Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban: 100 Great Recipes With a Touch of Miami Spice by Glenn Lindgren, Jorge Castillo, Raul Musibay

From the Publisher

Take three self-described "guys," three marriages, a mingling of cultures, and a 20-year love affair with all things Cuban, and you have a recipe for a great new Cuban cookbook.
Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban is the latest effort of Glenn Lindgren, Raúl Musibay, and Jorge Castillo - three brothers-in-law with a passion for Cuban food and culture. Their website, iCuban.com: The Internet Cuban has attracted millions of visitors since they created it in 1996. The trio has made several appearances on the Food Network and they are frequent sources of Cuban cooking tips and advice for professional chefs and amateur cooks all over the world.

The Three Guys from Miami quickly became known for their great parties, centered around whole pigroasts or an elaborate Cuban-style paella. In fact, the Three Guys' "Paella Cubana" was featured on an episode of "Tyler's Ultimate" with Tyler Florence on the Food Network.

Latin food and Cuban food in particular, is experiencing a new renaissance in the around the world. Hardcore "Foodies" are always on the lookout for the latest ethnic taste sensation, and Cuban cuisine is a great change of pace from Italian or Asian food. Whether on a trip to South Florida and the Keys, or a visit to Gloria Estefan's Bongo's Café in DisneyWorld, people from all over the world are getting to know and love great Cuban food.

Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban is a fun, and easy-to-follow guide that will let even inexperienced home cooks turn out some great Cuban meals. The recipes are easy to prepare and you'll actually enjoy the entire process. The book is laced with plenty of Three Guys' humor and a running commentary.

The Three Guys recipes represent three lifetimes of enjoying Cuban food, and a long process creating, collecting, and refining the recipes they love. Their book is a synthesis of many recipes, recipe ideas, and cooking tips they have received from Cubans (and Cuban food lovers) all over the world. They have combined the best ideas from these great chefs with their own special twists to create the "tried and true" recipes they like best.

Publishers Weekly

This cookbook boasts solid renditions of Cuban dishes, but readers will have to suffer through the cheesy repartee among its three authors, who have a Cuban culture Web site, www.iCuban.com. A brief introduction entices with information about Cuban migration to Miami, but margin notes to the recipes tend toward repetitious and obvious exchanges. A recipe for Fried Stuffed Potatoes, for example, begins with Ra l commenting, "This is one Cuban snack that if you haven't tried, you probably don't know what in the heck it is." Still, the food itself is alluring. Avocado and Pineapple Salad is refreshingly unusual, and marinating Cuban-Style Skirt Steak in a mix of onion, herbs and sour orange juice before grilling delivers maximum flavor with minimal work. The authors nicely cover savory snacks like Cornmeal Pancakes, numerous types of empanadas, and Plantain Chips. They also remain true to authentic Cuban cuisine by not skimping on the frying, though fat-phobic Americans will probably avoid the Fried Pork Chunks. Occasionally the recipes slip into a cutesy tone (one for Cuban Bread cheerleads, "it's a little sticky, but you can do it!" then begins a later step with, "When you return from the pool..."). Overall, this effort stands out less because of its appeal than because it has so few competitors. (Nov.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

The titular "three guys" are three brothers-in-law: Ra l Musibay and Jorge Castillo, who were both born in Cuba, and Lindgren, a Minnesotan who spends as much time as possible in Miami. They have an immensely popular web site, iCuban.com, devoted to Cuban food and culture. In their first book, they present many of their favorite recipes and stories. Lindgren is the writer, but the three share a somewhat wacky sense of humor (as documented in some of the photographs here). However, their book includes a lot of culinary and social history, along with 100 recipes for both traditional Cuban dishes and more contemporary variations. Numerous color photographs and an attractive design add to the appeal. One of the few recent titles on the subject, this is strongly recommended. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Forewords & Introductions
• Read an Excerpt

Table of Contents

Forewords & Introductions

From simple Cuban fare like frijoles and tamales, to elaborate dishes like a rich, seafood-packed paella, this hot recipe book is packed with Miami Cuban spice and local color. If you can't get to Miami for a Cuban sandwich, the next best thing is making your own-or maybe it's even better. One thing is certain: the Three Guys will make the experience both fun and memorable.

