I BELIZE YOU CAN COOKBOOK: Fifty shades of great Belizean food recipes (Caribbean Cookbook)

Our family has a dear friend who moved from the US to Belize. I’ve always wondered what the authentic cuisine is like. This book provided an answer!I love the extensive use of coconut. I will need to visit my farmers market to get some of the ingredients… plantains, malanga, cassava, yuca. I have some familiarity with many of the ingredients because I am Hispanic and I grew up eating traditional Mexican foods. Being that Mexico is so close to Belize, I can see how Mexican food could influence Belizean dishes. I find the tropical twists to be delightful.I think I would have liked some discussion about some of the unique ingredients at the beginning of the book. I don’t quite know what “recado” is… I might have missed it, but I didn’t see it explained other than it is made with annatto seed. Also, with the cow foot soup, there are question marks next to Caribbean seasoning (??) and allspice (palmetto) (?)…. I don’t know if that was meant for me as the reader or for the editor.There was one last thing that struck me as strange… the Black Fruitcake calls for one cup of caramel color. I’m not sure what caramel color is….and one cup of coloring in anything sounds like an awful lot.All that notwithstanding, I can tell the author poured his heart into this book. It delivers simple recipes that are well spiced. This book is the essence of a country that is dear to the author and that shines through. Am I going to prepare the armadillo dish? Probably not, but I am well aware it is a Mexican delicacy also. I am glad the recipe was included because it adds another layer to the complexity of Belizean food.Overall, this is a beautiful book that captures the soul of a beautiful country.

As someone who grew up in a Belizean-American household, I appreciate having a cookbook that puts direction along with the steps I saw my mother doing while growing up. I like the way the recipes are written just as if someone was telling it to you. It doesn't overcomplicate things and makes it easy to follow. And if you know Belizean cooking, no one does it exactly the same, nor does one person do it the same every time the make the same dish, so the casual nature of this book is perfect to reflect that.I read one view that said there was a typo because there was "a recipe for Enchilades which should be enchiladas." This person is clearly not Belizean lol. We don't make Enchiladas in Belize, we make Enchilades, so the book is correct. If you ever see a Belizean cook book that says enchiladas, that's your red flag to know it is not authentic. lol. Happy cooking!

Also, he has not had the book professionally edited. For example he gives a recipe for Enchilades which should be enchiladas. It is not a large book but a relatively small cookbook. I would think that he would have wanted to write a more complete cookbook.The reviewer is a former executive chef and caterer. He has an award winning book entitled: "Sex Education for Adults Secrets To Amazing Sex and Happily Ever After Too. The book took first place in the International Book Excellence Awards Contest in my category of marriage.The book is also listed on the recommended reading list on the AASECT website (American Assn of Sexual Educators Counselors and Therapists)

Great recipes from home but the cooking directions are not very clear. Also some ingredients are not listed in the ingredient list but then are listed in the preparation.

This book has all the basics of Belizean culinary delights and is written in such manner that it's a pleasurable read in addition to the easy-to-understand and follow directions on how to prepare each the dishes. After living in Belize for more than a decade, I finally learned from this book what the difference is between Black Dinner and Chirmole. I love the cole slaw recipe which is rather different from what seems to be the standard fare with bottled dressing we see so often in Belize.

I guess that if anything is true, I have learned that cooking is not easy for a person like me. I didn’t learn how to cook growing up; I always was outside working with my dad. My head under the hood of a big rig and fetching tools. My brothers hated working with him, and I was the only one that loved it. I did learn how to fend for myself with cars and almost anything else. My dad always said, “it was good to be a girl, but that girl needed to know how to be self-sufficient.” Well, I definitely am that, thanks to him. Oh, and he always made me wear gloves still to have soft hands WITHOUT grease under the nails!!! LOL That being said, I have collected cookbooks to fix anything that I want. I love having the digital ones; they don’t take up any space. Also, having a small family now that the kids and grandkids are grown, having a cookbook is the only way to make smaller portions.

Black dinner! I bought this to make some of the recipes my mom used to make. While I enjoyed the taste of home with some of the traditional flavors, I also appreciated the newer take on some classic recipes.Great book! Well worth the purchase! Buy it today and Belize in yourself!

Very vague instructions. Not good for anyone who is trying to learn!

Good Belizean recipes. True to Belize.

Recipes full of flavour and spice just like the beautiful country itself! Can't wait to get stuck in and start cooking some yummy Belizean food! Can't wait for your new book! I'll be looking out for it!

this is great has almost all the main dishes from the main cultures in Belize from simple tortilla recipes to Garifuna, mayan Indian traditional dishes.

Excellent as far as I'm concerned