For those of you loyal readers, by know you've figured out that almost every Mother's Day, we (the children of MBFCF) have proudly hijacked our mom's blog with some adorable photos and commentary about how much we love and adore our mom.
My mom just recently celebrated her 101st birthday. (It's still weird to say that.)
As people do when they get older, she repeats stories that she particularly likes or maybe it's that the memory gets fresher as time passes. Either way, as her birthday approached, she would tell the story of her 15th birthday.
In Cuba, as in other spanish-language countries, the 15th birthday is a Big Deal. It's the quinceañera, people!
For her 15th birthday, which she celebrated in 1929, she received a few gifts from her mother and great aunts. This day might have been lost down the memory hole, but for the other gift that she received that day, which was this photograph.
Her gifts were that beautiful Spanish Comb in her hair and the mantilla she's wearing. She also remembers vividly one of her aunts making her a big jar of delicious homemade mayonnaise.
This is the memory that stops her in her tracks. She gets this dreamy look on her face as she time travels back to the taste of The Best, Most Delicious Homemade Mayonnaise. It was made with olive oil and eggs and a squeeze of lemon and apparently it was to die for.
I've heard the Quinceañera and Mayonnaise story a million times. And as we were approaching her 101st birthday, I was at a loss for what to get her as a gift. I wanted it to be special.
Wait. What if I made homemade mayonnaise?
Yes. Perfect.
I wanted to make it simple, but I wanted the flavor to be exquisite. It's a simple process, but it's also a science experiment that can quickly go wrong if the ingredients don't emulsify well.
Luza's Homemade Mayonnaise
INGREDIENTS
1 egg yolk (at room temperature - very important!)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (I went with a Meyer lemon for color and flavor)
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon mustard
1 cup olive oil (I used garlic infused avocado oil for a lighter flavor)
Salt to taste (I like kosher salt)
Container for the mayonnaise, preferably with a top, like a mason jar
Directions
1) Place egg yolk, lemon juice, water, and mustard in jar.
2) Slowly pour over olive oil and gently whisk together. I used a whisk at the beginning, but traded up to an immersion blender towards the end.
What you're looking for is for the emulsification which is a fancy word for "when it thickens up."
3) Season with kosher salt to taste. Can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 weeks.
NOTE: It came out that dark yellow color because I used a Meyer lemon and organic egg yolks which tend to have more color. The taste was worth it.
Full disclosure: The unthinkable happened. It didn't emulsify on the first round.
I HAD BROKEN THE MAYONNAISE! I collapsed into a defeated mess. After all that careful choosing of the perfect ingredients and careful blending, I had failed. *sigh*
Thank goodness for Google, my self-esteem (and the mayonnaise) were not beyond repair.
Here's a tip: If your mayonnaise doesn't emulsify, get another clean bowl into which you add 2 room temperature egg yolks and a teaspoon of cold water.
Now, add your broken mayonnaise to that and blend away. At this point I used the immersion blender because I was starting to feel a little superstitious, but that's not important right now.
Hallelujah! It worked!
My mom loved it. She was thrilled that I remembered the story. (Which, of course, was easy, because she's told it a bizzillion times, but that's not important right now.)
The party was a great success as we celebrated her 101 years on this earth. She was surrounded by those she loves most and it was a super happy day.
Are you looking for a perfect gift for your 101 year old parent? May I suggest a jar of homemade mayonnaise?
I keep repeating it to myself and to anyone who will listen.
"My mom is one-hundred-and-one."
It's not the number of years that strikes me as odd. It's the amount of life still left in her at 101.
"My mom is one-hundred-and-one."
I try to explain to people what she is like. What it's like to have a 101 year old mother. But it doesn't quite translate. Because my mom is A Character.
She still (at 101!) has a great sense of humor.
The following photos were taken at my house on Nochebuena, just two short months ago. I wanted to make sure I had photos of my mom with all of her grandchildren. Because posterity.
I tried to get them to pose portraity-style. Because their grandmother is 101, after all.
But it's Luza.
"Make the ooh face, Abuela."
No portraits for her. *sigh*
And they love her for it.
She's 101, people. (Maybe if I keep repeating it, it will sink it.)
She certainly doesn't act her age. But I don't know if that's right, because I don't know anyone else who's 101.
But I suspect that the secret to her longevity is held in these pictures of her with the ones she loves most. The not-portraity, make-this-face, smile-don't-smile, wear-this-hat photos.
She's one-hundred-and-one.
And refuses to grow up.
"My mom is one-hundred-and-one."
And she genuinely knows how to squeeze every ounce of fun out of life.
I sat down at my computer 8 years ago today and started crafting my very first blog post. I wasn't quite sure exactly who I was writing for, but I tentatively introduced myself and my family to cyber-space.
I crossed my fingers and hoped that maybe somehow, some way, someone out there would read the stories about my extraordinarily ordinary life and maybe enjoy what I had to say.
I was homeschooling both Lucy and Jonathan at the time and started over sharing about what our days were like. I reminisced about my childhood in Cuba. I posted photos. I told my tales of growing up Cuban and wondered if they were just going out into the ether.
I decided early on to write to please myself. Not trying to sound self-serving here, but writing about my life and the things I care about is a very personal and vulnerable process. Also, I have a tendency to crack myself up, but that's not important right now.
To date I've written over 1400 posts and have had almost 2 million visitors. (GUAT?) Obviously, someone out there has indeed found me (or they just keep forgetting to write down my picadillo recipe).
And oh-so-much has happened in my life these past 8 years. I'm so glad to have had a place to document the little things and the Very Big Ones. And I'm grateful to all of you for following along. This has been such a cathartic experience for me. Would you believe me if I told you that at first I was very much afraid? (Obviously, I'm over it now.)
My family has been truly amazing these past years for putting up with me as their lives have been so publicly showcased, without a word of complaint. And of course, you know that I now have a grandson, so the over sharing will very likely reach stratospheric levels. Be prepared.
