In her first cookbook, “Coconuts & Collards: Recipes from Puerto Rico to the Deep South” food historian Von Diaz focused on recipes she learned growing up in metro Atlanta and on summer visits to her family’s home in Puerto Rico. The recipes in her new book, “Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking — 125 Recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands” (Chronicle, $35), cover much more ground.
Credit: Cybelle Codish
Credit: Cybelle Codish
“When I traveled to other islands, I felt at home. These islands have different migration patterns, different storm systems and different ocean landscapes. They are environmentally vulnerable and have been very isolated places for most of their history so they have developed very hyperlocal cultures,” Diaz said in a telephone interview from her office in Durham, North Carolina. “So how was it I felt so at home in cultures so different than my own? I was curious about how people on the islands are similar, and why we are similar.”
A journalist and oral historian by training, she approached much of the food by telling stories of individuals living on the islands she’s featured.
“Something I’ve noticed over the years in covering cuisines that are perhaps misunderstood or less often explored, is that many of us are proud of our food. ... That pride is a pride of identity and of nation and there’s a reason why people in the diaspora will continue to prepare the traditional dishes of their homeland,” she said. “That’s how they maintain the connection with their culture of origin.”
Much of the book was written during the pandemic and traveling to all the islands didn’t feel safe. For the places Diaz couldn’t visit, she relied on local storytellers and photographers to give her a window into the life of the people there.
Each story and recipe was chosen to give the reader a point of entry or connection with a place they may never visit or that they may not even have known existed.
“One might assume that in a place where people struggle with access to ingredients and often struggle financially, they might be inclined to make plain food. But these are dishes that are so flavorful, layered and textured. I believe that’s because deliciousness is also a form of resilience,” Diaz said. “Making food that’s delicious brings joy. When you live in really challenging places, your ability to experience joy is also necessary for survival.”
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Oka L’a (Coconut Cucumber Fish Ceviche)
This classic dish from American Samoa showcases three ingredients ubiquitous to the territory: coconut, lime and seafood freshly harvested from the Pacific. Variations are sold at restaurants and hole-in-the-wall cafes throughout the islands.
Von Diaz’s recipe calls for red snapper, but you can substitute other fresh mild fish such as sea bass, mahi mahi or ahi tuna, or even blanched shrimp. Bird’s eye chiles, also known as Thai chiles, are small hot peppers. Purchase them at stores that carry Asian groceries or substitute 2 teaspoons finely chopped serrano peppers.
Serve the ceviche in individual bowls as an appetizer or snack, or pair with white rice for a more substantial meal.
Excerpted from “Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking— 125 Recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands.” Copyright 2024 by Von Diaz. Reproduced by permission of Chronicle Books.
Author Appearance
Von Diaz will be speaking about “Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking.” 7 p.m. May 1. $30 members, $35 nonmembers. Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta. 404-814-4000. atlantahistorycenter.com/event/von-diaz/.
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