My Big Fat Cuban Family: A Cuban-American Blog

Ahora Si!

*The title of this post, "Ahora si." translates literally to "Now yes!" It's an idiom we Cubans like to use when something is REALLY happening. As in "this is really going down right now." It's also the title of a song sung by Andy Garcia and the Cineson All Stars, but that's not important right now.....or maybe it is?

At the beginning of this year, I declared that my goal for 2013 was to finally meet Andy Garcia. It's been a fantasy of mine to meet him and of course, impress him with my wit and versatility. I have a friend that says you just have to make declarations like that and "put it out there for the Universe." And so, I did. Here's what happened next...

May is my Birthday Month. That is, my birthday lands somewhere around the 3rd week of May, but I try to milk the celebration for as long as I can. And that's usually the entire month. (Don't judge me.)

My family is used to this and so when May rolls around they start thinking in terms of what-to-do-for-mom-for-her-birthday. Which is how I found myself dressed up with high heels and makeup at the Catalina Jazz Club in L.A. on Saturday, May 4th at a concert by Andy Garcia and the Cineson All Stars. This was my birthday gift from my daughter, Amy Kikita.

We had seen Andy before and loved his show so I knew what to expect and was looking forward to the evening. Talk about a versatile artist! See this post.

The Cineson All Stars are a collection of some of the finest Cuban musical artists ever assembled. Andy is the   quintessential Cuban music historian and between songs told of the origin of each of the compositions, including how that style of music came to be played in our native Cuba. It was educational and edifying and made the music just that much more vibrant.

"Ahora si!" is also the title of a song composed by the legendary Cachao and dedicated to Andy Garcia in celebration of his youngest child, a son, Andres, after he already had 3 daughters. The lyric goes:

"Si! Si! Si! Ahora, si! Barón!" (Get it? The "Barón," or boy, after the first 3? It's kind of genius, really.) Please click on this link and listen to track #7 so you get a feel for the awesome Afro-Cuban-mamboness of it all. Better yet, go download the song and add it to your iTunes playlist. You're welcome.

Much to our everlasting delight, Andy Garcia and the Cineson All Stars played for over 3 hours that night without a break. Which meant that we were wiggling and dancing in our seats for some of the time, but finally we could not contain ourselves any longer and it was the "Ahora Si!" song that brought down the house.

An aside: there was a familiar-looking,skinny blonde who got up to dance right next to our table and ended up bumping butts with Amy. It turned out to be the actress, Sharon Stone getting her Cuban on. Of course, Amy is a much, much better dancer. She can't help it. It's in her blood.

We were there with a handful of good friends who appreciate this type of music and we all sang along, and danced all night and took crappy pictures with our smart phones and generally had a fantastic time. And we hung in there way past midnight until the last note had been played.

"Let's go meet him. Tonight's the night." That was my daughter. If you've been following this blog for the past 6 1/2 years, you know that I have an entire Blog Category dedicated to Andy Garcia (find it over in the right nav) and am a serious fan.

Ok. I was ready. Well, sort of....

If I was fantasizing about the conditions under which I would finally get to meet Andy Garcia, my hair and makeup would be flawless and I would NOT be breathless and sweaty. But then, when you put these things out to the Universe, you really don't have much control over how they will go down, do you?

Also, wit and versatility? Gone. Completely blown out by sweat, exhaustion and holy-cow-I'm-finally-meeting-Andy-Garcia-and-my-hair-is-sticking-out-Medusa-style. But I did get to meet and greet.

And that was enough.

And he agreed to a photo op. A blurry, badly lit, over-exposed photo of me and Andy Garcia. Which I have already blown up and framed and hung above my desk and will treasure forever. (Happy Birthday Month to Me!)

Next time I put something out for the Universe, I'm going to insist on better mega-pixels.

Ahora si!

Happy 40th Birthday, Versailles! (An homage and a giveaway.)

“I need a blurb from you about Versailles.”

This request came from my friend (the amazing Cuban chef and cookbook author) Ana Quincoces. She was working on a TOP SECRET project and thought I might have something to say about my favorite Cuban restaurant in Miami.

Me: “Tell me what you're doing, so I can put it in context.”

That's when she began to reveal that she was working on a.....(wait for it....) Versailles Cookbook! *insert heavenly choir here*

Me: “Seriously? What a cool project. I suppose I could give you a blurb. But if we're talking Versailles on Calle Ocho, I could do an entire homage without breaking a sweat, but that's not important right now.”

Versailles. It's usually the first place we visit when we arrive in Miami (Hello, Cuban food!) and the last place, too. (Pan con Bistec for the plane ride home.)

Versailles. The first item on our long list of Miami Rules.

Versailles. Of the iconic etched mirrors and the perfect cortadito.

Versailles. Always packed at any time of the night or day. Filled with the sounds of my people. Their loud and inimitable voices raised in conversation, argument, and laughter.

Versailles. The geographical epicenter of our exile.

Me: “I wrote a post about why I couldn't live in Miami and my lack of self-control when it comes to Cuban food in general and Versailles in particular.”

Me, quoting myself: “It's like the Cuban Mecca and I am a faithful pilgrim.”

The next thing I know, I'm being quoted in the Miami Herald in an article titled Versailles: 40 years serving food with a side of politics. (I know. Shut. UP.)

From the article:

“When no one knew who he was, Julio Iglesias used to come and sit here and eat,” Valls Sr. remembers.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush is still a regular, and “although I’m a Republican,” Valls Sr. notes, President Clinton has been here three times. Famous chefs like the Food Network’s Bobby Flay make Versailles a mandatory pitstop on visits to Miami.

