I Love You, Miami (and Fritas too)!

I have been gone from Miami for 2 years, 4 months, 9 days, and about 16 hours -- but who's counting?

Mi Gringito and I just got back from a trip back home to visit the family.  We were only able to be there for a week, but oh what a week it was!!

First off, this was the first time in years that I did not have to ask a flight attendant for a seat belt extender.  I was so giddy, I had to take a picture of how much seat belt I had left over once I was secure:

Our first item on our "To Do" was have a good 'ol Cuban breakfast...in Hialeah!

Cafe con Leche y Una Tostada - Ambrosia & Nectar of the Gods!

Second item: Go to Cuba Nostalgia. For those who aren't "in the know", Cuba Nostalgia is an annual festival held on the weekend of May 20th.  I rarely went when I lived in Miami, but I was tickled pink when I found out that our trip was coinciding with this event! What can I say? Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I was on a mission at Cuba Nostalgia, though.  I could not leave there without a charm for my bracelet from Santayana Jewelers and a print from Tony Mendoza. I succeeded on my mission and got these:

Yes! A Caja China (right next to my cafetera!)...isn't that the cutest thing ever???

With Tony's art, I was torn.  He has so many awesome prints but I only had a few dollars to my name, so I grabbed this one titled "Cafe Amor" and vowed that it would be the first of my collection.

I vow to make this my first of many of his art!

There were so many lovely things to see. Mi Gringito especially loved the old baseball uniforms.

Third item: See the new Marlins Stadium.

Thanks to my lovely cousin, Tatertot, we were able to enjoy a Miami Marlins game at the new Marlins Stadium.  I have to say that I was impressed with the venue, the food and the new "look". The uniform and colors are growing on me and Mi Gringito had me on a day long journey to find him an orange Hanley Ramirez t-shirt.

Definitely could not complain about our seats!

The food, albeit pricey, was delicious! I am still dreaming about my  Shrimp Burger!

The home-run board...a little too flamboyant for my taste...

SAFE!

Billy the Marlin was shuffling!

I got a kick out of the signs in Spanish...

So, after an awesome and tiring week and us about to head home, Mi Gringito mentions to me that he has never had a frita. I was flabbergasted as were Mami & Papi.  Them being the wonderful hosts that they are decided to remedy that problem and took us to El Rey de las Fritas. Oh readers...what a treat! I wasn't able to finish an entire frita, but I did enjoy the few bites I could. Did Mi Gringito like it?  Well, I hope that he wasn't just being polite as he scarfed down three of them!

Once we got home, Mi Gringito couldn't stop raving about the fritas he had eaten in Miami.  That's when I mentioned that I had at least three different recipes for fritas in my arsenal.  He begged and pleaded for me to make them and make them I did!

I looked at the three recipes I had on hand as well as a handful on the internet and noticed that not one of them was even similar.  Some called for onions, some omitted chorizo, some were pork, others ground beef.  I decided to just take the information I gathered from my research and make my own version. If they ended up tasting awful, I could always learn from my mistakes and move forward.

Fritas Cubanas con Papitas
Ingredients:

• 1/4 C Evaporated Milk
• 1/4 C Bread Crumbs
• 1 1/4 Tsp Paprika
• 1 Tsp Onion Flakes
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp Ketchup
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 lb. Ground Pork
• 12 oz Ground Chorizo
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Pepper
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 16 to 18 Round Potato Rolls
• Ketchup
• 1 can Potato Sticks

Directions:

• In a small bowl, mix the evaporated milk, breadcrumbs, paprika, onion flakes, cumin, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and the egg. Set aside.

• In a large bowl, mix the ground pork, chorizo, salt and pepper.

•  Add the seasoning mixture to the meat mixture and blend well. Hands really work best with this step, but you could use a fork if you wanted to.

• Wash your hands frequently, it gets messy.

• The mixture is a bit wet, so you want to cover it and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set. I left mine in the fridge for about 3 hours and it made it very manageable in the next step.