Please join me today as I celebrate 8 Years in the Blogosphere. (<--is that a word?)
There are times I do better at self-disclosure than others. There are times when my real life gets so busy that my cyber-life has to take a back seat. But I have always enjoyed the process of sitting down to the empty page and hoping what I have to over share amuses, entertains, enriches, inspires, or just makes you think.
I'm grateful to those of you who have been faithful readers for these many years. I'm delighted to have found an audience, who, like me, are lovers-of-all-things-Cuban or you're just my friends and are gracious enough to read my stuff. Thanks, guys!
I hope to be over sharing (si Dios quiere) for many more years.
Hey! According to Dictionary.com, "blogosphere" is totally a word. So there's that.
Here's a quick photo recap of the cyber-celebrations of previous years. Also, I really want you to appreciate the whole I-made-a-custom-magazine-cover thing I do every year.
Last year I even managed to create a celebratory video. And, okay, so I didn't do one this year, but I totally wanted to. (Shut up. I know.)
And because I can't just celebrate and not give you anything (I think that's a Cuban thing), in celebration of my 8 years here in this space, I'd like to do a few giveaways in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
Today, I'd like to do a giveaway for 3 (three!) of my Comida Cubana (Cuban Food) Posters. I have one hanging in my kitchen and it makes me super happy (and super motivated to cook) every single day.
It's a beautiful 16x20 poster with all of my favorite Cuban foods, suitable for framing. Fabulous, no?
To enter the drawing for a chance to win one of three Comida Cubana Posters, please leave a comment on this post and answer the following question:
When and how did you find My big, fat, Cuban family?
I'll choose a winner on Friday, October 3rd, 2014 at 11 am PST.
Thanks for reading and for putting up with my over sharing and being so willing to engage in my "relajo"
I hope you're not yet tired of hearing about how my mom celebrated her 100th birthday because I have so much more to share. But of course, reaching 100 is kind of a big deal, isn't it?
My sisters and I had spent weeks preparing for the event and keeping our fingers crossed that the weather would hold up. (It's been getting stupid-cold in the afternoons lately.) The weather was Southern California at its most gorgeous. (Thank you, God.)
Luza thought it would be a mellow afternoon gathering with just the local family, but friends and family traveled for the party. This was the look on her face time and time again as each new person walked in and surprised her.
Can I just tell you that it's kind of a sketchy thing surprising a 100 year old, but I know my mom is healthy and strong and she was just delighted to see so many people that she wasn't expecting. In they came, one after the other, wishing her a Happy Birthday. I'm so grateful that she is so beautifully in her right mind (most of the time). It was glorious watching her greet each guest with recognition. What a gift.
One of the highlights of the day was the 100 piñata. It was bigger than life as a 100 year piñata should be. No, we didn't fill it and break it. We just moved it around and appreciated the awesome.
Left to right, back row: Helen (71), Rudy (68), Ofelia (73), Marta (58). Front row: Miriam (64), Luza (100), Alina (60). That's a lot of collective years, people.
We had, as promised Italian food for lunch. Lasagna, Mac & Cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, but then we also had plantains. (Damn Cubans!)
Desserts were many and varied, with two cakes and lots of cupcakes. Also, we opted out of trying to light 100 candles. (Call me lazy.)
For the decorations, I hung some banners. You may recall I really got into hanging words at Christmas time? I made two banners. The first said, Happy 100 Luza! I didn't want it to just say Happy Birthday, because, well, you can say that to anyone at any birthday party, but that's not important right now.
The other was made from photos of my mom through the years. I was quite pleased with the results.
My niece very cleverly created these cool jam labels. Talk about awesome party favors. They were quite the hit.
The day ended as we sang "Japi Bersdei" and she blew out her candles and we toasted her good health and long life.
So sweet and oh, so satisfying. Happy Birthday, Luza! Y muchos mas...
As many of you know, yesterday we celebrated my mom, Luza's 100th birthday. Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes. I printed them all out and they're going in her newest scrapbook, but that's not important right now.
When you reach a certain age, in this case, 100 years, people often ask, "So, what's your secret?"
The question they're really asking, I think, is, "What did you do to get here?"
I can't answer that for other people, but I can tell you that the secret to my mom's long and healthy life are not the things she did, but the things she did notdo.
1. She never worked outside of her home.
My dad was always the breadwinner. She went from her parents' home to becoming his bride. She was exclusively a wife and mother and eventually, a grandmother. My siblings and I continue to take care of her.
2. She never drove a car.
My dad, and as we got our drivers licenses, all of us drove her wherever she wanted or needed to go.
3. She was never bitter about the past.
Her life changed radically and completely when we came here to the U.S. She lost the only country and language she had ever known. She never saw her mother again. She left her home and wealth to start over in this new country with a family of 6 kids. She was 47 years old.
4. She did not stop reading.
She still reads voraciously and has two or three novels going at once. She also enjoys the occasional self-help book. Go figure.
5. She didn't lose her faith.
Communism took over our island home and with it, came the destruction of the church. She continues to read her bible every single day. The readings go like this - 1 chapter New Testament, 1 chapter Old Testament, 1 Psalm, 1 Proverbs. On this schedule, she reads her bible cover to cover every year. And it shows.
6. She has never stopped learning.
Because she's such a voracious reader, she likes to clip articles from magazines and newspapers (in Spanish, of course). She likes to learn fun facts about the nations competing in the Olympics. She collects inspirational quotes. She can have an intelligent conversation about what's happening in the world and politics. She has voted in every U.S. election since she became an American citizen.
7. She won't stop making plans.
Of course, it's been years since she has been able to work on any projects herself, but that hasn't stopped her from clipping decorating ideas from magazines, or making plans to add flowers to her garden. Even when I'm the one hosting the party, she will always offer an idea that she has found. Also, she keeps scrapbooks. She has dozens of them full of the things that she finds cute, or useful, or memorable. She works diligently on these all the time.
