My Big Fat Cuban Family is a Cuban-American lifestyle and food blog by Marta Verdes Darby.
My husband, Eric and I went to a party the other night with some Cuban friends. There was a live Cuban band and lots of dancing and wonderful food. There were friends I hadn't seen for a while and so there was lots of hugging and kissing and gesticulating and talking. Loudly, of course. And the music! Well, I just had to move, you know?
Read MoreI made some Ajiaco in my crockpot and I just have to share it. But first some background...
In the 1930’s, Cuban President Gerardo Machado made a proclamation that once a week everyone on the island would eat an “ajiaco” – a type of country stew made mostly with root vegetables and flavored with meat. According to my mom (a 93-year-old guajira) every restaurant, fonda, and home followed the “weekly ajiaco” rule. It was a way to use all the different root vegetables indigenous to Cuba, taking advantage of what was available in each province.
Read MoreI first want to thank all of you who have supported my Cuban food poster.
I love every time one of you sends me a photo of your framed poster and when you tell me how much you're enjoying it.
It makes me feel like I'm right in your kitchen with you. (Not in a weird way, of course.)
I've been hearing from many of you that the 16 x 20 size is a little too big for your kitchen, so I'm excited today to announce that you can get this really fun poster for your Cuban kitchen in different sizes. (Yay!)
Here are the new sizes available today:
Here's the link: Cuban Food Poster on Etsy
Order now if you're thinking you may want to get one for Mami for Mother's Day. If you shop now, I can definitely guarantee delivery BEFORE Mother's Day on May 10th.
Or maybe Tia Cuca is still waiting for hers. What are you waiting for?
Gracias! Have fun shopping.
When I say I'm making Cuban pizza, no one believes it's a real thing.
What makes it Cuban, you ask? Well, it starts, just like all good Cuban food, with a sofrito. A Cuban "sofrito" is the beginning and end of all that is good and holy about Cuban food - onion, garlic, bell pepper perfectly sauteéd in olive oil with a hint of tomato and spices.
For the cheeses, you will want to add some gouda to the mozarella and parmesan. Then just sit back and enjoy the compliments.
1) In a large skillet, sauté garlic, onion, and bell pepper in olive oil over medium heat.
Remember, you’re making a sofrito for the sauce.
2) Cook and stir until onion is translucent, but make sure not to burn the garlic.
3) Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, white wine, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4) Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until well-blended and heated through.
5) Spread this sofrito sauce over pizza dough.
6) Mix the gouda and mozzarella cheeses together and cover the pizzas with these.
7) Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over all. This is what gives it that toasty cheese look and taste.
8) Sprinkle lightly with a little bit more oregano.
9) Cook in a hot oven at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and toasted.
10) WARNING: Resist the temptation to bite into it immediately, even though you will be enticed to do so by the blissfully amazing Cuban-food smell.
11) You can thank me later.
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This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Farmland® and Latina Bloggers Connect. But, of course, all opinions are my own.
Recipe Development - let’s discuss this for a moment.
When I hear the term, “Recipe Development,” I think of scientist types in an expansive, pristine kitchen, clothed in white lab coats and safety goggles. Because “Recipe Development," you see, is probably something that's best left to the professionals.
At least that’s the way this plays out in my mind. However…
I’ve had an idea for an appetizer-type recipe rattling around in my brain for a while. It has some of my favorite ingredients with the delicious addition of bacon. It would be ideal for a game day snack.
And serendipitously, I’ve been tasked to develop a recipe using Farmland® Bacon.
Full confession: My first reaction was, “Seriously? I’d so love to.” My second reaction, “I don’t really know if Recipe Development is part of my particular skill set.” Of course, I didn’t say this out loud, but that's not important right now.
It had to be something that appealed to my Cuban sensibilities. And incorporated bacon.
“Seriously? I’d love to!”
The best ingredients are key for this recipe to taste like I wanted it to. Farmland® Bacon has that whole “slow smoked over real wood” thing going for it so that was a no-brainer. (I buy it at Walmart.)
From the Farmland® Bacon website: For decades, Farmland® has taken pride in perfecting their curing and smoking technique – a difference you’ll taste in every delicious bite. (Emphasis mine.)
The Farmland® Bacon is what takes this recipe to that next level. So much so, that I thought about calling this recipe, “Every Delicious Bite.” Yep. It’s that good.
Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado, let me present to you my latest recipe (drum roll, please).
Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites.
Let’s just observe a moment of silence, please. Thankyouverymuch.
I have had cream cheese wontons before and I think they’re perfectly lovely. Of course, when my thoughts turn to cream cheese, you know I will be thinking of adding guava somehow very soon. But then, I still needed to incorporate bacon into this mix.
That’s right when the whole thing went from Pedestrian to Sublime, the Heavens opened and an Angelic Choir burst into a Song of Great Celebration and Joy. That, or I got really, really excited.
Bacon. Guava. Cream Cheese. Wontons. Together at last.
Believe me when I tell you that this is a pretty brilliant combination of textures and flavors. And you’ll be floored by how these beautiful little creatures can be put together so quickly and so very deliciously.
The guava is what gives it the sweetness. Paired with the cream cheese it takes this to the Next Level of Cubanity. The bacon? Well, the bacon is what makes it other-worldly. And when you deep-fry these little bundles you get crunch. Everything you want in a Cuban-style appetizer or game day treat.
INGREDIENTS
1) Slice the entire package of bacon down the middle so you have shorter pieces to cook.
2) Fry these in a hot skillet until they are crispy, but not burned.
3) Drain on paper towels and chop roughly into smaller pieces.
4) Separate the thin sheets of wonton. I used both 1 and 2 sheets. Two sheets add more crunch. This will depend on your personal preference. I tried some both ways and I was equally happy.
5) Cut up the guava into small pieces.
6) To build the wontons, place small pieces of guava in the center of the wonton.
7) Spread with cream cheese, drop a few pieces of the roughly chopped bacon into this little cream cheese nest.
8) Dip your fingertip in water and run a tiny bit of water around the edges of the wonton. This acts like glue. You can also use egg white for this. Grab the corners of the wonton and squish (<—yes, that’s the technical term for it) corners together to create a little pouch.
9) Heat your oil in a deep skillet. The depth of the oil should just cover the wontons.
10) Fry quickly in the very hot oil. It should only take about 10-15 seconds, if that. Work in small batches. Don't do more than 3 or 4 at a time. They cook very quickly.
11) Drain cooked wontons on a paper towel.
12) Let them cool slightly before eating. They’re great at room temperature.
13) Serve and receive your praises.
Makes about 36 pieces.
Come to think of it, I kind of ROCK at Recipe Development.
For more awesome Farmland recipes, go give them some Facebook love right here.
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This is a compensated collaboration with Farmland® and Latina Bloggers Connect. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
The Sandwich Generation - A Rant and a Classic Cuban Sandwich Recipe
The term, "sandwich generation" is used to describe those adults who are caring for aging parents while still actively parenting their kids.
While I'm grateful that my sisters and I share the load of caring for my 97 year old mom, Luza, I still feel the push-pull of having teenagers in the house and helping my mom with her needs.
Jonathan is a sophomore in high school and even though I'm not his primary teacher, I'm still overseeing much of his schoolwork and am still very present in his life. He does not yet drive and so I'm also schlepping him around from event to event. But I still get phone calls from my mom when she needs bananas or bread or because her prescription ran out.
And so I feel squished at times between his needs and her wants and sometimes there doesn't seem to be enough hours in my day.
I'm ashamed to admit that I sometimes feel sorry for myself. What about me? I wonder. What about what I want? I don't say it out loud, of course, but I sure think it enough. (I'll deny it if you tell anybody, but that's not important right now.)
I guess if my life is to be defined by being sandwiched between two generations, I'm grateful it's a Cuban Sandwich. ;-)
Speaking of Cuban Sandwiches, you know there are rules to what you put in a Classic Cuban, right?
Classic Cuban Sandwich Recipe
1) Coat the bread lightly with mustard.
2) Make the sandwich with the ingredients in this order: Swiss cheese, pickles, roast pork, and sliced ham.
3) Butter the bread on the outside.
4) Grill. A sandwich press is ideal for this.
The goal is to get the sandwich nice and toasty and melt the cheese.
Serve hot, with an ice cold Materva and some authentic Cuban plantain chips.
Follow with a sweet, hot cafesito (with KILLER Espuma®, of course).
Like so.....
