CUBA: THE FOOD

This was exactly what I needed on this rainy Sunday.  My home team won, and my other home team lost, so it was a so-so day in football.  When I was searching for recipes, I came across Cuban sandwiches, which I thought I had before, but the sandwich I was eating wasn’t a true Cuban.  And of course, I made my own Cuban bread to go with it, because, well, duh. I can.

Crusty cubano bread, because crusty isn't always gross. 

I actually had to start with the bread, because part or the starter had to be done the night before and sit in the refrigerator overnight.  Once I made the dough, using yeast, sugar, water, salt, the batch starter and vegetable shortening (which I really hate using because you can barely wash it off), it sat for 45 minutes. Then I punched it down (my favorite part!), and formed the loaves and let them sit for another hour. I was supposed to put a piece of damp twine down the middle of the loaves to create a “ridge” when they baked, but I forgot.  However, this crusty bread was perfect for the sandwiches.

El Cubano, which is Spanish for "best sandwich ever."

 This morning, I put my pork roast (that I found on sale for $4.22 for a 2-lb roast!) in my crock pot and covered it with a 2L bottle of ginger ale.  This came at the recommendation of a friend who insists that it was the best way to do it, and I tend to agree (except that I forgot to put salt and pepper on it, so it probably would’ve been even better than what we actually ate). While there are many varieties of Cuban sandwiches, a true Cuban (from what I’ve gathered) is the Cuban bread (or another crusty bread), ham, pork roast (or pulled pork), Swiss cheese, and yellow mustard.  Then it’s put in a sandwich press, which I don’t have, so I put the sandwich on an oiled griddle and smashed it down with another pot.  It seemed to do the trick more or less.  One thing I read was that this sandwich wasn’t really created in Cuba itself, but rather by Cubans who immigrated to Florida, namely the Miami and Tampa areas.  So, I suppose this sandwich represents the vast Cuban diaspora that took place after the Revolution. 

I love how food from Latin America and the Caribbean is so colorful. 

 To go with this sandwich, I found a recipe for Cuban black beans and rice.  Black beans and rice is pretty much a staple wherever you go anywhere south of Texas, especially in the Latin American countries.  And as many families there are, there are varieties of this recipe. This recipe for Cuban black beans called for minced garlic, bell pepper (my four-year-old picked a half orange/half green bell pepper), onion, and a can of black beans all cooked down in a skillet together. It also called for 6 oz of light beer, but I totally forgot to put that in (that’s probably the mojitos working). But on the plus side, I have a Corona and a couple lime quarters left. And tomorrow’s Monday, so I’ll need it. The rice was fairly easy as well.  I put a cup of rice and two cups of water in a pan, adding salt, onion, a little ground turmeric in lieu of annatto, chili powder in lieu of paprika, and black pepper. Once it started boiling, and I turned the heat down, I let it cook for about 10 minutes. Then I added a cup of frozen peas that I let thaw and let it cook for another 5-6 minutes. I garnished the black beans with chopped fresh cilantro, and I topped the rice with chopped pimentos. 

Hold on, I'll be right back. I need to get another one of these.

And of course, there’s no denying that Cuba has some of the world’s greatest drinks. Mojitos, daiquiris, and Cuba Livres (otherwise known as rum and Coke) – it’s like a three-course meal in and of itself. I went with a mojito, since I’ve had the other two more times than I can count, and as far as I remember, I’ve never had a mojito. This recipe said it was the preferred method of Ernest Hemingway.  I put four mint leaves in the bottom of the glass and topped it with the juice of a half a lime. Then I put a teaspoon of powdered sugar in and muddled it together.  I then added in the crushed ice, two tablespoons of Bacardi rum, and topped with two tablespoons of club soda.  The recipe actually called for Havana Club rum, but I went with Bacardi since it’s easier to find. (Besides, Bacardi used to be a Cuban business until the Revolution and they left. I think their corporate headquarters are officially in Bermuda, but they also have large offices in Miami as well. Havana Club came on the scene as the official government-approved rum, or something like that. I read that Bacardi isn’t even sold in Cuba anymore because they’re still mad they left.)  After garnishing with a sprig of mint, I realized that I really enjoyed this drink. And in fact, I made a mocktail version for the kids – instead of Bacardi, I used cream soda. They loved it as well. I’m not sure if I should be concerned with that or not. Probably not.

A meal that makes you say, "I couldn't eat another bite if Castro himself mandated it." 

After reading about Cuba for the past couple of weeks, I feel like I finally understand a lot of history that was never taught to us in school. Castro’s Revolution, the Bay of Pigs, and the Cuban Missile Crisis are all a little clearer to me now. I think I missed a lot of 20^th century history when I was in high school. We pretty much stopped at WWI and barely touched on WWII. It’s such a waste that I missed so much.  And the thing is, is that this is still going on, Cuba’s still making news these days in big ways. Some good, some bad, but that’s the way things are. I really enjoyed researching this country: the food, the music, the art. I just wish that we were able to go there freely. Perhaps my kids will be able to, though.

Up next: Cyprus

COSTA RICA: THE FOOD

Everything that I’ve read about Costa Rican cuisine mentioned that it was simplistic.  And I tend to agree, even though I’m sitting here exhausted after being in the kitchen for the past six hours, more or less. 

 

My colorful peppers.  So deliciously beautiful! 

