Childhood, con Maduros

Cast your mind back to your childhood. In memories, the colors of your old home are brighter, more vivid than in reality. The scent trigger is even stronger -- the smell of food that once wafted from your mother’s kitchen is guaranteed to transport you to more innocent times. For author and food columnist Viviana Carballo, the salted oil of tostones, the sticky sweetness of guava pastelitos, and the spice of blue crabs simmered in sofrito were the fragrances and flavors of youth. She has compiled those memories -- of growing up in Fifties Havana against the backdrop of a changing Cuba, from the glamorous decadence of the island’s sun-soaked culture, through the rough passage of the current regime’s takeover -- and interweaved them with delicious recipes.

Havana Spice: Stories and Recipes is a coming-of-age novel with the kind of flavor many Miamians will fondly recall. Tonight at 8:00 at Books & Books, Caraballo will share tales from her mouthwatering bildungsroman. Admission, as always, is free. Call 305-442-4408, or visit www.booksandbooks.com.
Thu., Sept. 6