“It’s like the Cuban Mecca and I am a faithful pilgrim,” says Californian Marta Darby, who writes the blog “My Big, Fat, Cuban Family.”

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/10/2306781_p2/40-years-serving-food-with-a-side.html#ixzz1RrVPxtbo

(emphasis mine)

I'd like to just point out right now that they mention me in the same section as the other famous people who have eaten there, but that's not important right now. ;-)

Ana: “I think we got your blurb.”

Then she went on to tell me that she's still working on the Versailles book and that they're having a big party at the Calle Ocho restaurant this week to celebrate and that they're hoping that....(wait for it....) Andy Garcia will write the forward.

• Thing 1) Out-of-my-skin excited to be included in this wonderful project.
• Thing 2) Andy Garcia and I might be published in the same book. (One degree closer, people.)
• Thing 3) Versailles is 40 years old.

I think we need to celebrate, don't you? I wish the Versailles book existed already and I had that to give away, but it has not been published yet, but I do have the next best thing:

An autographed copy of Ana's iconic Cuban Cookbook: Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine. (Thank, Ana!)

Of course, I'm especially proud of having My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Torrejas featured in this beautiful cookbook, but that's not important right now, either.

(Page 204 - 205, por si las moscas....)  =D

So, to enter this comment drawing, answer the following question:

• When you celebrate a special occasion, what's on the menu?

Remember that if you want to enter the drawing for the cookbook, you must leave a comment on this post and I'll choose a winner on Sunday, July 17th, 2011 at 5 pm Pacific.

Happy Birthday, Versailles!

Con muchisimo cariño,

Marta

The Cocoon

Eric found the cocoon on May 27th.

We had never seen anything like it before. It looked to me like a jade earring with perfect gold flecks. It looked so, so surreal.

"What is that?" We quickly asked Señor Google better known around here as Cuco. =D

A Monarch. Shut. UP!

It took a few weeks for the thing to begin to turn transparent and show us what was inside.

The colors of the monarch butterfly became apparent to us then.

Every day we went out to catch another glimpse of the little miracle hanging from the arm of our patio chair.

On June 13th, the miracle finally happened and the beautiful butterfly slowly emerged.

Lucky for us, he spent hours struggling to get out and dry off and spread his wings. We were privileged to have front row seats (and digital film, of course) to this magical event.

Finally, he lifted off and headed for the flowers to sit and let the sun dry him so he could head off to the next adventure of his short life.

I decided to name him "Andy Garcia," because he was so beautiful. ;-)

Abre que voy!

I'm having one of those accidentally cool things happening that happens to me occasionally because I live in a fun bloggy world.

I am traveling to Miami for Blogalicious Weekend 2010. Celebrating Diversity in Social Media. (The words celebrating and social seem like they describe me perfectly. Am I right?)

My trip is being sponsored in full by the lovely folks at General Mills and Que Rica Vida. (This is the 2nd time they send me to Miami and I'm really loving them for it.Thanks GM & QRV!)

I have some fun stuff that I get to do and there will be conferency things and events and dinners and even a parranda. (<--Puerto Rican speak for party!)

But for now, just know that I'll be spending the weekend hanging with some of my favorite blog friends and hopefully making some new connections. And of course, there will be the mandatory pilgrimage with my Cuban peeps to The Palacio de Los Jugos in Little Havana.

I'm looking forward to the Parranda Party (also sponsored by Que Rica Vida <-- Do you see why I love these people?).

I get to wear my new parranda shoes (with a comfort sole in preparation for dancing all night).

I have great intentions of blogging from Miami. (I know about the road to hell being paved with those, but that's not important right now.)

Here's the recap of why I'm feeling sooo accidentally cool:

• I get to go to one of my favorite cities.
• I get to hang with some of my favorite people.
• I get to eat Cuban food.
• I get to wear my new parranda shoes. (<--I think everyone should start calling their party shoes parranda shoes from now on.)
• I get to share it with you via my new iPad. (I know Shut up.)

Now, if I God would just answer my prayer and I could run into Andy Garcia somewhere on Calle Ocho, my life would be complete. *sigh*

(A big thank you to General Mills & Que Rica Vida for making me feel sooo accidentally cool.) =D

"Abre que voy. Cuida'o con los cayos!"

 

Ready to Roll

My 96 year old mom, Luza, has been glued to her tv watching the coverage of all the Cubans marching in solidarity with the Damas de Blanco. (See Amy's post below.)

I have so many posts that begin, "my mom will be with us this weekend...."

Well, this is one of those weekends.

In preparation, I called her the other day and she told me she has been watching the coverage of the march in Miami, and wearing white to show solidarity with the brave Cuban women who are marching to demand Human Rights in Cuba.

Look at this sea of people. My people. Here ends the myth that the Cubans on the island and the Cubans in the U.S. are a divided people.

I explained to her that there would be a march like that in L.A. on Sunday and that we wanted to go. She's 96 and has trouble walking very far because she loses her balance, so I assumed she would not be interested in going. I figured I would just send Amy Kikita to represent.

Luza: "Can you get me a wheelchair?"

At 96, she continues to amaze me.

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

WHAT: Cubans Hunger for Change

WHEN: Sunday, March 28,2010

WHERE: Echo Park, 1632 Bellevue Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90026

**Meet at Jose Marti statue in Echo Park. Please wear white & bring a flower.**

Here's Andy Garcia on tomorrow's march:

Speaking of Cuban Dissidents . . .

