“Eating Cuban,” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $37.50)
A decade ago you couldn’t find five Cuban cookbooks with a flashlight, and now stores stock them regularly. Some are written by Cubanos; and some who researched the history of old and new dishes, visited the island nation to find them – people like Colorado author Beverly Cox.
Enamored of this tropical island through the travels of her grandmothers, and working with her long-time friend and collaborator, Martin Jacobs, Cox has produced “Eating Cuban,” a mouthwatering collection of recipes from dishes prepared over the years, when food was more available than it is now.
The photographs easily qualify the book as a coffee-table tome. But it really belongs in the kitchen for such traditional dishes as Picadillo Classico, Sandwich Cubano La Ideal (a favorite street food), Frijoles Negros (traditional Cuban black beans), or Pato Yemayá, the Cuban answer to Peking Duck.|Ellen Sweets
La Ideal’s Cuban Sandwich
Located in what was once an old grocery store, La Ideal is a favorite neighborhood hangout for members of Tampa’s Cuban-American community. Regulars chat from table to table, but the feeling is inclusive, with visitors made to feel like member of the family.
Cuban sandwiches, toasted in a large sandwich press, are a speciality of the house.
Pork is the most popular meat in Cuba, and if they have the room, many Cuban families keep a pig or two. Pigs are easy to care for, and if there is a special occasion like a daughter’s 15th birthday or a wedding, the pig may either be slaughtered for the feast or sold to pay for the celebration.
Asado seasoning is sold in grocery stores.Serves 4-8
Ingredients
- 2 loaves “Pan Cubano” (Cuban Bread or French Bread
- 2 to 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 or 3 dill pickles, cut into long, thin slices
- 1/3- 1/2 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese
- 1/3- 1/2 pound thinly sliced ham
- 1/3- 1/2 pound shredded or thinly sliced roasted pork tenderloin that has been rubbed with asado seasoning.
- 3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
Directions
Trim ends off bread loaves, then cut loaves into 8-inch sections. Split the section in half lengthwise. Spread mustard on the cut side of each bottom half and mayonnaise on each top half. Layer pickle slices on top of the mustard, then layers of cheese, ham and “Puerco Asado.”
Place the other half of the bread on top, mayonnaise side down. Preheat a sandwich or panini press, or, if you don’t have one, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with butter. Put the sandwiches in the press (or arrange them on a nonstick baking sheet and place another baking sheet on top; weigh down the baking sheet with a heavy iron skillet or a brick wrapped in aluminum foil).
Press or bake the sandwiches until they are crisp and golden brown and the cheese has melted, 6-8 minutes. Cut the sandwiches in half on the bias and serve.
Duck Yemayá (Pato Yemayá)
Yemayá, the Yoruba orisha, or deity, is considered the Lady of the Sea, and Mother of the Universe.
The duck Kuekueye was her friend and confidant, but he betrayed Yemayá and was sentenced to be eaten as punishment for his treachery.
This interesting and delicious-sounding preparation of duck to honor Yemayá is described in “Afro-Cuban Cuisine: Its Myths and Legends,” by Natalia Bolivar Aróstegui and Carmen González Díaz de Villegas. This is the the author’s interpretation of the dish they describe. Serves 4.
Directions
- 1 6-pound duck
- 1/2 cup bitter orange juice, or 1/4 cup regular orange juice and 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil, or 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, or 3/4 teaspoon dried ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- About 2 (11.8-ounce) cans sugarcane juice (called “guarapo”), or 1 cup sugar dissolved in 2 cups water
Ingredients
Remove giblets and rinse duck inside and out with cold water. With a sharp heavy knife, cut the duck into quarters.
In a nonreactive flameproof baking dish large enough to hold the duck pieces in a single layer, combine the bitter orange juice, onion, garlic, basil, ginger, cumin, marjoram, pepper, oil, and salt.
Add the duck quarters and giblets, turning to coat them thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, for 2-3 hours. Remove duck quarters and pat them dry with paper towels; reserve the marinade.
Preheat a charcoal grill to medium-hot and preheat the oven to 350.
Grill the duck, turning frequently, for 20 to 30 minutes, until crisp and browned. Place duck, giblets, and marinade in the baking dish with enough sugar cane juice to cover. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for about 1 hour, until tender and cooked through. Remove duck and skim fat from the pan juices. Over high heat, boil pan juices until most of the liquid evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes. Return the duck to the pan and turn to glaze duck pieces with pan juices.
Beef Picadillo (Picadillo Clásico)
Picadillo is a spicy, but not “hot,” chopped or ground meat dish that falls somewhere between hash and mincemeat. It is usually made with beef, but there are also versions with pork, lamb, turkey, or fish. Picadillo is tasty and versatile. In Cuba, it is often served as a main course over fluffy rice, with black beans and fried plantains, or used as a filling for empanadas, stuffed potatoes, or shepherd’s pie. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 to 3 cloves)
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives, drained
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brine-packed capers, drained
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or dry sherry
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
- Salt to taste
Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until onion is translucent and softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Add beef and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, olives, raisins, capers, vinegar, cumin, oregano, sugar, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the mixture’s consistency is like that of a Sloppy Joe. Serve hot over yellow rice, with black beans and a green salad.