I actually looked ahead and realized that the gallo pinto I was making listed Salsa Lizano as an ingredient that you top it with. I had never heard of this, but rather thought I could probably just buy it at one of the local Mexican grocery stores perhaps. I’m glad I did a little research on it, because I found a blog talking about it – saying that it’s the flavor that is truly Costa Rican – but that most of the brands sold here in the US contain MSG and other chemicals we don’t need. (Our family especially can’t have MSG in the house: it gives my husband extreme migraines and seizures if he has it. But really, NO ONE should be eating that mess.) So, I used the recipe given and made my own last night.  When I think of salsa, I usually think of something tomato-based, but that’s not necessarily true.  This used onions, carrots, chiles (I used green chiles), sugar, lemon juice, vinegar (I used white wine vinegar), ground cumin, salt, molasses, and chicken broth – and everything goes into the blender.  It was pretty strong; next time, I’ll use half of the cumin and half of the vinegar.  My husband really liked it, though. 

 

One of the best breads on earth. 

Today, I started with the bread. For this, I chose yuca bread.  I did manage to find yuca flour at the international market.  It also included sour cream, a stick of butter, and white cheese, which I used queso fresca.  It came in a “wheel,” so I grated it first, hoping that it would work better.  It’s a naturally crumbly cheese, so grating it was no trouble. The recipe pretty much called to mix everything together and put it in a 9x9 inch pan, but I used a metal loaf pan instead. It also didn’t list how many minutes to bake it for; it just listed until it gets brown (For me, it was around 40-45 minutes). This bread had a crusty top and was soft on the inside; the cheese and the sour cream gave it a creamy flavor to die for.  I’m pretty sure heaven has this bread.  I think this has got to be why Costa Ricans live longer than us.

 

My breakfast for tomorrow. I'm trying to talk the kids into wanting this for their birthday. 

And this must be a special country, because I couldn’t just stop at one thing to bake: I had to make two. The other one I couldn’t live without was Queque Seco de Naranja, or Orange Pound Cake.  I had never made a pound cake, and actually I’m not sure if I’ve ever made a cake from scratch before.  If I have, it’s been so long, it doesn’t count anymore.  It starts out with mixing your oil and butter together. I don’t have a hand mixer, so I used a whisk and stirred quickly for… geez, I don’t know, it seemed like forever.  Then I had to add two eggs and four egg whites and mix again.  Now it was time for the wheat flour, sugar and baking soda. By now, it was pretty creamy.  Then I had to slowly add in the orange juice, milk, and vanilla extract, stirring until everything was mixed and smooth again.  After I took it out of the oven once it was done, there wasn’t anything listed about any kind of glaze or anything that goes on top. I didn’t really want a dry cake, so I made my own.  I took a little bit of apricot preserves I had and mixed in a little ground cinnamon and ground ginger and spread a very thin layer on top and the sides.  Then I sprinkled just a little cinnamon and ginger on top.  The cake was so moist, it almost looked like it could’ve been used in a commercial.  The flavor was subtle, yet my husband and I decided it tasted a little like a spice cake without the spice.  One thing that I want to try next time would be to substitute almond extract instead of the vanilla extract.  We also think it would be great with some crushed pistachios in it as well.  Mmm… My kids were confused why I was making a cake, because normally I only bake cakes for birthdays. But actually, my little sister finally entered her 30s todays.  (As a friend of mine described it, “The decade where you can have both pimples and wrinkles at the same time.”)  

 

I could eat them all. But really, one was plenty. 

Ok, so now on to the meal itself. I chose chiles rellenos.  I used red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, brushed them with olive oil, and put them in the broiler for about 15 minutes.  The tops got a little burnt, but that’s ok since I was cutting it off anyway.  I was filling this with browned ground beef, onions, garlic powder and a little salt and pepper. I added an egg to help bind it together.  Once the peppers cooled just a little bit, I cut the tops off and scooped out most of the seeds and filled it with the ground beef mixture. Now, here’s where I veered from the recipe.  It calls to dip it in batter and fry it.  But I was far too tired to mess with all of that.  So, I topped them with cheese and dried cilantro (since my fresh cilantro was no longer fresh anymore – it turned into some sort of slimy mess that came from the X-Files). Regardless if it wasn’t “authentic” it was still good. 

To go with this, I made what’s called “gallo pinto.”  I found a recipe for the quick version of this national dish and latched onto it. I fried some onions, then added a can of black beans (gravy and all), added in long grain rice that I already cooked, some Worchestershire sauce, and some coriander. This is what the Salsa Lizano is supposed to go on, but I also poured some of that salsa on the chiles rellenos as well. 

 

My husband is still trying to figure out how to eat his fourth helping. 

Altogether, this was one of the best meals I had in a long time.  (Ok, I know I say that every time I cook. But I’m not lying.) Even if I find that I don't follow a recipe exactly.  But really, who does?  Even if it’s a dish I make all the time, I make it slightly different each time.  Sometimes I feel like adding something new, or sometimes I didn’t realize I was almost out of something when I started cooking.  And sometimes these improvs just get written into the recipe.  I do try to stay close to the recipe for wanting to try to make it authentic.  But imagine finding a recipe for something your mother used to make.  For most people, they’ll say, “Well, my mom added this,” or  “We didn’t put that in there, but it might be good.” For every recipe, there are hundreds of variations. I always think that it’s ok to change up recipes to meet your and your family’s own personal preferences.  Invent, improvise! I see recipes as merely suggestions on how to make a dish, even though I do try to stick by them for the most part.  As I tend to say, “You never know when you’ll find your next favorite.” 

Up next: Côte d’Ivoire