…Food. A kaleidoscope of memories: the fine dance between burnt and fire-roasted eggplants, the brightness a squeeze of fresh lime juice gives garlic-infused hummus, the sweet cloud of rum slowly heating in my mother’s custard wrapping itself around my face, a lustful temptress. Read more….
shop nowAlona’s stories are so endearingly honest and familiar, that even in the confluence of her vast cultural and ethnic influence–Israeli, Latino, American–they call to mind the reader’s own personal comforts and indulgences. Her recipes, though unique to her multicultural life, entice and relate to us all.” -Tara Mataraza Desmond, author of Full Belly: Good Eats for a Healthy Pregnancy, Choosing Sides: From Holidays to Every Day, 130 Delicious Recipes to Make the Meal, , and co-author of Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet.
Tara Mataraza Desmond
Author, “Choosing Sides,” “Almost Meatless,” and “Full Belly”
In My Culinary Compulsion Alona has accomplished what so many food writers dream of doing. He has collected a set of recipes, yes; but lovingly glided them with stories and vignettes from a life well-lived. Reading them, then putting them aside, you find yourself longing to have a glass of wine or cup of coffee with your amigo; the one that makes you shriek with laughter at the naughty stories, or swoon at the sweet ones. My Culinary Compulsion is more than a collection of recipes, it’s a beautiful homage to the people and the food she loves.
Jacqueline Church
Culinary Consultant/Instructor
Alona packed this cookbook and memoir full of funny, sensuous, and rebellious stories and recipes. You’ll see that she has the ravenous, restless mind of a stay-at-home mom who might be a little bored. The recipes show how she loves to tinker and experiment with all kinds of food. The product of an Israeli father and an American mother, Alona grew up in Venezuela and settled in Miami to raise a family. So you get this heady mix of Latin food, mommy dishes, Middle Eastern food, French dishes inspired by restaurant meals, and travel-inspired dishes from around the world. You’ll also find a few Jewish holiday dishes in a chapter named Extra Holiday Pounds, which includes a recipe for Venezuelan Ham Bread. If you haven’t figured this out by now, My Culinary Compulsion is a delightful read.
Dianne Jacob
Author, “Will Write for Food”
Witty and delectable, this culinary memoir enchants and delights! You’ll want to make every recipe.
Sandra A. Gutierrez
Author of “Latinísimo,” “Latin American Street Food,” “The New Southern-Latino Table”