8. She doesn't worry about her phone bill.
She is still in touch with her siblings in Cuba and our first next door neighbor when we first arrived in the U.S. She calls many of her old friends (some that she knew from summers in the late 50's from Varadero Beach) regularly.
9. She didn't stop taking care of herself.
She still regularly colors her hair, goes to the beauty parlor, paints her nails, wears perfume, and of course, wears lipstick. Even if no one is visiting that day and even if she's not going anywhere, she gets dressed and grooms herself every day.
10. She never despaired.
She had to start her life over in mid-life, and true to the Cuban character, she made jokes about it. She raised a family in a new and foreign culture. She was always of the "Where There's Life, There's Hope" camp and that's how she has lived her life.
My indomitable mother is 100 years old young. Maybe it's time to make my own not-to-do list.
We're getting ready to celebrate my mom, Luza's 100th birthday in another week. And of course, as we're trying to put this thing together, we've tried to include her in as many decisions as possible.
She doesn't care much about the decorations, she says. She trusts us with those, as long as they are bright, not just one color, but all the spring colors, but no red and absolutely no black. Oh, and flowers. Lots of flowers. (So much for the trusting us part... but that's not important right now.)
There are two other things that she has a very strong opinion about.
1) Send an invitation to every single person in her address book. This was a no-brainer and obvious to us, of course. The interesting part is that the names in her address book ranged from her first neighbor in Miami back when we first arrived in the U.S. back in 1961 to her old ESL classmates from the 70's. *shaking my head*
2) When we asked if she had a preference for the food we'd be serving, she said, "Yes, I want it to be Italian."
This second feature comes up randomly and at the most bizarre moments. Of course, there's a back story...
The Random Italian Thing
When she was growing up in the Cuban port town of Manatí (read some of that story here), the big cargo ships would come in to load Cuban's main export, which was sugar and they would unload whatever import happened to be coming from Italy (of all places). It was the Italians that captured her imagination. They were from a far away place called, Napoli, and they sang songs, like "Oh, Marie," and talked in accents and fascinated the residents of Manatí, particularly the children.
Apparently the entire family was enthralled with the Italian Thing. My grandmother, Osmunda (as my mom tells the story) learned to cook the most amazing macaroni. And every now and then, as happens to all of us, the craving for the food that her mom cooked overwhelms her.
So, the menu for the party is Italian with a Cuban spin.
In honor of that, I'd love to share this recipe for the most delicious Mac and Cheese. It's pretty simple and in fact, I did a test run the day of the Super Bowl Big Game and it was a hit with everyone. My grandmother, Osmunda's secret was to use chicken broth to cook the pasta and then make it in a flat pan so that every bite has cheese and crunch. I promise you will love.
In honor of Luza's 100th Birthday and the Random Italian Thing, I give you...
Flat Pan Mac and Cheese (estilo Osmunda)
3/4 pound elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (you'll be dividing it up)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups whole milk (must be whole for the best texture)
5 cups chicken broth (divided)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 oz bread crumbs. (I use fresh bread and make crumbs with my food processor. This gives it a fresher
taste.)
1 medium bunch of fresh parsley
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup Fresh Mozzarella, diced into small cubes (8 oz)
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt.
Boil macaroni for about 5 minutes. You want it "al dente." Drain. Do not rinse. Set aside.
In the same large pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.
Add flour, whisking constantly for about a minute. Add milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly.
Bring to boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer until mixture begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Note: It won't get too thick, but it should coat the spoon.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Measure 3 cups of breadcrumbs (Pulse bread in food processor to make crumbs or use packaged crumbs) and place in a mixing bowl.
Add parsley and garlic to food processor. Pulse until fine, then add to bowl with breadcrumbs. Season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Pour butter over top and mix with spatula until combined.
In a large mixing bowl, toss macaroni with grated the grated Parmesan — it's ok if the noodles are sticking together.
Pour the milk mixture (bechamel) over the top of the noodles. They should come apart easily now.
Line a long, flat, jelly roll pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Spread macaroni mixture over top.
Distribute the diced mozzarella cubes over top. Scatter breadcrumb mixture evenly over top of those. You can add any other toppings that make you happy at this point. I like it as is.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is golden and the macaroni is bubbling. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Also, it's not too late if you would like to send my mom a Happy 100th Birthday Greeting. Click here and feel free to leave your good wishes in the comment section.
My mom, Luza, of Cuco and Yayo fame, will be celebrating her 100th birthday in a few weeks.
100.
A century.
If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that she gives me some of my best material. She's still pretty funny and with it. And I appreciate that you've all come to know and love her.
We're going to be celebrating, of course. That's what we do best. She's very excited about her party, too.
I'd love it if you would join us in wishing Luza a Happy 100th Birthday.
Please leave a comment here on this post with your good wishes. I'm going to be compiling all the greetings into a book to be presented to her on the actual day, Sunday, February 23rd.
She reads in both English and Spanish, so send your greeting in the language that is most comfortable for you.
Also, she loves stuff like this.
Gracias.
In case you haven't seen this already, please enjoy my mom (back when she was only 96!) explaining how the internet search engines work.
{Disclosure: I received the shirts as described below in order to review them. I did not otherwise receive any compensation for writing this post.}
A "guayabera," for the uninformed, is a beautiful linen shirt with two stripes of tiny pin-tucks and four large pockets. It has decorative buttons and a straight bottom as it was designed to be worn untucked. It is the iconic dress item for men in many Latin American countries. I've heard it called a "Mexican wedding shirt," however, historical evidence suggests that the guayabera shirt originated in 18th century Cuba.
All my life, for as far back as I can remember, (and that's a really long time, people!) all the Cuban men I have ever known have worn guayaberas.
It is the iconically beautiful Cuban shirt worn by iconically handsome Cuban men. It is as God intended.
My Cuban Store graciously provided these gorgeous guayaberas for me to review. (Well, technically, for my guys to wear and review, but that's not important right now.)
Although the original guayaberas are white or light, today you can find them in a wonderful plethora of colors and styles. Coincidentally, the men in my family come in a plethora, too.
