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I had never met Oscar del Rivero, but I had been enjoying his food for years.<\/p>\n
My wife loves the ceviche at Jaguar in Coconut Grove, and we\u2019ve been back many times. So when its chef and co-owner joined me for the Cooks\u2019 Books segment on The Miami Book Hub podcast, the introduction felt overdue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I know you through your food,\u201d I told him.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s favorites.<\/p>\n
\u201cJaguar is a family thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
That helps explain his cookbook, Flavors Beneath the Canopy, too. Its title reaches beyond the restaurant to Coconut Grove\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Getting restaurant recipes onto a home cook\u2019s counter took some work. Portions had to be adjusted for four people, and simply dividing the ingredients wasn\u2019t always enough. Too much garlic is still too much garlic, even when the math says otherwise.<\/p>\n
I write fiction. I can make things up. Oscar\u2019s readers need dinner to come out right.<\/p>\n
When I asked which recipe was most personal, he told me about his mother Belinda\u2019s 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\u2019s served on tostones.<\/p>\n
He described the time and care it takes to prepare. By then, I was hungry.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to balance it out as if we would serve it to our friends or to our own family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
That sounds like a good reason to keep coming back.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Be sure to pick up Flavors Beneath the Canopy<\/a> and plan a visit to Jaguar<\/a> for a culinary experience you won\u2019t regret.<\/p>\n Later, USA Bestselling Author Rochelle Weinstein returned for her monthly segment\u2014Reading with Rochelle\u2014bringing five book recommendations for October. She started with Five<\/a> by Ilona Bannister<\/a>, a dark, clever psychological thriller about five strangers waiting for a train\u2014one of whom, readers are told from the start, will be dead within minutes. Next came Hollywood, Ending<\/a>, the long-awaited new novel from John Green<\/a>, a love story set against the pressures, artifice and relentless attention of modern Hollywood. Rochelle also recommended Sunlight Finds You<\/a> by Laura Moriarty<\/a>, a Read with Jenna selection about a forbidden teenage romance and the choices, secrets and consequences that echo across a lifetime. For younger readers\u2014and, as I noted, plenty of adults too\u2014she highlighted We Are the Wright Brothers<\/a> by Brad Meltzer<\/a> and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos<\/a>, 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<\/a> by some dude named J. Adrian Betancourt<\/a>. I won\u2019t pretend I objected.<\/p>\n I also welcomed Rochelle into the Ancient Order of Seshat<\/a> in recognition of all she gives to Miami\u2019s literary community. Rochelle also offered a reminder that applies to every author whose work we enjoy: \u201cThere\u2019s no better way to support an author than by word of mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n For this and other conversations, reading recommendations and local literary news, visit TheMiamiBookHub.com<\/a>, Miami\u2019s Home for Readers, Writers & Resources.<\/p>\n Until next time\u2026 keep reading, keep writing, and stay curious, Miami!<\/p>\n
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