The following post was written by Kikita.

My whole life I've grown up hearing the songs about how beautiful Cuba is. I've seen the paintings. I know Cuba is beautiful. I've always known.

"Pearl of the Antilles"

"La Reina de la Mar Caribe"

"Cuba Linda de mi vida"

Despite constantly hearing it growing up, something happened when I was actually there, standing in front of things I'd seen and heard of my whole life.

I found myself constantly in awe. It really was beautiful. 

Looking out at the ocean . . .

 

or Havana . . .

 

or just pine trees . . .

  

or the Malecón . . .

   

or hills . . .

 

or El Cristo . . .

or even a sunset . . .

 

I wanted to dance. I wanted to sing. I wanted to paint. I wanted to write.

I wanted to drink it in forever.

Every song about Cuba and it's beauty became instantly more meaninful to me once I had seen it with my own eyes.

Now as I listen to these songs that made me smile as I grew up, I want to cry. They are inspiring a fresh sense of loss. A new understanding of how painful this exile is. They are bittersweet. They celebrate the beauty of Cuba while mourning its loss.

And I now feel more fiercely than ever the desire to see freedom for my people.

Here at MBFCF we try to stay focused on family and Cuban-American life. We try not to get too political, but we definitely do not keep our positions and beliefs a secret. If you've been reading for any amount of time, then I'm sure you know where we stand. That being said, it would be impossible to keep politics completely separate from a Cuban-American family, because it was politics that originally ripped our families apart.

Seven years ago, Mami, Adam, and I were planning to take a missions trip to Cuba with our local church. We were getting all of the paperwork ready to go when something happened to change Mami's mind. The (c)astro government was arresting political dissidents in a crackdown that would come to be known as "La Primavera Negra" (The Black Spring). The political unrest on the island worried Mami to the point that she changed her mind about going and we went to Miami instead. (Hey, I'm not going to complain, we had a fabulous time, but that's not important right now.)

During the crackdown, that began on March 18th and lasted two days, there were 75 dissidents (SEVENTY-FIVE!!) arrested. They ranged from journalists to librarians to human rights activists. Some have been paroled. Most remain in prison. Our good friend, Marc Masferrer, at Uncommon Sense has the whole story.

Tomorrow, seven years after we canceled our original trip to Cuba and now immediately following my return from the island, Mami and I will be attending a private screening of a documentary titled "Oscar's Cuba."

 

The music was done by Arturo Sandoval and the word on the street is that Andy Garcia will be doing the narration. =D

A brave film-maker by the name of Jordan Allot was in Cuba working on another project when he heard about Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet González. Jordan then took it upon himself to expose the truth about Dr. Biscet's reality. Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet González is a Cuban dissident who had served a 3 year prison sentence, was released, and was re-arrested about one month later during the Black Spring and then sentenced to 25 years.

His crime? Exposing the horrendous communist government practices of: slaughtering newborns and forcing abortions on women with problematic pregnancies.

To read a review of the film, you can click here.

If you'd like more information about the film itself, you can find it at www.oscarscuba.com.

Here in the U.S. we have the liberty to freely speak our minds. That is completely intolerable to the current Cuban government. And so they round up the free-thinkers. They imprison, beat and torture those who dare to disagree.

But there is movement in Cuba of political dissidents and it's growing each day. Those of us who are free and believe in human rights would do well to support those who are not free and whose basic human rights get routinely trampled on.

If you have an extra $10, please donate it to support this documentary. It's a small price to pay to further the cause of freedom and human rights.

If you do NOT have an extra $10, please, just get involved. Get the word out. Any way that you can.

There is a glimmer of hope. Let us feed the flame.

The Best of MBFCF in 2009

Everywhere you hear about and see the flashbacks, the nostalgia, the reminiscing about the past year.

Well, today I look back on this blogging year and some of my favorite posts. (Yes, I do have favorite posts and lots of others that make me wring my hands and wonder why I do this in the first place, but that's not important right now.)

Actually, it's tough for me to choose my favorites, because I write about the comings and goings and uber-geekiness and silliness of my family. For the most part, I usually write from my heart about whatever is on at that moment. And that continues to be the Reason I Blog.

But here are the Highlights of MBFCF for this past year. (As voted on by a panel of Myself. =D)

Enjoy!

1. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

 

The time I was contacted by the producer for umm... Ramie Toliver. *sigh*

2. Pure Imagination

 

In which my son becomes the Greatest Candy Maker of All Time and leaves mom in a puddle of tears.

3. "Funny, but you don't look Cuban."

 

Celebrating my mom's 95th birthday with party hats and great style.

4. Breakfast of Champions

Café con leche. That is all.

5. No 'Flux capacitor' needed

 

In which I run smack-dab into an icon from my past in the unlikeliest of places: Washington, D.C.

6. Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos or What Cuban Music Heaven Looks Like

The night we got to see Andy Garcia up-close and personal at the Conga Room.

7. Miles of Smiles

 

I just really like that picture and all the comments that you shared on that post.

8. Pastelito Delivery Service

Me, Desi Arnaz, Jr. and my Pastelitos de Guayaba in the same area code, at the same time. =D

9. How Many Cuban Girls Does it Take to Get ONE Photo?

 

I laugh out loud when I remember this moment. So glad I caught in on film and blogged about it.

10. Gonna buy five copies for my mother...

The day my coming-to-America story came out in the O.C. Register. (*she wrote, proudly*)

11. My Man, Ron

An unforgettable visit to the Reagan Ranch.

