Leftovers

"What's for dinner tonight?"

"Just leftover chicken."

Eye-rolling and full-body complaining ensues. 
Then the smell hits them...

"What is THAT??"

"Empanadas de Pollo."

"Something CUBAN!  Yaaaay!"

I don't tell them that I intended to make this all along, which is why I made way too much chicken the other night.
I don't tell them that actually I was having a craving.
In fact, I go ahead and let them think I am an amazing cook and just whipped this up effortlessly and without much forethought.

Is that a bad thing? ;-) 

 

Thanks, Goya! =D

Salud!

I don't know anyone who truly likes egg nog.
And then they try our Cuban Egg Nog and all perception changes.
We call it Creme de Vie. ("creme" rhymes with Auntie M. and "vie" rhymes with More For Me! =D)

Rather than making cookies for gifts, we make and "package" the Creme de Vie. (we also keep a whole lot for ourselves, too.)
Typically we make it for the non-Cuban side of the family.  They seem to like it. Or at least they are very polite about it.
They have not yet asked us to stop, anyway. =D

Here is our super secret family recipe. Guard it with your life!

Creme de Vie (Cuban Egg Nog)
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
6 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup rum (make it Bacardi for the Cubanness of it)

Mix the sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved over very low heat, stirring constantly - about 3 minutes . It has to be low so the sugar doesn't carmelize, but makes a thick sugary water. Put the egg yolks in a blender and mix with the condensed milk.  Slowly add the evaporated milk and mix completely.  Flavor with the vanilla.  Add the sugar water and finally the rum as a preservative. ;-)

Now that I've told you, I'm going to have to kill you.

It shouldn't be food - a rant.

Yesterday I was in the grocery store with Lucy and we happened to cruise down the Asian food aisle.  We stopped and took notice. They have shrimp chips!
Did you catch that? SHRIMP! CHIPS! Not to mention some of the other brightly packaged
and indigestible looking snacks catering to whoever it is that find this appealing or even edible.

"That shouldn't be food," I thought.

I feel the same way about Jell-O. (warning: don't click on this link if you have a weak stomach!)
It just doesn't seem like it should be food to me.  No. Not even with Cool Whip. Not when there are so many other great things to eat in the world!

Like Cuban Food!!

I'm not intentionally wanting to sound bigoted and intolerant of other people's food preferences. But seriously... who doesn't like Cuban food???

But then...I wonder just how bizarre my own Cuban comfort food preferences must appear to the untrained eye.

For example:
I love plantains in ANY form. (what self-respecting Cuban doesn't??)  The BEST. Maduros, Tostones, Mofongo - KILLER!  Or guava? Jam, jelly or paste. Pastellitos de guayaba? I'm telling you.... THE BEST. And yes, you put both olives AND raisins into the Fricase de Pollo.  Just trust me on this. 

I can just hear Eric asking, "who eats yuca con mojo?"    Although, he does agree that pretty much anything "con mojo" is saved by the excess garlic. But he can't make himself enjoy the texture of my mom's incredible flan - this from the man who eats green Jell-O!

So I'm stressing today and I reach for my plantain chips. 
Eric comes in, points, and asks: "rough day, huh?"

"Yes. Would you like some?"

"No," he replies matter-of-factly. " It shouldn't be food."

Touché.

Must. Have. Cuban. Food.

There are 3 Cuban restaurants in Orange County.
THREE.
I might have mentioned this before. This is one of the reasons we cook Cuban so much. Mission Viejo is so NOT Miami. But we have adapted. Travel time to each one is at least 45 minutes to an hour for us, not counting traffic. And there is always traffic. I know. That sounded a little whiny.

Our favorite is Felix's Continental Cuisine. Because the people in the kitchen are actually Cuban. That, and it is located in a charming old section of the City of Orange called The Orange Circle. It's got the whole sidewalk cafe thing going for it.

Our friends, George and Alysa live in the complete opposite direction from us, which puts Felix's in about the geographic center between our two homes. Because of our busy lives, I don't get to see my friend, Alysa as much as I'd like - I don't get Cuban food cooked by someone else as much as I'd like, either.

George knows this.

Which is why, when they are in the O.C. he will call and ask us to meet them there for dinner.
The first time, he didn't tell Alysa we were meeting them. As soon as she sees the sign that says Cuban food, she says to him, "I wish my friend Marti were here." I'm happy to report my timing was impeccable and I appeared right on cue as if in answer to her prayers. We had a great laugh over that.
Here's where it gets better... he did it again on a separate occasion.
And she wished it again.
And she thought it was another amazing coincidence that I suddenly appeared AGAIN.

Did I mention Alysa was blond?