June 17, 2005
Buen Provecho
Comida Criolla.
One of the most distinct things about the Cuban culture is its food. It's a conglomeration of influences - Caribbean, Spanish, African - that makes up authentic Cuban cuisine. It's spicy, yet not hot. Casual yet formal. It's tropical yet somewhat refined. Best of all, though, it's delicious.
But there is one characteristic to Cuban food that is prevalent. It's the tie that binds the Cuban. We Cubans may not always agree on everything - or anything for that matter - but our cuisine is our common bond. It reflects a point of unity in our culture that perhaps no other element can achieve. It joins generations. It joins ideologies. It joins religions and opinions.
From childhood we are exposed to a multitude of foods and recipes that are unique to our culture. As babies we didnt always get compotas, baby food, we got our malanguita and our potajes. Even if you were a finecky eater - as I was - your mom or grandmother or tias always had one Cuban dish that you loved. That one potaje o arroz con pollo or picadillo that you simply just devoured.
But the absolute best thing about Cuban food, however, isnt just the exotic ingredients or the spices or the unbelievably scrumptuous taste, it's the love that's put into it.
I'm told that every Sunday there was a veritable cornucopia of food served at my grandparent's house. My grandmother would put together these elaborate meals, using all of her daughters as assistant chefs - all seven of them - to help out with one particular aspect of the meal or another.
Frijoles would be started the night before, brewing there in their pot overnight, softening, letting out their flavors and then mixing in with el sofrito. Abuela would sit with one or two of her daughters and carefully go through pound after pound of rice, sifting out all the imperfect grains, keeping just to good ones. Their home would be engulfed in the distinct and mouth watering aromas of concoctions based with ajo, aji, cebollas, comino, perejil...
The windows and doors to their home would always be left opened, and the smell of my grandmother's kitchen would waft through the streets of Bayamo, hypnotizing all those lucky enough to be nearby with the unique aromas of Cuban food made with love.
A long table would be set inside the house, twenty or more places would be set even though only ten or twelve were expected for lunch of dinner. No one was turned back at my grandparents house. All were invited for homecooked meals. Cocheros, noviecitos, policias, vendedores...everyone that lived or worked near my abuelos' home knew they would always be met there with a "Buenas tardes, sientese, sin pena. Buen provecho."
I wasnt born yet when those elaborate neighborhood feasts were held, but I can picture them quite easily. In my grandparent's apartment in Miami, no matter what time of day you went, there was always something delicious on the stove. You could always smell the culinary love from the street. That's another thing about Cuban food, too. Your home feels lifted somehow, floating with these wonderful smells, with steam rising up from the pots, and the hypnotic hisshisshiss of the pressure cooker...
Every Cuban family has their own versions of their cherised recipes. And each member usually has her own special recipe. My mom's frijoles negroes are to die for, my Tia Lulu makes the absolute best frituras de bacalao in the world. There's nothing like my Tia Darcy's flan. My Tia Ondina's guizo makes poeple line up with bowls in their hands. Each recipe has the distinct nuance of their personalities. All are chock full of love.
Im sure there are plenty of cookbooks out there that highlight Cuban cuisine. And every Cuban household has their own "Little Red Book", labeled that not because it's red, but because the author of La Cocina Criolla, Nitza Villapol, was a staunch commie. That alone should tell you how much we Cubans love our Cuban food. We all have a book written by a communist in our kitchens. The Mrs. and I have two copies, his and hers.
But fret not, dear readers, it will no longer be necessary to have a little Red Book in your kitchen. You will no longer have to wince each time you want to put together a delicious Cuban feast.
I submit to you: Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban
If you have ever Googled for Cuban recipes then you are probably familiar with Three Guys from Miami. They're the guys behind iCuban.com, one of the, if not the, first Cuban recipe sites on the net. iCuban is the quintessential Cuban food recipe source on the web.
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting the Three Guys during the Cuba Nostalgia Convention at the Babalu booth. We had corresponded via email before, and during the convention, as they worked on promoting Cook Cuban, I asked them to swing by the booth and possibly sit down for a quick interview.
Unfortunately, my interviewing skills being, well, um, non-existent, plus the fact that we werent able to coordinate a meeting until late afternoon on the final day, I really didnt "interview" them, perse. Which was perhaps for the better, as we sat down and basically chatted as friends.
Pictured are, left to right, Raúl Musibay, Glenn Lindgren, Jorge Castillo and myself at the Babalu booth.
The Three Guys have an excellent interview on there site, so I wont punish you with details of my pseudo-interview, but I do want to tell you a little something about their book and about them.
