My Big Fat Cuban Family: A Cuban-American Blog

Orange(!) is the new black. (A Giveaway)

I am waiting (a little impatiently) for my fabulous new kitchen appliances to be delivered. I think we're still about a week out from that. You would think I'd be totally content now since I'm getting all new appliances, but you know how it is, suddenly everything starts looking like it needs upgrading or replacing. *sigh*

There is, however, one item in my kitchen that still makes me completely happy and that is my IMUSA USA Orange(!) caldero. I use it constantly and am always looking for new recipes to make in it.

Arroz con pollo. Carne con papas. Sopa de pollo. All made in my beautiful Orange(!) caldero. I am starting to think it has magical properties because everything I've made in it tastes amazing. I have to add that I also go ahead and put the Orange(!) caldero straight on the table, not because I'm lazy (shut up. I'm not!), but because it's so seriously beautiful.

My good friend, Chef Ana (don't-hate-me-because-I'm-beautiful) Quincoces shares her recipe for some amazing Pulled Pork Sliders in her Orange(!) caldero.

Brilliant, no?

 

Doesn't that just make you want this beautiful Orange(!) caldero to cook something fabulous in?

Here's your chance.

My friends over at IMUSA USA have graciously partnered with MBFCF to host this giveaway for a beautiful Orange(!) caldero.

Oooh! Yes, please!

Usually, I would only ask you to leave a comment to enter the drawing for the giveaway item, but I want to give you each a couple of chances, so....

1) To enter this drawing, please leave a comment on this post and answer the following question:

• What favorite recipe of yours will taste fabulous when made in this beautiful Orange(!) caldero?

2) For an extra entry, please go "like" IMUSA USA on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:  

• "I like IMUSA USA!"

So that's not one, but two entries apiece. Yes, I'm generous like that, but that's not important right now.

Remember that if you want to enter the drawing for this beautiful Orange(!) caldero, you must leave a comment (plus the 2nd comment if you do the Facebook liking thing) on this post and I'll choose a winner on Monday, January 16th 2011 at 8 PST.

Buen Provecho! And thanks, IMUSA USA!

This fabulous Orange(!) caldero is also available at all Macy's stores.  

{Disclaimer: IMUSA USA very generously sent me that beautiful Orange(!) caldero for my own use and to review the product and also offered one as a giveaway for one lucky MBFCF reader. The opinion that it is fabulous is my own.}

The Best of MBFCF in 2011

It's that time of year when I look back and see what has transpired in my life this past year. And it's moments like this when I realize how grateful I am that I started blogging.

Here's a time capsule look back at 2011 - MBFCF style. I also did this for 2010 and 2009 and I'm so glad I did. It's quite a compilation of stories I've got going on here. Do I sound surprised? The truth is, I sort of am.

If you're a regular reader, I thank you for hanging out here and keeping up with the "relajo" that is my online life here at MBFCF.

If you just recently joined the party, the following posts will give you a glimpse of what life is like here in my cyber-world as I walk you through my favorite posts over the last year. Welcome!

And if you'd like to connect with me on Facebook, please go "like" My Big, Fat, Cuban Family there.

Without further ado....here's the best of MBFCF for 2011. (NOT 2012! Not yet, anyway...)

1. An Historical Day - In which I celebrate my sweet Desi Arnaz Jr.'s birthday. *sigh*

2. On a clear day, you can see Havana - In which I tell about my Dad's amazingness as a storyteller on what would have been his 100th birthday.

3. El Bix - A Cuban cure for all that ails you - In which I celebrate the magical properties of Vicks VapoRub.

4. For the love of guava.... - In which I discover (thanks to a dozen or so online friends) the amazingness of Conchita GuavaBites!

5. The Hawk Walk - in which my three men have a wonderful adventure together involving a hawk named Mariposa.

6. Always Right - in which my kids hijack my blog on Mother's Day which leaves me in a puddle of tears.

7. N-E-S-T-L-E-S ... A Giveaway - in which I get to bake in the Nestlé Kitchens and was out-of-my-mind excited to be making REAL Nestlé Tollhouse Cookies in the Nestlé Kitchens. I know. Shut up.

8. It's a Small (Cuban) World, After All - in which my daughter, Amy Kikita and I inadvertently meet up with some long lost relatives.

9. How to make Cuban coffee with KILLER espuma. You're welcome. - In which my daughter, Amy Kikita reveals her secrets to making espresso.

10. Cooking with the Troops or Meet Team Cubanaso - the absolute highlight of my year, in which my big, fat, Cuban family and I  fly to Texas and get to make a Cuban Nochebuena-style lunch for 300 wounded warriors and their families.