Brace yourself for the awesome...
My handsome men in their new guayaberas from My Cuban Store. You're speechless right now, aren't you?
*puts on her best Runway Announcer Voice*
My husband, Eric on the left is wearing a gorgeous black linen Men's Long- Sleeved Guayabera. He has already worn this to the office and gotten many compliments. Someone actually said, "Pretty fly for a white guy." (I know. 1998 called. They want the use of the word, "fly" back.)
Adam is looking handsome in the beautifully detailed Deluxe French Cuff Fitted Lavender Guayabera. The soft lavender color brings out his striking blue eyes. The guayabera style brings out his Cubanity. (<--is that a word?)
There's something magical about the guayabera. It looks fabulous on multiple body types. And it evokes an air of mystery and Caribbean charm. The guys carry themselves differently when they're wearing them. It is as if the beauty and mystique of the tropics becomes a part of them the moment they put the shirts on.
Jonathan, on the right, is rocking the Short Sleeved Navy Guayabera. He's wearing it all the time now. Seriously. All. The. Time. And he's speaking with a slight Cuban accent when he wears it. And he's started calling me "Mami."
Oh, guayabera, you've cast quite a spell around here.
Jon: (in a Cuban accent) "Papi, look at me in all my Cubanity." (<--it should be a real word.)
Eric: (to himself) "Did my son just call me Papi??"
Thank you, My Cuban Store, for your contribution to my family's Cubanity. (<--it should totally be a word.) My guys love their shirts and they look beautiful in them.
I'm looking at my calendar and it's already the 8th day of 2014. I was planning on taking a few days off at the beginning of the year and wow, did they go by quickly!
Come to think of it, 2013 feels like it went by pretty quickly also. Is it just me, or is this one of those things people tend to repeat a lot as they get old? Shut up. Don't even say it!
This past year has been quite eventful in lots of ways, which makes me happy that I blog (and scrapbook) because I would otherwise forget the thoughts and events and conversations I've had this past year. I know. There's that getting old thing again. Stop it.
Here are the top posts for each month of 2013. (Time is seriously flying, isn't it?)
2. #LookAtMyFood in which I continue to overshare what exactly I had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner via Instagram. (Also, if you don't already, you should follow me. I'm Smrtqbn.) I'm really very good about sharing my food.
3. Cuban Word of the Day - in which I share my delight at being honored by the wonderful artists from Wassup En LA? in their Cuban Word of the Day segment. (Technically it was 3 words - Pastelitos de Guayaba - but that's not important right now.)
4. 99 Red Balloons in which I share how we celebrated my mom, Luza's 99th birthday. Cute video attached to that post, too.
5. Ahora Sí! in which I tell about the night I finally got to meet Andy Garcia. (I know. I still can't believe it. Pinch me!)
6. Hello, Outdoor Movie Nights - in which I list all the great movies we have to choose from for our Summer Backyard Movie Theater. Also, it always marks the official beginning to our summer. And this pleases me greatly.
7. "If you build it..." - in which I celebrate the wonderful farmhouse table that my kids built for me.
8. Hurry up...and wait - in which I tell the story of Jonathan's first acting job in a feature film. (Now that I told you, I'll probably have to kill you.)
10. My Big, Fat, FROZEN, Cuban family - in which I gush (yes, there's gushing) about my day at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and the making of the animated feature, FROZEN. Also, the Disney Animators made me a personal video which totally put me over the edge.
11. ALL the Picadillo at the Blurb Books Food Fair in which I share about my visit to San Francisco and how I got to cook for lots of hungry book buyers. Also, there's a very cool video they did about me and my picadillo.
12. Cuban Picadillo Pies® - in which I developed a new and fun way to eat and share picadillo. (<--also, what a weird descriptive sentence that was!)
Thanks to all of you who have been faithfully following MBFCF for all these years or who have just found me in the last year. I write this blog mostly for myself, so it genuinely pleases me when you respond so generously to my over-sharing.
Also, did the year just fly by for you, too? (I know. Old. Shut up.)
Today in our home, we've hit a milestone. There are no longer any children here.
Jonathan, my youngest is 18 years old and officially an adult.
I'm so grateful that because I've been blogging for the past 7 years our lives are pretty well documented.
I know everyone has a shoebox or ten full of photos. And I am actually pretty diligent about getting those photos into scrapbooks and telling our stories. Because the time really does go by in the blink of an eye.
Here are my blog posts on December 30th for the past 7 years with their corresponding photos. Can it be possible that so much change has happened right under my very nose?
I am a Cuban mother. And I cook. I love that I get asked to cook at different foodie-type events. See here. I always love doing those.
But the real story is that I basically like to eat Cuban food, so I cook it. And I have a family to feed, so they appreciate that I cook. Also, I really enjoy oversharing, hence this whole blog thing. So, in a nutshell, I cook Cuban and I share my food and I write about making and sharing Cuban food.
I know that not everyone wants to print out every single recipe I have (and, believe me, it's all really good), so I've collected my favorite recipes along with the stories that go with them into a you-can-actually-hold-it-in-your-hand cookbook.
I self-published my first collection of recipes and called it My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook through Blurb Books. I have made other personal books with Blurb and the quality is always wonderful. Publishing with them was a fabulous experience. I highly recommend them. Also, you should totally get my cookbook!
Last month, Blurb hosted a group of us foodie/cookbook/bookmakers for the Blurb Book Bash in San Francisco.
When I arrived at the Blurb offices I met the photo and video crew who would be filming me all day and can I just tell you that I fell in love immediately. Plus, they totally made me feel comfortable in front of the camera. I felt like I was just telling my story to friends.
Let me give a shout out right here to the fabulously talented folks at TR Proz for the gorgeous photos and video. You made me look so legit. (They also very kindly mentioned me on their blog. Thanks, guys!)
I cooked picadillo, people. Lots of it. Which meant lots of sofrito and lots of meat and lots of my favorite spices. Look at me go! I was a picadillo-cooking fool!
