Cuban cuisine has been part of the Floridian diet since the mid-1900s when Cuban cigar workers descended on Tampa’s Ybor City. This was the dominant force behind Florida’s melting pot food culture.
Key West also contributed to the influence of Cuban cooking since the city was the main entrance to thousands of Cubans from the near-by island. Only 90 miles separates Cuba from the Florida Keys.
The Cuban revolution in the 1960s brought hundreds of thousands of Cubans to the United States. Most settled in the Miami area, but immigrants also settled in New Jersey, New York City, Boston and in California. These transplanted Cuban have introduced their colorful and tasty dishes to their Yankee neighbors and it is now an important part of their diets.
The Cuban cuisine enjoyed by Americans is the result of four centuries of traditional culture mingling. Long before the arrival of the Spanish in the New World, Cuba’s Arawak Indians cultivated corn, peanuts, peppers and starchy root vegetables, such as yucca, mananga and boniato. These ingredients continue to be an important part of Cuban recipes.
When the Spanish arrived in Cuba in 1492 they introduced the natives to livestock: beef, pork, lamb and chicken as well as olive oil, wine, vinegar, European spices, ham, salt cod and a variety of Spanish sausages, including chorizo. They also introduced metal cooking utensils from Spain which greatly improved the preparation of various foods such sautéing, baking and deep frying. This period of culinary history reveals the Spanish influence on the Cuban diet.
However, the most influential impact on the island’s food traditions came with the introduction of sugar cane to the Caribbean by Columbus on his second voyage in 1494. By the 19th century, millions of slaves had been kidnapped from Africa to work the vast cane plantations that stretched from one end of Cuba to the other.
The slaves introduced such native African foods as pigeon peas, okra and sweet potatoes and helped popularize another African food that has become a staple in Cuban diets: plantains. This exotic member of the banana family makes an appearance daily at Cuban tables. This gift from our African cousins is found in maduros (fried ripe plantains), mariquitas (green plantain chips), tostones (mashed fried green plantains), or fufu (boiled plantain with garlic).
Cuban dishes are great comfort foods: spicy, rich soups, steaming, fragrant stews and that soulful, flavorful flan — a fitting ending to a satisfying and memorable meal.
On a visit to Cuba in December I found that there were shortages of food for the population at large. Havana is filled with well-stocked restaurants and hotels that cater to foreign visitors. Immediately after the revolution the government imported skilled chefs from around the world — not from the United States, however — and an attempt was made to offer continental food. Tourists were disappointed not to find the native cuisine, and although there are a number of international restaurants, the Cuban cuisine is favored.
The food, especially the fish, shrimp and lobster was well-prepared and authentic. Farm houses in the countryside were especially interesting and the food fresh and cooked with fresh herbs, spices, garlic and generous portions of black beans, rice and the always-present plantains. It was amazing to see the primitive kitchens that produced such fine fare.
No need to travel to Cuba for this robust food. Here in Naples there are numerous authentic restaurants that use Cuban ingredients. The food is delicious and is not demanding of a fat wallet….just a hearty appetite and an appreciation of one of the world’s most interesting and complex foods.
Cuban black bean soup
The name is deceptive since this soup is more a stew, a thick mixture of deliciously flavorful black beans, usually served over rice. To complete the dish, add raw, minced sweet onions and for a truly authentic dish add olive oil and a bit of vinegar.
Ingredients
1 pound dried black beans (for the lazy, used canned)
Water (see below)
½ cup diced salt pork (about ¼ pound)
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup wine vinegar
Boiled rice
Minced raw onion
Preparation
* Wash the beans and cover with water in a large pan with a tight over. Soak overnight and in the morning do not discard the water but add more water, if necessary, to a depth of ½ inch above the beans.
* Cook the salt pork over low heat in a heavy frying pan until lightly browned. Add the browned salt pork to the beans. Place onion, green pepper and garlic in the remaining fat and adjust the heat to moderately high and cook, stirring often until the onion is transparent. Add the vegetables and drippings to the beans. Add bay leaves, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoons of the vinegar.
* Cover tightly and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to very low and slowly simmer until beans are tender. This depends on the age of the beans. It may extend to 2 to 3 hours. When the beans are tender and liquid has thickened slightly, add the remaining vinegar.
* Serve on rice and minced onion. Serves 12; refrigerate or freeze any leftovers.
Flan
No Cuban feast would be complete without flan. A simple but delicious dessert whose first cousin is the more elegant crème brulee.
Ingredients
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup water
6 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pint whole milk (for added richness, use half-and-half)
Preparation
* Boil the ½ cup sugar and water until the mixture turns a caramel color. Quickly divide the mixture among 8 custard cups.
* Beat the eggs, 2 cups of sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the hot milk that has been strained through cheesecloth.
* Place the custard cups in a baking pan and pour the custard mixture into the cups. Pour approximately 1 inch of water into the baking pan.
* Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 to 45 minutes or until the custard is set.
* Cool in the refrigerator. When ready to serve unmold in dessert dishes.
ASK DORIS
Question: My wife and I used to spend the winters in San Miguel, Mexico. We often had breakfast at a small restaurant, now long gone. Their specialty was a rich and delicious dish called an egg puff. I would love to have the recipe. -- Gordon Milstein / Bonita Springs
Answer: The recipe I found was called:
Mexican egg puff
Ingredients
10 eggs
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
1 pint small-curd cottage cheese
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
¼ pound butter
4 ounces diced and seeded green chilies (hot or mild according to taste)
¼ cup chopped red pimiento
Preparation
* Beat the eggs until light. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a buttered 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
* Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until brown and puffed.
Serves 10
For a spicier version, add 1/8 teaspoon each: oregano, garlic powder, cumin and black pepper.
Doris Reynolds is the author of “When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet was Fried” and “Let’s Talk Food.” They are available for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. Also available is a 4-part DVD, “A Walk Down Memory Lane with Doris Reynolds.” For comments and information regarding today’s column, contact Doris Reynolds at foodlvr25@aol.com
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