I often say that the best part of Christmas for me is being Cuban. Our traditional Nochebuena celebration begins with the fabulousness that is Lechón Asado. A roasted pig. Or, if you don't have 50 of your closest relatives coming for dinner on Christmas Eve, then a 20 lb. pork shoulder will do. If you're a cheater, like me, you can also ...
Cuban food
Celebrating Six Years in the Blogosphere (MBFCF Giveaway WEEK!)
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know that I love any occasion to celebrate. So, you're probably asking, "What are we celebrating today, Marta?" Let me tell you. Today marks the 6th Blogiversary of My big, fat, Cuban family on the Web. GUAT? I know. Shut up. That's right, people! SIX. ...
Croqueta Talk
Every now and then I get invited to be a guest on someone's radio show and talk about my life and about Cuban food. I never, ever say no, but that's not important right now. Tonight at 7 pm Pacific, I'll be a guest on Silvio Canto Jr.'s radio show, along with the lovely and talented Sonia Martinez, another amazing Cuban cook who ...
It’s Not Easy Being Green – Avocados from Mexico
Growing up Cuban meant we didn't eat many salads. And by "many," I mean, "none." For the most part, the only time green things appeared on our plates were the tiny, diced pieces of bell pepper in our sofrito. (For the uninformed, sofrito is at the beginning of most Cuban dishes. Sauteed onion, garlic, and green bell pepper ...
That’s Entertainment!
I feel like I owe some kind of explanation about my lack of usual blogging over-sharing here in this space. So here goes: I'm tired. Just plain tired. Deep-to-my-very-bones tired. Or, to borrow a great Cuban phrase from my mom. Estoy agotada. (Which is awesomely descriptive. It means completely wrung out. Like a sponge. Not a drop left. ...
It’s the Little Things (A Giveaway from IMUSA)
Growing up Cuban has always meant turning normal size things into the diminutive form. When there were Everest-sized mountains of sandwiches, they were called "bocaditos." Or "just a mouthful." Lies. It took more than "just a bite" to consume these particular delicacies. We don't just drink café, we have a ...
The “Sanweech Plancha” Winner
You know what I love about my readers? That you come in all shapes and sizes and have extraordinary taste in sandwiches. I confess that I'm surprised that a lot of you don't have your own sandwich "plancha." How do you grill, not just a Classic Cuban Sandwich, but what about a pan con lechón? Or a pan con bistec? (I may ...
¡Sabor! Cookbook Winner
I am still laughing at some of the rice comments you all submitted for the giveaway. So, about half of you wash your rice. About a third of you used to wash, but have since given that up. Some of you use rice cookers because you remember that mami or abuela had a Hitachi going all the time and I love that you have some great memories of rice ...
Fricase de Pollo Recipe – a lo Cubano
As you know, I've recently been participating in Mizkan's™ Cooking Challenges. See here and here. To kick off Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), we were asked to share a recipe from our country, or "Receta de Mi Pais." For this challenge, I chose to enter one of my ...
Cuando salí de Cuba – Christina’s story
Marta here: I'm celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Cuban-Style with a series of stories about Cuban American families: Cuando Sali de Cuba, stories of courage and hope. This one is from my friend and fellow blogger, Christina Gomez-Pina. Inspired by the book/film Julie & Julia, she has embarked on her own Project: to celebrate ...
Happy 40th Birthday, Versailles! (An homage and a giveaway.)
“I need a blurb from you about Versailles.” This request came from my friend (the amazing Cuban chef and cookbook author) Ana Quincoces. She was working on a TOP SECRET project and thought I might have something to say about my favorite Cuban restaurant in Miami. Me: “Tell me what you're doing, so I can put it in context.” That's when she ...
Authentic Cuban Cuisine – A Cookbook Giveaway
As you know, I am an unabashed Lover of All Things Cuban. Particularly Cuban food. And if there's something I might just love more than Cuban food, it's Cuban Cookbooks. I have quite a nice collection, too. I often refer to all of them when I'm making a dish my own. I use them almost like text books, laying them all out on the table ...
El Palacio and me. (It was love at first sight.)
I've been home for a week now and I'm still processing all the wonderful things I got to do and experience in Miami. I'll be writing about the trip little by little as I sort through my stuff and check my mental rolodex to remind myself of the stories I want to tell. This particular one, I videotaped. (I know! Shut up!) I'm ...
Cuban Recipes with Pictures
Welcome to Marta's Cuban-American Kitchen! Below is an easy-reference list of all the Cuban recipes I've posted either here at MBFCF or over on Babalú. Enjoy! Arroz con Leche Recipe Arroz con Maiz Recipe Arroz con Pollo de Perez-Puelles Recipe Arroz con Salchichas Recipe Arroz Frito con Lechón Recipe Arroz Imperial Recipe Avocado ...
