If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I have perfected the simplest recipe for making pastelitos de guayaba (Cuban guava pastries) at home. Porto's, which is the closest Cuban bakery to us is still miles and miles and a half day's road trip away. So, when the craving for pastelitos hits, I just make ...
my cuban cookbook
My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook for Christmas
If you'd like to own your very own copy of My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook; A celebration of Cuban-American life around our family table or (even better!) would like to give it as a gift, my publisher, Blurb Books is offering a very nice promotion right now. 25% off with the promo code: BLURBGIFT-1 at checkout.* Here's the link: MBFCF ...
Seven Years. (MBFCF Giveaway WEEK!)
You know that I'm all about celebrating. Big events. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Summer. Dinner. I believe in celebrating. Often. And well. Today marks my 7th anniversary here in this space. SEVEN. My big, fat, Cuban family is 7 years old today. And so I'm celebrating. *fires off the confetti canon* But first you have to sit ...
Five. (A giveaway)
I sat down at my computer on October 1st, 2006 and wrote out my very first blog post with the title, "Life on the hyphen..." You're welcome to click over and read it. I lifted that post title from a book written by my friend, Gustavo Perez-Firmat, called Life on the Hyphen: The Cuban-American Way. In that book, he brilliantly ...
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 ...
Celebrating My 4th Bloggiversary – Winners!
I want to thank you all for your kind words and good wishes. I love celebrating blog birthdays because unlike regular birthdays, I get to give stuff away. It makes me so happy to be able to give back to you, even in this small way. I so want you to know how much I appreciate that you read and enjoy my stories and misadventures. To choose winners, I ...
Cada Dia con Marta Maria
I have been blogging now for 4 years and I'm celebrating! (It seems I'm always celebrating something, but that's not important right now.) I started this blog on October 1st, 2006. I never pictured I'd still be going four years later. Four years, people! I thought by now I would have run out of stuff to write about. But, ...
Win-Win
When I started blogging three and a half years ago, I thought about why I wanted to do this. I decided I wanted to write stories about my life and what it's like to live "on the hyphen." I wanted you (my readers) to feel right at home. I wanted you to laugh and cry with us. I wantedyou to feel like you wanted to be friends with us ...
WHAT? Another Giveaway!?
Here at MBFCF we are putting together A Press Kit. (I know. Shut up.) It feels like graduation time. We have received a few queries from various advertisers asking if they can advertise on our blog. (Crazy, isn't it? But, seriously, we're totally smiling from ear to ear.) We couldn't have come this far without you, our loyal ...
… is a Magic Number
Three years ago today I started this blog. I started writing about the people I love and the things we do and the places we go. Along the way I found out three things: I love blogging. I didn't know that I would. But I do. I'm Cuban and a storyteller at heart. Blogging is a great fit for me. I love interacting with you. This is ...
Hey! I wrote a cookbook!
Today on the Tiki Tiki I share my very favorite Latin cookbooks. As I was finishing the post, Adam came in with an ingredient question from one of my own recipes. At which point I remembered that hey! I wrote a cookbook, too! Yes, with my Cuban recipes. (Shut up. I know.) ;-) Perhaps the badge in my sidebar isn't quite as obvious as I ...
Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos or What Cuban Music Heaven Looks Like
We live about an hour south of Los Angeles. (That's how you calculate distances here in Southern California; by how long it takes you in traffic to get from one place to another.) This is a wonderful thing because that means that we can go see shows in L.A. but not have to live there. See what I mean? Win-win. ;-) And when summer begins the ...
Cuban guys can COOK – part 2
My very first post, which I wrote on October 1st, 2006 was titled Life on the Hyphen. That also happens to be the title of a wonderful book by one of my very favorite authors: Gustavo Pérez Firmat. In fact, if you look over to the right you'll find a couple of his books under Smart Cuban Authors. Seriously. He's just ...
Cuban guys can COOK
My friend, Val (from Babalú blog) sent me the following story: "Henry was at my house on Sunday for the Dolphins game and mentioned that he’s on a list serv for his graduating class at Belen. Basically, it’s a net service where men from that class post links and communicate with each other. Someone had mentioned on the list serv ...
People are talking…
You know I sent out a few of my cookbooks earlier this month - to the MBFCF 2-Year Blogiversary Winners and of course, to my darling Desi Arnaz, Jr. (sigh). This is what the recipients had to say about My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook: Hi Marta, The cookbook arrived this morning! I am so excited! It is gorgeous. I love all the photos ...
Speaking of Cuban heart-throbs…
Before there was Andy.... (insert heart flutter here) There was Desi... (sigh) That's right. Desi Arnaz Jr. (be still my foolish heart...) Proud and handsome descendant of Cuban Royalty, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball (let's have a moment of reverent silence here - thank you). MY Desi. (heavy sigh) My First True Love. ...
