Cafe con Leche - Sorta

When I was about 4 or 5 years old - as I refer to them, "my parents' early Cuban refugee" years, they would scrimp and save to buy espresso coffee. We were in New York at the time so it was expensive and only available at Italian markets. Naturally they would only use it to drink as "cafecito" - not "waste" it for cafe con leche. Instead we would use Nescafe Instant for the cafe con leche. There was no Cuban bread at the time, so they'd buy baguettes.

Flash forward to this morning as I dipped some baguette into Nescafe con Leche. And smiled.

You Know You've Been Raised By Cuban Parents when...

(From an e-mail message I received today)

You smelled like "Agustin Reyes Royal Violets" (violet cologne) as a baby.

You had to wait at least 30 minutes to get into the water after eating to avoid a stroke.

They made a cross on your skin with their finger nails when you got a mosquito bite.

You always had prescription drugs in the house, yet no one ever visited the doctor - it was usually Tetracycline.

Your mom or grandma made you a "cocimiento de manzanilla" (chamomille tea) to make you feel better when you had stomach problems.

You had a least two fruit trees planted in the backyard. One of them was usually a mango tree.

You went to La Carreta, or Sergio's, or the grand daddy of all Cuban restaurants, Versailles, after a "special" event like someone's communion.

You had at least 2 trays of "Bocaditos de Pasta" at your birthday party.

You have someone in the family who you introduce as your "cousin," but he/she is not a blood relative.

And the amazing "heat-seeking CHANCLETAS" (flip flops - sort of).

:)

Pasta de Bocaditos (Cuban Ham Spread)

My wonderful hubby - an "americano" - learned how to make one of my favorite foods in the world - "Pasta de Bocaditos" or Cuban ham spread. It's not complicated: ground ham, cream cheese, mayonnaise and pimentos - but it is happiness on bread! Actually you can have it on regular bread, on special bocadito rolls, on crackers (saltines or Ritz), or straight out of the bowl with a spoon.

It is the quintessential Cuban kids' birthday party food. In my family at least you could determine the "Cuban refugee economic status" by the bocaditos served at the parties. In the early refugee years when there wasn't much money, Mami or Abuela made the bocaditos on white bread with the crusts cut off on the morning of the party and covered them with a moist paper towel so they wouldn't dry out. When there was a little more money they would still make the paste at home but buy the rolls - the moist paper towel still an integral part of the process. Later still as things got better, they'd buy the paste and rolls at the bakery where they bought the cake (the Cuban birthday cake - worthy of a whole other post!), but would assemble them at home - still covering them with a moist paper towel. And finally when there was more money the bocaditos came ready-made from the bakery covered in cellophane - the moist paper towel finally put to rest.

But you know what? This home-made "early Cuban refugee" version (sans moist paper towel) tasted a million times better than any bakery bought batch ever did. Maybe it was because it was the perfect comfort food after a week of not feeling well. Or maybe it was because my americano husband made it for me, just because he knew it would make me happy.

The angels will be dancing the mambo in heaven tonight...

Cuban musical legend Cachao died this morning.

While Damaso Perez-Prado popularized the mambo world-wide, it is believed that Cachao invented the genre.

He was very popular in Cuba but upon coming to Exile he faded into the woodwork, for years playing backup in Cuban wedding bands and crappy clubs. In the late 80s, early 90s actor Andy Garcia *rediscovered* him and thus began his second life as a musical legend.

I'm lucky to have seen him perform often and even meet him a couple of times. He was always the consummate performer and an old-school gentleman. He was admired and respected by all.

The world will be a sadder place without him, but his legacy will endure.

Buenas noches Cachao.

Cuban Households

I got this from my Aunt via e-mail. Yes, it's chock full of stereotypes and generalizations - but it's not mean spirited.

Most of these are scarily true of my growing-up years - if I don't comment it means it was true for me.

