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iCuban.com: Now Celebrating 10 Years on The Internet!
What a long, strange trip it's been...
On July 9, 1996, the site that would become iCuban.com: The Internet Cuban was let loose upon an unsuspecting world.
The Three Guys From Miami – Raúl Musibay, Glenn Lindgren and Jorge Castillo – are all brothers-in-law. Brought together by fate, they became fast friends who share a passion for good food, good conversation, and a great party.
The Three Guys are on a mission: to preserve and promote Cuban culture!
The Three Guys also have made several appearances on the Food Network, were featured in a Public television documentary, have appeared on the Travel Channel, and are frequent guests on public radio.
Surprisingly, they are also the authors of two books, "Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban" and the forthcoming book, "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban."
"Originally, the site was about Florida fishing and we covered a few Cuban topics," Lindgren says. "Soon, people started writing in asking if we had a certain Cuban food recipe. We obviously had many recipes of our own, and we'd also ask family and friends for their recipes. Soon we had a large and growing collection."
The site also expanded over the years to include a guide to traveling to Miami. The Guys wanted to show people how to enjoy the Cuban and Latin side of the great city.
And what does the future hold for the Three Guys From Miami? The trio is still working on a regular cooking show that would capture their humor and personalities.
"We're just one sponsor away from making that a reality," say Castillo.
The Guys also continue to make public appearances, pose for magazine spreads, and appear on TV and radio. And yes, there may be another book in the offing.
"We have received hundreds of recipes over the years," Castillo says. "We must have received 20 different black bean recipes alone – everyone has their own family favorite."
"Of course we have added our own touches – we rarely make the same dish exactly the same way we did the last time!" Musibay adds.
"Every once in awhile we receive a recipe that just knocks our socks off," says Castillo. "It's hard to improve on a really great recipe!"
Another major source is The Three Guy's attempts at duplicating dishes – either they eat something in a restaurant that they like or they receive an email from someone asking for a recipe. With a lot of trial and error, they come up with something that tastes a lot like the dish they remember.
"We started getting email from people coming to Miami," says Castillo. "They would ask, 'Where is a good place to eat?' 'Where can I get a good Cuban sandwich?' 'Is there something to do beyond South Beach?' 'What do Cubans like to do in Miami?' That's how the Three Guys From Miami travel section of our site got started."
They began with a strong base of recipes from several generations of the Castillo and Musibay families. These are the recipes Musibay and Castillo ate in Cuba – the pair's mothers are the major sources for these dishes. In turn, the roots of many of these family recipes can be traced to the work of Nitza Villapol, the "Betty Crocker of Cuba." Castillo's sister Esther still faithfully uses her copy of Nitza's cookbook.
"I actually learned how to cook Cuban with Nitza Villapol," Lindgren says. "The Miami family sent me a paperback copy of her book in 1983, and I eventually worked through most of the dishes. Jorge could always call his family in Miami for cooking advice, but I had to rely on Nitza as my guide. Nitza's recipes became a starting point for many great Cuban dishes of my own that evolved as I got more proficient with Cuban food."
The Three Guys have also have received many recipes from the visitors to their website over the years.
"We don't really have a master plan," Lindgren says. "We have been blessed with many opportunities and I guess our gift is being able to pursue whatever comes along, even if that represents a major shift in our direction."
"When I met Glenn 25 years ago, I would have never believed that we would have been able to accomplish as much as we have," says Musibay. "I never dreamed I'd be on national television singing with Willy Chirino as I did last fall."
Raúl Entertains Listeners of Zona Cero
Cuban artist Nelson De La Nuez has created a new piece of art called "Old Havana." It really captures the essence of Old Havana before Castro – the Havana of all Cuban's fondest memories. De La Nuez is famous for creating artwork on all four sides of the canvas.
De La Nuez grew up in Havana until age six. His father was thrown in Morro Castle prison twice for speaking out against the government, and the family eventually fled to the United States. De La Nuez, who now lives in the Simi Valley just outside of Los Angeles, has really made a name for himself as a pop culture artist – kind of like the Cuban Andy Warhol. He is collected by celebrities, including Jay Leno, Paris Hilton, Howie Mandel, Burt Reynolds and many more. "Old Havana" is one of the first De La Nuez originals with a Cuban theme.
Cuban Popular Art
Sonia is unique in that she has added a touch of Cuba to many traditional Hawaiian dishes. There are many similarities in the raw ingredients – both cultures enjoy many of the same tropical fruits and vegetables.
We have yet to develop a taste for poi, but the way she serves it in baked orange shells looks very appetizing.
If you enjoy Caribbean food, Tropical Taste is definitely worth adding to your cookbook collection. If you have been to Hawaii and enjoyed the local cuisine, this book is a must. Highly Recommended
Three Guys Book Review...
Tropical Taste Captures Island Flavors
The Critics Weigh In on Our New Book!
Copyright 2006, Kirkus Reviews