Enter the sensational world of Cuban cuisine, which blends the spices of Spain, the tropical tastes of the Caribbean, a strong African influence, and some new-world spices to boot. You don't have to be a professional cook to make these extraordinary recipes, and you definitely don't need to be Cuban to cook and eat them. But don't be surprised if you develop a yen to visit the Cuban neighborhoods of Miami as you savor the mouth-watering flavors of Cuban cooking.

The recipes in this book represent twenty years of experimentation, refinement, and a lot of trial and error to make them uniquely their own. Many of the recipes were created "from scratch" by the Three Guys after enjoying a meal at a restaurant and trying to duplicate it in their own kitchens. Some are long-time family favorites from Cuba, re-interpreted to take advantage of the abundance of food and ingredients in Miami. All the recipes include a special ingredient: a heaping tablespoon of humor. As the Three Guys say, "If we're not having fun in the kitchen, we're not doing anything in the kitchen!"

The Three Guys From Miami are all brothers-in-law. Brought together by fate, they became fast friends who share a passion for good food, good conversation, and a great party.

Three Guys from Miami have appeared in 2002 on Keith Famie's Adventures, and in 2003 on Tyler's Ultimate, and in Christmas in America -- all on the Food Network. Your kids may recognize them as "Mariel's dad" and "Mariel's uncle" on two episodes of Switched on the ABC Family channel!

Read an Excerpt

The Mojito

Raúl: The mojito is a classic drink in Cuba. It got its origin in the cane fields, where workers were provided with large barrels of sugarcane juice, what we call guarapo, to drink after a hot day cutting sugarcane.

Glenn: On Saturday nights, the plantation owners would spike the guarapo with a little aguardiente, a crude form of rum; thus began a long tradition of Saturday night Cuban parties!

Jorge: As time went on, the workers began adding yerba buena, a type of mint leaf, to the barrel for flavor. Today the best mojitos are sill made with this leaf. If you have a Latin market in your neighborhood, you might be able to find some. It has to be fresh!

Glenn: If not, use spearmint or peppermint-again fresh from the garden. They are the best substitutes.

Jorge: We've noticed lately that some trendy restaurants and bars have been serving a very dry mojito. The classic mojito should be very sweet!

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime

Fresh yerba buena (or mint) leaves
1 ounce white rum
Ice cubes
Soda water

Put sugar and lime juice in a glass. Crush a few fresh mint leaves into the sugar and lime juice. Add rum and ice cubes. Fill with soda water and serve with a sprig of mint. Serves 1

Ensalada de Aguacate y Piña - Avocado and Pineapple Salad

Glenn: This great Cuban salad blends the sweetness of pineapple with the sour flavor of oil and vinegar.

Raúl: We know it sounds strange, but it tastes great!

Jorge: Make sure to use a good Spanish olive oil.

Glenn: For salads, an extra virgin olive oil with its lighter taste is usually the best choice.

Jorge: Don't forget to salt and pepper the dressing to taste. Many people don't think that salad needs salt, but this one truly does.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 cups of fresh ripe pineapple chunks
1 medium sweet red onion, sliced thin
1 large Florida avocado, peeled and sliced
Fresh limes

Combine olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, and sugar in a blender until smooth. Add salt and pepper to this mixture to taste. Lightly toss the lettuce, pineapple, and red onion together. Pour on the oil and vinegar mixture until everything is well coated. Adjust the amount used to your own preference, more or less.

Garnish individual salads with several avocado slices lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lime juice. Serves 6 to 8.

The American Influence on Cuban Food

The American influence on food has been evident throughout Cuba's history, with the peak in the 1950s. American cheese (queso Americano), American white bread (pan molde), the hamburger, peanuts roasted in the shell, Vienna sausages, and Spam are just a few of the American food items that were brought to Cuba.

Jorge fondly remembers going to the two-story Woolworth's store in Havana with his sister, where he would enjoy a delicious grilled cheese sandwich made with sliced white bread and American cheese. Cubans may have gotten their inspiration from the United States, but they soon made several changes and improvements to give even these traditional American foods a Latin flavor!