ON A SEMI-RELATED, BUT TANGENTAL SIDE NOTE: My eyes disappear when I smile or laugh. It has been like this my entire life. I still remember school photographers telling me to smile and then scolding me for closing my eyes. "No! They're open! I promise you!" These guys just let me be me. I'm so grateful for that.
Look at ALL the picadillo.
This beautiful video will give you a feel for how much fabulous food and fun was to be had at the Blurb Book Bash. (Look for your favorite Cuban Food Blogger at about the 17 second mark.)
These talented folks followed me around all day with all kinds of cameras like I was "somebody." (It was kind of surreal and totally awesome all at once.) The other author/foodie/bookmaker people who were also featured were quite talented and I was humbled to be included in this amazing group.
They interviewed me. I like to talk anyway, but let me tell you that it's weird seeing yourself talking (so much!) on camera. And I knew that I talked with my hands, but wow! I didn't know I was so....what's the word? Expressive.
I explained how much I love my Cuban culture and how I've tried to pass that on to my kids via our music, our language and of course, our food. I shared how family and food have always been intertwined for me. I talked (and demonstrated) the beauty of a perfect sofrito.
I'll be completely honest here, I was nervous about how I would come across on video, but you know what? This is me. This is how I look and how I sound. (Also, I was having a really fantastic curly-girl hair day, but that's not important right now.)
So here's Marta Darby, Cuban Cook. Unplugged.
Of course, the video happens to catch my weirdest face for the still. *sigh* So, I'm not quite ready for the Food Network, but then....maybe they're not quite ready for me.
Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts. Be kind.
I hope you're enjoying the week long celebration of My Big, Fat, Cuban Family being here on the web for 7 years now. I'm so seriously delighted with the generosity of my sponsors and I'm grateful to all my Cuban cubiches who are helping me celebrate by offering such fun prizes.
La Llave is my husband's absolute favorite espresso. In fact, (warning! over-share alert!) he makes happy, yummy sounds pretty much every single morning as he's having his La Llave. This, of course, pleases me greatly. I love that such a simple thing makes him happy.
I further love that he's embraced this part of my Cuban heritage.
This is Eric happily supervising the vacuum packing of the La Llave coffee on the Gaviña tour.
"Mas café, por favor!"
He says it with an almost flawless accent. It reminds me of my dad and I feel a catch in my throat. My husband happily drinks his La Llave from one of these gorgeous little cups every day. His wife sits in wonder at the continuity in her life.
My good friends at Gaviña & Sons Coffee have graciously agreed to sponsor a La Llave Cuban Coffee Basket for today's giveaway, which includes those same awesome La Llave "tacitas."
Isn't it fabulous?
MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #5
The Cafe La Llave Cuban Coffee Basket consists of the following:
2- 10oz. Cafe La Llave espresso bricks
1- 8.8oz. Cafe La Llave decaf. espresso brick
4- 1.75oz. Cafe La Llave espresso samples
4- "tacitas" - demitasse cups and saucers
1) To enter this drawing for this beautiful Cafe La Llave Cuban Coffee Basket, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or both of the following questions:
Do you drink espresso? How often?
Do you like it sweet? With milk? Latte? Cappuccino? Tell me.
Please leave your comment on this post and I'll choose a winner on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11am PST.
2) For an extra entry, please go "like" Cafe La Llave on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:
"I like Cafe La Llave!"
So that's not one, but two entries. De nada.
Also, please let them know
that Marta from My Big, Fat, Cuban Family sent you. It doesn't make any difference to how I choose the winner. I just want them to know you are reading
about it here, but that's not important right now.
Today's lesson in Cuban culture comes to you directly from Miami from my friend, Elena Santayana. Last year Elena was kind enough to share her family's "coming to America" story here on My Big, Fat, Cuban Family. Her family owns the beautiful jewelry store of the same name. Santayana Jewelers in Miami.
The azabache is a black onyx stone. Cleaned and polished and attached to a pin of some sort. The unassuming azabache is the grand protector of all Cuban babies from untold evils.
There were two things that every Cuban child was practically born with: Violetas cologne and an azabache.
The Violetas is a light cologne scented with violets. I am venturing to guess that there is not one Cuban child in my family who was deprived of smelling deliciously of violets, but that's not important right now.
Also mandatory for every Cuban kid, was the azabache. It's the only thing that can protect from jealousy, the evil eye, and all sorts of untold calamaties brought on by strangers glancing sideways at you as they pass by.
As Santayana says, "The azabache...keeping you safe on the playground since 1978..."
Today's very Cuban offering for MBFCF Giveaway Week is generously sponsored by Santayana Jewelers.
And it is.....you guessed it - An azabache!
Not just any pedestrian azabache, either. It's a Santayana exclusive design - an authentic silver azabache pendant on a leather and silver Chamilia bracelet.
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win this gorgeous Leather Bracelet and Azabache charm from Santayana Jewelers and please answer one or both of the following questions:
Did you have an azabache pinned to you as a baby?
Did you pin one on your own kids - por si acaso? (I know you did. Confess.)
NOTE: Even if you're not Cuban and don't have the fantastic superstitions that we grew up with as part of your emotional baggage, please feel free to enter to win this beautiful bracelet. Just tell me anything about yourself as a child.
For an extra entry,, please go "like" Santayana Jewelers on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:
"I like Santayana Jewelers!"
So that's not one, but two chances to win.
I'll choose a winner at the end of MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway Week on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11 am, so you have all week to enter.
If you absolutely can't wait for a winner to be drawn next week and you want to go ahead and order your own Azabache Bracelet
immediately (take no chances with your health, people!), Santayana Jewelers is very graciously offering an online
promotion for My big, fat, Cuban family readers.*
*Santayana & MBFCF Promotion: $40 off your $150 purchase with the promo code MARTASENTME. (I feel sooo accidentally cool.)
I'm always happy when the Cuban community steps up when asked and they have not dissapointed so far.
