The boneless jamón serrano is a mild fresh ham which is easy to slice since it has been cured for 14 months rather than the more aged Redondo Iglesias which is cured for 18 months.

For Cubans, New Year's Eve is more of a dance party than a feast like Christmas. It is a night of music and dancing, eating great foods, and having a great time. Something unique to Cuban culture is the tradition of "Año Viejo," the Old Year's man. The children spend the days leading up to New Year's Eve building and dressing the "Año Viejo" man, a type of scarecrow dressed up in old clothes and stuffed with paper, magazines, and anything else that will burn.

These giant dolls sit on the front porches of the houses throughout the day waiting for the stroke of midnight. At midnight everyone carries their Año Viejo man into the street and sets it on fire. The Año Viejo man represents all the bad things that happened during the past year. By burning the Old Year's man, you are destroying the bad things of the past and welcoming the fresh start of the New Year.

It's a fun way for the children to celebrate and for everyone to say good bye to the old year. At midnight, it's customary to eat twelve grapes (one for each month) and drink Sidra, a "hard" sparkling apple cider.

Just before midnight, each person at the party is given a little bunch of 12 grapes. You're supposed to eat one grape with each stroke of the clock chime, so you have to eat them pretty fast! Tradition has it that for every sweet grape you eat you will have a good month in the New Year. However, if you bite into a bad grape -- ouch -- that means one BAD month!

Fireworks are also a big part of the New Years celebration in Miami. You can buy fireworks all over town during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's. Bottle rockets, firecrackers, and every firework imaginable are shot off at midnight.

Many people wait until the Año Viejo doll is ablaze before setting off the fireworks. It's quite a sight with dolls burning, fireworks exploding, and everyone shouting "¡Próspero Año Nuevo!" or "Happy New Year!"

Cubans also have a tradition of taking a bucket of water, running out to the street and dumping it. That's very typical. The symbolism is throwing out the dirty water accumulated over the past year and starting fresh and clean. (more)

One might make the comparison with cheeses, where the young manchego has a more delicate flavor that the one which has matured for a longer period of time.

Which is better? It is a matter of individual taste...(more)

The Three Guys from Miami are: Raúl Musibay, Glenn Lindgren, and Jorge Castillo.

Comedian George Lopez is not a member of our group.

Note to Readers: Marlen Roth was a frequent contributor to this site and the source of much inspiration for us. Sadly, Marlen passed away on December 20. Torticas de Guayaba is one of Marlen's original recipes and one of our favorites. The world is a little less brighter without her in it... (Glenn Lindgren)