The Art of Cubish Cooking

For me cooking has always had special meaning however as I've gotten older I've found that there are only a few foods that I truly enjoy cooking. These foods typically have special meaning and tie me to my roots.

Don't get me wrong, I love trying new recipes, trying to replicate dishes I've tried, and different places around town but my life doesn't revolve around food nor do I want to spend all day in the kitchen. Nor do I want to wash the pots, pans, and accoutrement that follow.

 I'm also incredibly lucky to have a husband who loves to cook so I don't have to and even though we don't always like the same things I so appreciate him and how hard he tries. I honestly believed that I wasn't a picky eater until I met my husband lol. All in all though I think our palates balance each other's well and there are always my three favorite words: Let's Eat Out. 

However when I do cook here are some of my favorite things to make:

1) Frijoles negros and arroz blanco (Black Beans and White Rice)

2) Ceviche

3) Maduros and Tostones

4) Maria Bonita soup

5) Shrimp burgers

6) Yuca con mojo (now that I have the recipe right)

7) Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon

8) Matzo ball soup

9) Turkey Chili (I blame my mom for this obsession ;) )

10) Pretty much anything that involves lime and avocado

If you notice, there is absolutely no baking involved in any of my favorites. That is because I am not a baker. My husband, however is. He makes beautiful challah loaves and rolls, cheesecakes, cakes, cookies, and other lovely leavened treats. It's not that I don't appreciate them I just feel too restricted. I love the freedom of the math of cooking, ie: adding, subtracting, substituting, and measuring by taste and texture. I also can devote more time to the other requirements of my cooking method. Here are the requirements to having a deliciously cooked Cuban meal.

1) All necessary ingredients. You can only imagine how many times I've had to make substitutions because I realized that I  was out of something at the last minute.

2) Cuban/Salsa/Latin music which must be played Loudly!

3) Dancing, lots of dancing. So much that I joke that my kitchen is made for dancing...and cooking

4) Can do attitude and fun!

Believe me what the promise in Simply Irresistible is true. Whatever you are feeling when you're cooking completely goes into the food, good or bad, so make it a delicious and happy memory. Whatever you do or make do it well and remember to pay homage to your creativity or like me, your raíces, or roots.

Growing up we ate a relatively Latin/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern American diet. This included a lot of chicken, fish, seafood, beans, rice, vegetables, and occasional beef and pastas. That's not to say that I didn't have traditional American food it's just not the first thing that I'd reach for. For my family the meal wasn't necessarily about the food but instead what many cultures call the Sobremesa.

Sobremesa in our family happened often times on Friday nights when my brother and I weren't busy with friends, BBYO, school, etc or our weekly Saturday or Sunday night dinners with our abuelos and the rest of our immediate family. When stayed in chances are Alle would make Arroz con pollo, Maduros or arroz con frijoles negros with quimbombó (okra) or berenjena (eggplant), and end with un cafecito or Cafe con Leche (because there is always time for un Cafecito). If we went out we'd go to one of abuelo's favorite restaurants, usually somewhere Chinese, Italian, Turkish, American, or somewhere he could get a good cup of soup. I never made plans that night unless I wanted to go out later because we were usually out with our family until at least 10pm.  

Looking back those were some of the best meals that I had ever had and I would give anything to sit in between my abuelos at a meal again. It is my firm belief that because of family traditions like this I always wanted to ensure that I had a place in my home wherever I lived to carry on this beautiful custom. We've already had some wonderful sobremesas of our own with our friends and family here and I look forward to many more to come.

I'll leave with a few cute quotes/images that I've found along the way.

What do you with two extra ripe bananas?? Add chocolate chips, of course!

So, in our quasi-cleaning spree the hubs reminded me that we have two perfectly ripe bananas crying out to be eaten. What do you do with two extra ripe bananas? Why make delicious Chocolate banana bread muffins, of course! And that's exactly what we did...and they were delish!!! Want the recipe?? You're welcome!

via http://theopenoven.blogspot.com/2012/07/chocolate-chip-banana-muffins.html

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Dear loyal readers, have you noticed the change in my current status under my Who's Cooking tab? I am no longer unemployed, but slightly employed! What do I mean by being slightly employed, you ask? It means that I no longer have the luxury (or curse) of waking up at noon but that I work for my mother and her sister. Last Monday, the Ateneo School of Medicine finally relaunched Home Flavours to serve students and yes, that is where I work. Ish. I help around in preparing and serving the food, and when lunch is over, I go home and bake sweets to serve for the next day. 

Remember my Oreo Cupcakes, by the way? The students gobbled them up, ordering 2 at a time with their meals. They were a hit! So for tomorrow, I have a new treat for them: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. They like bananas a lot, and they also requested for desserts and snacks they can carry out and eat in class, seems like a good idea to indulge them.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

1/2 cup butter, melted

3-4 bananas, mashed

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

chocolate chips

makes 12 muffins

Peel bananas and place them in a large bowl. Mash.

Beat in the eggs, melted butter and vanilla.

Add the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt with the banana mixture and beat until smooth.