There's a beautiful documentary called Cubamerican. There will be two screenings next week here in Los Angeles:
Friday October 11th at 7pm and 9pm • Gene Autry Museum, Los Angeles
From the Cubamerican site:
CUBAMERICAN is the stirring story of how the Cuban Revolution shattered
the Cuban family. Spanning the past 60 years of Cuban history, the film
evokes this tragedy and its universal themes of loss, freedom,
assimilation, struggle and triumph through the stories of Cuban exiles
that have achieved acclaim in diverse fields in the U.S.A. and beyond,
rendering a mosaic of a bittersweet exile experience. A pro-immigrant
story that grapples with the agony of displacement, contributes
rumination on the future of Cuba, and highlights the absolute need for
all of the world's people to be able to freely exercise their
fundamental human rights; CUBAMERICAN is an insightful and powerful
experience.
Today's giveaway is generously sponsored by Cubamerican The Movie. It's for my Los Angeles people, so if you know anyone who deserves the tickets in our West Coast community, please leave a comment on this post and submit their names.
The producers of Cubamerican, as a heartfelt thank you to the Cubamerican community, have offered two (2) tickets each to the following for the 7 pm. screening of Cubamerican at the Autry Museum on Friday October 11th.
A single mother/father who is an exemplary Cubamerican Mom/Dad.
An armed services veteran of war
An individual who risked their life for freedom.
Someone who is battling a life-threatening illness.
Someone who has made a difference in their community.
Leave a comment on this post with the name of the people you are nominating to enter. Leave as many names and reasons why as you think are deserving. Please answer one or all of the following questions:
What is the name of the person you're nominating.
Which of the 5 categories would they fall under and why?
Winners will be announced on Monday October 7th, 2013 at 11 am.
Also, this film will be screening very soon in in a city near you.
Back in March, I was privileged to be an eyewitness when television history was being made.
The pilot for Wassup En LA? was filmed before a live audience that included me and Eric. I originally got involved with the project after seeing an online pitch for a Kickstarter to fund it, which didn't work out, but technically, it did, because the person who became the Executive Producer on the project read about it right here on my blog and decided to jump into the fray, but that's not important right now. (I'm looking at you, SugarCube Productions.)
Notice my Varadero sign above the kitchen door. See? I'm totally the Cuban Props R Us.
Co-creators Rudolpho Zalez and Carlos de la Vega approached me about pulling together some Cuban props for the Diaz television home. I quickly started collecting stuff around my house and off my walls. Just call me Cuban Prop Mistress Deluxe. (Or maybe that could just be a cool band name.)
Here's a 60 second spot showing the highlights of that pilot episode.
When I was contemplating who I could reach out to so they could help me celebrate my 7th Year in the Blogosphere, my first thought was, Wassup En LA. They quickly and graciously agreed to be a sponsor and so without further ado....
MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #2:
Wassup En LA? Family Gift Pack
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a the WASSUP Family Gift Pack which includes:
Wassup en LA? jute gift bag
Wassup En LA? tshirt
Wassup En LA? hats,
Wassup En LA? mini Cuban cafetera (!!!)
Wassup En LA? tacita
Café Sol de Cuba
Conchita Guava Bites (I know. Shut up!)
Please leave a comment on this post and answer one or all of the following questions:
What is your favorite TV sitcom of all time?
If you were cast as a character in a Cuban American sitcom, what part would you play?
2) For an extra entry, please go "like" Wassup En LA? on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:
"I like Wassup En LA!"
So that's not one, but two entries apiece. You're welcome.
I'll choose the winners at the end of MBFCF Blogoversary Giveaway Week on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11 am.
Today marks my 7th anniversary here in this space. SEVEN.
My big, fat, Cuban family is 7 years old today. And so I'm celebrating. *fires off the confetti canon*
But first you have to sit through the usual recap of my 7 years in the Blogosphere. 7 years, people! I totally deserve a party. Or at least a recap. But before the 7 year recap, how about a celebratory video?
Yes, I think a video would be perfect. Enjoy!
Did you know I also have a YouTube Channel? I know. The over-sharing never ends.
Also, if you're following me on Instagram, you'd recognize that most of my life takes place at #CasaDeLaLoma. I'm Smrtqbn, by the way. (See what I did there?)
Year One. October 1st, 2007. I was delighted to have found my voice and an audience.
Year Two. October 1st, 2008. I was taking care of my family and sharing the stuff I had cooked. And people liked it. Who knew? I also wrote a cookbook that year, which gave me something to give away. And so the giving away commenced in earnest.
Year Three. October 1st, 2009. Three years? I was amazed that I had been able to keep at it for so long. And I fell in love with you, my readers. Always kind and ever gracious. I felt like I had won the lotto.
Year Four. October 1st, 2010. I could have graduated from an institution of higher learning with a degree. Bachelor's in Bloggology?
Year Five. October 1st, 2011. It was a rough year, filled with some physical challenges, but then I became the "little Cuban that could" and just kept right on writing. (<--That last bit took tremendous grammatical focus, as do most of my blog posts, but that's not important right now.)
Year Six. October 1st, 2012. Six years. Add lots of great experiences and some amazing blog-friends later, I was still standing. Seriously so much to celebrate.
Which brings us to today.
Year Seven. I am so very grateful that I get to write and you are still there, reading and sharing your lives with me. You get my sense of humor and you seem to enjoy my writing style.
I have met so many of you in person and I'm always amazed and humbled by your enthusiastic response to whatever silly things I'm up to. I enjoy hearing from you on Facebook and Twitter and (even if I don't respond right away) I love receiving your emails.
And yes, of course I'm going to get to the giveaway, but first I want to say thank you. I would not be doing this at all if it wasn't for my awesome online and (for some of you) now real life friends.
Thank you. From the bottom of my big, fat, Cuban heart. Seriously. Thank you.
You may have noticed that I've changed up the banner up on top there and added color. It makes me happy and I hope you'll enjoy the things I've got coming up this year.
I have so much to celebrate!