First, if your thinking of ordering Cook Cuban, I suggest you order two. The book itself is a beautiful hardcover, perfect for a coffee table and is written much like their website. Not only do you get 100 recipes for Cuban favorites - and then some - but Raúl, Jorge and Glenn have a conversation with you on every page. They tell you about the origin of the recipe, give you tips to make the cooking easier and tell you which one has gained more weight from eating that particular recipe. It's almost like having the Three Guys there with you as you read. Place that book on your coffee table during a get together and you will either all be in the kitchen a few minutes later, or on your way to a supermarket if you dont have all the ingredients at home.
The second copy you should keep in the kitchen with your other cookbooks. Keep it accessible because once you see all the recipes in it, from tamales to croquetas to mariquitas to papa rellena to ajiaco to sopa de ajo to boliche to lechon asado to tasajo to enchilado de mariscos to, yes, even mojitos, you will undoubtedly want to try every single one. Trust me, your kitchen copy will be full of sofrito stains. The recipes are relatively simple and, like the pollo de guayaba dulce that the Mrs. and I made the other day, simply delicious.
But what makes these guys stand out, what makes Cook Cuban stand out, is that it isnt just about eating. It's about cooking Cuban food. It's about the love that goes into it. About spending time with family and friends, enjoying some laughs, nostalgia de Cuba, and each other's company.
Raúl, Glenn and Jorge are three really cool guys who not only love Cuban food, but the Cuban culture. They're the kind of guys that you'll invite to your home for the first time and you will immediately feel like old and dear friends. These are the kind of guys you want around you when you're cooking up a Cuban storm. You'll laugh, you'll get a little sentimental, you'll poke fun at each other, but you will always enjoy the company. All I can say is that they have a standing invite to any future ManCamp culinary debauchery.
The four of us sat there at the booth during Cuba Nostalgia, people were all around us emailing fidel and reading the banners and the blogs and the Three Guys expressed their support and gratitude for our work on Babalu in bringing to light Cuban issues and highlighting the Cuban culture.
"It's funny," I said to them. "I dont remember much about Cuba, but she still burns inside me."
"Look at Glenn," Jorge and Raúl chimed in. "He's from Minneapolis and the dedication in Cook Cuban was his idea."
We all wiped our tears away and hugged like old friends.
Gracias, Raúl, Jorge and Glenn, Three Guys from Miami with the Cuban soul.
Posted by Val Prieto at June 17, 2005 10:55 AM
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Comments
¡Coño, que hambre me has dado!
Posted by: George L. Moneo at June 17, 2005 11:02 AM
These guys are great, I went to one of their demos, they taught me how to cook Cuban. I can still taste their paella, man, was it delicious. And they are great story tellers.
Posted by: Kathleen at June 17, 2005 11:05 AM
I love their website and they have a freaking awesome cook book.
Posted by: Songuacassal at June 17, 2005 11:33 AM
I discovered them a few years ago not too long after they started their web site. I've never had the pleasure of meeting them in person, but through e-mails we exchanged they seem like great guys.
Their website not only has great recipes, but it focuses on the best of Cuban culture, and promotes it in a very positive and nostalgic way.
I need to finally get their book!
Posted by: Robert/26th at June 17, 2005 12:20 PM
I have linked the article on my food blog
http://strangesimplefood.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Mario at June 17, 2005 12:42 PM
Wow, a very nice write up Val! We still like the picture of the Cubanita a lot better than the Three (dimensionally challenged) Guys from Miami. It was great to finally meet you in person. You do a great job and a lot of people appreciate your work. Like us, although riches may escape you, at least you have left a lasting legacy!
Posted by: Three Guys From Miami at June 17, 2005 01:31 PM
I haven't been back to Miami for many years, but did live there for more than a decade, and, hands down, Cuban food is simply the tastiest stuff in the world. I noticed, though, that there were some significant differences between the typical Cuban fare in Miami compared with Tampa. For example, in Miami the rice was always white, while in Tampa it was always yellow. The cafe tasted condsiderably different, too: I was practically addicted to cafe cubano in Miami, but in Tampa, it always tasted kind of strange. How come?
Posted by: D. Carter at June 17, 2005 03:12 PM
!Comida de los dioses!
Posted by: A.M. Mora y Leon at June 17, 2005 04:14 PM
Val que buena tu historia mi hermano.
Me recuerda mi niñez en cuba que aunque un poco triste y traumatizante por razones que todos sabemos ,me acuerdo con alegria cuando mataban un puerco para asarlo en el patio ,ese olor a leña rociada por la grasa del lechon que al mismo tiempo era saturada con todo su mojito y condimentos , ah y no olvidemos las hojas de guayaba que le daban ese sabor tan peculiar.
Candela ..las yucas ,el arroz congri hecho en cazuela de hierro y cocinado con leña ..que delicia..
Esas como otras memorias quedaran sembrada en mi mente de mi cuba que fue arrancada de mi ,y no escribo mas porque no quiero ponerme triste .
