I love a beautifully set table. I do. It doesn't have to be fancy or elegant, although it could be. My preference is for fun and welcoming. Here are some examples of Thanksgiving tables that I've done in the past here, here, and here. Today I want to share how I went about styling my Thanksgiving tables last year. So, buckle in and welcome to my ...
Thanksgiving
Nochebuena is coming and everyone’s invited!
We Cubans celebrate December the 24th. It's our BIG Christmas celebration with the extended family. And when I say celebrate, I mean we pull out all the stops. It's a PARTY. The meal is usually roast pork (lechón asado), white rice, black beans, plantains, yuca con mojo. And a great big flan (and assorted sweets) for dessert. It's ...
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving is obviously a very uniquely American holiday. Which is the perfect time for us to celebrate because we're a uniquely American family. Cuban-American, that is. I have the privilege of hosting my big, fat, Cuban family here in my home this year. It's going to be a smaller group than usual. Only about 20 of us, because not ...
Cuando Sali de Cuba – Edilia’s Story
Marta here: My heart was aching as I first read Edilia's story. Imagine being a newlywed in Castro's Cuba and looking for a chance to get out and start a new life. By Edilia Beltran Pinero My full name is Josefa Edilia Beltran Bermudez de Pinero. I was 13 years old when Castro came into power. I did not understand much ...
Marta’s Cuban Christmas Shopping Guide: La Cantina
I am not the type to start decorating in November for Christmas. I know many of you do. I choose not to. I am patient when it comes to the festive home decor. I wait until about a week before Christmas to start. It's my own personal preference. I think it's just that much more magical, but that's not important right now. But I have ...
Giving Thanks. A lo Cubano.
Our Thanksgiving was a simple and lovely affair where everyone pitched it to bring food and drinks and desserts. There were only 28 of us for dinner and I wanted to keep everything simple, because as you know, my house is freakishly small. (As simple as is possible when those 28 people are Cubans.) So I pulled out my favorite Fiesta dishes ...
Operation Pedro Pan. It’s been 50 years and the pain is still present.
When I mention to someone that I've just met that I'm Cuban, the first thing they do is recall the only other Cuban person they've ever met. Then next thing that happens is that they ask me if I know them. Most of the time I don't, but being Cuban, we do manage to find connections in the oddest places. See this story. Just ...
Turkey with Port Wine Guava Glaze
Hi all! It's a special Monday, Pre-Thanksgiving Edition of Marta's Cuban American Kitchen. I have been trying, without much success, to declare November "National Guava Month." Sadly, no one seems to take me seriously about this, but that's not important right now. So, I'm going to try again today. I, Marta, hereby declare November to be ...
Cuando Sali de Cuba – Lillian’s Story
Marta here. I started collecting stories from other Cuban Americans to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. I realize now that our stories will take much longer than just a month to tell, so I'm expanding this series for as long as I have contributed stories to share. Thank you, my friends, for the privilege of letting me tell about your ...
Cuando Sali de Cuba – Jorge’s Story
Marta here: Welcome to my ongoing celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month: Cuban-Style with a series of stories about Cuban American families and how they ended up here in the U.S.:Cuando Sali de Cuba, stories of courage and hope. Today I want to introduce you to my friend, Jorge Carmona. He is one of the Cuban masterminds behind Dos Cubanos Pig ...
