Known as “one happy island” for good reason, the little island of Aruba is truly an international paradise with a character. all its own. Along with its legendary days of sunshine and sugary beaches, it boasts and excellent and varied cuisine with the freshest of fish and seafood a common theme. Food on Aruba ranges from the most elegant French and Belgian restaurants serving caviar, fine wines and foie gras, to Latin-spiced Brazilian churrascharias with their natural-charcoal grilled meats, homestyle Cuban complete with authentic Cuban cigars, old-time Dutch and traditional Aruban served in historic buildings, and even Indonesian, which though it may come from far across the ocean, shares a common Dutch heritage with Aruba.
One hundred thousand people from more than sixty ethnic groups live in harmony on the island, which is a colony of the Netherlands, making for a vibrant, multi-dimensional society. The island’s inhabitants are a unique mélange of people from Latin America, Europe, Indonesia, India, Africa, Spain, Portugal, Sephardic Jews, and more. The native language, Papiamento, a blend of Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, African, and Indian, is only spoken on the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao). The typical Aruban also speaks, reads, and writes the official language, Dutch, English, and Spanish fluently, and many also speak French and German.
This book is both an introduction to and a love letter to Aruban cooking, its fine restaurants, international flavors, and easy-going island free and easy lifestyle. The reader will be guided to the best Restaurants of Aruba by Franz Sydow, successful restaurateur, sommelier. Mr. Sydow, who is Food and Beverage Director of the top-rated Westin Aruba, really knows his way around the kitchen, while co-author Aliza Green, is the award-winning author of six cookbooks and a longtime chef who has learned to love the food of Aruba in her many visits to the island.
Here are fiery Madame Janette peppers—named after a famed local bordello owner, Coecoei liqueur—with its spicy anise flavor, and herbs like culantro and lemongrass. A local shrimp farm raises organic head-on shrimp served at the best local restaurants and those who get to the local fishmarket on time get the best fish. Supermarket shelves are laden with everything from French truffle oil, Italian risotto, Dutch butter cake mix and Gouda cheese of every age and flavor, to Indonesian curry ketchup, Brazilian farofa, Venezuelan arepas, Surinamese snacks, along with a slew of exotic tropical fruits and vegetables, and an impressive selection of wines and liquors.
The book features one hundred well-tested recipes ranging from cocktails and snacks through soup, seafood, meats, desserts and baked goods, including chef creations, ethnic specialties, traditional Aruban dishes, and Dutch style cakes and cookies with Mr. Sydow’s specially selected wine and beer recommendations, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the finest Chilean, Argentinean and Spanish wines along with and island availability local Aruban beers and island rums.
You can buy it in the participating restaurants: Amazonia, Aqua Grill, Blossoms, Buccaneer, Cuba’s Cookin’, Flying Fishbone, Hostaria da Vittorio, Le Dome, moomba Beach Club, Pago Pago, Papiamento, Pelican Nest, Waterfront Crabhouse, Windows on Aruba. You can also find it at the Kong Hing Supercenter, La bodega Wine store, Playa Liquor, Aruba Trading, Arion Wine Company, and Pepia est wine store. The price of the cookbook is $35 plus taxes.