12. Measuring Life

 

Celebrating MBFCF in this year's Christmas video.

These were just some of the highlights of my year. I think that 2009 will go down in history as the year in which I Blogged Once Again. =D

Thank you all for allowing me to share the ups and downs of my big, fat, Cuban family with you. I look forward with great anticipation towards 2010 and all that it may bring.

Prospero Año Nuevo!

Magical Summer Moments

Sunday, September 6, 1970. My very first concert.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Their opening act was Little Stevie Wonder who had just had a big hit with "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."

This was my very first concert. I found the ticket tucked away in my high school photo album. Thirty-nine years ago today.

 

I remember being a little salty still from the beach (Playa del Rey) earlier in the day.

I remember it was a double-date. My date, Terry, who was sixteen at the time (I was fifteen) had only had his driver's license for two months and drove an ancient red station wagon. Seatbelts? What?? =D

 

We drove up through the Hollywood Hills. You have to drive through a neighborhood of palatial homes to get there. I remember being shocked and surprised by this as only a wide-eyed fifteen-year-old can be.

But, ah... once we got into the Greek and found our seats...

The music was classic Motown. The air smelled clean and fresh as only outdoor concerts can. There's that roar and rush as the performers take the stage.

The lights! The sounds! The oh-my-gosh-they're-RIGHT-THERE-onstage amazement! Our favorite songs being performed live. They have never sounded better.

It was a magical night for me and one of my very fondest memories. My first live show. Notice the ticket price - $5.00. Wow.

I love that I can pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with live shows. There was nothing like it. NOTHING. The music seriously came alive in a way that couldn't be captured over the radio or through vinyl.

It was live. And I was alive. And I was THERE.

That feeling has never left me. I have been to dozens of live shows since. And am never disappointed.

I recently took a Facebook quiz and was able to list over 50 acts that I had seen live, not counting stage, plays, and musicals.

The first two will always be Smokey and Stevie. It was one of those definining moments in my life. Who knew?

1. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. *
2. Stevie Wonder.
3. Chicago.
4. The Beach Boys. *
5. Glady Knight and the Pips.
6. The Temptations.
7. The Four Tops.
8. The Grateful Dead. *
9. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. *
10. The Moody Blues. *
11. Fleetwood Mac.
12. Rod Stewart.
13. Linda Rondstat.
14. Carole King.
15. James Taylor.
16. Barbra Streisand.
17. Tito Puente.
18. Oscar de Leon.
19. Celia Cruz. *
20. Willy Chirino. *
21. Marc Anthony.
22. The Tubes.
23. Elvis Costello.
24. KC & the Sunshine Band.
25. The Monkees.
26. Tower of Power.
27. Johnny and Edgar Winter.
28. Bruce Springstein. *
29. J. Geils Band. *
30. Peter Frampton.
31. Boz Scags.
32. Michael Jackson.
33. U2. *
34. Chayanne.
35. Alejandro Fernandez.
36. Jethro Tull.
37. Huey Lewis and the News.
38. The Doobie Brothers.
39. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. *
40. Van Morrison.
41 The Allman Bros.
42. The Rolling Stones.
44. Brian Wilson.
45. Paul McCartney.
46. Peter Gabriel.
47. Loggins & Messina. *
48. Julio Yglesias.
49. The Go-Go's.
50. Jimmy Buffett.
51. Andy Garcia.
52. Gloria Estefan. *
53. The Marshall Tucker Band.
54. Lynrd Skynrd.
55. Charlie Daniels Band.
56. The Who.
57. Stephen Stills.
58. Warren Zevon.
59. Junior Walker and the All-Stars.
60. The Rascals.

(NOTE: There are many more. I keep remembering a few more each day...)

Even now, the excitement and fun of a live concert or show still calls to me. Of all the fun things we do now, going to shows is still high up there on the list.

 

These are programs and tickets from just this summer.

Amy and I saw Dirty Dancing at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.

 

We have season tickets to the Orange County Performing Arts Center. This was for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

 

And of course, here we are in New York, on Broadway, waititng to see Wicked.

Las Vegas at the Wayne Brady Show.

Andy Garcia at the Conga Room.

David Copperfield at the Long Beach Arena.

 

Dana Carvey at the Orleans in Vegas.

 

We collected our favorite friends to accompany us to see Fiddler on the Roof (which coincidentally happened to fall on Lucy's birthday, but that's not important right now.) Go figure!

And of course, Disney's Electrical Parade.

 

We usually take the cheesy "I-was-there" photo. And even if it's blurry, we call it good. This was at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater where we saw the Pacific Symphony on their Rodgers and Hammerstein movie night.

 

That's us in all our Uber-Geeky glory.

We have passed on the love of the theater and live entertainment to our kids. In fact, we've taken to scouring ticket sales at the beginning of the summer to find the best deals.  (I know. Uber-geeks.)

But I was reminded that this is a love that started thirty nine years ago (today) in what was for me, a magical moment in time. And even though the ticket prices are way higher than $5.00(!) live theater and concert-going is still very much a part of my life and of my family's life.

And I have the ticket stubs and cheesy pictures to prove it. =D

Do you have a favorite concert or show? Do you remember your first one? Tell me about it. I want to know.

Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos or What Cuban Music Heaven Looks Like

We live about an hour south of Los Angeles. (That's how you calculate distances here in Southern California; by how long it takes you in traffic to get from one place to another.)

