Cuba is So Far Away

Bette Midler has a great song entitled “Only In Miami”. The story goes that only in Miami is Cuba so far away. Or as Sarah Palin once said, “I can see Cuba from my hotel.”

Diplomatic ties with the tiny island nation have been thawing recently and you can now fly there directly from JFK without fear of entrapment of the US government and the conservatives say that Obama hasn't done anything for this country.​

Cuba is the melting pot of the Caribbean.

It was “discovered” by Christopher Columbus. The one and only original father of genocide. He sailed there in 1492 and was convinced that he found India. And I found recently that much like Italy is the boot, Cuba is the crocodile. Do I see it? No. But, it has the nickname of El Cocodrilo, which I personally find very sexy. 

Way back when in 1959, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara overthrew the corrupt Cuban government, only to establish a more corrupt communist regime.

Is Fidel dead? Will we ever know? Probably not. I personally hope he lives on as the immortal godfather of Cuba. His brother Raul is keep the family dictatorship in the family and has taken over as the figurehead for his brother. 

Our trade embargo has affected the tiny little country for 55 years, with nothing but the cold strong armed Soviet Union to assist them in international trade. My favorite story has always been of President Kennedy stocking up on Cuban cigars before enforcing the trade embargo. I love capitalism.

Cuban cuisine has been a recent topic of discussion. Will Cuba become the next hot spot tourist destination?

Cuba is a true communist country. The cuisine was known to be as good as their cars. Ingredients range from delicious canned and processed to my personal favorite of powdered. At the least athletes were happy. 

They have a mixture of influences, which makes for an interesting cuisine. The island has it's indigenous tribes. The mother oppressor of Spain as inspiration. And, an eclectic array of Greece and France to liven up their sources of things to draw on. 

Gastronomy in Cuba is for the eclectic in variety. I read in an article in Vogue of 'teti'. Tiny fish that are a centimeter long and as the author describes have “the richness of tiny eels”. Delicious.

If any of this interests you'll have to make a trip to Havana. Just like Jay-Z and Beyonce did. You can meet the people. Learn new culture. Maybe even learn a new language if you stay long enough..

If your a flight risk or would rather not leave the country and end up in a foreign prison for drunk and disorderly conduct. You can always visit Little Havana. A nice tourist destination in Miami. They even have their own gangs. 

RECIPES:
Ajiaco Cubano
10 quarts of Water
1 pound of Beef Jerky
2 pounds of Flank Steak
2 pounds of Pork
4  ear of Corn
2 pounds of Malanga
4 Green Plantains
2 pounds of Yuca
2 pounds of Cuban Boniato
2 pounds of Pumpkin
1 pound of Name 
1  pound of Guagui
4 Plantains
4 Limes
Salt
Pepper

Full recipe here

Cuban Sandwich
4 slices of Ham 
4 slices Roast Pork
3 slices of Swiss cheese 
4 Pickles
Yellow Mustard
Cuban Bread

Full recipe here