Friday, November 20, 2009

Regional Recipes Cuba Round-up!

I know you all have been eagerly awaiting the Cuba round-up. Well, wait no longer! There may only be a handful of submissions, but they do a great job showcasing Cuban cuisine. Prepare for an appetite whetting! (Or is it to have your appetite whetted? Maybe I should just stick to plain old whet your appetite? Whichever you prefer, you get the point.)

Let's begin:

Arroz con salchichas submitted by [eatingclub]vancouver. Did you think Vienna sausages were only eaten in Vienna? Haha! The Cubans, like many other cultures, have taken these humble cocktail weenies and turned them into something delicious.



Pastelitos de guayaba y queso also submitted by [eatingclub]vancouver. Need a sweet finish for your Cuban-themed meal? (Or any other meal, for that matter?) Why not try these ultra simple pastries stuffed with guava and cheese? Careful though, they can be quite addictive.



Picadillo submitted by Eats Well with Others. Cubans sure seem to have the comfort food down! Ground beef sauteed with bell pepper, onions, tomatoes, garlic, olives and spices severed over quinoa. How simple but satisfying does that sound?



Ropa vieja submitted by The Creative Pot. Beef slow cooked with bell pepper, onions, tomatoes and spices. Again, amazing how the Cubans have perfected hearty comfort foods despite the tropical climate. I suppose having a pitcher of cool, minty mojitos to wash it all down with helps :-)



Black bean soup submitted by me. Okay, maybe this is more of a stew. Add more liquid and it's a soup. Either way, don't forget the ham hock. It's a tasty, filling meal served over rice.



A big thanks to the bloggers who participated!

Now, I know that the end of the year is crunch time for everyone, what with the holidays, end of the fiscal year for some, end of the term for teachers and students, etc. So in choosing the next region, I asked myself where I'd want to go for a little R & R if I could escape the end of the year chaos. And that would be Hawaii or any of the other islands of the South Pacific for that matter. Basically I'm talking the little islands between the Americas and Asia, including New Zealand (but let's leave out Australia and Japan this time). Here's a map, if you're interested.

Can't wait to see what people come up with! I'm hosting next time. Send your submissions to me at blazinghotwok(at)gmail(dot)com by December 15th. Hope you will participate!

4 comments:

Marisa said...

Great round-up! You've got me hankering after an ice-cold mojito now. Especially faced with the prospect of springcleaning on a hot sunny day... :-(

Thanks for hosting again - you did a superb job (as usual). And I love the idea for the next roundup - perfect for our warm summer weather over here.

Lea Ann said...

Some yummy looking recipies. I have a good ropa vieja recipe, it's an excellent dish.

dp said...

Marisa, thanks for participating! I forgot that folks in the souther hemisphere are enjoying warm weather. Lucky you!

Lee Ann, thanks for stopping by! I think all the submissions look good. The problem is finding the time to try them all.

Zupan's Markets said...

Really great recipes again this month. Your Black Bean “Soup” + those Pastelitos De Guayaba Y Queso are calling our name!