Cheaters Lechón Asado (don't judge me.)

It's raining like mad here in So Cal. And we live in The Bubble (aka. The O.C.). And Nochebuena falls on a Friday. And the men-folk are all working. What does this mean?

It means that there will be no Cuban Caja China Pig Roasting for us. (*insert sad face here*)

Of course, this does not mean that we won't have our lechóncito. We are, after all, self-respecting Cubans. Going without lechón on Nochebuena is not an option.

It just means we'll cheat a little. ;-)

Super Garlicky Lechón Asado (In the crockpot. I know. Shut up.)

• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. Pork loin chops – the big, thick ones
• 2 cups Mojo Criollo*
• 1 white onion – sliced into rings
• 1 tsp. Parsley

1. Stab each of the chops two or three times and brown them quickly in the olive oil.
2. Put them in a crockpot. Cover with the mojo and the onion slices and sprinkle with parsley.
   Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Or on low for 6-8 hours.
3. For added Cuban tastiness: Double the Mojo recipe and after the pork is cooked, pull it apart just a bit - it should be very tender - then, move it into a roasting pan.
4. Pour mojo over the pork and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Serve with black beans and white rice.

*Mojo Criollo
You can use the mojo that comes in a bottle, or make your own.
Here’s my recipe.

• 20 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Coarse-ground Pepper
• 2 tsp. Oregano
• 1 ¾ cups bitter orange juice
• ¼ cup white vinegar

1. Using a mortar and pestle, mash together the garlic, salt, pepper and oregano to make a paste.
2. Stir in the orange juice and vinegar.

They'll never know the difference. =D

Buen Provecho!

Make it and Take it

I'm a giver. I give. (You could possibly call me a bit co-dependent, but that's not important right now.)

Anyway, back to giving. I'm giving away my personal label designs for Creme de Vie (recipe here) and for Homemade Dulce de Leche (recipe here.)

Here's the Crema de Vie ~ Feliz Navidad! Label.

And this one is in case you'd just rather have a tag.

Also, I made and packaged some Dulce de Leche and those tags are available too.

If you just pop on over to the Tiki Tiki these downloads are all yours completely free of charge.

After all, it's Christmas! And I'm a giver. ;-) Ho! Ho! Ho!

El Palacio and me. (It was love at first sight.)

I've been home for a week now and I'm still processing all the wonderful things I got to do and experience in Miami. I'll be writing about the trip little by little as I sort through my stuff and check my mental rolodex to remind myself of the stories I want to tell.

This particular one, I videotaped. (I know! Shut up!)

I'm starting to get more things on film and I'm finding that I enjoy telling my stories this way. I have even stopped cringing when I hear my voice on tape. Weird, right?

My Tiki Tiki blog-partner and Cuban friend, Carrie, took me to the Palacio de los Jugos on Flagler and 57th when we were in Miami last week.

Usually, I hold out for Versailles or La Carreta, but Carrie convinced me that the best "comelatas" are to be had at the Palacio.

What I found: All Cuban food is not alike. (The thing about Cuban food, though, is that it's sooo affordable, wherever you go.)

We managed to eat our way around the building (very cheaply!). Don't judge us. We both live far from Cuban restaurants (and La Dieta empieza mañana).

But can I just say....THIS over-abundance of Cuban food on every corner is why I could never live in Miami.  (Well, and the humidity, but that's not important right now.) I have no self-control when it comes to Cuban food. And I couldn't be held responsible for my actions if I lived so close to all that deliciousness.

In my life I've never seen so much fabulous Cuban food in one spot..... except for maybe here, at my house, on Nochebuena. =D

Cuban girls "do" the Palacio: L-to-R - Amanda, Yllien (my cousin), me, & Carrie after we successfully tasted everything in the building.

Follow us, as Carrie and I explore the wonders of the Palacio de los Jugos....I miss it already. * heavy sigh*

"Cubanism can strike at any age."

Me: "I made 'fanguito.'" (FAHN-GEE-TOH)

Amy Kikita: "Fanguito? Really, Mom? Wait! Is that another Cubanism? Isn't 'fango' the Spanish word for 'mud?' Where exactly are you??"