QUE VIVA LA COMIDA CUBANA.
Posted by: tocororo at June 17, 2005 08:59 PM
Shameless Plug Department:
We wanted to add this to our previous post.
With so many Cubans and Cuban supporters reading this blog, we were hoping that someone out there might be able to help.
We recently did a cooking show on Miami Channel 2 called Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban (naturally.) We had a lot of fun and we really want to have a regular weekly show on TV.
If anyone knows anyone in a position to sponsor a Cuban cooking show on public television, please help us out! Someone involved with Cuban products -- such as Badia spices -- would be ideal. The management at WPBT liked our show. Now if we can line up a few sponsors, we're on our way.
OK, end of shameless plug...
Thanks Val for the plug!
Posted by: Three Guys From Miami at June 17, 2005 09:58 PM
On my return to Cuba (after 30+ years) my aunt Laura looked at me and said I am sure you dont remember me (I left at 12 ) and I said .. Tia not only do I remeber you I remeber your PARGOS fritos!
We were a close family , actually 2 bothers and 1 sister (My Mom) who lived in 3 houses all connected . so for the kids it was always , whos cooking the good stuff today !
I rember the love that mi tia Laura would look for a Parguito so she would give me a special treat ... she used to get a kick that the moment I smelled it , I would dash to her kitchen and shed laugh that laugh only a Cuban woman has and would say "aqui viene el gato YA !"
Now , if MY MOM made FLAN - all 12 members of the extended family would wait in line for their "trocito.
Posted by: KillCastro at June 18, 2005 12:47 AM
Thank you for the great article Buen Provecho about Cuban food and the Three Guys from Miami! What a tasteful, nostalgic article! I had to rush to buy their cookbook!
Posted by: Lillian Martinez at June 18, 2005 08:04 AM
Cuban food,hands down is the best food in the world!
Excellent article Val.
You did forget to mention one thing though(unless I missed it),some Cuban dishes are influenced by Chinese cooking,Cuban fried rice differs from it's original origins,but ummm...ummmm...ummm thats good stuff!
Just made today some frijoles colorados with all the fixin's,papas,chorizo,lacon y calabaza con arroz blanco y chuleta frita y yuca.
Hadn't cooked Cuban food in a while,but reading your article got me hungry as hell for some!
Ahora,my stomach is all messed up,but well worth it.
Posted by: YUCA at June 18, 2005 09:53 PM
Cuban food,hands down is the best food in the world!
Excellent article Val.
You did forget to mention one thing though(unless I missed it),some Cuban dishes are influenced by Chinese cooking,Cuban fried rice differs from it's original origins,but ummm...ummmm...ummm thats good stuff!
Just made today some frijoles colorados with all the fixin's,papas,chorizo,lacon y calabaza con arroz blanco y chuleta frita y yuca.
Hadn't cooked Cuban food in a while,but reading your article got me hungry as hell for some!
Ahora,my stomach is all messed up,but well worth it.
Posted by: YUCA at June 18, 2005 09:54 PM
Am I the only one that finds it amazing that there is an INTERNATIONAL Cuisine devoted to our Country ?
I dont see many German restaurants , nor Chilean, Belgic nor Portuguese.
That OUR tiny island has given the world the Cuban heel , the Cubanese dog and the Cuban sandwish just amazes the hell outta me.
Posted by: KillCastro at June 19, 2005 01:35 AM
Killcastro, It's the sofrito. Once you've flavored your food with this fresh tasting ambrosia...ah, you are addicted.
Posted by: Kathleen at June 20, 2005 01:00 AM
Isn't it funny, if you talk about Cuban food, the internet just burn up with activity. I lament the lack of Cuban food in northwest Ohio, where I live. I like to cook, but when there's only three of us at home, i don't often go to the fuss of cooking from scratch. One thing i make often, though, that my 10 year old daughter always begs for is what I call "Cuban Penicillin" aka Sopa de Ajo. Pure comfort food!! So simple and yet so perfect. It cures whatever ails you.
Posted by: Alimari at June 20, 2005 12:30 PM
Tremendo articulo y tremendo blog. Hice un search para la receta del cortadito cubano y mira con lo que me encontre.
Yo soy cubana y productora de television en NY y me han dado tremendas ganas de promocionar a los 3 Cuban Guys pero mi giro no es ese y no conozco sponsors.
Aqui en NY hay una cantidad de restaurantes cubanos de madre, y todos siempre hasta arriba de gente...Mi favorito es "Cuba", o Lasaro's tambien es bueno.
Val, tienes un don extraordinario para escribir y para hacerme sentir mas orgullosa si cabe de mi Cuba linda... God bless you!
Posted by: cubitabella at June 22, 2005 02:08 PM
I got the book yesterday!! It's Great!!
Posted by: yamy at June 23, 2005 10:51 AM