Fold in as many chocolate chips as your heart desires or your diet allows. I didn't put a lot in the batter because I'll also put some on top of the muffins.

Line your muffin tins with muffin liners and fill them with batter until the rim. You'll want them to mushroom on top when they're done. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top if you want (I did).

Bake at a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the muffin tops are golden brown. Wait about 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a tray to cool, so that the muffin tops avoid sticking to the tin.

I'd like to think that these muffins are healthier than other banana muffins out there, in spite of the chocolate chips present. I don't use banana extract because that crap is evil, only fresh, ripe bananas. Also, I tried putting less sugar in them, letting the natural sweetness of the bananas and chocolate chips do their magic.

Valentimes Day with the Krugels

Since this was our first Valentimes, yes I know, it's spelled wrong :), as a married couple I decided to take some well deserved flex time off and cook dinner for the hubby. Since I've been working so many late nights lately and we've been watching our girlish figures I haven't made authentic Cuban food for him. So...no time like the present.

The original plan was to have:

Frijoles Negros con Arroz Blanco (Black beans with white rice)

Pollo al Mojo de Ajo (Chicken in a garlicy citrus sauce)

Fried Bananas courtesy of my friends at Goya

Salad with mixed greens, goat cheese, balsamic dressing, and homemade croutons

And, if I could pull it off in time, Yucca

Unfortunately because neither the HEB or Kroger near our house had Yucca or any semblance of Goya products we ate, a delicious salad, followed by black beans and rice, and semi-decent chicken al mojo.



All in all, it was a great night and we event picked up some beautiful dormant roses for our yard. If all goes to plan we will be enjoying these beautiful babies in our backyard this summer or possibly fall.

Peace roses

Oregold roses



15 Things (Quince cositas)...

Have I mentioned how much I love fall? Four or five posts later, ok maybe just a little bit. To me fall is a time of rebirth, renewal, and change. Why? Because as a Jew I'm able to reflect on my life in the days leading up to Rosh Ha'Shana and am then given the opportunity to ask forgiveness from those I've hurt on Yom Kippur and thank the ones near to me for their love and support as we move together to celebrate the new year. Even though we should all thank and love those around us everyday, Thanksgiving is a great time to kick it up a notch or ten.

Side note: The Diversity Diva in me knows full well that this is not what happened historically and it's very difficult to celebrate this holiday without reflecting on the lives and culture that were later lost. For an incredible read about Native American Thanksgiving click here (Climbs down from soap box)

Ok soap box lecture over, as I mentioned before, Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect on our lives and how truly fortunate we are. So in the spirit of the season, I would like to share with you my 15 things/cositas I'm thankful for...

1. I'm thankful for my amazingly loving, generous, kind, and supportive family. My parents are truly amazing. They gave Brad and I a wedding that we will never forget and I'm so thankful for their love and generosity as these memories will stay with me forever. I have learned so much from them and I owe so much of my success to them.

2. I'm so thankful for the best Abuelos (grandparents) a girl could have. Although I no longer live in Dallas, we do try our best to make it there as often as we can. In fact, once 5pm hits we will be hitting the road to spend the holiday with them, as well as the rest of my family. I'm also thankful for all of the sacrifices they made to come to this country and provide the life for us that we have been able to have. They are my heroes.

3. I'm also thankful for my baby brother David. We have such great memories together and I'm so glad that we've become closer over the past couple of years. I'm so glad that he has found an amazing girl, who has stolen his heart. He deserves nothing but the best in the world.

4. I can't begin to express my gratitude to G-d and the fates of destiny for bringing my husband into my life. My friends can attest that I always had a fun and interesting life but I never knew how full my life could be until I met Brad. I'm so thankful that he's here and I get to spend the rest of my life with him. Brad you are You are the high to my Noon. The flap in my jack, The jelly in my bean, the Fortune in my cookie, the Grand in mycanyon, the Bees in myknees, the zig In myzag, the rock in my Roll, the fox in my trot, the You to I love.

5. I'm thankful for the little furball that has stolen my heart and brings happiness to me everyday. Manolo I'm so glad that we found you and you have made me a better person. I know that because of you we were also be fabulous parents.

6. I'm also thankful for the wonderful people that brought my amazing husband into the world and have helped to make him the person he is today. I'm so blessed to have such fun, loving, and kind inlaws. As well as a wonderful brother and sister-in-law and their precious kiddos.

7. I'm thankful for having the opportunity to have a job that I love, supportive and inspiring coworkers, and students that never cease to amaze me. They are the reason that I love what I do and have fun doing it!

8. I'm thankful for the health and happiness of my loved ones and hope that they continue to have all they wish for and more!

9. I'm thankful for the incredible friendships that I've been able to foster over the years. It doesn't matter if I've known you for a day or for my entire life, you are a huge part of who I am and who I'm becoming.

10. I'm thankful for my health and the blessings and guidance I've received that have guided me to the place that I am today.