In fact, I'm going to be celebrating ALL WEEK. From today, October 1st, 2013 through October 7th, 2013.
Seven glorious days and seven fun-filled nights of celebrating that I've survived and possibly even thrived right here on the internet. For this next week I've lined up some wonderful Cuban friends that I've met because of my blog who have graciously agreed to sponsor some very cool giveaways every single day for the ENTIRE WEEK to celebrate
each of my SEVEN bloggy years.
I can officially call this MBFCF Giveaway Week! (7 days and all that...) Yay!
To kick things off - here's MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #1
My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook
An autographed copy of My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook. I know. Shut up.
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win my cookbook and please answer the following question:
When and how did you find My big, fat, Cuban family?
I'll choose a winner at the end of MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway Week on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11 am, so you have lots of time to enter.
I probably shouldn't make such a big deal about it, but I do. Family Dinners are super important to me.
It has nothing to do with surveys or statistics. Although statistics are on the side of regular family dinners for keeping families connected and eating well.
Family Dinners are kind of sacred around here.
Confession: I don't always cook Cuban. But I do cook a lot. And there are always vegetables and salads and lots of variety in the main dishes, although we're mostly unapologetic carnivores.
My rules are that 1) dinner must be delicious and 2) phones must be off. The exception to the turning-off-phone rule is that you may take photos of your food, and you may even Instagram it, which everyone knows is why God gave us smart phones.
I know the Family Dinner thing is hopelessly old-fashioned. But as everyone has gotten busier, it seems to be the only place where we consistently connect and share as a family. I miss not having my older kids here as much, as they've gotten on with their busy lives. But when they are here we make it a point to have a feast.
In the interest of full disclosure, we also order pizza and take out Chinese food. But even then, we sit at our places and slow down enough to spend time together. Did I tell you that everyone has their own place at the table? (I know. Shut up.)
Ironically, yesterday, as I was working on this post, I had a terrible fibro episode. I did not even make dinner and every man was on his own. Those times make me glad that we have so many everybody-sit-down-together type meals. The free-for-all is much more the exception, rather than the rule.
I think the need to feed people and have them around the table comes from my happiest memories of my Cuban childhood. The Family Table was sacred. There was always lively conversation and delicious food. I wish we had more moments like this in our lives. This is why I've become so intentional in making Dinner Time so important.
In the Movie of My Life, most of the scenes and family exchanges will take place around the dinner table. In that silver-screen-fantasy there will also be someone else who cleans up after the meal, but that's not important right now.
When I see the faces of the ones I love best as they laugh and share and we listen to the stories about who said what and how their days went, there's no question that this is a good and solid tradition.
Go and grab yourself a nice, hot cafecito and make yourself comfortable. This post is going to be long and newsy. I'm about to seriously dish about the new TV sitcom, Wassup En LA? with lots of details and tons of photos about the project. (This is why you love me, right?)
I promised you a few weeks ago that I would write about the making of Wassup En LA? in great detail. I have so much to share with you about why I think this show is going to be fantastic and why I believe it's going to be must-see TV, but let me back up a bit.
Here I am with Wassup En LA? creators, Rudolpho Zalez and Carlos de la Vega. At Porto's, of course.
The co-creators of Wassup, Rudolpho Zalez and Carlos de la Vega envisioned a good, old-fashioned TV sitcom. In their vision, they wanted to follow in the footsteps of old-school, family-themed TV classics, such as "I Love Lucy," "The Cosby Show, "Chico and the Man," and "¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.?"
Family friendly TV? Yes, please.
The premise is already hilarious:
Manolito Diaz has dreams of making it big as a Hollywood actor. His Cuban family is extremely supportive. In typical Cuban style, his mom and dad show their support by moving the family from Miami to Los Angeles to help their son reach his dream. They bring along his reluctant-to-leave-Miami sister and, of course the very deliciously Cuban abuelos.
Meet the fictional Diaz family:
From left to right: Oscar Torre as Pepe Diaz, Jean Paul San Pedro as
Manolito Diaz, Nicole Garcia as Teresita Diaz, Nelida Ponce as Eufemia
Olga Diaz, Gerardo Riverón as Alfredo Figueroa Diaz, and Jezabel Montero
as Rosa Maria Diaz.
As I understand it, the entire first season has already been written. The taping we attended on March 23rd involved the shooting of the pilot episode and also a few scenes from various key moments from the rest of the season.
So, for those of you asking where you can see it, there's no good answer for that....yet. The show is still in the works. The scenes that were filmed on the 23rd are still in the post-production phase. It's quite an exciting (and nerve-wracking) time for all involved.
Preparation
You'll recall that the producers called and asked if I had any Cuban-looking props for the set. Of course, I was happy to oblige. My kids and I willingly drove up to L.A. to deliver the goods. (I'm willing to drive to any area code where a Porto's can be found. I know. Shut up.)
Much to our everlasting delight, we got to visit the studio where the live taping was going to happen.
Jonathan, Lucy, and I dropping off our Cuban props (Hey! That works on two levels!) at CML Studios.
We got to watch the beautiful set being built.
And we got to sit in on one of the rehearsals.
Director Rudolpho Zalez getting the perfect reaction from Jezabel Montero (Rosa Maria Diaz).
Let me stop right here and tell you about the cast.
The Cast
The first members of the cast that we met were Gerardo Riverón and Nelida Ponce, who play the abuelos, Alfredo and Eufemia. For me, it was love at first sight. Both accomplished actors, in their own right, they brought the "Cubaneo" from Miami to the Diaz dinner table. I love that even as they delivered lines in Spanish and Spanglish and broken English, they were always translated beautifully as part of the family dialogue, which is not easy to do.
Kudos to the writers for making them completely Cuban and perfectly accessible to the American audience. Or as we Cubans say, "Se la comieron." Which translates literally to "They ate it." It's a Cuban idiom that means they fantastically exceeded all expectations. (See what I mean? Not easy.)
