Memories of a Cuban Kitchen: A Favorite Thing

I often describe myself as a good Cuban boy from Miami.  I don't know why.  I don't have the requisite jet black hair.  I don't have a discernible accent in English.  I don't follow baseball, eat seafood or follow the Dolphins football team. And the time I could describe myself as a boy evaporated a long time ago.  But the Cuban moniker will stick with me until way after I'm dead.  

First generation American (yes, my Latin-American friends, I know America is the entire continent, but you know what I mean), I grew up in South Florida constantly translating from English to Spanish and vice-versa for my parents and other relatives, navigating the waters in our adopted homeland.  Even though I left Miami over 20 years ago (and have no plans on returning) I carry Miami within me, and with it, that Cuban culture that was pounded into my head each time my parents took me to a Jose Marti parade or blasted La Cubanisima radio full-volume (along with the requisite Radio Reloj).  For this, I am thankful.  The Cuban culture influences every aspect of my life -- especially my cooking.  Enter, Memories of a Cuban Kitchen by Mary Urrutia Randelman, a solid cookbook of traditional Cuban recipes, interspersed with anecdotes from Randelman's life in pre-Castro Havana. 

Randleman includes traditional recipes like Carne con Papas (Cuban Beef Stew), Picadillo (Cuban Beef Hash), Tamal en Cazuela (Cornmeal Stew), Ropa Vieja (Old Clothes - Flank Steak Hash in Tomato Sauce).  Her presentation is straight forward, no nonsense and traditional.  She also includes some of the more exotic Cuban recipes like Arroz con Chorizo (Rice with Chorizo), Tasajo a la Cubana (Stir-Fried Dried Beef) and Ensalada de Garbanzos y Pulpo (Chick-Pea and Octopus Salad). In short, this is one of the most complete, thorough collections of Cuban recipes I have found.  Yes, traditional desserts are included too.  There's a Flan recipe in there too!

A word to the uninitiated.  Contrary to somewhat popular belief (every time I hear this I roll my eyes and clench my jaw) Cuban food is NOT generally spicy.  If that's what you are looking for, stay away from this book and look to traditional Indian cuisine.

You can pick up Memories of a Cuban Kitchen on Amazon.  The book has been out for a while, so it's available on paperback.

Enjoy!

--Alex

Gentle Ginger Snaps

Rather than review the recipe in Best Loved Food of the '50s, suffice it to say that it was a dud.  The batter was dry and there was no way the recipe was going to work when baked.  I believe there was a serious printing error in the recipe.  Do you want good Ginger Snaps? Here is MY recipe!

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour (I Use King Arthur Flour)

1 1/2 tsp ground Ginger Powder

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp Allspice

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

2 tbs Butter

1 tbs Fresh Grated Ginger (Fine)

1 Cup Apple Butter (Yes, Apple Butter -- If you can't find, use Apple Sauce)

1/4 Cup Molasses

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  
• Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray, or, better yet, use a silpat.
• In large bowl sift together the dry ingredients.
• Beat Sugar, Fresh Ginger and Butter together until well blended.  It's very little butter.  You will want to use a Stand Mixer if you have one on #4 for about 3 minutes. (My favorite: KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer)
• Using a fork, work in the Apple Sauce and the Molasses.
• Add the Flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until well combined.  If using the Stand Mixer, again, use setting #4.  Careful!  You don't want the flour exploding everywhere.
• Make small, 3/4 inch balls of dough and space on silpat (or baking sheet) 1" apart.  No need to flatten.
• Bake for approximately 14 minutes.
• Cool for approximately 1/2 hour on wire rack.

Why Apple Butter and not Apple Sauce?  Simple.  Apple Butter adds a deeper, richer flavor, and you wont have to use more molasses to get depth in the taste of your cookie!

By the way, check out the Favorite Things Page (off of the Home Page) for recommendations on Baking Sheets, Wire Racks, and other items.  You'll be glad you did.

Enjoy!

--Alex

The Butch Bakery Cookbook: A Favorite Thing

You've got to love a cookbook that has its own manifesto.

The Butch MAN-ifesto.  Our objective is simple.  We're men.  Men who like cupcakes.  Not the frilly pink-frosted sprinkles-and-unicorns kind of cupcakes.  We make manly cupcakes. For manly men. (Butch Bakery|New York)

I stumbled across this book while browsing the virtual library shelves of my local online library catalog.  I'm ashamed to say the title alone was too good to pass-up.  Apparently, I'm a sucker for something that is smartly branded, and the juxtaposition between butch and bakery caught my eye.  I put the book on hold and had it delivered to my local branch.  

