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Welcome to my Kitchen and my Bookshelf, where I pair a delicious recipe with a wonderful book! Today, we will enjoy a delicious, and slightly spicy, cauliflower taco from Bon Appetit paired with a delightful chapter book, Stef Soto, Taco Queen!  This cauliflower taco is an alternative to tacos filled with meat, beans, or cheese. The chipotle adobo adds quite a kick, so my advice is to use it sparingly if you have a younger crowd enjoying these with you. The sour cream does help relieve the spice, though. Roasting the cauliflower brings out its nuttiness and creates a substantial, meaty texture. If you opt out of using the chipotle, add a touch of chili powder or smoked paprika.  TACO COMPLETE! Bon Appetit Recipe Ingredients: Cauliflower, Tortillas, Olive Oil, Chipotle Adobo, Garlic, Lime, Cumin, Cilantro, Sour Cream (Extras: pickled red onions, cotija or queso fresco)  Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres
"A deliciously charming and heartwarming novel, all wrapped up in a warm tortilla. Tacos. Burritos. Guacamole. Estefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for Papi to get a normal job and for the taco truck to be a distant memory. Then maybe everyone at school will stop calling her the Taco Queen. But when her family's livelihood is threatened, and it looks like her wish will finally come true, Stef surprises everyone (including herself) by becoming the truck's unlikely champion. In this fun and heartfelt novel, Stef will discover what matters most and ultimately embrace her identity, even if it includes old Tia Perla." - Bookshop.org If you are looking for some additional great TACO inspired reads, look no further! Try this Library Aware Newsletter! Welcome to my Kitchen and my Bookshelf, where I pair a delicious recipe with a wonderful book! Today, I can't wait to share with you a recipe from a sweet, interactive, bilingual picture book. The surprise ending is the best part!!! Maybe my Book Bites title gave it away...  Arroz con Leche is a creamy rice pudding, typically made with leftover rice and milk or cream with sugar and cinnamon. This version actually requires that you make the rice with milk, then add it to the custard, then chilling it. Let's be honest, who can wait for it to cool? I enjoyed the creamy goodness while it was warm. I also enjoyed it chilled...it thickens up quite a bit. In fact, it is possible to warm a portion in the microwave by adding a splash of milk and cream, if you like it a little creamier rather than firm. Bonus!! This recipe makes a large portion of rice pudding sooooo, if you feel like it, you can use some of the left over firm pudding to make a nice little treat: Fried Rice Pudding! (steps included below) Rice Pudding Ingredients: Long Grain Rice, Whole Milk, Heavy Cream, Sugar, Butter, Cinnamon Stick, Lime Zest, Egg Yolks, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg Fried Rice Pudding Ingredients: Rice Pudding, Cornstarch, Vegetable Oil, Coconut, Pecans Would you like to learn more about this sweet treat? Try this article from Mexico News Daily! While you are enjoying your tasty treat, make sure to read this fun story: The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred. The story builds upon itself as the reader is trying to guess what is in the Cazuela! This is a great story to read aloud with children, especially to practice Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation. The recipe is included at the back of the book!  The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos and Rafael López
WINNER: Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor Book 2012 "A wonderful read-aloud, filled with merriment and conviviality" -- Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review "The artistry of this book makes it a must buy for all libraries" -- School Library Journal, STARRED review This is the story of how the farm maiden and all the farm animals worked together to make the rice pudding that they serve at the fiesta. With the familiarity of "The House That Jack Built," this story bubbles and builds just like the ingredients of the arroz con leche that everyone enjoys. Cleverly incorporating Spanish words, adding a new one in place of the English word from the previous page, this book makes learning the language easy and fun. Rafael Lopez covers each page with vibrant, exuberant color, celebrating tradition and community. Back matter includes a glossary of Spanish words and a recipe for arroz con leche--perfect for everyone to make together and enjoy at story time. - Bookshop.org |
