"Cuba" news and stories

When life hands me lemons, I make freshly-squeezed lemonade. When life hands me a grapefruit, I make a Hemingway Daiquiri. When life hands me a grapefruit, limes, Maraschino liqueur, a couple of bottles of Cuban rum (they were a gift -- I swear!) and a few sugar canes all at the same time -- well, I kinda have to take that as a mixological edict straight from Papa.

Whether or not one's a fan of Ernest Hemingway's barrel-chested prose, it's still entirely possible to appreciate his contributions to the cocktail lexicon. As an ex-pat in Havana, Hemingway spent much of his time bellied up to the El Floridita Bar, reportedly gulping down six of these babies if just out to be social, and a dozen doubles (bump up the rum portion, and you've got yourself a Papa Doble) if drunkenness were the mission's objective.

More, plus two recipes after the jump.

As I wrote several weeks ago, a pig pickin' is a North Carolina tradition involving a pig, a converted petroleum drum cooker, a bunch of charcoal and a whole lot of time. But a pig pickin' is not the only way to cook a whole hog - cultures across the world have been spit roasting, grilling and burying pigs in hot ash for thousands of years. In many places, pork is the cheapest meal available, making pig roasts an affordable way to have big festive meals for the whole community. Here are a few whole hog traditions from around the world:

Hawaii: Possibly the most famous whole pig preparation of them all, the kalua pig is a staple of the Hawaiian luau. The pig is "dressed" (gutted, the outer layer of skin and hair removed) and salted and placed in an imu - a banana leaf-lined pit filled with hot stones. The pig is covered in more dirt and left for hours until smoky and falling apart tender.

Cuba: Cubans love their lechón (suckling pig), a Christmas Eve tradition. Pigs are often cooked in backyard roasters made from bricks or cinder blocks. One popular version of the homemade roaster is called a "caja china" (a Chinese box), a rather coffin-like device in which the pig is placed on the metal-lined bottom and a tray of coals is placed on top, cooking the meat through indirect heat.

Italy: At the annual Sagra del Maiale festival of pork, Italians grill whole pigs over a food fire and lovingly dis-articulate them to feed the whole village. Skin becomes crispy and meat is buttery soft and succulent. And not a big of the porker is wasted - even the ears and trotters are fair game. Not headed to Italy any time soon? Some Italian restaurants in NYC and other cities have their own Sagra del Maiale.

The Philippines: The image of the golden-skinned pig spinning on a spit over a roaring fire is a reality here in the South Pacific, where Filipinos adore stuffing the pig's belly with herbs and spices, impaling it horizontally, and roasting it until the skin crackles and the meat is meltingly tender. The dish, known as lechon baboy, is a festival day favorite.

Over the past few weeks, headlines concerning food shortages and poor harvests have become more gloomy. In today's New York Times there is an article that depicts the global food crisis with greater urgency. According to the article, rain in the Midwest and drought in Australia are responsible for lower yields in wheat, corn, rice, and soybeans. With much of the world depending on American farmers, the problem seems as though it will only escalate?

Perhaps, Cuba has a solution to this problem. Yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer had an article praising Cuba's urban farming program for being able to supply much of Cuba's vegetables. It also provides 350,000 jobs with considerably high pay. Futhermore, it has increased food options for a country that was heavily dependent on a diet of rice and beans and canned goods from Eastern Europe. With a population that is 80 perecent urban, it would only make sense for them to develop an urban agricultural agenda.

Since the majority of people in the United States live in urban areas, it seems like this model might help relieve the current food shortages. Can cities like New York City adapt the Cuban program? The article reveals that Cuba's urban farming program is driven by the employees' incentive. 80 percent of the profits go to the workers! Are we still talking about a communist country?

Eating Cuban: 120 Recipes from the Streets of Havana to American Shores isn't going to be released for another month, but it is such a gorgeous book that it's worth putting on your Amazon wishlist. After all, there's no time like the present to start thinking about what you want for the holidays, right?

The book is about Cuban food and its evolution. Rather than divide the book in to chapters such as "soups" or "desserts," it is divided into periods of time: Roots, Creole Classics, New Wave, etc. Each section features a representative sample of the dishes that embody the spirit of that category. For example, Street Food has recipes for The Ideal Cuban Sandwich, Fresh Corn Tamales and Tiny Coconut Turnovers, while New Wave has Shrimp Tamales and Baby Back Ribs with Guava Barbecue Sauce. Some background is given with each of the sections and everything is illustrated with stunning photographs. Living up to the rest of the book, the recipes are well written and even though some "specialty" ingredients (like guava paste) are called for, many of them are do-able even for those who might not have access to a specialty grocer.

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Havana Salsa, though it is getting a spot as a cookbook of the day, is not just a cookbook. It is a collection of stories from the childhood of author Viviana Carballo, who grew up in Cuba in the 1940s and 50s and fled to the US in 1961, where she put all her passion for food and life into her cooking. The book begins with a story of how her parents met and vivid descriptions of some of the characters in their lives both before and after they were married. Viviana continues on to share her own experiences as a young woman, from her time in a Catholic boarding school in the US to meeting boys and attending parties at the Tropicana when Havana was at its peak. And before you start to think that the book isn't a cookbook at all, know that every character, place and event is accompanied by a much-loved recipe.

Caribbean Pumpkin Soup and Mango Pie are at the top of my "to-try" list of recipes, but the recipes in the book cover everything from drinks to salads, main courses and desserts. There is also a brief lesson on how to cut and light a cigar, which some will argue is not a recipe, despite the fact that many others feel it is a satisfying way to end a meal. The only potential drawback to the book is that there are no illustrations of the tempting-sounding dishes, though there isn't too much need for them after being inspired by the stories.

You can read an excerpt of the book here and, if you're going to the Miami Book Fair from November 12-19, you can meet Viviana in person.

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