When Maria Lawton was six years old, her family emigrated from the Azorean Island of Sao Miguel part of a stunning archipelago off mainland Portugal to New Bedford, MA, a thriving Portuguese community. Like many new Americans, food and cooking were central to Maria s family; her father s vegetable garden covered their backyard, and if Maria couldn t find her mother cooking on the first floor of their three-family house, she was sure to find her grandmother baking something upstairs.

Longing to recreate these important meals for her own family, Maria resolved to document the cooking that was a vital part of her childhood. This quest returned her to Sao Miguel, where she rediscovered her family s traditional recipes.

Azorean Cooking will transport you to a kitchen as fragrant as your grandmother s. Traditional, homey dishes such as Arroz Doce (Sweet Rice Pudding), Massa Sovada (Sweet Bread) and Sopa de Couve (Kale Soup) and Azorean classics such as Cozido (Boiled Dinner), Caçoila (Marinated Pork), and Camarão Moçambique (Shrimp Mozambique) build a bridge between generations. No matter your heritage, this charming cookbook is a pleasure, providing the perfect introduction to the culture, food, and heritage of this remarkable region.