• Divide the mixture into 16 - 18 equal sized balls.  You can make them smaller or bigger, its basically a taste preference in this step.  I found that 16 balls became the perfect size for the bread I was using.

• Flatten the balls into patties that are about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. 

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil using medium-high heat. Make sure not to crowd your pan and fry the patties approximately 3-5 minutes per side.  

• Let patties drain on a napkin while you fry up the remainder of the patties. 

• Place a patty on the bottom side of a potato roll then top with loads of Potato sticks and a dollop of ketchup.  

So, once I was finished I asked Mi Gringito if mine were as good as the ones he had in Miami.  With his mouth full, he responded that they were better!  I certainly enjoyed them as well, and let me tell you that they tasted even better the next day cold and right out of the fridge! Move over, cold pizza--there's a new bad boy in town!

I'll let you guys be the judge, though! Buen Provecho! Let me know if you try this out!

Que frio, mi gente! Time to make un potaje!

Welcome to 2012! I know, I'm a week late -- I must be running on Cuban time! HA!

This awesome alarm clock can be purchased at www.cubanfoodmarket.com

This year looks to be one full of hopefully new and fulfilling experiences! Number one on that list?  I start school in three weeks.  Ay Dios! I remember when I first went to college and there was always this one student that was way older than us...oh no, I'm going to be that person! I'm sure I will get over that once the workload takes over -- I'm actually excited! I'm also looking to find a job, but school is #1 priority so I will most likely get something part-time just to help supplement our income.

On the health side, to date I've lost 33 lbs since surgery and 67 in total since I started the journey.  I am officially half way to goal! I am cleared to eat all foods as long as I take care to not eat things high in fat or fried.  So far, I've been able to tolerate most anything unless its too dry. I think I can live off chili and most restaurant have it on the menu -- score for me! Sugar is an enemy -- I've had some bad reactions to it that are not pretty so I won't put them in print. I am a slave to my vitamins, but I knew that coming in and it's much easier to swallow them now.

I just started cooking for the whole family again recently, and let me tell you, I'm am feeling alive! It was a part of me that had been missing. I thought that after surgery I might not want to cook anymore and I even warned the family.  I got away with it for the first couple of months but I just couldn't do it anymore.

It's been pretty cold these days.  I sometimes feel like I sleep on a block of ice.  To remedy this, Mi Gringito and I used some Christmas gift cards and bought a heated mattress pad.  This is the third Winter that we live here and we are just finding this? I now go to sleep very, very toasty and with a smile.  Its funny because it has dual controls and mine is set on HIGH and Mi Gringito's is set on LOW...opposites attract, I guess!

I'm don't have to use Mi Gringito to warm my cold toes anymore!

Well, since its been a bit nippy and I'd rather be snuggled in my covers - I decided to make a stew for supper last night. It came out awesome! I could only have a cup, but Mi Gringito ate two bowl's worth...I also had some for lunch today and will most likely eat some more for supper!

D's Navy Bean Stew
Ingredients

• 1 bag dry Navy Beans
• 1 lb Turkey Kielbasa - cut into 1/2" pieces (you can use any kind of sausage, I just prefer turkey kielbasa)
• 1 red onion - chopped
• 8C water
• 2 Beef Bouillon cubes
• 2 tsp chili powder

There's that darn GOYA Mafia again!

Directions
Place all ingredients into the crockpot and set on HIGH for approximately 8 hours.

That's it! I swear! I didn't add any salt because we're trying to cut sodium, but you might want to add some to taste. We ate it "as is", but you could also have it with rice. I'm inspired to try this with different beans and add-ins -- just maybe try to recreate Abuela's potaje de frijoles rojo! What do you think?

Stay warm, mi gente...UN BESO!

Tradition vs. Convenience

Cuban coffee flows through my veins.  It's true! I swear!

When I moved away from Miami, I left my daily cafecito in the mid-afternoon.  That little pick me up that I totally took for granted -- gone! I still remember walking the mall on a freezing February afternoon and starting to sniff the air.  "Cafe!" I exclaimed to Mi Gringito. We happened to be walking past one of those gourmet coffee places and that smell could not be mistaken; the price on the other hand left a bad taste in my mouth.  $3.00 for a shot of espresso? Seriously? Some Hispanic in the Northeast is giggling his way to the bank at this very moment! I voiced my frustrations to Mami later that night during our daily text conversation.


