Cuba | hungry sofia

Feb 19

Frituras de Malanga

I bought the malanga by mistake. I’d considered adding it to my garbanzos last week but left it out at the last minute. Not wanting to let it go to waste, I decided to try making fritters instead. I’d stopped by a friends house unexpectedly when he was finishing a batch for salt cod fritters, and it looked so easy and simple that I wanted to try this variation. They’re the kind of last minute side dish that could be whipped up in a few minutes. I looked through a few different recipes that were very similar – malanga, eggs, a little garlic, maybe parsley. Reading A Taste of Old Cuba, I was reminded that frying 0f any kind was always left for last so that the fritters, plantains or croquetas could be served hot and crisp, never greasy . I hadn’t thought about it before but realized that I do associate the crackle and sizzle of frying with a great meal about to be had – a little music drawing everyone to the table. Read more

Feb 15

2 Comments

Tiger’s Tale

Like most people, I’ve been overwhelmed by the perfect storm of holidays we’ve had this weekend. Being stared down by Cupid, I could barely make out the Metal Tiger and Abe Lincoln standing behind him. Throw my birthday into the mix and I barely have enough time to get my guilt in order before Ash Wednesday. Nevertheless, I wanted to commemorate the Chinese New Year in some small way. When I first came to New York for school, Chinese-Cuban restaurants were my link to authentic Cuban food. Chinese staff speaking hyper-speed Caribbean Spanish serving roast pork with bean curd or fried rice with maduros over Cuban map placemats. I realized this winter that the reverse was also true. When I was considering buying some heavy tropical fruit to bring back with me from Miami, I realized I’d be better off looking for the same items closer to home in Chinatown. Read more

Feb 10

13 Comments

Potaje de Garbanzos

I make beans with an accent. I understand all of the elements, but they don’t always flow together as easily as I would like. A staple of Latin American cooking, I should know them better than I do. Having only developed a taste for them as an adult, I refused all forms of frijoles, lentejas, or garbanzos when I was younger. Now that I appreciate what I’ve been missing and want to make them all the time, I feel like I’m being punished for my earlier brattiness with inconsistent batches of beans. If only I’d paid better attention when my grandparents were cooking, I’d have a freezer full of stews and soups to get me through the winter. Read more

Feb 7

2 Comments

Tennis Anywhere?

When I first found this recipe for a Brazo Gitano de Guayaba in Eating Cuban, I couldn’t wait to make it. Then strangely enough, I waited almost a year for the right occasion. I always associate brazo gitano (or jelly roll cakes) with my childhood, mostly because it was the object of a big sister-little sister showdown over a last bite that got us both in trouble (I’m sure I’ve been forgiven by now, though technically I may still be grounded). When my friend Aaron sent an invite for ORANGE, the opening of a tennis inspired playroom installation, I thought this orange-rum-guava rolled cake would be a good choice to bring. An avid tennis player, Aaron decided to create an indoor court in his Brooklyn apartment. Last night, the usual conversations-careers, politics, art- didn’t seem so adult when broken up by turns in a bright orange light-box court, smashing foam tennis balls around. A little summer, no waiting. The perfect tonic on a brutally cold day.

ORANGE from Aaron Cedolia on Vimeo.

Read more

Feb 5

1 Comment

Picking Peppers

I’m not used to very much heat in my food. Though most people associate chili peppers with Latin America, food in the Caribbean is more often spicy than hot. While I love having a choice on one menu between caipirinhas and mojitos or lomo saltado and carne asada, trendy pan-Latin restaurants can add to the confusion. Friends insist that chipotle belongs in a Cuban sandwich, and ask me if I had elotes covered in chili powder growing up because they ordered it at Habana Outpost. The answers are complicated. I don’t want chipotle anywhere near my Cubano, but I look forward to my chili covered corn every summer (though not because I had it growing up, but because it’s so good).

Tostones on the Fly

Until recently, I rarely fried anything at home. I hated the smell, the splatter, the guilt. When I started writing about Latin American food, I knew I couldn’t avoid it much longer and finally bought a deep fryer. While it produces perfect batches of churros, empanadas and buñuelos, it’s the SUV of fryers requiring such a massive amount of oil that I keep it parked most of the time. It wasn’t practical for smaller, any-night batches of plantains. Maduros I can handle. Overly ripe, they caramelize Read more

Jan 14

2 Comments

Islands

It’s difficult to think of something I may want when the devastation in Haiti is a constant reminder of what terrible and dire need really is. Growing up in South Florida, Haitians were friends and neighbors. More recently, I’ve gotten to know a Hatian mother of three at my Co-op. She describes the latest meal she made with her daughters, and I try to get myself invited to the next incredible meal they’ll make together. Coming to her with with questions about the Caribbean for the this site has been a constant reminder of the close cultural ties between Cuba and Haiti. Creole or Spanish we both speak Island. I hate to think of a country that’s given us so many lovely people in such a desperate situation.

It’s a shame that we too often become aware of each other only in the worst moments. Facebook and Twitter has provided a steady stream of links to aid organizations. I hope you’ll click here for the YéleHaiti earthquake fund or dial 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the fund charged to your cell phone bill. Though they are currently focused on disaster relief, their long term objective as stated by founder Wyclef Jean “is to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and force that is part of our heritage.” In that vein, I thought I would post a clip that reflects our shared heritage and happier moment of recognition.

Jan 7

3 Comments

Quimbombó

I love the idea of quimbombó, especially the name. Not okra but Kee-Bom-Bo. A quick Google search brings up as many music sites as recipes. If Cuban food were music, quimbombó would be the chorus. Brought to Cuba by African slaves in the seventeenth century, it’s stewed with chorizo or pork then blended with mashed plantains and served over rice. Still recovering from the holidays, I found a recipe using chicken Read more

Jan 5

6 Comments

Un Cafecito

From the onset of the holiday season, scrooges and Christmas fans have one complaint in common, if it’s so wonderful why isn’t it like this year round? Then January 2 happens and there’s a collective gasp – what have I done?! Nothing fits! I’m so hungover! I have to get rid of this tree! Churches empty and gyms fill, and it’s only been a month. While I support the idea of everyday peace, love and understanding, I don’t think we’re up to daily Christmas just yet. Read more

Dec 24

3 Comments

Boxing Days

It’s been all about the boxes these days – the boxes I packed my kitchen into when I learned hours before Christmas vacation that my apartment was being renovated, the boxes I’ve been wrapping for gifts, and the ceder box or caja china I sat by for hours this afternoon with a 70lb pig roasting inside for Nochebuena. Let the de-boxing begin and have a Merry Christmas!