January Thaw

This temperature is ridiculous. I forgot what it was like to live in a climate with below 0 temps. I decided to warm things up a bit with some Cuban food.

Here is a recipe for Cuban Pork Roast.

What could make your kitchen smell better than roasting pork?

Here is a tasty recipe for black beans.

Cuban Black Beans
14 oz bag black beans, soaked overnight
1 ham hock
2 quarts water
1/2 onion, diced
1 T minced garlic
2 t cumin
1 t oregano
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Boil ham hock in water. WHen ham is falling off bone, remove from pot, shred up ham and add back to pot. Add in diced onion and garlic. Dump everything else in and simmer, covered until beans are nice and soft. Then add:
3 T cider vinegar
1/4 cup sherry

Serve with yellow rice.

I also made some yellow rice...I Dutched it up a bit by adding peas, bacon, onion and pimento.

Dutched Up Yellow Rice

1/2 onion, diced
1/2 T garlic, minced
4 oz pimentos
olive oil

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add pimentos then add:

1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups water
1/2 cup yellow peas
Cuban Yellow Spice mix
1/2 t paprika

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until water absorbed. Remove from heat. Keep covered and let sit for about 10 minutes. Salt to taste.



If you wish, you can serve with Rum Runners.

1 shot rum
1 shot banana schnopps
1 shot blackberry brandy
1 shot Rose's sweetened lime juice
1 shot grenadine

Blend above with ice until smooth.