11. Fricase de Pollo - a lo Cubano - in which I continue my quest to share my love of all Cuban food.

12. Cuando Sali de Cuba - stories of courage and hope - A series I began for Hispanic Heritage Month (Cuban Style) in which ordinary people show extraordinary courage as they began new lives here in the U.S. I'm quite proud of this. And by the way, if you have a "coming to America from Cuba" story to share, please email me.

It's funny, but I sometimes wonder if anyone is reading my blog (statistics tell me you are, but that's not important right now) and if anyone cares about the silly things I write about. But there is one thing I know for sure and that is that I'm so happy that I've documented all of these stories, both mine and yours, and all of the happenings of this past year (technically, years - I've been blogging for 5 - count 'em!- years now).

MBFCF has become my personal legacy, and of that I'm quite proud. (Get the sandpaper! Pa' darme lija!)

Happy New Year!

For the Love of Rice. (A Cuban Christmas Giveaway)

As we're nearing the holiday countdown and making all the preparations, I'm all about making lists.

I have a book with the following lists:

• My Christmas List
• My Crema de Vie Recipient List
• My Menu List
• My Grocery Shopping List
• My Stocking Stuffer List
• My Christmas Card List
• My Decorating List
• My Christmas Tag List (The to/from kind)
• My Video List (I'll explain this another time)

And on it goes.

As I was reviewing my Grocery Shopping List, I realized that all of my holiday meals involve rice. Talk about a staple in the Cuban home! Growing up, we had rice at every meal. Every meal, people.  We Cubans are nothing, if not committed to our rice.

And obviously our Nochebuena celebration is not complete without perfectly cooked white rice. Am I right? 

What else, I ask you, would so beautifully prop up our perfect Cuban black beans? (Can you hear that Angelic Chorus?)

Just in time for Christmas I have partnered with my friends at IMUSA USA to bring you an awesome giveaway. 

The Perfect Rice Cooker from IMUSA USA. Ta-da! You can also make any of your favorite "arroz con _____" in it.

To enter the drawing for a chance to win this beautiful IMUSA 5 Cup Rice (and Multi-purpose) Cooker, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or all of the following questions:

• Did your family serve rice for every meal?
• What else will you be serving with your Christmas Rice?  ;-)
• What's your Nochebuena and/or Christmas menu?
• What's your favorite "arroz con ______"?

I'll do a random drawing on Sunday, December 18th at 8 pm Pacific Time. 

{Disclosure: I received the 5 Cup Rice Cooker from IMUSA USA to use for this promotion and as a giveaway to one lucky reader. The opinion that it is fabulous is my own.}

Cuban Cold Remedy: Homemade Cuban Chicken Soup (and VapoRub on your feet?)

I'm sick. And so's Eric. *cough, sniff*

We've got feverish-coughing-sneezing-and-hacking colds.  

*hack, sniff, achoo!*

A good, old-fashioned snotty-stuffy-headed cold. And there are certain things one does when one is Cuban (or happens to live with a Cuban) and has a cold. My friend, Chantel over at Yuca Baby addresses those Cubanisms in a hilarious way.

Right now I'm trying to build up my Cuban Immunity Arsenal* (*or C.I.A.) and gathering what I need. And the first thing I need, is Homemade Cuban Chicken Soup. 

Here's that recipe:

Sopa de Pollo (Cuban-style Chicken Soup)

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped up
• 1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped up into small bits (unless you love cilantro, go mellow on this, but don't skip it.)
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil ( for sautéing)
• 3 Tbsp. white flour
• 8 cups of chicken stock (2- 32 oz. containers)
• 8 chicken thighs (keep the skin and bones on for now, they add to the flavor)
• 1 yuca peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (I use frozen)
• 2 red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into cubes
• 2 ripe, cooked plantains (I use frozen - these add a surprising sweetness), sliced into rounds
• 6 oz. super thin fideo noodles. (again, go mellow on the noodles as they can easily take over the entire dish)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

1. Sauté the green onions, cilantro, and cumin in olive oil. Quickly whisk in the flour.

Keep whisking to avoid lumps. (When the cilantro cooks, it looses it’s bite and leaves an incredible flavor. Don’t skip the cilantro!)