Written by David Arrick, a former asset-backed securities dealer on Wall Street, The Butch Bakery Cookbook comes in at a solid 192 pages with plenty of color pictures.  According to the Butch Bakery website, when Arrick read a magazine article mentioning that cupcakes were a combination of everything "pink, sweet, cute and magical" he decided to take action and "butch it up." (Really, I have no comment.)

Upon scanning the table of contents I came across some unusual entries: Driller, Jack Hammer, Big Papi, Sweet Mama, Peppermint Patty, and Butch Meets Buttercream. Convinced I had actually checked-out a book on soft-core activities, I ventured forward with a bit of trepidation.  Sure enough, past the hype and the attention-grabbing titles, The Butch Bakery Cookbook delivers solid-tasting cupcake recipes that will make most adults happy.

A word of warning, this is not a cookbook for teetotalers.  The recipes include liberal use of brandy, bourbon, Bailey's, whiskey and all sorts of wonderful spirits that butch up prissy cupcakes and pack a punch. As some of you know, my office colleagues regularly demand that I bring baked-goods to work with me.  I decided to try out the Sidecar recipe and not only was it a hit, I was also told that I should have brought in enough for each person in the office to have two cupcakes, rather than one.  I reminded them that they were fortunate to have one cupcake, and snarled in their general directions.

So, what was in the Sidecar?  Well, at press-time I had not received permission to post the recipe but I can tell you this: the Sidecar is a delicious cupcake that is comprised of a lemon cake, drenched in brandy, with a cointreau/brandy buttercream.  Yes, it is as decadent as it sounds.  And, it's like doing a shot and eating cake at the same time!  Because none of the liquor is cooked-out, not only do you taste it, but you get that immediate contact buzz from the sugar and the alcohol.  

If they behave, my office colleagues will soon be getting some B-52s (yellow cake/Bailey's buttercream) and some Really Hot Dogs (chile-spike devil's food cake/dark and white chocolate-chile buttercream).  Yes, I broke down and bought the book.  It was cheap.  Last time I looked $8.00.  You can get it here: The Butch Bakery Cookbook [Amazon Link].

Enjoy!

--Alex

Review: Chicken Tetrazzini

Our continuing retro adventure brings us to Chicken Tetrazzini.  A comfort casserole if ever there was one. With this one, this year's cooking bible, Best Loved Food of the '50s, does not stray from the customary or the bland.  Cooked chicken, salt, Cream of Mushroom Soup, cheese, bread crumbs, sherry and done. Nothing fancy.  In the book's defense, the Tetrazzini cooked up rather easily and was tasty (once I doubled the salt and cheese)

BLF50s seems to be in love with Cream of Mushroom soup.  It uses it as a base for nearly every casserole recipe.  When combined with the sherry, it turned a light purple which was a bit off-putting, but the color seemed to cook-off (or was it covered with bread crumbs?)

I know that '50s cooking was all about using new products (hence the canned mushroom soup) and expediency, but when it comes to taste, I don't believe in skimping.  So, I found a recipe that requires a bit of work, but is well-worth the effort, trust me.  Yes, you basically create the cream of mushroom from scratch, but hey, no pain, no gourmet!

Here's the link:  Gourmet Chicken Tetrazzini

By the way, if you don't want to buy rotisserie chicken, or make one yourself, I find that poached chicken works just as well in the Tetrazzini.  I also have a pretty fool-proof method of poaching.  Click on the link to see: How to Poach Chicken.

Have a Tetrazzini recipe you want to share?

Got some thoughts on your mind?  Let me know in the comments.

Enjoy!

--Alex

Review: NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Famous Fudge

Before we begin, you can get the recipe here:  Fudge Recipe  I've done my homework and it's all over the internet.  I think it's pretty safe to say the recipe has entered the public domain.

Wow!  I had high-hopes for this recipe.  It is a brainless, no-nonsense, easy as pie (although we all know pie is NOT easy), quickie fudge recipe.  The problem, however, is that you get exactly what you put in.  The final fudge product, beautiful to look at, is so sweet you may want to take a Silkwood Shower after you have tasted it.  The taste lingers for hours.

This is NOT a complex, deep rich chocolate for the chocolate connoisseur.  It is the type of fudge you give your kids if you want them bouncing off of the walls for the next six hours -- chase it with coffee, that will help.

In all seriousness, the resulting fudge is ultra-smooth, and my office taste-test yielded some varying degrees of likeability:  from "I love it, you see me licking my fingers, don't you?" to, "I think I'll save it for my son."  You get the picture.  While still protecting the innocent, I can tell you that the "finger-licker" was an attorney. Somebody's mom added: "Que rico!" Further, I will say not.

So, I've thought about how to fix this to my liking.  Maybe by adding some ginger, or nutmeg, or tabasco, something to get rid of the evaporated milk taste.  What do you think?  Leave me some comments.  Let me know.

Enjoy!

Alex