I've often shared how my family, instead of baking Christmas cookies for gifts, makes a super delicious please-don't-call-it-egg-nog Cuban "egg nog." We call it Crema de Vie and it has been a Cuban family tradition for as long as I can remember. I remember as a child getting to have a sip on Christmas eve. (Shut up. The rum was only used as a ...
Thanksgiving
Elena Ruz Turkey, Guava & Cream Cheese Sliders Recipe
Ah, Thanksgiving. I love this holiday so much. I love that a day has been set aside to give thanks. And I have so very much to be grateful for. I especially love knowing that families across the country are gathered together around the family table, because to me that is an absolutely sacred space. I have posted about how I go about styling ...
The Mandatory “Things I’m Grateful For” Post
Okay, so it's not really mandatory to do this, but I can't help but want to share all the things I'm grateful for as we approach Thanksgiving Day. I have to start with my family. Because, pretty much my life begins and ends with them. From their smiles to their crazy-making messes, they are the people who keep me engaged and moving forward. And ...
My Big Fat Cuban Cooking Playlist
As we head into the holidays, we are marking the beginning of what my dad used to call The Gran Comelatas. There's going to be lots of eating which means there's going to be lots of cooking. Lots and lots of cooking. And eating. And so on, and so on... I don't know about you, but there's nothing that makes me happier in the kitchen than some ...
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 ...
Celebrating Gratitude
In my family of origin we have the custom of always sending out invitations to events that people already know about and are coming to anyway. Welcome to our own special brand of crazy. Thanksgiving is always on the 4th Thursday of November. My sisters and I are pretty much in constant discussion for weeks ahead of the party. Who will bring what? ...
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 classically oven-baked to (my favorite) the Guavalicious ...
The Cuban Hipster Thanksgiving
When I host family or friends for a big, elaborate dinner, my delight is in designing the tablescapes. My job, as I see it, is to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, but not get too hung up on making things so department-store-perfect that it feels too cold and impersonal. It's fun for me to set a pretty table. It's much more fun to ...
Give Thanks. I mean it.
I'm preparing to host Thanksgiving again this year. Of course, everyone's invited. I love traditions. But what I love more is making them my own. I had a vision. I wanted to hang a giant banner that read, "Give Thanks" that would be the first thing you saw when you walked into our freakishly small cottage-like home. I tried to ...
Everyone’s Invited
Everyone knows that Thanksgiving lands on the 4th Thursday of November. So, it's not like it's a big surprise that Thanksgiving this year will be celebrated on the....4th Thursday of November. This happens every single year. 4th Thursday = Thanksgiving. We have already discussed and decided that the Thanksgiving celebration will take ...