This is a wonderful thing because that means that we can go see shows in L.A. but not have to live there. See what I mean? Win-win. ;-)

And when summer begins the first thing we do is look to see who is in concert, because if there's anything we love, it's summer concerts. (Okay, we love any kind of a live show anytime of the year, but that's not important right now.)

Imagine my surprise and delight when Amy invited me to go see Andy Garcia and the CineSon All-Stars at the Conga Room in L.A. (Okay, let's just have a moment of silence in reverence. Thank you.)

Andy.
Andy Garcia.
Who has his own category on my blog because, well, he's Cuban and he's so cool. *Ay Dios mio!*

Here's Andy on cowbell.

And yes, I took this picture.

Notice how it's close-up.

How there are no heads in front of him obscuring the shot.

How it looks like it was taken from (where we were sitting) FIVE. FEET. AWAY.

Amy invited me to go because:
1) She enjoyed his music so much the last time she saw him and
2) I'm kind of a big fan. (I know. Total understatement. Shut up.)

So we got to the Conga Room early thinking we'd have to line up and maybe push some people around to get a good seat. Okay, not really, well, I may or may not have done that, but that's not important right now, either. =D

Anyway, relieved that we didn't have to manhandle anyone and because I lead a charmed life, we were able to get two seats IN THE FRONT ROW DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ANDY and where he would be bongo-ing and cowbell-ing and piano-ing for the next two and a half hours. (Shut up. I KNOW!)

The show was fabulous. If you have not heard the CineSon All-Stars do yourself a favor and get their music or better yet, go see them live.

I was seriously in Cuban Music Heaven.
Apparently, so was Andy. *sigh*

Of course we danced! When a Cuban conga starts, who can stay in their seat? Seriously!
And being in the first row gave us lots of room. =D

"Abre que voy!"

He played some of the hauntingly beautiful music from The Lost City.

And of course, a tribute to the Master, Cachao.

We had the BEST time.

We sang-along. We laughed. We danced. We clapped. We started the conga. (=D) We cheered for a Free Cuba.

Much to my everlasting delight, he winked at us and smiled at us and at one point even stuck his tongue out at us. (I know. Shut up. I'm guessing it was a purely defensive move: "I should be nice to those two noisy Cuban women in the front row directly in front of me, lest they get a little crazy.") =D

But do you know what kept going through my mind during the entire show?

Besides, "More cowbell, por favor!"...

This Cuban man should sooo have a copy of my cookbook!  ;-)

My Big, Fat, C...

A celebration of Cu...

By Marta M. Darby

Book Preview

I'm a fool. *sigh*

I know it's been a while since I've written anything, but I trust my first-born kept you entertained while I was gone. (thanks, Amy Kikita!)

I have so much to tell you that I don't know where to start....

Okay, so my husband Eric had to go to Las Vegas to work.  And because I can be opportunistic sometimes (=D) I invited myself along.  Since Adam didn't have to work, I invited him along to keep me company.

So, I mentioned this to my online/blog friend, Amy Arnaz, and she invited us to come visit her and Desi in Boulder City (not far from Vegas).  Yes, I realize the story is taking a kind of surreal turn here, but that's not important right now....

Which is how Adam and I found ourselves in Boulder City, Nevada at the Historic Boulder Theatre watching Miss Amy and her ballerinas rehearse for their upcoming performance of The Nutcracker. 

 

We were already delighted by the quaintness of the town and the theater, not to mention getting to watch a sneak peek of The Nutcracker Ballet, when we spot one of the tech guys adjusting the lights on-stage. 

"Adam, that's Desi!"

"No, Mom. That's a tech guy."

That was no ordinary tech guy.

I was right. It was my beloved Desi.  Desi Arnaz, Jr.

Amy brought him right over and introduced us. (be still my heart. *sigh*)

And okay, for like about 30 seconds I was a bit nervous, but then... we started talking....

Can I just tell you how funny, and smart and well-read this man is?  I kept forgetting he was the son of Lucy and Desi - okay, well, of course, I didn't forget forget.  It's just that I was so enjoying sharing stories with my new friend, Desi. 

We talked and talked and talked.  About how he and Amy met and how they ended up in Boulder City.  About how his parents met.  About life in their small town.

We talked about his paternal grandfather, whom I knew was kind of a legendary political figure in Cuba.  I remember my parents always telling the story that the elder Desiderio was the mayor of Santiago de Cuba, but that his intention was not to actually run for mayor, but he was so popular that he won as the write-in candidate. Isn't that awesome?

He told me about how his dad left Cuba and kind of accidentally ended up in show business.  I told him my own "how I left Cuba" story.  We talked about Cuba now and about going back there someday. He told me about the time he met Arturo Sandoval and yes, Andy Garcia!!!  (He brought it up. Surreal. Shut up. I know.)

Desi has a wonderful sense of humor and again, I almost forgot about who his parents were since we were talking about so many different subjects (okay, yes, I know they are probably the most famous TV icons EVER, but I got distracted, okay?) until....

He did a dead-on, wild-eyed impression of his dad with that distinctive accent.  Shut. Up.  It was crazy-awesome!

Just when I thought it just couldn't get any more surreal, his friend, Billy, stopped by.....

Mr. Billy Hinsche.  Of Dino, Desi and Billy fame, of course,  and who later played with the Beach Boys!! (who I went to see as often as they played in L.A. all through the 70's, but that's not important right now). 

 

If I had taken the time to fantasize about how my encounter with Desi might have panned out, I don't think I would have been clever enough to add "and then Billy drops by for a visit."  Again, another treat!

