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 ...
Empanada Gigante Recipe (La Empanada Que Se Le Perdio a Santa Barbara)
Giant Cuban Empanada Recipe Lost and Found My mom has been in Miami for the summer. Last week she was telling me about an avocado that she had purchased from the local viandero. Here in California we get the Haas avocados that are small with bumpy dark skin. The ones in Miami are considerably larger. She says this to make the point: “Es el ...
Papas Rellenas Recipe
Papa Rellena Recipe with Pictures Multi-Tasking Like every other Cuban mother out there, I am constantly aware of my charges. That is, I’m constantly trying to stay one step ahead of my family. I’m always anticipating their needs and their wants and their ‘antojos.” Please understand that I’m not trying to brag here. This is just how our own ...
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, ...
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 ...
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?” ...
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. ...
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, ...
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 ...
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. ...