1. I grew up in a household where coffee, milk and sugar were part of a balanced breakfast
2. I grew up in a household where my ADD and ADHD was treated with "As soon as I get my hands on you, you are going to get it" instead of Ritalin.
3. I grew up in a household where all it took was just ONE look.
4. I grew up in a household where we loved white rice and fried eggs
5. I grew up in a household where lentil soup was considered "Prisoner Food" - Nope, my grandmother liked lentils and made them often
6. I grew up in a household where Spanish was my primary language.
7. I grew up in a household where Spanish was my only language... - No, my parents spoke English to me until I started first grade
8. I grew up in household where I had to go to my school open house to translate for my parents. - Nope, both my parents were fully bilingual
9. I grew up in a household where my brother and I shared a room until I was fifteen. - Nope, I'm an only child
10. I grew up in a household where music or TV was never played on Good Friday. - OHMYGOD! I was just telling Hubby about this! I almost Blogged about it!
11. I grew up in a household where we ate "bacalao"(cod fish) on Good Friday because all other fish was too expensive.
12. I grew up in household where we ate pork at Thanksgiving. - Sometimes, not every year
13. I grew up in a household where we ate pork on Christmas Eve.
14. I grew up in a household where we ate pork at birthday parties. - Nope
15. Come to think of it, I grew up in a household where we ate pork at every social function. - Nope
16. I grew up in a household where Tilo and Manzanilla (Linden & Chamomile) were the remedies to end all ailments.
17. I grew up in a household where I could have cafe con leche for breakfast but I was too young for a "buchito" (little sip) of coffee. - True, they told me children that drank cafe didn't grow
18. I grew up in a household where we watched la novela/soap opera while we we re having dinner. - Sometimes
19. I grew up in a household where I was not allowed to sleepover at anybody's house but they could all come over to our house.
20. I grew up in a household where we wouldn't have needed cable TV because we only watched "Channel 23" (what is now Univision). - No, we primarily watched English language TV
21. I grew up in a household where the carpool was "el ride", "el carrito" was the lunch cart and "la lonchera" was the lunch box.
22. I grew up in a household where meat was from "la carniceria" and the groceries were from "la bodega".
23. I grew up in a household where meat and potatoes was literally "carne con papas".
24. I grew up in a household where oxtail stew had the colorful name of "rabo encendido" or "fiery tail".
25. I grew up in a household where people were either "blanco, negro, indio o chino."/"white, black, Indian or Chinese". - Not in my house, but I knew a lot of people like this
26. I grew up in a household where we drank Bustelo (coffee brand) because El Pico (a different (coffee brand) was for Puerto Ricans - we drank Bustelo (actually I still do), but I don't know why.
27. I grew up in a household where either black or red beans, at some point became embedded in the ceiling due to an exploding pressure cooker.
28. I grew up in a household where the oven was used exclusively to store pots, pans and the used olive oil. - No, my mother liked to cook in the oven
29. I grew up in a house hold run by Cubans.
30. I survived in that household run by Cubans - and lived to tell about it!

Fun...

Fidel's Resignation

This article, by Pulitzer prize winning Cuban-American journalist Liz Balmaseda does a great job of describing my feelings about the latest news from Cuba. Most of her experiences are the same as mine, with the exception that she was born in Cuba and I wasn't.

In fact, I too have "Fidel Champagne" - sadly like Liz I'm not popping the cork yet.

A New Project

My friend purplepassion and I have embarked on a new project, because you know we don't have enough going on in our lives right now.

We want to collect recipes for traditional Cuban home-cooking and be taught by the "experts" - our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, older friends, etc. and then we want to preserve them and share them - hence the inception of a new Blog: Cuban Home Cooking ...Keeping the Tradition Alive. TA, DAAAA...

So Sunday 2/17 we met at the home of one of one of our best friend's mother - her name is Miriam, and she's fabulous. She taught us how to make Ham Croquettes - Cuban style. We had a blast! While we waited for the croqueta mixture to cool, we drank wine, looked at old photo albums, told and listened to stories, and basically just enjoyed ourselves.

Although this had been planned for a while it was particualrly good for *me* at this time to spend time with a "mom". She talked about stuff my parents used to tell me about and we talked about common friends, and about stuff I would've talked to my mother about.

At the end of the day we had croquetas to take home and the memory of an afternoon spent by women of different generations but with so much in common.

Anyway, please go check out the new Blog and tell me what you think!

Holding on to the Past

Among the enormous amount of stuff we had to get rid of/keep/give away from my parent's apartment when we moved my mother to the ALF, was was the 1982 edition of the "Anuario de Familias Cubanas" which roughly translates to "Cuban Family Yearbook". I found it the other day and was looking through it - memories came flooding back.

The Anuario was published 10 times between 1967 and 1996 and listed the names and other information of about 12,000 Cuban families living in exile. Not only did it list the "head of household", usually a man, it also mentioned the wife including her maiden name (in Cuba women didn't take lose their maiden name, they retained their maiden names and were referred to, for example, as Jane Doe of Smith - or Juana Perez de Rodriguez). It also included the names of all their children and their spouses and children (if applicable), and as was very common back then, the parent(s) of either the wife or the husband if they lived in the same house. It was basically a geneological record of the family.

