Review of 'Isabel's Cantina" by Isabel Cruz

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Review of

Isabel’s Cantina Bold Latin Flavors from the New California Kitchen

By Isabel Cruz, Photographs by Gregory Bertolini

Clarkson Potter/Publishers, NY, NY 224 pages. $27.00

Watch out Portland! Isabel Cruz is coming to the Pearl and opening her second restaurant in Oregon. To welcome her, In Good Taste will be hosting a cooking class taught by Cruz on October 9^th. To get ready for the class I picked up Cruz’s new book; Isabel’s Cantina, Bold Latin Flavors from the New California Kitchen and immersed myself in her vibrant creative cuisine. Cruz wants you to eat well but eat realistically, not count the calories, and most of all enjoy the food! To accomplish this goal Cruz has invented a very successful fusion palate merging Latin flavors from her Cuban heritage and Pacific Rim ingredients from her southern Californian home.

The word fusion as a culinary term developed bad ‘cred in the ‘70’s and 80’s when mediocre chefs used the term to describe their shoddy creations. Casting the classic combinations aside, these chefs would throw any ingredient into the pot and under the guise of fusion would label their food new and exciting. Needless to say saner palates triumphed and these creative endeavors were shown the culinary door. Cruz has taken fusion to a different and refreshingly positive level. Her food is spot on. You can’t go wrong with Seared Tuna Wontons with Avocado Salsa Cruda or Shrimp Bites Wrapped in Greens as cross cultural starters. Paired with a Pomegranate Martini or Raspberry-Lime Agua Fresca I’m ready to put on my Tito Puente CD and merengue my way to dinner!

What I like most about the book is Cruz’s distillation of flavors. These are not big involved recipes although some of them include a few steps. The results however are tasty and satisfying. Want to jazz up that Wednesday night grilled chicken breast? Make ahead and have on hand in your fridge or freezer, Roasted Chile Verde Sauce and you’re ready to pep up the party. One of our favorite cuts of meat is the flank steak. Cruz marinates the meat in olive oil, red wine vinegar, ground cumin and dried oregano overnight. Par-boiled sweet potatoes are sautéed with cherry tomatoes and green onions. To finish, the grilled meat is napped with Guava Sauce. The visual appeal was as delicious as the dish. The richness of the sweet potatoes contrasted with the acidity of the tomatoes as the acid-marinated meat played against the guava sauce and it was all very easy to make.

Gregory Bertolini, a bi-coastal photographer, vibrantly brings Cruz’s food to life. If a cookbook could be a page turner this is the one. The recipe layout is easy to follow with Isabel’s tips contributing additional useful information. The chapters progress through a meal from starters to desserts, drinks, and breakfasts. Recipes serve four or six portions but are easy to multiply for a party. The glossy paper gives the book a rich look and in my kitchen made it easy to wipe when my Soy Joy Sauce leapt from the food processor. It’s a fun book to cook from!

Speaking of the Soy Joy Sauce, one of Cruz’s kitchen staples, I used it to make Salmon with Papaya-Mango-Mint Salsa. A five ingredient dish that was colorful, easy, and tasty all at once. Make the Soy Joy Sauce ahead using soy sauce, sesame oil, honey ginger, garlic, cilantro and chile flakes. Chop up the salsa, another five ingredient item. Sauté the salmon and place it on a bed of raw spinach, garnish with the sauce and salsa and you’re ready to receive compliments from the family. I almost didn’t want to eat it because it looked so darn pretty! The spinach was warm and slightly wilted. A nice texture. You could add a side of rice but it wasn’t missed in our house.

As our season’s quickly change I am dashing between my last few summer meals and delving into fall’s bounty. On the cusp of this seasonal divide I cast aside my traditional potato salad for Cruz’s Spanish Potato Salad that is bound by a garlic infused olive oil and given color with fresh ripe plum tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro. A little zip is added with capers and lemon juice. I served this with grilled veal chops and her salad of Jícama, Cucumber, and Radish Salad with Lime Vinaigrette which was a marvelous study of crunch and freshness. Fall beckons me with Lentil Soup with Red Bell Pepper, Basil and Chipotle and Turkey Albóndigas in Broth a turkey meatball soup with fall vegetables and it takes just minutes to make.

For the cook who is looking to get out of their cooking rut and experiment with some new combinations this is a good place to start. I’m not a cilantro queen but after trying several of the recipes I am beginning to appreciate its flavor. Dog ear several recipes and make the required sauces ahead of time, then it’s just a matter of sauté away!

Cruz and her husband own three restaurants in the San Diego area, ”Coffee Cup”, “Isabel’s Cantina”, and “Seaside Cantina”. Her first restaurant in Oregon, named “Dragonfly”, is in Ashland, and the soon to be opened “Isabel” will be in the Pearl. I’m sure it will be a success if this cookbook is any indication of her fusion cuisine.

Welcome Isabel!

Read! Eat! Enjoy!

Judith Bishop

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