a completely new way to examine the history of Columbus’ trips to discover the Americas – via the continent’s food and food related customs. From there, it is a history of how the now regarded as traditional chilli laden cuisines of Thailand, Szechuan China evolved, and how the agribusiness of producing peppers has grown and mutated worldwide, along with its potential ecological and social repurcussions.The final section is the recipes. I have tried a few, such as the excellent “Red Snapper in a Spicy Creole Sauce”, “Panfried Pork Steaks in Guajillo-Puya Adobo” and the very moreish “Spicy Pickled Cucumber” (made that one twice). There are several that I still want to try, but will wait until I get the hardback book – and the correct peppers.The recipe section by itself is not especially outstanding – though it does contain a wide range of good recipes. But in combination with the encyclopaedia of peppers, you get a real insight into why you are asked to use particular peppers, what flavours, aromas and particular heat you should expect from the recipe, and which peppers could be used as possible substitutes. I feel I will now have the tools I need to re-examine recipes from other books, which also use peppers, to improve my cooking and understanding. As someone who has previously mainly categorised chillies according to their heat, I have had my eyes opened to how much I have been missing out on. Unlike the author, I cannot readily buy a variety of fresh peppers at local markets (despite living in London), but luckily can order some by mail order from The South Devon Chilli Farm (my order went in today!). So, soon I will embark on more pepper laden meals, and hopefully start growing some too.This is an exceptional book for anyone interested in cooking, the history of food, world history, archaeology, botany, beautiful plants … Basically, it has something for everyone. I can hardly wait until my own hard copy arrives on my doorstep.I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Very well researched information.

L'opera è di ottima qualità editoriale (vale il suo costo). L'esposizione, coniuga una metodologia enciclopedica e sistematica con la fruibilità del testo divulgativo.Interessante sotto tutti gli aspetti.Peccato che nelle schede analitiche delle centinaia di varietà presentate manchi il riferimento Scoville.

Fondamentale per gli appassionati, ineccepibile la parte introduttiva con stupende tavole a colori e impressionante galleria delle varietà amerinde; da circa metà libro parte un ricettario, anch'esso notevole e condotto con mano esperta (l'autrice, Maricel Presilla, è una chef proprietaria di un paio di ristoranti nel New Jersey, una autorità nel settore del cacao, e già autrice di Gran Cocina Latina, sorta di Talismano della Felicità latinoamericano).Libro solido, ben rilegato, bello; edito sotto i migliori auspici e commenti positivi di personalità della cucina internazionale (fondamentale l'apprezzamento di Harold McGee per la parte scientifica), e una delle novità più interessanti del 2017 nel settore enogastronomico.Da non mancare.

O melhor livro que encontrei sobre pimentas (Capsicum). Um excelente livro de referência para quem se interessa sobre o assunto, tecnico e acessível.