She sounds puzzled, and I picture her tilting her head to one side (kind of like a German shepherd).

Me: "In the kitchen. 'Fanguito,' yes. It's really dulce de leche. But I made it in the crockpot. Isn't that cool?"

Silence. (I'm guessing she's processing and translating and praying for her mother's sanity.)

Amy Kikita: "You freaked me out just a little..." (under her breath): "I guess Cubanism can strike at any age."

The POTUS and the Frita - or Why It Took Me 18 Hours to Get Home

As I type this, I'm flying at 38,000 feet.

I should technically be waking up in my own bed right now (sleeping-in would be more accurate, but that's not important right now). Instead I am groggy from a difficult night and anxious for the next 2 hours to fly by. (No pun intended.)

Yesterday I woke up in my penthouse room at the Ritz-Carlton with a panoramic view of Miami Beach.

After a quick, but extremely satisfying breakfast of pastelito and a cafecito,

I headed out to the beach, to a waiting chaise, where I was able to stretch out and soak in the sun. Of course, I went in the water and just floated and pondered how lovely and charmed my life was.

My blog-partner and friend, Carrie brought me lunch, we had a fabulous brainstorming session and then she graciously agreed to give me a ride to the airport.

Remember that I had been in a conference for the entire weekend. I had no idea what was happening out in the real world, let alone in Miami.  (No, I don't think the world revolves around me, I was just busy with conference stuff. Don't judge me.)

So I arrived a little early at MIA (that's Miami International Airport for those of you who are not wannabe-jet-setters like me), I managed to get through security with relative ease, and I stocked up on provisions for my flight. ;-)

I was completely content with my iPad and internet access and I was happy to be alone and soaking up the airport ambiance. (I'm convinced that MIA is the best airport for people watching.)

That's when the craziness began.

Announcement after announcement of delayed flights and changed gates. I started wondering who was in charge. "Que desorganizados!" How could you run an airport like this? More announcements. More gate changes. More delays.

Then came the most dreaded announcement. My flight was going to be delayed. Not only that, but it looked like because of this, I was going to miss my connecting flight in Dallas, which meant that I was going to miss my flight home!

Nooooo!

Deep breaths. The situation was out of my control. Best to relax and not stress about it. No need to create more drama. It was best to just Embrace the Pain. (<--okay, so maybe I got a little dramatic.)

Even after we boarded our already delayed flight, with the assurance that "You might make your connections," we were still on the tarmac two hours later. *sigh*

They started the movie before we even took off. And while it was entertaining and I was grateful, it was not a good sign.

So finally we flew. And we arrived in Dallas late. And there was a guy waiting to give the 83 of us who had missed our connections, vouchers for the flights we missed and the promise of a shuttle bus to take us to a hotel for the night. Embrace the pain.

And so it was that when I thought I would be just getting home to my own comfortable bed and my own sweet family (that I was missing terribly) I was checking into my room at The Psycho Motel in Dallas. (No, not the real name of the place, of course. Just my vivid and exhausted imagination making an Alfred Hitchcock reference, but that's not important right now.)

It was really more of a lair than a room. 

And I began to wonder (not for the last time): what had happened to my idyllic semi-vacation?

This is the view from my Psycho Room:

Seriously, what happened?

Well, the POTUS was in Miami. And he stopped at El Mago de las Fritas to indulge in some Cuban food. (Here's the article.)

Photo credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

This decision to stop for a frita by the POTUS began the chain of events that led to flight cancellations, gate changes and numerous passenger delays and had a very specific and personal impact on me and my life.

And while I have to commend him for his good taste - a genuine Cuban frita is to die for - I could not excuse the fact that his personal "antojo" (translation: "craving") so adversely impacted so many people.

The Frita Stop has now become a metaphor for a bigger problem. It's a good thing he didn't taste my fritas (My Cuban Frita Recipe can be found here).

Because then, the country might be in all kinds of chaos. Oh wait....  ;-)

"With great power comes great responsibility." ~Spiderman

Someone in Miami Loves Me UNCONDITIONALLY

I often receive things in the mail from people who know me via the blogosphere. I guess it's the nature of the way that I write that people feel like they know me and are a part of my big, fat, Cuban family. (This pleases me.)

