First came California cuisine, then Pacific Rim, and now comes the hottest, most innovative new way of cooking for the nineties. New World cuisine, coming from South Florida, incorporates the surprise and excitement of tropical flavors and ingredients into the classic American and European traditions. The fruits and root vegetables of the Caribbean and Latin America are combined with fresh fish and seafood from Southern waters, grilled and barbecued meats, crisp greens, and traditional desserts to create a way of eating designed to please modern tastes. As chef and owner of Chef Afleia’s in North Miami Beach, Florida, and winner of the 1994 James Beard Award as Best American Chef in the Southeast, Allen Susser is acknowledged as a principal inventor and quintessential proponent of the New World Cuisine. In Allen Susser’s New World Cuisine And Cookery, he provides more than two hundred recipes for such appetite-inspiring dishes as Grilled Plaintains with Black Beans and Dried Fruit Salsa, Mahimahi with Sweet Corn Puree, Lobster Cassoulet, Honey Chili Roasted Duck, and Double Chocolate Coconut Cake. All of the dishes are easily within the scope of home cooks everywhere. A complete glossary not only explains the ingredients that might still be unfamiliar but offers alternatives for those that may not be available in colder climates throughout the year.