Here's Nelida (Abuela) showing the next generation how it's done:
Jezabel Montero (daughter of the iconic telenovela beauty, Zully Montero) plays Rosa Maria, the mom. She's an absolute joy to watch as she effortlessly portrays everyone's Cuban American mami. I'd like to interject here that she is a lovely, blond haired, blue-eyed beauty, which is so very typically Cuban (believe it). Smart, funny and oh, so approachable. She's exactly who you would want for a next door neighbor, co-worker, or best friend.
MBFCF, meet the lovely and talented, Jezabel Montero and the fabulously versatile, Oscar Torre. That's me in the center of this look-at-all-this-Cuban-talent sandwich.
Oscar Torre plays Pepe Diaz. He is the quintessential Cuban dad. All Cuban perfection in his tone and delivery. The ideal blend of seriousness and tenderness. There's a particularly beautiful scene in which Pepe reminds his son, Manolito (Jean Paul San Pedro) what a family is truly all about. I may or may not have cried a little during that scene. (Also, please notice my Cuban souvenir mini-conga set on Manolito's dresser, but that's not important right now.)
"No family is perfect. But be thankful you
have one that loves and supports you."
Nicole Garcia plays the smart-alecky sister, Teresita, who hates that they left their lives in Miami to help Manolito chase his dream. She plays the role with a perfect balance of snark and sweetness that's almost breathtaking. I know Teresita. She's all the Cuban friends I grew up with.
And, of course, the one who brings them all to L.A. as he chases his dreams of stardom, Manolito, expertly brought to you by Jean Paul San Pedro. Watch the following video and fall in love with Manolito.
You're totally pulling for him already, aren't you? I know.
The Taping
The taping went on for the entire day. We arrived around 1:00 PM for the 3:30 PM taping, which was sort of happening on "Cuban time" which was more like 4-ish.
I expected to enjoy the show. Hello? A Cuban family. On TV. What's not to like? I often felt growing up, that our everyday family interactions were worthy of a sitcom. I think most of us who grew up Cuban felt that way. I think that's why many of you relate to me here on MBFCF, and why we Cubans all so passionately love ¿Que Pasa, USA? These are our people. Our stories. Our lives.
Seriously, I have to say it again: Se la comieron. (Just to review: "They ate it." In other words, they fantastically exceeded all expectations.)
Both Eric and I were floored by what great chemistry the cast had with each other. Did I already mention that the entire cast consists of real Cuban Americans? (As God intended.) They were truly believable as a family. As a Cuban family.
My favorite moment of Cubanity (<--that should sooo be a word) happened as the family was gathered at the dinner table.
The director's cue was: "El Cubaneo. Go!"
The family starts talking all at once and over each other. Genius. That's dinner every night at our house, people. I know you know what I'm talking about.
Pepe, the dad prays before the meal. Mostly for patience on the 405. LOVE.
The script was beautifully written. The comedic timing of the actors dead on. The actors were there from 6:00 AM to almost 10:00 PM. And for every take they were both fresh and funny. Every. Time. Seriously.
I'd like to interject here that obviously the appeal to me, personally, was that the hilarity all takes place in a Cuban family. And while that was both familiar and priceless, let me reassure you, the family interactions are of the every day variety. Bickering was balanced by caring. Misunderstanding complemented by tenderness. The only difference being that they were a little bit louder. And they rolled their R's.
I want to know these people in my real life. Yeah. That, right there? Makes this sitcom a total winner in my book.
The shooting of the pilot took about 7 hours. We were entertained in between the hurry-up-and-waiting by live Cuban music, the awesome comedy of Fernando Duran and "snacks" from Porto's Bakery.
Pastelitos de carne. Pastelitos de guayaba. From Porto's Bakery. Amen.
The shooting of the pilot wrapped up around 9:00 PM and we stuck around to watch them film a few scenes from other episodes.
From the episode: "One quality plate is better than a buffet," Pepe gives Manolito and his friends dating guidelines. I must reiterate that Oscar Torre gives the perfect Cuban papi performance. He is the Cuban "Everyman."
The best friends, Allen, played by Pritesh Shah, and Judd, played by Aaron Kuban.
The supporting cast of friends, Pritesh Shah, Aaron Kuban, and Keila Hamilton (as Teresita's friend, Tawana) were all superb as complementary characters to the Diaz family. (I think I'm running out of superlatives here.) Oh, how I wish this show were on the air already!
I encourage all of you, my friends, to support the effort to get this brilliant sitcom on TV. You can help in the following ways:
Go love them on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Subscribe to their YouTube Channel (be prepared to get hooked on these characters). Share with your friends. Get the word out. We need their kind of magic on TV.
The show is not only family-friendly, but beautifully written and the performances were all fantastic. So entertaining. So fun to watch. So positive and frankly, uplifting. Just like the shows I grew up watching and loving as a kid. I promise to keep you informed as soon as I know anything about where and when it can be seen.
The fabulously talented Oscar Torre and Jean Paul San Pedro with a very star-struck and satisfied Cuban blogger.
Thank you, again, Rudolpho and Carlos and the beautiful cast and hard working crew for your tireless energy, perseverance, and faith to see this thing through. I'm waiting, rather impatiently, to see what happens next with Wassup En LA?
How fabulous would it be if we could get 99 RED Balloons for the party? (Inspired by the 80's song of the same name, but that's not important right now.)
I took it up just a notch and asked everyone to please wear RED. And to bring her a RED gift. (Did I mention that my mom loves themes?)
So we had the party and I was struck with just how delighted Luza was with her 99 RED Balloons. Actually, everyone was struck with how fantastic they were.
When I originally went to order them, the guy at the party store asked if I didn't want 100. "No, thank you. There must be exactly 99." I know that my mom is a little OCD and that she would count. (She did.)
Here's Luza in all her 99 RED Balloon Glory:
What a fun and fitting way to celebrate her 99 years of life and the joy she's given all of us.
I'll never, ever forget the look on her face when she was surrounded by so much RED and so much love.
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