Picture me as a young tween seeing these adorable faces of Dino, Desi, and Billy for the first time singing their hit, "I'm a Fool" (I actually even owned this record and wore down the grooves from being over-played - I was TEN, okay??):

Aren't they just FREAKING ADORABLE???  Do you see what I'm talking about here?

Okay. Sorry. I know I'm babbling a little.  I was just so surprised and delighted to meet these guys and to find they were so.... accessible and well....just plain nice.  I had a total personal-time-warp moment when I realized if called upon I could totally sing "I'm a Fool" from memory, but that's not important right now, either. 

They have since re-grouped (and un-grouped) as Ricci, Desi, and Billy.

After many hugs and kisses(!) and lovely parting gifts (an autographed live cd - YAY! and chocolate. =D) we had to say goodbye.

 

I was genuinely sad to go.  I felt like I was leaving old friends "de vida" - you know?

Thank you to the lovely Miss Amy, for the invitation.

 

And thanks to Desi and Billy for making my visit so wonderful and memorable.
You guys are awesome! 

I like to call this photo: Marta, Desi, and Billy.  That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? ;-)

 

I spent the rest of the afternoon replaying our visit and conversation (while Adam and I wandered about Las Vegas) and thinking once again that I really do lead a charmed life and then just look who I ran into at Madame Tussaud's:

 

That's right. Desi's mom.  ;-)

The Obsession Continues . . .

Kikita here. I'm sure you are wondering why I've hijacked the blog so consistently this week . . . well, the first reason is because I've done so many cool things . . . Helloooo Andy! But the other reason is that Mami went to Vegas this weekend so she was busy getting ready for her mini-viaje. I'm sure that she will have some great posts when she gets back; in the meantime, the Andy obsession continues . . . ;-)

One of our faithful readers sent us some pictures of his kids trick-or-treating and gave me permission to share them with you . . . Yeah, I know what you're thinking, but you're going to love this!

Yes, that's George Lopez. In case you didn't know, we consider him cool because he's married to a Cubana. =D

That's not all. Here is the REAL "treat" . . .

Ladies and gentleman, ANDY GARCIA in full Cuban glory! Cigar and Drink in hand!
(no, we're not sure who the witch is other than very lucky to be in the presence of royalty)

George Lopez AND Andy Garcia! What a combo!

(Thanks for sharing, George! Will you take me with you next Halloween?)

Andy, we love you!

Andy Garcia is a golden god.

First, I'd like to apologize for waiting over 24 hours to post, but once you hear my excuse, I'm sure you will forgive me. This is Kikita and peer pressure still works on me. :-)

A few days ago, I received and email from our blogging buddy Ziva (from Blog for Cuba - a wonderful blog and an amazing woman, but that's not important right now). As it turns out, she had an extra ticket to go see . . . drumroll please . . . ANDY GARCIA & THE CINESON ALL STARS!!

Yes, our beloved Andy does more than just act! (Speaking of his acting, he's going to be in the new Pink Panther which is reason enough to see it, but that too is not important right now)

I was honored (that she would invite me) and excited beyond all reason. When it was the DAY OF, Mami called and asked if I would stop by the house on my way to Hollywood, she had something she wanted me to take . . .

I admit, I was worried Mami was going to give me a signed cookbook that I would have to give to Andy, but that was not it at all.

You see, her camera is broken and the only camera I have is the one from my phone . . . which does not take the best quality pictures. Mami knew I was embarking on a momentous adventure, that this was a big moment in my life (as it would be in anyone's) and all I had to document it was my silly little camera phone . . . so she had gone out and bought a new camera! Not a big and intense and serious one like hers, just a cute little digital thing, but Olympus nonetheless.

Which was perfect!

Yes, it was a dark, jazz club, but I still got pictures thanks to Mami's new camera.

Ok, Andy really is a golden god. He played the bongos, the cowbell, the harmonica, the piano . . . he sang, he danced . . . and all with an ecstatic expression on his face. He introduced every song and he knew it's history. It was great! Being the good Cubana I am, I recognized every song and then had a higher appreciation for each one after getting a history lesson from Andy.

They opened with "Descarga Cachao" in honor to the great musician who is not longer with us.

They did "Lagrimas Negras." They did . . . everything! Danzon, Rumba, Mambo. All the classics.

He was FUNNY too! He sat down at the piano and said, "I'd like to play a song I wrote for a little movie I did called 'The Lost City'" HA! Little? Que humilidad! :-)

This is so hard to blog about because I don't have the words to say what an amazing and fun experience this was.

The two things that I took away from it were:

1. I think Andy is really a musician who acts. (Instead of an actor who plays music.)

2. I LOVE BEING CUBAN! I LOVE CUBAN MUSIC.

 

And let me just take a moment to tell you about the company I was in . . .

Henry Agueros and Ziva Sahl. I got there a bit late (the traffic took me 2 & 1/2 hours this time - and yes, I took the 405), but when I arrived they caught me up on the conversation. We discussed Cuban music, Cubans today, Cuban politics, Cuban music, Cuban food (Henry actually asked if I was any good at cooking with such a famous cooking mom - "Claro que si!"). I felt so cool having real conversation with such intelligent and passionate people.

(Hey you two! If you ever need a third, I'm in! And Ziva, THANK YOU SO MUCH!)

After dinner as the music started, you know I couldn't sit still, so I was up and out of my sit and dancing in no time . . . meanwhile, I was trying to take pictures for Mami to see what she had missed. Then I did something REALLY cool because Andy was doing something really cool . . .

He did a tribute to Celia! And what a tribute!

