Starting our Nochebuena right - Thank you, Avocados from Mexico. Nochebuena preparations are in full swing around here. The pig is happily marinating in the Mojo Criollo I told you about a few days ago. The Matervas are chilling in the fridge. Lucy is out in the world on a hunt for Turrones. Every time the phone rings or there is a text, it is ...
Archives for July 2016
Arroz Imperial Recipe
Arroz Imperial Recipe Written on September 11, 2008 I tend to feel extremely patriotic on this date in history, hence the following story and recipe. Years ago, my big, fat, Cuban family moved to a sleepy peanut-butter-and-jelly neighborhood in Anaheim, California. Our house was at the end of a cul-de-sac where the other families had been living ...
Arroz con Maiz Recipe
Arroz con Maiz Recipe - 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 ...
Arroz con Leche Recipe
Arroz Con Leche Recipe Why Cuban Women Make Great Wives All the young people in my big, fat, Cuban family seem to be getting married all of a sudden. I think there’s something in the water. My nephew, Michael got married last summer (which gave us an excuse to GO to Miami, but that’s not important right now) and now there are two more weddings ...
Oven-Baked Spanish Tortilla Recipe
When is a Tortilla NOT a Tortilla? from Marta’s Cuban American Kitchen Every now and then I get a craving for something that appears unusual to my kids but was just part of a regularly scheduled menu item in my Cuban American household when I was growing up. And I realize just a beat too late that they haven’t had the same upbringing that I have, ...
Pulpeta Recipe
Pulpeta (Not Meatloaf) I have a confession to make. I’m really kind of embarrassed about this, but here goes. . . I spent years being disappointed by good old-fashioned American-style meatloaf. There. I said it. Growing up in a Cuban household here in the U.S.A. brings with it lots of cultural confusion. Meatloaf is my own personal hot button. ...
Pescado a la Plancha Recipe
Cuban Recipe 911 from Marta’s Cuban American Kitchen Every now and then I receive a panicky sounding email or phone call with a recipe question: Q: “I have 30 Cubans coming over for my son’s first birthday party. What should I serve?” A: “Arroz Imperial or some Quick and Tasty Lechón.” Q: “Can I make your crockpot recipes in a pressure cooker?” ...
Lechon in the Crockpot Recipe
Lechón Asado Recipe - In the Crockpot! From the archives - for your holiday pleasure.... I love to tell stories. This is part of my Cuban legacy. As Val (from Babalú Blog) and I discussed before I started doing this feature, I will probably have a story to tell each time I post a recipe. Today's story has an interesting twist. My mom (the 93 ...
Frituras de Harina de Maiz Recipe
Too Many Cooks from Marta’s Cuban American Kitchen My mom’s little sister is here visiting from Cuba. My (very opinionated) mom is 93. Her (very opinionated) little sister is 91. (Umm. . . duh, they’re opinionated – they’re Cuban!) They were both in my kitchen when I made the mistake of asking my aunt if there was anything she felt like eating ...
Frita Cubana Recipe
Frita Cubana Recipe Time Traveling I close my eyes and take one bite and suddenly I am unstuck in time … I’m in the heart of the city, which means I get to enjoy something amazing from one of the street vendors. By “the city,” I mean Havana, 1960. By “something amazing,” I mean a Cuban Frita. Small. Sweet, yet spicy. With that crunchy crown ...
