Cuban Pizza Recipe When I say I'm making Cuban pizza, no one believes it's a real thing. What makes it Cuban, you ask? Well, it starts, just like all good Cuban food, with a sofrito. A Cuban "sofrito" is the beginning and end of all that is good and holy about Cuban food - onion, garlic, bell pepper perfectly sauteéd in olive oil with a hint of ...
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. ...
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 ...
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, ...
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?” ...
Elena Ruz Sandwich Recipe With a Twist
A Legend in My Own Mind from Marta’s Cuban American Kitchen I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Our family certainly did. And boy did we have leftover turkey! The re-heated turkey meal started to get old really fast. So I suggested sandwiches. Me: “Hey let’s make Elena Ruz’s.” My kids: “Mom, use your words.” (smart alecks!) “What ...
Flan Cake Recipe
A Match Made in Heaven. Flan + Cake = Flan Cake Recipe I’m always on the look out for fabulous new recipes. The ideal recipe, whether for a main dish or a dessert, is something that is simple to make but looks complicated and is a little breathtaking. It should at the very least inspire ooohs and aaahs. This flan cake recipe is simple, delicious, ...
Frijoles Negros a la Latina Recipe
Spilling the Beans from Marta’s Cuban American KitchenWARNING: This is a bonafide blog-post hijacking. Mami (that’s Marta, La Cocinera to you) has been sick and you don’t want a sick person doing your cooking, so I (Kikita, hija de Marta) have taken over Marta’s Cuban American Kitchen this week. I promise to keep it simple. Out of all the ...
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 ...
El Flan de La Reina Recipe
Cuban Flan Recipe de La Reina My mom calls herself La Reina del Flan (which would make me the Reigning Princess of Egg Custard, but that’s not important right now). On Christmas Eve, we sometimes have other desserts along with it, but in my big, fat, Cuban family, my mom’s flan is a given. I have a ritual I go through every Christmas with her. ...