But I think it's also a melancholy record. In many cases, in addition to their jobs in exile, it also listed people's profession in Cuba. In other words, if they were a lawyer or a professor in Cuba, they would list that as their profession and their current job was listed second. There were pages dedicated to listing all the royal titles held by Cubans in exile. Many will find that ridiculous, I find it to be very sad. I think it was a way of holding on to their past life, a life that at the time many still believed they would resume back in Cuba. Sadly, that belief died with so many of them.

I think this dual existance is a sui generis state, found among exiles, I would imagine from many countries. I think by now the remaining Cuban exiles that like my parents left Cuba in the 60s have accepted that they won't be returning, at least not to live. I remember when my father came to that realization a few years before he died. He was pragmatically resigned and a little bit broken-hearted.

I found the Anuario because the mother of a dear friend had lost her copy and was talking about how sorry she was to have lost it. When I told her I had one and was willing to give it to her she was so happy and appreciative. She's going to get a lot more enjoyment from it than I am or that my mother can, so why not give it to her? Why not give her a book full of memories of what was and can never be again?

Is there something of the same type among "Americans"? Is that what a "Social Registry" is? I tried Googling to find out but didn't find anything like it.

Cuban Medical Terminology

I received this via e-mail today and thought I'd share it with you all.

My grandmother believed and espoused all of these and I can attest that I have actually suffered from some of them. Really.

Maybe this will help explain why I am the way I am...I can't help it!

*************************************

• Aire: Any pain in the body is probably "trapped air."
• Destemplanza: Mysterious body temperature, not high enough to be considered fever, but serious enough to miss school and work. Illness is unknown by the American Medical Association and understood only by doctors of Cuban origin.
• Patatú: Attack of obscure origin that can strike at any time. Could be serious enough to require hospitalization, yet is undetected by medical technology. Victims tend to be males and females over the age of 50.
• Sirimba: Attack with similar symptoms as the Patatú but not as serious and with shorter duration. Can be alleviated by lying on a bed with a wash cloth soaked in alcohol on the forehead.
• Sereno: Occurs when someone steps outdoors suddenly at night and is sprinkled by a mysterious substance. There are no physical symptoms and can only be detected by the Cuban elderly. The effect of having this disease is unknown: children must not be taken out at night without proper head gear or risk of contamination is certain.
• Empacho: Digestive disorder which occurs after the consumption of a large Cuban meal, ( i.e. Noche Buena or Christmas Eve). The only known cure for this disease is "Sal de Fruta ENO", (Alka-Seltzer is completely ineffective).
• Mollera: Soft cranial spot found on new born babies of Cuban origin. Much more sensitive than that of Americans. The slightest touch to that area can lead to irreparable brain damage.
• Pasmo: (Ovarian Induced Dementia): A strange phenomena that occurs when a woman proceeds to wash her hair while menstruating. Can also strike if a woman takes a shower (as opposed to a bath) in the 40 days immediately following childbirth. Symptoms include inappropriate behavior requiring the sufferer to be committed. Every Cuban family has at least one case.
• Chochera: Syndrome affecting all Cuban senior citizens to different degrees. Characterized by all around bitchiness and irritating behavior. Treatment: Permanent stay at nearest nursing home.
• Punzada de Guajiro (Brain Freeze): Sharp pain of short duration in the head occurring after a particularly cold beverage. First reported by "guajiros" (rural Cuban farmers) upon first experiencing refrigerated liquids. Although bothersome, it doesn't have long-term effects.
• Cuerpo Cortado: (Cut Body): Frequent and mild condition of unknown ethnology. Symptoms include but are not limited to: Fatigue lack of energy and chronic whining.
• Moño Virado: (Twisted Bonnet): Psychological imbalance of short duration that causes strange mood swings, violent irritating behavior as well as general unpleasantness. Extremely common. Can strike anyone regardless of age or sex.
• Rabadilla: Skeletal region located at the end of a Cuban's spinal cord. Has absolutely no equivalent in the American anatomy.
• Luz de Luna (Moonlight) - If the moonlight shines upon you while you sleep you will catch a cold.
• Cafe con Mango - If you drink Cuban coffee after eating a mango you'll have a Patatú (see above).