"Cooking Columbus" (A History of Cooking in the Caribbean), is my second book. Cooking Columbus is an achievement of a lot of research, hard work, and 2 years dedication to a cause. I wanted to do a book about the gentle, peace loving Amerindian inhabitants of the New World, the Tainos, Arawaks, and the war-like Carib Indians. Their lifestyles, culture, art, music, and religion, plus chapters on slavery, pirates, spices and of course the wonderful Caribbean cuisine fruits, vegetables, and tropical cocktails. The historical influences of countries like Spain, Africa, British, France, India, and the Dutch people had on the islands. I want you the reader to enjoy going back in time when the Caribbean was truly an island paradise. I added my love of art in the Caribbean island paintings, and photo’s, plus some of the best tasting Caribbean dishes. The Caribbean is a tropical paradise with sun tanned beautiful people, tropical days, with cool nights, breath taking sunsets, beaches, casino’s, mango smoothies and palm trees. The Caribbean is roasted pork, arroz con gandules, fried snapper, plantains, coconut flan and a cinnamon tanned young lady with a smile, and open arms waiting to greet you. “Buen venidos al caribe” welcome to the Caribbean, welcome to my island paradise. I hope you enjoy reading "Cooking Columbus" A History of Cooking in the Caribbean, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Julio Rodriguez
My name is Julio H. Rodriguez. I was born in Aguas Buenas Puerto Rico and raised in the Borough of the Bronx, New York City. I am the last of 17 children born to Mrs. Gregoria Perez (you go mom). I majored in Music and Arts in Dodge Vocational High School in the Bronx New York and studied Commissary in the Navy. I have worked in many restaurants, clubs and cocktail bars, as a cook, bartender, chef, instructor and manager. Today I teach Culinary Arts for Chefs at Work in New Rochelle. I also write cookbooks because of the many times I heard people say "You cook so good you should write a cookbook." I came home one day in 2007 and said to my wife Dolores (doll) Batista, “I’m writing a cookbook”. A year later my first cookbook happily named "Doll's Kitchen" La Cocina de Dolly was born.