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Raúl in retirement

After working way too many hours for way too many years, Raúl is now entering his second year of retirement and he is enjoying every minute of it. The 12-hour workdays and six-days-a-week schedule are a thing of the past.

Raúl put in so many hours at the gas station; many people wondered what he could possibly do to keep busy in the "free" world.

Never fear Raúl fans, the "old man" of our group is as busy as ever, catching up on some of the fun activities that used to be limited to Sundays, his only day off.

Of course, fishing is still Raúl's passion, whether in his own small boat or in the larger craft of several friends. He especially enjoys fishing in the Keys with his friend Omar Fernandez.

On any given night you might find Raúl hanging out at his favorite coffee window -- the awning-shaded portal at La Carreta on 8th Street. When the sun goes down and fresh ocean breezes temper the Miami heat, people flock to La Carreta's outside café window.

On a normal night, there is always a lively crowd engaged in the favorite pastime of all Cubans, talking! (And we all know that Raúl has no trouble talking about anything with anyone!)

Raúl has also made two trips to Colombia to visit friends and see the sights. This is pretty adventurous, considering that for many years Raúl rarely had the opportunity to leave Miami.

Raúl was recently surprised when two of his boyhood friends from Cayo La Rosa stopped by for a visit. Mark and Buddy Ross lived in the small company town with their family in the 1950s. The family left Cuba in 1958.

Raúl enjoyed the sights in Colombia.

Raúl lands a beautiful 7-lb. Mutton Snapper.

(Photo by Omar Fernandez)

Neither brother had seen or heard from Raúl in more than 50 years and they were surprised to come across his name on the Internet. Could that possibly be the same Raúl Musibay they remembered from their childhood?

The Ross brothers made the trip to Miami and had a great day catching up with Raúl and brother-in-law Jorge Castillo.

Raúl Cremata

Havana-born Raúl Cremata runs one of the most dynamic art galleries in Little Havana. Cremata Fine Art, exhibits the works of dozens of Cuban and Latin American artists.

Cremata and his family came to the United States in 1967, setting up their home in New York City when he was still a small child. Displaying artistic talent from a young age, a 13-year-old Cremata came to Miami in 1973 where he studied under Cuban artist Lesver de Quiros. He has also studied ceramic sculpture with Rafael Consuegra.

For most of his adult life, Cremata worked as an accountant. When a business downturn forced the closing of the company he worked for, Cremata saw this misfortune as an opportunity to pursue his true love -- art.

As avid art collectors for many years, Cremata and his wife Lourdes, already had many contacts in the art world and a nucleus on which to build their gallery. The Cremata Fine Art Gallery opened in February, 2006.

Styles: Romanticism, modernism

Themes: Landscapes, faces, Latin, Caribbean

Technique: Oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas, acrylic on paper, ceramics

Cremata’s body of work is very Latin, with many paintings clearly displaying romanticism in a style that harkens back to Cuban artist Amelia Peláez. There is almost a Picassoesque feeling in some of the works, without the spatial distortions and disjointedness. However, you won’t find a neutral color palette in any of Cremata’s work, which features rich bold tropical colors.

You can find Cremata at work at the gallery most days, where he also maintains a small studio. Cremata is also the president of the "Calle 8 Art District Association."

Bodegon Azul

Cremata Fine Art Gallery

1646 SW 8th Street

Miami, Fl 33135

305-644-3315

Open: Tuesday through Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Closed Monday)

FFind out more:

"Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban" is our latest book. Here you’ll find many classic Miami Cuban recipes, this time with an emphasis on dishes that are great for parties.

"Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban" is our first book. It contains many classic Miami Cuban recipes and favorite dishes.

Two great Miami Cuban cookbooks:

You'll use these for years to come!

Pimientos de Padron, the tiny pepper from the village of Padron in Galicia Spain, are now available for home delivery.

The peppers are grown in Virginia with imported seeds to produce a pepper that is nearly identical to the original.

The traditional method for cooking these tender peppers is to sauté them in olive oil and serve with sea salt. You eat the whole pepper -- seeds and all -- everything but the stem!

The box warns that you may occasionally get a little surprise: a HOT pepper. However, we ate a whole box the other night and never found one that wasn’t sweet and light.

Find out more about these delicious peppers by clicking here.

When Cubans cook out, it's common to start the grilling with several Spanish-or Portuguese-style chorizos to be eaten as appetizers while the main dish cooks. Chorizos for the grill are not the typical dry cured Spanish chorizo, but a semi-cured cooking sausage.

These "Peregrino" Spanish-style chorizos are made in America using a traditional Spanish recipe that includes smoked sweet Spanish paprika, Cadiz sea salt, and fresh garlic. They are great on the grill and always tender and moist.

Find out more by clicking here.

King's Cream

Located in a strip mall near 18th Avenue, the wonderful aroma of freshly made churros will draw you in, but only the overly determined will leave the store without sampling the luscious ice creams. The tropical fruits -- mango, guayaba, mamey, coco, tamarindo -- are excellent, but do not overlook a knockout almendro (almond) rife with bits of toasted almonds.

Price: Low

Dress: Very casual

Open: Daily 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

1831 S.W. 8th Street

Miami, Florida 33135

305-643-1842

Los Pinareños Frutería

A taste of island life in a building that looks like it was airlifted from a rural town in the Vinales region of Cuba. Enjoy hot-from-the-kettle tamales and an ever-changing lunch special. Step up to the walk-up window for guarapo, a batido, or an inexpensive cafecito. Sip your drink in the shade and imagine Calle Ocho filled with 50s American automobiles and you will feel like you are back in Cuba.

Price: Low

Dress: Very casual

Open: Daily

1334 SW 8th Street

Miami, Florida 33135

305-285-1135

La Bodeguita Martinez

The original La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana was a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway. The third generation of the same family that owned the original in Cuba opened this restaurant in Miami. It's a small restaurant tucked away in the back corner of a small shopping center, but the food is good and the staff is friendly. Not to be missed is the pierna de puerco asada en su jugo, tender slices of roasted pork leg.

Price: Low to moderate

Dress: Very casual

Open: Sunday through Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. | Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

833 SW 29th Avenue

Miami, Florida 33135

305-649-9313

I Love Calle Ocho is the new kid on the block with a standard menu that is small and a bit trendy. However, the best food at I Love Calle Ocho is not even on the menu. Instead, ask about the daily specials. The restaurant has a secret weapon--two Cuban "grandmas" work back in the kitchen turning out some wonderful home-style Cuban dishes including an excellent sopa de mariscos (seafood soup) and crema de langosta, featuring a rich creamy broth and a wonderful lobster flavor. Another highlight: tostones rellenos--stuffed fried plantain with your choice of enchilada de camarones (shrimp in a tomato-based sauce) or picadillo, the Cuban mainstay of ground beef and tropical spices.

Price: Low

Dress: Casual

1547 SW 8th Street

Miami, Florida 33135

305-541-0900