2. Immediately add 1 cup chicken stock, and continue to whisk until well blended.

3. Remove this mixture from the pot into a bowl and set aside.

4. Place chicken thighs and remaining chicken stock in an 8 quart stockpot.
Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

6. Add the yuca, potatoes, and plantains.

7. Simmer for another 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

8. Remove the chicken thighs from the soup and run under cold water in a colander to cool.

9. Skin and debone the soft chicken, manually shredding it into bite-size pieces.

10. Return the chicken to the chicken stock-onion-cilantro mixture.

11. Add the chicken-chicken stock-onion-cilantro mixture to the soup.

12. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and the noodles.

13. Continue cooking for at least 8 to 10 more minutes or until noodles are soft.

14. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

So now that I have my Homemade Cuban Chicken Soup, there's just one thing left to do in my quest to rid myself of this virus.

I'm rubbing it on the soles of my feet before bedtime and putting on some thick socks. I know. Shut up.

Eric calls it Cuban Voodoo. And I have to admit, I believe there are some mystical, healing properties to the VapoRub (or "El Bix"). And after the chicken soup, I'm feeling all nostalgic and wanting some childhood comfort. But I promise you that I draw the line at lighting a candle to San Lazaro. 

Never mind. It's a Cuban thing. But that's not important right now. ;-)

Ay Dios mio.

Marta's Cuban Christmas Shopping Guide: La Cantina

I am not the type to start decorating in November for Christmas. I know many of you do. I choose not to. I am patient when it comes to the festive home decor. I wait until about a week before Christmas to start. It's my own personal preference. I think it's just that much more magical, but that's not important right now.

But I have already finished my shopping and have my cards ready to mail. I'm currently working on a gift book for my family and our Christmas video. I am busy!

Because I'm feeling so relieved that my shopping is done and am also feeling just a bit generous, I thought it would be fun to share some of the places I frequent online to find cool and geeky and Cuban gifts.

Today, let's talk Cantina.

Back in The Day, my family had the option of having hot meals delivered to our door via an ingenious method: La Cantina.

The metal container had 3 compartments and each held some wonderful culinary gift. The cantinas were packed and delivered hot around dinner time. Can you imagine? Hot Cuban food delivered at dinner time? I could weep from the beauty of it.

It was the ultimate take-out.

The last time I was in Miami, I picked up an old-school metal cantina. And I use it often as a lunch box or for sending leftovers to my daughter.

I always get asked where I found it, so for those of you who are 3,000 miles away from South Florida (where you can probably find these in every corner store) here's your cantina hook-up.

You can find this beauty online at The Cuban Food Market - click here for link.

Then there was the hard plastic one that I used after Thanksgiving. They call it a bento box. Who knew? - click here for link.

It seems they've discontinued these particular colors, and there are both small and large sizes to choose from.

The whole idea of the cantina makes me happy. It reminds me of my childhood and brings with it a kind of nostalgia. Comiendo de cantina? I wish someone would bring that back.

Who am I kidding? I wish someone would show up at my door at dinner time with hot Cuban food. *sigh*

Did you have cantinas delivered to your door? Tell me.

An Original Thanksgiving Side Dish...Cuban-style

Thanksgiving with my big, fat, Cuban family is usually a very typical American feast. But because my family has so many amazing cooks, we're often trying new recipes and sometimes we like to put a spin on some old classics. 

Our turkeys have run the gamut from deep-fried to classically oven-baked to (my favorite) the Guavalicious Bird. 

This final challenge from Mizkan^® and Holland House^® was to make something original as a Thanksgiving side dish. So I started mentally listing the side dishes we usually enjoy with our Thanksgiving turkey:

• Mashed Potatoes
• Stuffing
• Green Bean Casserole
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cranberries
• Corn

And as much as I love these foods and the lovely blending of these flavors with the turkey, I sometimes crave the familiar. By that I mean something that starts with a sofrito, of course.

So I opted to take a traditional Thanksgiving side dish (corn) and added a Cuban spin to it. (Because I can.)

That's right. This year, our Thanksgiving table will be graced by a big, fat, pot of Arroz con Maiz (that's Rice with Corn for those of you who dimly remember Spanish 101). 

Arroz con Maiz Cuban-style

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 envelope Goya Sazón con Azafran
• 1/4 cup Holland House^® White Cooking Wine with Lemon Flavor
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup canned corn, drained
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Be careful not to brown them.
3. Add the tomato sauce and bay leaves, cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the rice and stir well.
5. Add the Goya seasoning, Holland House^® White Cooking Wine with Lemon Flavor (I'm so hooked on this. It has quickly become a favorite around here, but that's not important right now) and stock, stirring to combine.
6. Reduce the heat to low, add the corn and fluff the rice with a fork.
7. Cover the pan and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and fluffy.
8. Taste the rice, adding salt & pepper to taste.