The last song of the night was "una congita." Yeah, we totally started a conga line. Would you expect anything less?

I love you, Andy. *SIGH*

Cuban guys can COOK

My friend, Val (from Babalú blog) sent me the following story:

"Henry was at my house on Sunday for the Dolphins game and mentioned that he’s on a list serv for his graduating class at Belen. Basically, it’s a net  service where men from that class post links and communicate with each other.  Someone had mentioned on the list serv about Cuban food and missing pastelitos de guayaba as he lives up north somewhere where there’s no Cuban food and Henry posted your pastelito recipe to the list serv.
 
He says that a bunch of those guys – mind you, Cuban, professional men that have no idea what a kitchen is actually for – actually made the pastelitos and not only loved them, but found themselves talking about and trading “pastelito baking tips” on the list serv.

It's all your fault they're all acting kinda gay."

Then, Henry (also from Babalú blog) sent me the actual thread:

From: Henry Louis Gomez
Subject: Re: [belen87] Pastelito Recipe

Here's your quick and easy pastelito recipe courtesy of Marta Darby of Babalu Blog:
http://www.babalublog.com/archives/008056.html

From: RD
Subject: Re: [belen87] Pastelito Recipe

Thanks for the recipe - it looks totally do-able ( and I can get the Ancel Guayaba here...)  It is clearly a Cuban cook, with the manicure and the bracelets while she cooks.....
R

From: Henry Louis Gomez
Subject: Re: [belen87] Pastelito Recipe

Marta Darby is one of the sweetest people in the world.  She lives in California and thus she's had to become an expert in Cuban cooking just to be able to eat.

From: Jorge C.
Subject: Re: [belen87] Pastelito Recipe

Awesome recipe (I had to try it out).


From: RD
Subject: Re: [belen87] Pastelito Recipe

Boy, the tone of this list has taken a post-election turn.  
Now we're exchanging recipes....  
R

OMG!  Isn't that AWESOME???  I just about wept because I was laughing so hard picturing the Cuban men exchanging "pastelito baking tips."  And I especially LOVE that one of them included pictures of his final product!

(BTW, my pastelito recipe can be found here.)

But there's more... from Amy Arnaz upon receiving my cookbook:

"Desi saw it just now and loves it! Tomorrow I'll take the picture and send it to you.  There are a few recipes in there that his Dad always made and we never really knew how to make them."

(NOTE: emphasis mine. BTW, Mrs. Arnaz, who is a lovely ballerina, has a blog called Insights from the Magic Tutu. Go visit her and tell her Marta from MBFCF sent you.)

To me, those were the very BEST compliments I could receive.  I often say that I'm not a "foodie" or anything, I'm just Cuban and I cook.  My goal is to make easy, delicious, Cuban-tasting food.

If I can get people (that is, Cuban professional men!) to connect to their Cuban roots by way of their stomach I feel like I've done a good job.  That Desi Arnaz, Jr. is able to connect with memories of his Dad in this way "puts the lid on the jar" for me.

Which is why I'm framing this picture and putting it in my kitchen:

Desi Arnaz Jr. (*sigh*) enjoys MBFCF Cookbook.

Well, okay, that... and because he's still so dang ADORABLE!    (Hi Desi! Besitos!!)

I'm making baby-back ribs today using the pimentón I just received.
Get yourselves over to Babalú blog for some Costillitas de Martica.

And be sure to tell any Cuban guys you know that I have a cookbook. ;-)

My Big, Fat, C...

A celebration of Cu...

By Marta M. Darby

Book Preview

Now.... can anyone tell me how to get a hold of Andy Garcia??? (hint, hint)  =D

Guilty pleasure

We saw the following movie trailer recently and it looked cute and pretty funny.

After all, it's a Disney film and the trailer cracked me up...

Seriously, I was totally laughing out loud and thinking okay, maybe we'll see the film.
Or not.

In fact, I wasn't really tempted, until I read a synopsis that included the following:

"A German Shepherd named Delgado (voiced by Andy Garcia) saves her and reluctantly agrees to help the lost dog get found."

We are sooo there.  ;-)

(don't judge me.)

Speaking of Cuban heart-throbs...

Before there was Andy.... (insert heart flutter here)

There was Desi... (sigh)

That's right.  Desi Arnaz Jr.  (be still my foolish heart...)

Proud and handsome descendant of Cuban Royalty, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball (let's have a moment of reverent silence here - thank you). 

MY Desi. (heavy sigh) My First True Love. (in my 12 year-old mind, we were MFEO. "made for each other." =D)

THE Desi of my elaborate he's-Cuban-and-I'm-Cuban adolescent daydreams.  The would-be recipient of my Dear Desi letters (that I wrote only in the absolute privacy of my very personal pink-with-a-lock-on-it-we-all-had-one Diary, but that's not important right now).

Ah, Desi.... (heavy sigh.)

So imagine my surprise and delight when I received the following comment on one of my posts...

...............................................................................................................................................

Love, love, love your Big Fat Cuban Family blog. Found it by accident and can't wait to show it to Desi.
Muchas gracias!

Amy Arnaz

Posted by: Amy Arnaz (Mrs Desi Arnaz Jr)

..............................................................................................................................................

WHO??  And did she really say, "...can't wait to show it to Desi." ???

THE Desi?
MY Desi???

Feeling emboldened, I decided to send him a token of my unfailing love and devotion...

 

Sorry, Andy.  It had to be done. 

"The course of true love never did run smooth." 

~ Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

DISCLAIMER:  Just to let you know that I'm not as stalkery as all this sounds, I've exchanged emails with the lovely Mrs. Arnaz and she responded with the following:

"Yes, Marta, please blog me and also send the cookbook!  And autograph it
with kisses to Desi.  He'll love that!  He has taught me how to make alot of
Cuban dishes that he remembers from his father."

Emphasis is mine. And I am nothing if not obedient. ;-)

SHUT. UP!   =D

***ADDENDUM 10/7/08:

For the record, the Little Ricky seen on I Love Lucy is not the same person as Desi Arnaz Jr., although he is an incredible drummer in his own right - There is however, an amazing corrolation in their lives. Read that unbelievable story here.

It's not over yet...

I don't know if this is a general Cuban birthday custom or if it was just peculiar to our family, but on your birthday, you would display your opened gifts on your bed all day. I always liked that. You know, it made me feel special and celebrated and somehow made my birthday feel like an important milestone.  Even if there was no party, seeing the gifts displayed together always gave me the feeling that today is something special. In fact, I continue to follow the tradition with my kids.

How it works is that on your birthday as you receive and open gifts, you immediately place them on your bed (which was beautifully and perfectly made, at least for this day!) in a wonderful display of abundance and celebration of your family's generosity. Isn't that cool? Plus it gave you a ready-made birthday show-and-tell venue which added a bit of theatricality to the day. "This is from ........"

I continued to enjoy the Birthday Bed Display myself until I got married. It's a little trickier because well (ahem) I share a bed now.  But because I still like the tradition of keeping birthday gifts on display, I went with another option - the hutch.


Check out my birthday stash! (and guess who's going to be having an Andy Garcia/Ocean's 11, 12, & 13 film festival VERY soon, but that's not important right now. =D)

Anyway, except for the tulips (thanks, Michelle!) my birthday gifts are still on display on my hutch.
I know. I'm not being lazy or anything (which of course, is entirely possible, but not true in this case) it's just that I'm still trying to drag out this birthday celebration thing for the entire month...

.....which means I get to celebrate for one more day. ;-)

The category is "Andy Garcia"

Have I mentioned how we are serious game players?

Serious.

We love any kind of game, really, but trivia games are our special favorites.

Lucy got a fabulous Electronic Catch Phrase game for Christmas and we've already chewed through a pair of double-A's.

Serious.

We have a family reputation as serious game players, too.  And a lot of the time my brain seems to be as slow as molasses and I cannot think clearly at all, but sometimes I have moments.

Take, for example the following true story:

The phone rings and it's one of Adam's 22 year old friends and he wants to talk to me. . .

Me: "Hello?"

Young Man: "Drew Barrymore."

Me:  "Drew Barrymore was in Riding in Cars with Boys with Steve Zahn, who was in That Thing You Do with Tom Hanks, who was in Apollo 13 with Kevin Bacon (taking a deep breath before I continue) . . .  and Kevin Bacon was in The Air I Breathe with Andy Garcia, and I only mention that because I have a blog category for Andy Garcia, and I think this is a really funny moment and I want to blog about it, and by mentioning Andy Garcia this gives me a category to put this conversation into, but that's not important right now." =D

Young Man: "Wow. You ROCK!"

Sometimes I seriously do.  ;-)

Yes, that's Andy Garcia in our family home movie. =D

It's a week before Christmas and I find this taped to my studio door.  What on earth. . .?

Oh yes, it's crunch time.

You see we (Amy, Lucy and I) make a Christmas film every year.  We take all our home movies and set them to music and cut the clips together and give it a fun title and ta-da! it becomes a family keepsake.  Okay, so the process is a bit more complicated than that.

The movie making branch of our family is Cucufate Pictures. (it's just us, but it sounds cool, doesn't it?)  And really Amy is the glue that holds this movie crew together.  She's just amazing at taking home movies and turning them into a thing of beauty.  Lucy is her loyal sidekick hero support.  I just try to push my weight around and get them to employ my suggestions - for that they let me call myself the Director. (I like that. It makes me sound taller, somehow. . .)

We're in full Christmas video making mode now.  Yes, we're ready for Christmas otherwise, but we Must. Have. The. Video.  The rest of my big fat Cuban family is expecting it and we don't want to disappoint.

So the girls have been working feverishly on this year's production and it's going to be amazing (as usual).

I thought it would be fun to add a few of the segments to my blog this week for your holiday blog viewing pleasure.  (and so you can ooh and aah about how talented my girls are and how fun my family is. =D)

Amy cut together this sweet piece showing the men in our family at various ages and the title of the home movie they appeared in.  It's just an extra added bonus that Andy Garcia just happens to be a part of this clip. (Yes, I had to lean on her a little.  You'll find that under my job description as The Director. ;-)

Enjoy!

We didn't even get sANDY. ;-)

So stinking hot here!

It was really even too hot to think about fighting the crowds and Labor Day weekend traffic to get to the beach. I know. I can still barely believe I'd give up a beach day...

But we cranked up the a/c and made it a point to move as little as possible.

We just hung out and read and watched a movie.

Ocean's Twelve.

That's right. The one with Andy Garcia and . . . those other guys. ;-)

Because it was just too stinking hot. 

And Andy's just sooo darn cool. =D

Yes, I think it will come in hANDY. =D

Eric went to the doctor the other day and brought this complimentary Web MD magazine home for me.

Yes, that's Andy Garcia on the cover.

And I'll bet the article was really interesting.

I don't know.

Because there were pictures, too. [sigh]

;-)