I had never met Oscar del Rivero, but I had been enjoying his food for years.
My wife loves the ceviche at Jaguar in Coconut Grove, and we’ve been back many times. So when its chef and co-owner joined me for the Cooks’ Books segment on The Miami Book Hub podcast, the introduction felt overdue.
“I feel like I know you through your food,” I told him.
I also confessed that, at first, I had thought of Jaguar as a Peruvian restaurant. Oscar, who is Mexican, had a much broader idea when his family came together to open it two decades ago: a restaurant that reflected the Miami they knew, where people from across Latin America could find familiar dishes and discover someone else’s favorites.
“Jaguar is a family thing,” he said.
That helps explain his cookbook, Flavors Beneath the Canopy, too. Its title reaches beyond the restaurant to Coconut Grove’s trees and the tropical landscapes of Latin America. Working with writer James O. Fraioli and photographer Alejandra Urquiza, Oscar wanted to share the food and the place that had become his home.
Getting restaurant recipes onto a home cook’s counter took some work. Portions had to be adjusted for four people, and simply dividing the ingredients wasn’t always enough. Too much garlic is still too much garlic, even when the math says otherwise.
I write fiction. I can make things up. Oscar’s readers need dinner to come out right.
When I asked which recipe was most personal, he told me about his mother Belinda’s bacalao. Passed down through her family, the cod dish carries memories of Christmas in Mexico City, with tomato sauce, olives and toasted almonds. In the book, it’s served on tostones.
He described the time and care it takes to prepare. By then, I was hungry.
We also talked about the people who keep Jaguar running. Oscar spoke about protecting his staff and the comfort customers find in seeing familiar faces year after year. His approach to portions, quality and pricing follows the same principle.
“We try to balance it out as if we would serve it to our friends or to our own family,” he said.
That sounds like a good reason to keep coming back.
Be sure to pick up Flavors Beneath the Canopy and plan a visit to Jaguar for a culinary experience you won’t regret.
Later, USA Bestselling Author Rochelle Weinstein returned for her monthly segment—Reading with Rochelle—bringing five book recommendations for October. She started with Five by Ilona Bannister, a dark, clever psychological thriller about five strangers waiting for a train—one of whom, readers are told from the start, will be dead within minutes. Next came Hollywood, Ending, the long-awaited new novel from John Green, a love story set against the pressures, artifice and relentless attention of modern Hollywood. Rochelle also recommended Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarty, a Read with Jenna selection about a forbidden teenage romance and the choices, secrets and consequences that echo across a lifetime. For younger readers—and, as I noted, plenty of adults too—she highlighted We Are the Wright Brothers by Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos, the newest installment in their wonderful Ordinary People Change the World series. And, much to my delight, she rounded out the list with Maya Lin & The Ancient Order of Seshat, in the arQitect by some dude named J. Adrian Betancourt. I won’t pretend I objected.
I also welcomed Rochelle into the Ancient Order of Seshat in recognition of all she gives to Miami’s literary community. Rochelle also offered a reminder that applies to every author whose work we enjoy: “There’s no better way to support an author than by word of mouth.”
For this and other conversations, reading recommendations and local literary news, visit TheMiamiBookHub.com, Miami’s Home for Readers, Writers & Resources.
Until next time… keep reading, keep writing, and stay curious, Miami!
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