I tried to explain the following to an American friend, who kind of stared and blinked at me as I shared the following. You Latinas out there…..Can you back me up on this?
Madrina is the …

I used to visit my parents at least once a week.
My dad was confined to a wheelchair and in his late 80′s, but his brain was sharp as ever.

We would sit at their kitchen table …

I got a kick out of this video of Guy Fieri – of the Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. He was in Miami looking for a great “mofongo.” I like how he says …

On New Year’s Eve, at the stroke of midnight, we Cubans are BUSY.

When the clock strikes 12 we:

Quickly eat 12 grapes – one for each month of the past year.
Wash these down with sparkling cider …

By Tere
They had been in this country a mere two months, and here they were, seeing first-hand how America was the land of plenty.
Those two months, they must have been so overwhelming. A family of …

Growing up Cuban meant always having guava paste in the house. We would pair a slice of the rusty colored fruit paste with a slab of cream cheese on a galleta (Cuban cracker). The sweet/tart …

I love Thanksgiving.
Being Cuban Americans, we appreciate that Thanksgiving is a holiday unique to this country.  When we first started joining in and cooking the turkey, the side dishes were typically Cuban – arroz con …

One of my uncles, whom we affectionately call Timbiriche, was visiting from Cuba a while back. I went out of my way to cook whatever he wanted.
“Qualquier antojo,” I told him. “Sin pena.”
Most days he …

A few months ago, my local newspaper, the Orange County Register began soliciting stories for Hispanic Heritage Month. They specifically wanted, they said, stories about the Cuban-American experience. I submitted a piece.

I’m very proud to …

Do you have the Monday Morning Blahs? I confess that I do.
But I also have the perfect cure…

Happy Monday!