Buen Provecho and Happy Thanksgiving!

  

But, wait....there's more....

Holland House Holiday Sweepstakes

It’s all about Happy Holland Days and “merry in the making.” Holland House is a staple for holiday cooking to help families enhance meals during a traditionally busy time. Enter the sweepstakes: one lucky winner takes a $500 grand prize, plus the chance to have an expert blogger help them plan their holiday meal. Ends 12/17/11.

{Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored series to promote Mizkan cooking wines, vinegars and marinades. I also received samples of Mizkan’s Holland House, Nakano and World Harbor brand products and promotional material from Mizkan to assist in preparing the posts. All opinions and recipes in this series are my very own.}

 

The "Sanweech Plancha" Winner

You know what I love about my readers? That you come in all shapes and sizes and have extraordinary taste in sandwiches. 

I confess that I'm surprised that a lot of you don't have your own sandwich "plancha." How do you grill, not just a Classic Cuban Sandwich, but what about a pan con lechón? Or a pan con bistec? (I may or may not be losing sleep pondering this question, but that's not important right now.)

Anyway, congratulations to the winner of the beautiful IMUSA Sandwich maker and Cuban coffeemaker:

Guess what, Amanda? You own a plancha now. ;-)

Please send me an email with HEY, MARTA! I WON STUFF ON YOUR BLOG! in the subject line. Include your snail mail address so I can forward to the generous folks at IMUSA so they can get your goodies out to you ASAP. 

Most IMUSA products can be found at Macy's Department Stores. I encourage you to also follow them on their Facebook page for regular recipe ideas and updates to their amazing product line.

(For the record, we actually took a road trip to Porto's Cuban Bakery for the Cuban bread and made pan con lechón. Because we could...)

The Sandwich Generation - A Rant, a Classic Recipe, and a Giveaway

The term, "sandwich generation" is used to describe those adults who are caring for aging parents while still actively parenting their kids. 

While I'm grateful that my sisters and I share the load of caring for my 97 year old mom, Luza, I still feel the push-pull of having teenagers in the house and helping my mom with her needs. 

Jonathan is a sophomore in high school and even though I'm not his primary teacher, I'm still overseeing much of his schoolwork and am still very present in his life. He does not yet drive and so I'm also schlepping him around from event to event. But I still get phone calls from my mom when she needs bananas or bread or because her prescription ran out. 

And so I feel squished at times between his needs and her wants and sometimes there doesn't seem to be enough hours in my day. 

I'm ashamed to admit that I sometimes feel sorry for myself. What about me? I wonder. What about what I want? I don't say it out loud, of course, but I sure think it enough. (I'll deny it if you tell anybody, but that's not important right now.)

I guess if my life is to be defined by being sandwiched between two generations, I'm grateful it's a Cuban Sandwich. ;-)

Speaking of Cuban Sandwiches, you know there are rules to what you put in a Classic Cuban, right?

 Classic Cuban Sandwich

• Long loaf of bread (preferably Cuban, but French will do.)
• Softened butter (to spread on the outside of the bread)
• Yellow mustard
• Swiss cheese
• Dill pickles (Clausen Bread and Butter Sandwich Pickles make all the difference here)
• Roast Pork
• Sliced Ham

1) Coat the bread lightly with mustard.
2) Make the sandwich with the ingredients in this order: Swiss cheese, pickles, roast pork, and sliced ham.
3) Butter the bread on the outside.
4) Grill. A sandwich press is ideal for this.

The goal is to get the sandwich nice and toasty and melt the cheese.

Serve hot, with an ice cold Materva and some authentic Cuban plantain chips.

Follow with a sweet, hot cafesito (with KILLER Espuma^®, of course).

Like so.....

Of course, to make the perfect Cuban sandwich, you definitely need a Cuban sandwich maker.  I'd like to thank the kind folks at IMUSA USA who are generously sponsoring today's giveaway:

A beautiful sandwich maker (A Plancha!) and a Cuban coffee maker. Soo classically Cuban, right?

To enter the drawing for a chance to win both the sandwich maker and the coffee maker, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or both of the following questions:

• Are you part of the Sandwich Generation? Tell me.
• What goes into a Classic Cuban Sandwich?
• What's your favorite sandwich?

I'll do a random drawing on Sunday, October 30th at 5 pm Pacific Time. 

Rice. An in-depth look. (And a giveaway.)

In keeping with our Hispanic Heritage Month, I've decided to tackle a subject that's near and dear to us. It's something that we feel absolutely passionate about.

