Picadillo a la Habanera

During times when food acquisition is less of an issue for the people in Cuba, the tradition is to visit the butcher shop and either order a “Riñonada or Palomilla” for your family.  This cut is translated to a beef loin sirloin. You normally request this Palomilla to be cut for different purposes- thin steaks, cubes for stew, larger cuts for ropa vieja and finally the famous ground beef aka “picadillo.”

This dish has become somewhat more commonly enjoyed in the USA today with Cuban families, as it has been years since Cuba has been able to frequently provide its normal citizens beef products. This visit is often a social experience in addition to purchasing food for the family as there are a number of common experiences that go into this weekly, or maybe bi-weekly visit to the butcher.  In many Cuban grocery stores, the butcher is the son, of the son…. You get the message.  So the stories of long ago and time in Cuba, are always the highlight of these visits. 

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Today’s recipe is of course one of the most traditional dishes in the Cuban culture – Picadillo a la Cubana.  Many times in Cuba this delicious dish is prepared with pork or lamb or a combination, since beef is far less commonly an option.

Today we are sharing with you Galia’s special version of the traditional classic which she will teach us to prepare below!

This is one of the most popular and easy Cuban favorite meal, it is used as a main course in every Cuban’s cooking, you will probably have thought that it is not only a traditional recipe for Cubans but also for some Caribbean islands. It is a beef hash Cuban version. Our family likes it very much and we hope you like it too and enjoy it.

Let us bring you into our family and back to our wonderful country of Cuba, through the smells, taste and enjoyment of our food.  Until we are there again, you can make this a fun experience with your family too!

-Galia

Stay Home, Stay Safe and Stay Cuba and Travel Driven for the future!

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Arroz con Leche Condensada

Arroz con Leche Condensada or Cuban rice pudding is the sweet answer for “what is the oldest most traditional Cuban dessert?” Similar to our representation of Ajiaco last week- we have to go back in part to Spanish influence for the origination of the dish on the island. Though in the case of arroz con leche, the influence on the Spanish was from the Moorish people of North Africa rather than the Taino people indigenous to Cuba. Stemming from the tradition of mixing rice with cinnamon in much of the Arabic world, condensed milk and coconut milk are both added to the mixture, along with fresh lemon zest in the final version that Cuban people have been enjoying for centuries.

This particular version comes to us from Aniet, Dayan Torres lovely wife and the mother of Brayan, the youngest member of the YCT team. Dayan, one of the team’s lead drivers, was once jokingly known as the YCT Gigolo due to a wild streak in his youth and a fairly unique euphemism relating to Larvas on his rear windshield, is a very different man today thanks in large part to Aniet’s good influence! In addition to her calm and kind demeanor, after seeing some of her amazing culinary skills, we can further appreciate how she swept him off his feet.

This recipe comes to us from Aniet’s kitchen, where in recent times she has spent a lot of time since the family is all in quarantine.  Blessed with Brayan’s recent arrival and Dayan’s unceasing appetite, we caught wind that Aniet was recently making arroz con leche for the family and knew we needed to share her tricks with you all. Enjoy making a slightly different type of comfort food this week!

Stay Home, Stay Safe and Stay Cuba and Travel Driven for the future!

** We are not endorsing any visits to the Grocery Store, use Instacart or other delivery services if you can friends! 

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Ajiaco

Ajiaco- a word that many of our guests who have traveled with us to Cuba know very well and remember fondly. This is the name of both a very special traditional stew that most Cuban people since the cultures of the indigenous Taino and Spanish blended together have eaten as a staple in their diet, and also a very unique restaurant with an electric and fun staff that we visit for cooking classes. The majority of Cuban chefs have a version of the ajiaco stew in their personal collection as the dish is so ubiquitous that many slight variations have formed.

Today we have the pleasure to present a team effort from Yissel and Juanita, our lead tour guide Duni’s wife and mother as they combine bits of each of their unique stews to create the kind of colorful blend the island is known for. Comforting, savory, warming and hearty this stew has a lot of flavor and is easy to prepare in large quantities as it only tastes better after a couple days in the fridge.

We invite you to enjoy something that has been an integral part of Cuban culture for 500 years and has become a staple in many of our tours as well. This version is Yissel and Jaunita’s but you can feel free to make it your own by substituting almost any vegetable you might have on hand and would enjoy.

Stay Home, Stay Safe and Stay Cuba and Travel Driven for the future!

** We are not endorsing any visits to the Grocery Store, use Instacart or other delivery services if you can friends! 

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Tia Aya's Ropa Vieja

If you have visited Cuba with us you know very well that a good meal is always part of our experience during the journey.  Cuba is known for its people, the sounds of the music, the rhythm of the dance, of course the aroma of the Cuban Cigar- but Cuban food has its own very special place in the Cuban identity.  

While so many of us are at home and trying to come up with things to do… Jordan and I thought we would share some of our family recipes with you our guests/friends for your enjoyment.  We are starting with probably our favorite recipe from the matriarch and head chef of our family, our dearly departed Tia Aya.

Throughout most of her 96 years she supported and fed the family with her incredible cooking that never required a taste or exact measurements to come out flawless. In her later years, I asked her many times to try to nail down the specifics of her recipe and finally was able to pull this information from her in order to ensure the recipe could be passed along. Remember you don’t have to have a lot of people to feed to make any of the dishes we will share, nothing is more enjoyable than a nice leftover!

Let us  bring you into our family and back to our wonderful country of Cuba, through the smells, taste and enjoyment of our food.  Until we are there again, you can make this a fun experience with your family too!

Stay Home, Stay Safe and Stay Cuba and Travel Driven for the future!

** We are not endorsing any visits to the Grocery Store, use Instacart or other delivery services if you can friends! 

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