12. I'm thankful to be a Jayhawk, a Gamma, and an honorary Aggie!

13. I'm thankful for the little things that connect me to my culture like cafe con leche, randomly hearing Spanish spoken around me, Salsa and Latin Music, Vanidades (courtesy of my Alle), and a colorful childhood

14. I'm thankful for the experiences that I've had and the rich history and culture that I am a part of. Being different is a blessing not a curse if you embrace it and make it a part of who you are.

15. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to be thankful for all these things and more!

And what's Thanksgiving without a little Adam Sandler?

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous holiday!

Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie

As October comes to a close and Halloween is soon approaching, my love for all things pumpkin grows! Just like Charlie Brown welcomes the Great Pumpkin, so do I. Why pumpkin you may ask?

Pumpkins are rich in Vitamin A and potassium. They are also high in fiber. The conclusion you should now be reaching is that they are therefore good for you. 

From a medicinal standpoint, pumpkins have been used for a variety of ailments:

• They were once recommended as a cure for freckles.
• They were used as a remedy for snake bites.
• The seeds help avoid prostate cancer in men.

They also make for an incredible addition to an already classic cookie...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

You will need:
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
4 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes. Then enjoy with a tall, cold glass of milk while still warm. Sweet pumpkin perfection. You better believe my students will be getting a sweet surprise tomorrow!!

Brrr...it's getting chili in here...

So fall is here, well...sort of. At least it was last weekend so I decided to make my mom's famous turkey chili to encourage the cooler weather to stick around. This recipe is the perfect combination of spicy, savory, and completely comforting without cracking open the caloric bank account. Sound good?

This is what you'll need:
1 box of Carol Shelley's White Chicken Chili mix
2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes
2 cans of Bush's White Northern beans
1 countainer Light Sour Cream
1 Spanish Onion
1 pound Jennie-O lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
Fresh parsely
Olive oil

First, in olive oil sautee together the chopped parsely (how little or much as you want), onion, and the (drained) fire roasted tomatoes.

Next, brown the turkey in the pan with a dash of salt and pepper

Once the meat is browned add in the sauteed veggies, the drained beans, 2 cups of water, and the packets in the chili mix

In the box there is also a cayenne pepper packet, you can add a small dash like me, since I'm a wimp or A LOT if you like it spicy

Once everything is mixed together cover the pot and let it simmer on medium for 15 minutes

After 15 minutes, uncover the pot and let it cook until the majority of the liquid is absorbed

Once it's ready add a dollop of Light Sour Cream and share it with someone you love!

Shrimp Burgers? Say What?

So, as many of you know, I currently have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. For those of you not aware of its power, it has the charm of the Lotus Eaters in it's ability to entertain and inspire while taking up colossal amounts of lost time. However, Pinterest and my new favorite blog, introduced me to a recipe that has completely blown me away and will, not surprisingly, take over your taste buds...

Forewarning, I know that the words shrimp and burger don't necessarily sound like they go well together, but once you try these babies, you'll agree that they're a match made in heaven.

Ok!  To start off, whisk together the mayo (the recipe calls for light, but I just used regular), green onions, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Process a slice or two of whole wheat bread in the food processor to form crumbs.  You’ll need 3/4 cup of crumbs, but the number of slices needed to produce this amount will vary depending on the type of bread you use.  You could use white bread to make your crumbs too. Instead, I stumbled upon this delicious gem while shopping at the HEB. Same effect, twice the flavor!

Next process the shrimp until there’s a mixture of finely chopped pieces and larger chunks. Be careful and don't pulse them too much or they'll turn to mush.

Gently fold the bread crumbs and shrimp into the mayo mixture.

Gently form the mixture into patties. You may want to make them a little on the thin side so they don't fall apart or burn too easily. 

Cover the patties and refrigerate them for 30 minutes.  I ended up leaving them in for closer to 45, so they were more firm and easier to handle. 

A nonstick skillet is really useful for this recipe.  You can use a regular skillet, but you’ll need more oil or butter, and your burgers might stick even then. I used olive oil and added a small amount just to cover the bottom of the pan and to make sure that they didn't stick too much. 

Gently place the shrimp patties into the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side.  The cooking time will depend on how thick your patties are, of course.

Serve as-is, with lemon wedges on the side, or on buns with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce. I used homemade herb mayo (basil, italian seasoning, dill, parsley, and mayo)

Shrimp Burgers

Serves 4
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
Lemon wedges (for serving)
1/2 cup of Goya Breadcrumbs
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined 
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 scallions, sliced thin

1. Add the shrimp to the food processor, pulse the shrimp until there is an even mix of finely minced and coarsely chopped pieces, about 7 pulses.

2. Whisk the mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and garlic together in a large bowl until uniform. Gently fold into the processed shrimp and breadcrumbs until just combined.

3. Scrape the shrimp mixture onto a small baking sheet, divide it into 4 equal portions, and loosely pack each into a 1 inch-thick patty. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.

4. Heat the oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Gently place the shrimp patties into the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side.  The cooking time will depend on how thick your patties are, of course.

5. When plated, gently squeeze lemon on all patties and serve on a toasted wheat bun. Then enjoy it with someone you love :)