Pelican Bestsellers

The story of the Cvitanovich family, the founders and proprietors of Drago's Seafood Restaurant, which opened its first location just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, in the 1970s, is the story of a family living the true American dream: two immigrants from Croatia come to the United States with little money in their pockets and forge a seafood restaurant empire known throughout the world. With hard work, fierce tenacity, and the willpower to seize opportunity where they could find it, Drago and Klara Cvitanovich turned their small family restaurant into a Crescent City icon. And there, they invented a New Orleans staple, the charbroiled oyster, a dish that nearly every seafood restaurant in the country tries to emulate. This inspiring and uniquely American story validates the power of hard work, perseverance, faith in family, and generosity. THEIR POST-KATRINA EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTION, FUELED BY FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE OF HUNGER DURING WORLD WAR II, FED THOUSANDS AND CREATED AN UNBREAKABLE COMMUNITY BOND. Award-winning journalist Peter Finney Jr. is a former sportswriter for the New York Post and New York Daily News and the recipient of the St. Francis de Sales Award from the Catholic Media Association. He has served as the executive editor and general manager of the Clarion Herald , the newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, since 1993.

Carmen Aboy Valldejuli was, according to New York Times food critic Craig Claiborne, "the foremost authority on Puerto Rican cooking" whose cookbooks are
"the definitive books on island cooking."

Her cookbook, Juntos en la Cocina (Together in the Kitchen), is the result of fifty years of love, sharing and hard work. Carmen and her husband, Luis presented their favorite recipes in this new volume. Now these flavorful meals are available to anyone interested in learning the art of Puerto Rican cuisine from two of its finest teachers.

Written in Spanish, Juntos en la Cocina provides a complete tour of the culinary arts of Puerto Rico. Adobo and sofrito, the bases of many island dishes, are despcribed in detail. To enable both novice and experienced cooks to create savory meals, each recipe gives step-by-step instructions, with special emphasis on preparation and serving.

Sample Chili con Carne, Chicken Fiesta, Carne Empanada and traditional black beans and rice. Pasta is never dull with recipes for Lasagna a la San Juan and Spaghetti Florentine. And dessert temptations include chocolate and mango flan, queen's cake and other exotic pastries.

Whether you are working alone in the kitchen or with someone you love, Juntos en la Cocina is a friend you won't want to be without.

"The foremost authority on Puerto Rican cooking is a silver haired, stylish, and warmly hospitable woman named Carmen Aboy Valldejuli . . . [her books] are considered today to be the definitive books on island cooking."
-New York Times

Written entirely in Spanish, Cocina Criolla, the standard reference work on traditional Puerto Rican cooking, is in its 68th priniting and has special appeal to those who enjoy the island's cuisine.

In addition to offering hundreds of delicious recipes, Cocina Criolla includes advice for the inexperienced cook that ranges from suggestions about the most efficient way to read a recipe to suggestions about what kitchen equipment every cook should have.

Cocina Criolla no puede compararse con la generalidad de los libros de cocina. En muchos puntos difiere grandemente de 'stos. Pero por su encaje perfecto en la necesidad actual de literatura culinaria pr'ctica y 'til y por la forma detallada y caracter'stica de sus rectas es, de por s', 'nico en su clase.

Cocina Criolla solucionar' muchas problemas dom'sticos y por lo tanto, est' llamad a ser un libro indespensable en el hogar.

The English edition of this book, Puerto Rican Cookery, is in its 36th printing with more than 167,000 copies in print and is also available from Pelican.

A melting pot of New Orleans' diverse flavors, cultures, and history.

New Orleans' most famous Creole restaurants, including Antoine's, Brennan's, Galatoire's, Arnaud's, and Mr. B's Bistro, offer more than fifty authentic Creole dishes bursting with the city's benchmark flavors. French, Spanish, and Caribbean cuisines, among others, have contributed their culinary DNA to these savory meals. Create these tastes at home with clear and easy-to-follow recipes. Tantalizing photographs, fascinating histories, and rollicking stories add rich seasoning to these appetizers, soups, entrées, and desserts. Savor Creole specialties such as Trout Meunière, Chicken Bon Femme, Crab Meat Au Gratin, and much more with this gorgeous volume.