Local cookbook aims to help restaurant industry

A few months back, my husband Vance gets home from playing golf and tells me about a cool 20-something guy he was paired up with to play nine holes at Greynolds Park’s golf course in North Miami Beach. His name is Michael Campos and he’s co-founder of the creative agency neuelane.

I thought that was cool. Sounded like he and Vance hit it off. Vance also mentioned that Campos had worked on a cookbook called “Taste of Miami.”

Then a couple of weeks ago, I get an e-mail from Marcia Gomez, a Public Relations professor at the University of Miami that I know through my work with the Arts & Business Council of Miami. In the e-mail, Marcia mentions a former student of hers Michael Campos who has published a cookbook called “Taste of Miami.”

What a small world! Naturally, I called Michael so we could chat. The casual conversation about his book really shed some light on this passion project of his.

You see his book was created to help Miami restaurants during these crazy Covid times. All proceeds from book sales will benefit restaurants via the non-profit The Great Miami Cookbook.

The frita cubana from El Rey de las Fritas.

To create beautiful camera-ready dishes Campos enlisted the help of Celebrity Chef Yisus from Univision Network who prepared each one on camera and assisted in organizing the recipes.

That was no easy feat given the book features 50 recipes from Miami’s most popular restaurants. Try your hand at making the Cap’n Crunch pancakes from Eating House, the rabo encendido from Finka Table & Tap, reuben croqueta from Kush by Stephen’s and the Cuban frita burger from El Rey de las Fritas.

Again, there are 50 recipes so those I mention are just the tip of the iceberg.

I hope you find the book enticing and you’re excited to check it out. It’s available digitally for $24.99 and in hardcover for $34.99 at cookbook.miami.