I’ve been talking about hosting lunch or dinner events at interesting international restaurants for a few years now, and it’s time to make that happen. Our second stop on the tour is at Carmen’s Cuban Cafe is in Morrisville.
Cuba is a country comprising the island of Cuba as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean meet. It is east of the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico), south of both the U.S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti and north of both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Havana is the largest city and capital. It is the largest island in the Caribbean Sea and seventeenth largest island in the world.
Cuban cuisine is a combination of Native American food of the Taino people, also African and other Afro-Caribbean, a lot of Spanish, some French influence and influence from Mexico & Central America. Cuban cuisine is simple but robust. One of its most popular home-cooking styles is called criollo in deference to its Spanish origins. The main ingredients in criollo are chicken, beef, pork, eggs, beans, rice and vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, cassava (yucca) and plantain (a starchy fruit similar to a banana). This is peasant food at its best when spiced with the king and queen of Cuban seasonings: ajo (garlic) and onion. Cuban food uses fresh ingredients prepared simply, often in stews, soups and sandwiches. Meats are slow roasted until they're falling-off-the-bone tender.
Beyond the ever-popular garlic and onions, other common spices used in Cuban cooking are bay laurel, oregano, coriander, cumin and pepper. Many sauces have a tomato base. Sofrito is one example. Think of it as a flavor roux made without flour. Instead it combines aromatic ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, green bell pepper, chorizo and onion with olive oil over low heat. Sofrito is often used to add depth and complexity to rice and bean dishes, soups and stews.
The 2 white stripes in the Cuban flag are supposed to symbolize the purity and strength of the fight for independence from Spain. The red color of the triangle symbolizes the blood lost by the individuals who fought for independence. Each side of the triangle stands for liberty, equality, and fraternity.
01/29/2020 The Inaugural International Geomeal Event Nepal GC8J6BN