But we Cubans are passionate about so, so many things. (Well, everything, really....but that's not important right now.)

I know I shouldn't be surprised when the mildest topics bring up so many intense and varied opinions.

Today's seemingly innocuous topic is rice.

Much to my everlasting delight, my beautiful and enormously entertaining cousin, Yllien, takes on the topic of Hispanics and Asians and Rice and Rice Cookers and a poor mook named Osvaldo.

Please enjoy. (And get some popcorn. I'll wait.)

                                        

My friend, Ana Quincoces has an entire section in her cookbook ¡Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine about rice. She even shows you how to make it old-school in a pot on the stove. (Page 82.)

I, personally, use a rice cooker. Often. Next to my pressure cooker, it's the hardest working appliance in my kitchen and is in constant use.

So now, let's talk rice.

Today's giveaway is an autographed copy of Ana's cookbook, ¡Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine.

Of course, you know that the real reason you should have this book in your kitchen is because my recipe for My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Torrejas (made with guava and creme cheese, thankyouverymuch) can be found on page 204. *takes bow*

But I digress......

Rice.

To be entered in the drawing for the cookbook, please answer one or all of the following questions:

• Do you wash your rice?
• Do you use a rice cooker or are you an old-school pot-on-the-stove-topper?
• Isn't my cousin, Ylli adorable? ;-)

I'm guessing we have a lot of rice to talk about, so let's let this contest run through the weekend. Please share it with your friends. Ask them the questions on Facebook. You'll be surprised at how much emotion rice engenders.

I will pick a winner randomly from your comments on Sunday, September 25th at 5 pm.

So, rice.....your thoughts? 

Fricase de Pollo - a lo Cubano

As you know, I've recently been participating in Mizkan's™ Cooking Challenges. See here and here.

To kick off Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), we were asked to share a recipe from our country, or "Receta de Mi Pais." 

For this challenge, I chose to enter one of my family's favorites, Fricasé de Pollo.

The Original Story* about the Fricasé de Pollo goes like this:

The first time my husband (then boyfriend) was to meet my big, fat, Cuban family, my mom made what we would consider a regular (albeit wonderful!) Cuban meal.

I spent days and hours preparing Eric for the meet and greet. I explained our customs, our politics, what topics were allowed and what NOT to bring up. I could have written a complete guide to meeting the Cuban girlfriend’s parents.

In fact, I still may. I think I’ll call it - “Huat to Especk if Ju Don’ Espik Espanish.” 

I coached him on what to say to my dad. I told him how he was expected to treat my mom. I told him our island history and my family history. I told him the number and names of all my siblings and their offspring.

I explained that if all else failed, to just nod and smile. I thought I had told him everything he needed to know.
For the dinner, my mom made a typical Fricasé de Pollo.

So it surprised me, after he passed the Cuban Family Review (with flying colors, of course), when he said:
 

“You didn’t tell me your mom was an amazing gourmet cook.”

“Umm… she’s not. She’s just Cuban. Like me.” 

 He proposed just a few days later. =D

*posted on Babalú blog on August 9, 2007

Fricasé de Pollo a lo Cubano 

(This recipe works well for both slow cookers and pressure cookers)

The challenge was to use one of the Holland House brands in the recipe. I chose Holland House White Cooking Wine. 

 

• 3-4 lbs. Chicken pieces (I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs)
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. cumin
• garlic powder
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 cups red potatoes, cut into cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 - 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 packets Goya® Sazón Completo
• 1 1/2 cup Holland House® White Cooking Wine
• 1 cup Bitter Orange Juice* (see recipe below)
• ½ cup green olives (stuffed with pimientos)
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 2 bay leaves

1. Make the sofrito by sautéing the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the onion is translucent.
2. Season the chicken pieces with cumin and garlic powder.
3. Add chicken back into the slow cooker or pressure cooker along with the rest of the ingredients.
4. In the slow cooker - cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5.
5. In the pressure cooker - cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
6. Serve over white rice.

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored series to promote Mizkan cooking wines, vinegars and marinades. I also received samples of Mizkan’s Holland House, Nakano and World Harbor brand products and promotional material from Mizkan to assist in preparing the posts. All opinions and recipes in this series are my very own.

* Bitter Orange Juice (Naranja Agria) Recipe

If you can’t get bitter orange juice in your area, it is just as easy to make your own:

 

• 2 parts orange juice
• 1 part lemon juice
• 1 part lime juice (I love using the little key limes for the taste.)

This is an ever-so-Cuban marinade for chicken and pork.

By the way, have I told you how much I love my digital pressure cooker? I do. I love it. ;-)