Puerto Rican Cookery (Reprinted)

Puerto Rican Cookery has become the standard reference on traditional native cookery (cocina criolla). According to the San Juan Star, “the cookbook is seen and is more likely better read in some homes than the religious tome. . . . [it] is considered a primer for beginning cooks . . . a textbook for home economists and it is a guide for the gourmet as well.”

Carmen Aboy Valldejuli, nee Aboy Ferrer, was a member of one of Puerto Rico’s most distinguished families. Her relatives included actor-director Jose Ferrer and Monsita Ferrer, who was a well-known pianist and composer. Brought up in the old Spanish tradition, Mrs. Valldejuli did not have the opportunity to discover the joy of cooking in one’s own kitchen until she met and married a gourmet, the late Luis F. Valldejuli. Curious about Puerto Rico’s native cuisine, the Valldejulis researched and collected recipes together. Their efforts produced two other cookbooks available from Pelican, Cocina Criolla and Juntos en la Cocina.