(Presilla, Maricel) Maricel Presilla is the chef-owner of two pan-Latin restaurants (Cucharama and Zafra) and a cooking atelier (Ultramarinos), president/founder of Gran Cacao Company (a cacao importer), a frequent contributor to Saveur, and a former medieval Spanish history professor (Rutgers). She has been profiled in the New York Times and Washington Post, and led the White House’s Latin culture showcase in 2010. She was named the James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 2012; her opus, Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America, won the James Beard Book of the Year in 2013; and she was inducted into the Beard Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 2015. Her latest book, Peppers of the Americas: The Remarkable Capsicums That Forever Changed Flavor (Lorena James Books) is a beautiful culinary and ethnobotanical survey of the punch-packing ingredient central to today’s multi-cultural palate, with more than 40 pan-Latin recipes. This stunning visual reference to peppers showcases nearly 200 varieties. Following the cook’s gallery of varieties, more than 40 on-trend Latin recipes for spice blends, salsas, sauces, salads, vegetables, soups, and main dishes highlight the big flavors and taste-enhancing capabilities of peppers.