Mami remedied this almost instantly by sending me a traditional cafetera in one of her care packages. She said that whenever I got the craving, I could just brew some myself. Awesome.  They sell espresso in the grocery stores (more on that later) so I didn't have to rely on care packages for that.

But here's the thing: I didn't learn to make cafe with one of those doohickeys...

We had a dual coffee maker for years in our house.  One side made American coffee and the other side made Espresso.  I can remember jumping for joy when it was my turn to make the cafe for my Abuelo -- heck, I even have a nice burn scar as almost like a trophy on my left hand for my efforts.

But I digress.

I've had this metal contraption in my possession for about a year and a half now and I think I've made espresso in it about five whole times.  Me. The person who in my early twenties would drink an entire colada at six in the morning so that I would have that peppy and perky smile at work.  Me. The person who thinks nothing of drinking a shot before bed because its an excellent night cap. Me. The person that as soon as I am picked up at the airport in Miami demands to be taken to the nearest cafeteria for a shot. What can I say? Soy vaga.

Anyhoo. My point is that just because I have certain tools does not mean I will use them.

My little story takes a bit of turn, though.

Mi Gringito loves caffeine.  Mi Gringito loves Dunkin' Donuts Coffee. He's known so well at the store by his job, that they only have to hear his voice to know his order: "Extra Large Hot, Extra Mocha, Extra Caramel with Skim only and a Turbo shot."

Mi Gringito is going to make us go broke with his consumption. I honestly think that he was absent from school on the day the vocabulary word was moderation.

He has a Dunkin' Donuts Card that has automatic replenishment so that he can indulge in his caffeine-laced beverage when he gets the craving. I don't care.  I was the one who got him the card and set up the account.  It makes my life easier and he's happy. The only problem, however, is this moderation thing that he knows nothing of. Once his card reaches a certain balance, it is set to replenish. I'm cool with that. I'm not cool with it replenishing three times in one week.

I had to do an intervention. I asked my loving husband what he got out of all that coffee? He mentioned that it tasted good and that it kept him energized and focused at work.  I asked him if he thought that maybe some espresso could have the same effect.  After all, he was paying and additional $1 (!!!) to add a shot to his coffee.  He responded, "Perhaps."

So last week I began an experiment. I wake up at 5am with him on the mornings he works anyway so why don't I use that awake time to productively make him his morning coffee (or fuel, like I like to call it)?

I used the cafetera every morning last week, but I don't know how I feel about it. It doesn't fit on my burner so I had to buy a metal thing to place under it and well, like I said earlier, I am vaga! What was I to do? Mi Gringito loves his morning cafe con leche and he has barely used his DD Card since I began the experiment. Heck, on the first morning he said, "Who needs Dunkin' Donuts?" as he gulped down the entire beverage in seconds.

Well, I did what any modern Cubanita might do: I went shopping for an espresso machine!

Now, I don't know if it's memory or nostalgia, but I swear that these machines were almost dirt cheap in Miami -- so you can imagine the hard time I was having when the least expensive I've come across is about $100. I was determined, though, and during yesterday's grocery run at Wal-Mart, I decided to check out the small appliance section.  I found a pretty decent machine made by Mr. Coffee for about $37. Not bad, if you ask me.

Today I made Mi Gringito his cafe con leche without even breaking a sweat. He even commented on how it tasted even better than the previous times (now I think he's just trying to sweeten me up!). So what if it isn't the traditional way on top of a stove? To me, this is the tradition: it was how I was taught and I'm not afraid of messing it up.

Now on to the subject of the actual espresso. This is something that kills me when I do groceries.  I mean seriously, how much is a cube of cafe in the stores in Miami? A little piece of me dies when I am paying nearly $4 for something I know is about $2 at Sedano's!