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know about my love for anything that involves guava and cream cheese.

• Homemade Pastelitos de Guayaba
• My big, fat, Cuban Torrejas
• Guavalicious Turkey
• Guava Cheesecake

And if you know me on Facebook, you would have read my updates gushing about the latest cupcakery (<--is that a word?) in our neighborhood. I think cupcakes are like the most genius invention. A mini-delicious-cake. What's not to love?

So, picture my delight last week when I received The Perfect Storm (if you will) of All The Things I Love Most.

There was a box on my doorstep that was perfectly and intricately packed. (Win!)

 

In the box was another box and a note. (Win again!)

 

The final reveal.... GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES, people! (Epic win!)

 

As you know, I've been a proud member of the Babalú Blogging Family for the past three years. Which is how I got to know George (Pitbull) Moneo. (There's a point to this, I swear!)

George's sister, Luly Argimon, is the owner and operator of Unconditional Cupcakes in South Florida. And she sent me this GENIUS Cupcake Concoction of hers.

Of course, when they left Miami, these amazing cupcakes looked like this:

Sadly, traveling all the way to California, they lost their beautiful appearance, but happily for me, their flavor was not affected.

Immediately I brewed a pot of coffee and we Darbys happily partook of this most generous gift. Perfect guava flavored cake with bits of guava (!) topped with a cream cheese buttercream frosting (of the gods!) - serious perfection.

 

My note to Luly read as follows:

So deliriously happy with the arrival of the cupcakes.
The frosting stuck to the foil, so we carefully used a knife to re-spread it, but otherwise they looked great.
The temp was just fine. Just about room temperature. Nothing was runny. Texture was perfect.

But the taste!!! - Not enough superlatives to describe the taste!

You are THE BEST! (Your cupcakes are not too shabby, either, but that's not important right now....)

Besos,
Marta

Could you do this for me and for my friend, Luly:

1) Go to Facebook and LIKE Unconditional Cupcakes. (I wish there was a LOVE button!)

2) Follow Unconditional Cupcakes on Twitter: @MiamiCupcakes

3) Check out and bookmark their new website: http://www.unconditionalcupcakes.com/

4) If you're in South Florida, order some cupcakes! (They deliver. Yes, cupcake delivery. Genius, I tell you.)

5) Go read Luly's blog about (you guessed it) CUPCAKES. Here's the link. 

I have a question for you...

Do you have a favorite cupcake? Tell me.

I don't have anything to give away today (except this fabulous tip on where to get awesome cupcakes in the Miami area, but that's not important right now). I just really want to know. ;-)

The Winner of Sabor!

Well done, people! Reading all your answers about your favorite breakfast foods has made me HUNGRY.

The added benefit to reading through all of them is that now I have lots of ideas for mixing it up for breakfast. And although I can only choose one winner, I think the entire exercise of having you share your favorites was a total WIN.

Of course, I wish I could give away a cookbook to everyone who entered, but sadly, I don't have that kind of power. I will however keep doing fun giveaways, because, well....I can. =D

As usual, I plugged in the number of entries into the True Random Number Generator on Random.org and came up with a winner.

So, congratulations to the winner of the Sabor! Cookbook:

********************************************************

Vivianna said...

            Stuffed torrejas, oh my! They look delish...

I love to eat scrambled eggs con chorizo, pan cubano con mantequilla y cafe con leche. This is a treat when we go visit my parents, who live in the outskirts of Union City, NJ... lots of my peeps there (cubaniches =)

Shoot me an email with your snail mail address and write HEY, MARTA! I WON STUFF ON YOUR BLOG in the subject line and I will get this beautiful book to you ASAP.

********************************************************

By the way, I just heard from my friend, Ana Quincoces Rodriguez (the author of Sabor!) and she's co-authoring another cookbook. (Epic win!)

If you decide to make My Big, Fat, Cuban Torrejas, would you please send me a photo and tell me how you liked them?

My favorite breakfast? (Not that I get to have it often enough, but that's not important right now.) Toasted, buttered Pan Cubano with Café con Leche.  For me, it just doesn't get any better than that.

