This post is sponsored by my favorite coffee people, Café La Llave. The opinions contained in this piece are all my very own. Someone asked me the other day about Cuban Coffee. She asked the difference between Cuban espresso and "American" coffee. I kind of went off about everything that I love about Cuban coffee, from the beautiful aroma to the ...
Food and Drink
Marta’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
When we first arrived in Miami from Cuba in 1961, a cousin took me to a bakery to get me a treat. Back then, Cubans had not yet taken over the town and this was an old fashioned cake bakery. She purchased a wonderful thing for me. It looked like a cupcake, but with a little more density. There was no frosting, but it had chocolate chips scattered ...
5 Things I’m Loving Right Now
There are things I like and there are things I love. (I'm not talking about the obvious, like husband and kids and grandsons.) Right now there are a few things in my life that have I more than love. Truthfully, I'm a little obsessed with them. I know you'll appreciate these as much as I do, because you have excellent ...
Abuela Vs Chef or When Buzzfeed Calls
The whole thing began when my son Jon's manager sent me an email. "I have a project that I think you'd be perfect for." I took a moment and said in my best Dr. McCoy voice from Star Trek, "Dammit! I'm a blogger, not an actor!" Okay, maybe I didn't really say that. In fact, what I did say, was, in the vernacular of the kids today: "YOLO!*" (*You ...
National Coffee Day Starts with Cafe La Llave – a Giveaway
This post is sponsored by my favorite coffee people, Café La Llave. The opinions contained in this piece are all my very own. It's no secret that I love my Cuban coffee. It's so very obviously in my Cuban DNA. In other words, it's a function of just being Cuban. In fact, one of my earliest memories is sitting at the breakfast table drinking my ...
Praise the Lord & Pass the Biscuits
I was invited to come try out the World Famous Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues in Anaheim. The following is a review of what we experienced as well as my own opinions and recommendations. We are regular church-goers. Our Sundays revolve around the rhythm of getting up to join our friends and family in worship and we often have lunch with our ...
Don Francisco’s Coffee Casa Cubana Is Like Coming Home
In the middle of the crazy that is Downtown LA, there is now a respite from city life. The new Don Francisco's Coffee Casa Cubana is the place you never knew you always wanted. (Well, I know I've always wanted a place to get wonderful Cuban food in Los Angeles, but that's not important right now.) I want to say right up front that this is not ...
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 ...
Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding Recipe
Krispy Kreme Doughnut Bread Pudding With Chocolate Sauce INGREDIENTSAt least 1 dozen stale glazed doughnuts (Krispy Kremes are my first choice) 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup whole milk 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract a pinch of nutmeg (careful with this - you want just ...
The Spamerican! Tour Surprise – A Giveaway
I was recently invited to cook with celebrity chef Sunny Anderson. I know. Shut up. Of course I was going to attend! The surprise was that she was kicking off The SPAMERICAN!TM Tour and would be cooking - wait for it - with SPAM®. FYI: The SPAM Brand invited me to the event and provided me with a gift bag like the one I'm giving away. All the ...