I went shopping the other day and was looking for some espresso and I get to the coffee aisle.  Not only do I have only three brands to choose from, they are all obscenely expensive in my opinion. I opted for the least expensive brand instead of going for what was tried and true.  I have never seen this brand before, but being called Cafe Caribe, it has to be good...right? Meh. When I got home, I Google'd the brand and came across this review. After brewing it, I can definitely agree with the author. Oh well.  Lesson learned. On this week's grocery trip, Mi Gringito walked to the coffee section and said, "Hey Babe...Pilon." Let's just say that I paid the $4 happily.

So, readers, I have two questions for you this time around: 1) What is better, tradition or convenience? and 2) Is it worth saving a few pennies if the product is not the same quality?

Lechon Asado con Tostones (sort of...)

I woke up yesterday feeling pretty good...

New England runs on Dunkin'

I started my morning with my fuel (b.k.a. Dunkin' Donuts Coffee) and nice chat with Mami & Abuela...forget the fact that a windstorm the previous night had knocked a tree down, which in turn knocked out our power, internet and phone line. Oh yeah, and the water decided to shut off in the middle of my shower leaving me a soapy mess and on the hunt for bottles of water to rinse off...but I digress!

I started last night's supper early in the morning -- maybe because I was so excited to be making it.  Whoever knows me might be shocked to see that I make pork very frequently (never ate it back home and Mami on more than one occasion had to make me something separate).  What can I say?  Price is right and a pierna can feed you for days if you buy one big enough.

Trying to get the most bang for my buck, I noticed that the local grocery stores mark down their meat one day before it reaches its "best by" date...that don't bother me none since we have a freezer in the garage and I can freeze the stuff until I am ready to use it. The beauty that I roasted last night was a whole $2.50 off...I think I ended up paying like six bucks for a 6-lb roast. Ka-ching!

Here is last night's supper: Lechon Asado con Tostones (sort of...). Why sort of, you ask?  Well, it was the first time that yours truly had ever touched a platano, let alone smashed and fried one.  Abuela's pep talk and good Juju wasn't strong enough, I gather.  The flavor was there but--well, read below and the pictures can tell the tale!


Lechon Asado
Ingredients:
1 Pork Shoulder (4 lbs or more)
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Mojo
**Remember that I don't really measure--It must be ingrained in me from Abuela!

• Place pork skin side down in a 13x9" glass pan
• Pierce pork with a sharp knife all over

• Sprinkle garlic powder, cumin & onion powder all over the roast -- enough that it is completely coated

• Pour mojo on top of roast, making sure it is seeping into the pierce marks and filling the pan approximately half way up

• Cover roast with foil and let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours (if you're in a hurry, you can marinade right before sticking it in the oven -- the flavor just won't be as prominent)

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Place roast in the oven for 2 hours
• Remove roast from oven, uncover and turn roast (skin should be facing up). Sprinkle top with spices again and add more mojo (or water) to the pan so that it's again halfway full. Return to oven for an additional 2 hours.

• Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

• Tear meat from the bone and shred it into bite sized pieces...the pieces will soak up the liquid in the pan and make the pork moist.  

Tostones
Ingredients:
2 green plantains
Salt
Water

• Cut off ends of the plantains and with a sharp knife, score a line across each of them

• Place plantains on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 4 minutes (they will be hot, be cautious!!)
• Peel off the skin and cut the plantains into sections
• Place the cut sections into a salt water bath

• Using a tostonera (Thanks Mami!!) smash the plantains. You can also place the plantain pieces between some paper towels and smash with a can or a bowl or something...as long as it flattens the sucker, you're doing OK!

• Fry the plantains in oil until they are a golden color -- approximately 6 minutes.

• Remove from oil and let them drain on a paper towel
• Sprinkle salt on them when they are still glistening with oil.  Serve immediately.

I think I cut the plantains too thick and that's why they fell apart.  They ended up being plantain fries, but tasted just as good.

I got lazy towards the end and instead of making black beans and rice, I opted for the Minute rice individual cups--I swear by these and each one comes with a $0.50 coupon for your next purchase! What do you think, my friends?