I wrote the following after years of struggle, not with dirt or cleanliness, but with guilt that my house was never clean enough. I hope it proves cathartic for those of you raised in homes where Cuban Clean® was a thing. Also, this is NOT a sponsored post. This is The World According to Marta. This is the time of year when you throw open all the ...
We've been having a crazy heat wave here in So Cal. Full disclosure - cooking has been the last thing on my mind. (I know. Shut up.) Still, I was kind of excited to participate in this month's Melissa's Produce Challenge: A Fall Side Dish. Although I'm not quite ready to throw on a scarf and boots - WAIT. Who am I kidding? This is California. ...
It's a lot of fun to be on this side of the blogging wall between a new company roll out and giving the customers a head's up. Which is where I find myself today. Drum roll, please.******** Cafe La Lave is finally available in beautiful and practical K-cups. Yay! We already own an espresso maker and use the smaller espresso pods regularly, ...
Technically, today's recipe is Plum Pulled Pork Sliders with Jicama Slaw. Whew! That title is quite the mouthful, isn't it? Actually "quite the mouthful" is completely apropo for today's recipe which is perfectly descrbed in the title. Say it with me: "Plum Pulled Pork Sliders With Jicama Slaw." *deep breath* As usual when I tackle these monthly ...
It was my very great honor to have been one of the judges at the annual Croquetapalooza event in Miami last December. I was invited by my friend, Sef Gonzalez, of Burger Beast Fame. This Grand Celebration of All Things Croqueta happened at the beginning of December 2019 and I came home and headed straight into ...
It's the first day of summer and because of recent events, we are ready to get outside and start our summer in earnest. Well, we have filled the little 10 ft. pool in the backyard and hung the outdoor lights and are ready to do some movie nights and do some outdoor dinners and eat some delicious summer foods. And by summer foods, I mean fruit. Do ...
I should probably warn you that I'm about to share an intimate thing, but then again, if you've been reading this blog long enough, you know I don't shy away from over sharing the details of my life. Also, this post is over-illustrated with photos because it's too difficult to tell without them. Brace yourself. The Stairway to Heaven This story ...
Happy Burger Month! (You didn't know it was a thing, did you?) That's right! May is National Burger Month. (Hurray!) And May 28th is National Burger Day. Truthfully, I knew nothing of this, but we had the most amazing burger meal recently because of my friend, respectfully known as The Burger Beast, and I totally want to tell you all about him and ...
I'm not a big breakfast eater, but I sure do love my cafecito... and a little something sweet. Sometimes I grab a big mug of black coffee in the morning... and a little something sweet. When I was growing up breakfast was usually a café con leche... and a little something sweet. Because Cuban. Obviously the constant in my Breakfast Life is... a ...
It was May 1977 and I was turning 22 years old. I celebrated that birthday enjoying dinner with friends. After which we decided to go see a new film called Star Wars. Back then we knew nothing about the phenomenon it would turn out to be, of course. And, to be honest, the posters that advertised it looked a little hokey. You know the rest of the ...
I have a confession to make. (Warning: if you're waiting for a big, juicy "chisme," you'll most likely be disappointed, but that's not important right now.) The confession: Up until last week, I had no idea what rhubarb tasted like or what you could even do with it. (I know. Shut up.) I think I had heard somewhere that rhubarb pie was a thing, but ...
Scones, Marta? I know. You're wondering what is happening over here. Are we all still alive? And, what's all this about "scones?" We are grounded, people. (Ok. We can also call it being "quarantined," but that's not important right now.) Like everyone else in the world, we are staying home, or "sheltering in place," or any other euphemism for ...
This month's challenge from my friends at Melissa's Produce was to come up with a recipe using some vegetables and fruit that came in my latest box and that would reflect Mardi Gras. Luckily, there are many fabulous vegetables in season, which inspired me to create a delicious Creamy Rustic Ratatouille. Growing up, we celebrated the last day ...
I have been wanting to write about my experience at Vicky Bakery since I returned from Miami. But you know how life starts to happen and all the best laid plans go somewhere like the back of your head to taunt and itch and remind you that you're a slacker? Yeah. That's where we find ourselves today. My first morning in Miami, I found myself ...
In November I had the distinct honor of viewing a wonderful film that had already won multiple awards including a Studet Academy Award. The title is Esta Es Tu Cuba and it's the very personal story of Director Brian Robau's father, who left Cuba as a Pedro Pan. That tragic and yet hopeful part of our history brought 14,408 unaccompanied Cuban ...
Considering that I'm the person who overshares about absolutely everything, I find it slightly ironic that I have been dragging my feet on writing this particular post. So, I should start, as my kids always say, with the Good News. And that is that I'm O.K. I have trouble with some of the bigger details of this story, except for the beginning of ...