Morro Castle In My Sky

The following post has been brought to you by Kikita.

On my most recent Miami adventure, the Fabregas family had me over for dinner. Once we had finished dinner, dessert and café the strangest thing happened.

 

I'm not exactly sure how it happened other than the fact that I probably instigated it, but we all jumped up, piled into their über-cool van, and they showed me around "Sweet Home Hialeah." 

 

Comeplete with a stop at . . .

 

Yes, MORRO CASTLE. For Churros con chocolate. It was a heavenly experience. As only churros con chocolate can be.

  
 

It wasn't until about three years ago that I really saw El Morro Castle. It was my first time at Cuba Nostalgia and when I found out that sitting on the wall in front of this castle-thingy was "THE thing to do," I simply HAD to do it too. Nevermind that I had no idea where this castle sat in relation to Havana . . .  if taking a picture in front of it was a Cuban thing, I was going to do it.

Even when Mami wasn't there to take the picture for me, I still did it.

And always, El Morro was up and to my right. It was my "castle in the sky" just like the idea of ever seeing the REAL one in Havana seemed to be . . . until now.

Moments like this . . . I am keenly aware of how awesome God is. Not only did I get to re-create the very picture I had taken when it was "just a dream" . . . but it's as if He heard me say "One day, I want to make it to Morro Castle" and took me literally so I got to go to the Morro Castle in Hialeah as well as the one in Havana. (Sometimes that guy cracks me up!)

Gimme Shelter

1. We've been doing weather.

2. I decided to make homemade chicken soup, Cuban-style. (I know. Shut up.)

But....

3. I had my (95 year old, very, very opinionated!) CUBAN mom with me when I made it.

That means that I was able to achieve The Perfect Storm.

The story and my recipe for Sopa de Pollo (Cuban-style Chicken Soup) is posted over at Babalú blog today.

 

Go check it out, then come back here and offer me some comfort. ;-)

The Best of MBFCF in 2009

Everywhere you hear about and see the flashbacks, the nostalgia, the reminiscing about the past year.

Well, today I look back on this blogging year and some of my favorite posts. (Yes, I do have favorite posts and lots of others that make me wring my hands and wonder why I do this in the first place, but that's not important right now.)

Actually, it's tough for me to choose my favorites, because I write about the comings and goings and uber-geekiness and silliness of my family. For the most part, I usually write from my heart about whatever is on at that moment. And that continues to be the Reason I Blog.

But here are the Highlights of MBFCF for this past year. (As voted on by a panel of Myself. =D)

Enjoy!

1. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

 

The time I was contacted by the producer for umm... Ramie Toliver. *sigh*

2. Pure Imagination

 

In which my son becomes the Greatest Candy Maker of All Time and leaves mom in a puddle of tears.

3. "Funny, but you don't look Cuban."

 

Celebrating my mom's 95th birthday with party hats and great style.

4. Breakfast of Champions

Café con leche. That is all.

5. No 'Flux capacitor' needed

 

In which I run smack-dab into an icon from my past in the unlikeliest of places: Washington, D.C.

6. Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos or What Cuban Music Heaven Looks Like

The night we got to see Andy Garcia up-close and personal at the Conga Room.

7. Miles of Smiles

 

I just really like that picture and all the comments that you shared on that post.

8. Pastelito Delivery Service

Me, Desi Arnaz, Jr. and my Pastelitos de Guayaba in the same area code, at the same time. =D

9. How Many Cuban Girls Does it Take to Get ONE Photo?

 

I laugh out loud when I remember this moment. So glad I caught in on film and blogged about it.

10. Gonna buy five copies for my mother...

The day my coming-to-America story came out in the O.C. Register. (*she wrote, proudly*)

11. My Man, Ron

An unforgettable visit to the Reagan Ranch.

12. Measuring Life

 

Celebrating MBFCF in this year's Christmas video.

These were just some of the highlights of my year. I think that 2009 will go down in history as the year in which I Blogged Once Again. =D

Thank you all for allowing me to share the ups and downs of my big, fat, Cuban family with you. I look forward with great anticipation towards 2010 and all that it may bring.

Prospero Año Nuevo!