Ana Quincoces Rodriguez - Sabor!: A Passion for Cuban Cuisine

Sabor

RUNNING PRESS

PHILADELPHIA LONDON

2008, 2012 by Ana Quincoces Rodriguez

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher.

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Digit on the right indicates the number of this printing

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012941033

E-book ISBN 978-0-7624-4889-0

Cover design by Bill Jones

Interior design by Melissa Gerber

Edited by Diana C. von Glahn

Photography by Steve Legato

Photography assistant: Nick Demou

Food styling on pages

by John Carpitella, assisted by James Harrell

Food styling on pages by Diana von Glahn

Prop styling by Amanda Richmond

Props provided by Crate & Barrel and Fosters Urban Homeware.

Typography: Abadi, AT Sackers, Gotham, Mrs Eaves, and Requiem

The publishers would like to thank Fosters Urban Homeware for the use of their demonstration kitchen and some of the props used during the photo shoot. We would also like to thank Crate & Barrel for the generous use of their merchandise during the photo shoot. A very special thanks to Alberto Asen for his magic touch....

Running Press Book Publishers

2300 Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371

Visit us on the web!

www.runningpresscooks.com

FOR KATI AND BEBA:
... WHEN YOU GET THE CHOICE TO SIT IT OUT OR DANCE...
I HOPE YOU DANCE.

AND FOR ROBERT

LIKE A DELICIOUS RECIPE, A GREAT COOKBOOK IS A MASTERFUL blend of quality ingredients. The best dishes are often a collaborative effort of more than one person. So many wonderful people have had a hand in this delectable stew. Perhaps that is why it is so very satiating.

I thank my family first and foremost for their unwavering support and almost giddy enthusiasm. Robert, thank you for embarking on this adventure with me, you are... everything. Kati and Beba, you are the driving force behind everything I do. Your pride in me fuels me. I am awed on a daily basis by the two of you. I am forever grateful and honored to be your mom. I wish I could celebrate this milestone with my Dad, my hero, who lost his courageous battle with Alzheimers in 2007. His pride in me could never be contained. He would have enjoyed this so. I would especially like to thank my mom, from whom I learned just about everything youll read in this book. I thank her for passing on that nurturing gene and for teaching me that a house where you eat out of takeout containers is not really a home. I thank my brother for always, albeit quietly, supporting my every endeavor and for willingly taste testing every recipe and loving every minute of it; and to my sister-in-law, Ana, who is convinced I am the best cook in the world. I thank Lilia and Oscar for their support. I thank my aunt and uncle Nene and Carmita for bragging about me to just about everyone who will listen. I hope you have not annoyed too many people. Of course, the support of an amazing group of friends is the backbone of any venture and I am very lucky in that regard. Silvia, thank you for your steadfast friendship and support. I will make a cook out of you yet! Glenda, you said I could do this and here I am. Thanks for believing in me more than I believed in myself. Thank you to Ivette and Lory for proving that true friendship does stand the test of time.

I must thank Amanda Richmond, the very talented designer of this book. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and for creating something I am so very proud of. Thank you too, Steve Legato, the amazing photographer I had the pleasure of working with on this book. Thank you for making what could have been an intimidating process two of the most fun days of my life. Finally, Id like to thank Diana von Glahn, my wonderful editor. Thank you for believing in this project and for deciding that my voice is unique and meant to be heard. Despite the many hours dedicated to this book, it never once felt like work. Thank you all.

WHETHER YOU ARE CUBAN, LOVE A CUBAN, OR JUST LOVE CUBAN food, you will love this book, packed with delicious recipes as well as tasty memories. Ana Quincoces Rodriguez manages to capture the youth and essence of the best moments of the Cuban exile experience... delicious food enveloped in warmth, love, and laughter.

Although books about Cuban cooking can be found in some bookstores, the bastardization of the food to convert it to nouvelle cuisine would make our grandmothers spin in their graves. It simply cannot be done; you cannot make Cuban food more elegant, less filling, or lighter. It is to be savored for its true value: comfort food of the tastiest order. If I have to live in a world where you cannot ever savor the lechn for the ambrosia that it is, I prefer to depart peacefully. I will simply take my portion, on Cuban bread, thank you. It cannot be improved upon, cannot be low carbed or lightened. It is refreshing to finally see a Cuban cook who not only realizes this, but embraces it with such gusto.

The Cuban exile experience has been both revered and reviled, politically and philosophically, for its passionate opinions throughout its history in the United States. The one thing we can all agree about is that our food is intoxicatingly delectable. What a pleasure this book will be for those who wish to remember a simpler time, when hours upon hours were spent enjoying each others company as the cook in the family layered onions upon bell pepper upon garlic... forging real connections not electronic ones. Kudos to Ana for bringing all that tumbling back to us, and making us better cooks in the process.

Marilyn Milian

Judge of The Peoples Court

TECHNICALLY, THE SPANISH WORD SABOR MEANS FLAVOR. And because this is a cookbook, we are naturally using the word with regards to the flavor of Cuban cuisine. But we all know that flavor can encompass more than just food. There is the flavor of a place, of its people, of an entire culture. You can cook with sabor, speak with sabor, and of course dance with sabor! There is even a well-known ballad called Sabor a Mi, which translates as the flavor of me or the taste of me... but we wont go there. Sabor, as far as Im concerned, is a state of mind and a way of life. It connotes a lively independence, a delicious flair, and a relaxed elegance. Even the word rolls off the tongue beautifully (especially if you can roll your rs).