There's a new story going around on the Internet...

A Cuban guy on a diet is driving to his local Miami health food store when he decides to pick up a hitchhiker who turns out to be Elvis. They drive down the road awhile and from out of one of the canals they see Bigfoot climb out and run cross the road.

They soon drive by an empty field on Krome Avenue. A flying saucer lands in front of them and five little green men climb out and start singing “Cuba Que Lindos Son Tus Paisajes.”

In Miami we can roast a pig any time of year and usually at the drop of a hat. (Have you ever wondered why most Cuban guys don’t wear hats?)

However, if you live north of the Mason-Dixon line, you’ve had several months full of good excuses not to roast a pig -- the ones we have in mind include 10 below windchill temperatures and 16 inches of snow.

With the emergence of spring and warm weather in most of the lower 48, this is the best time to start planning your big pigroast.

It’s a great opportunity to get together with family and friends or organize all the neighbors and turn your Cuban pigroast into one big block party! You might just attract the attention of the local media, appear on a webcast, and who knows? The Food Network might be calling you!

Omar Fernandez helps Raúl flip the pig for a quick crisping up of the skin.

Plenty of onlookers as Esther checks the pig for doneness.

Raúl Musibay, Jorge Castillo, and Sonia Martinez pose for the camera.

Our good friend from Hawaii, Sonia Martinez visited Miami last month and this provided as good of an excuse as any to roast a pig in Raúl’s backyard. Sonia has spent a lifetime in both Cuban and now Hawaiian food. She is the author of the book, “Tropical Taste” and has a very popular food and gardening website: SoniaTastesHawaii.com. Sonia brought several friends over to Raúl’s along with several delicious dishes to round out the feast.

Raúl was excited to finally meet Sonia after exchanging emails for a couple of years.

“We met Sonia on the Internet,” Raúl says. “I believe she probably sent an email to the Three Guys and Glenn probably answered her. But I soon started sending her my own emails and a great friendship was born.”

The Three Guys from Miami have been roasting pigs in the United States for more than 20 years. Raúl is the true master of the pig roast! He learned the art of the pigroast from his father and father-in-law in Cuba.

There is absolutely nothing like the taste of a whole roasted pig. We occasionally roast fresh hams or pork shoulders and although good, they never approach the great flavor of the whole hog!

It's the combination of the layer of fat that keeps everything moist and the intact skin that keeps all of those juices in the meat. The result? A slow-roasted pig that literally falls off of the bones!

We have shown hundreds of people how to roast pigs.

Don't let the thought of roasting a whole pig overwhelm you. We make it easy to get great results with our step-by-step instructions.

"We build a "pig roaster" with concrete blocks, the kind you can pick up for a couple of dollars at your local Home Depot," Musibay says. "You need about 48 blocks to build a roaster four blocks high, four blocks long and two blocks wide."

Join the many people from all over the world who have earned their place in the Three Guys From Miami "Pigroasters Hall of Fame."

A backyard pigroast doesn't have to be fancy. When the food is this good, nobody cares about anything else!

Come to the "El Puesto de Alicia" booth (across from Babalu Blog) and meet the Three Guys From Miami! We'll be signing copies of both of our books: “Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban” and “Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban.”

All Three Guys will be on hand to autograph books on Saturday 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and on Sunday 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Show hours: Friday, May 18, 2007 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 2007 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday, May 20, 2007 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Fair-Expo Center (at Tamiami Park next to FIU)

Coral Way (S.W. 24th St.) & 112th Avenue

Miami, Florida 33165

How to get there

Order Now!

Table of contents and list of recipes.

Our newest Cuban cookbook, "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban" makes a great gift for mom on her special day. Better yet, buy a copy for yourself and give mom a break from cooking as you prepare a great Cuban feast!

"Wonderfully illustrated throughout with full color photography of finished dishes, "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban" is a particularly "user friendly" and enthusiastically recommended addition to any kitchen cook's ethnic cuisine oriented cookbook collection." Mary Cowper, Midwest Book Review.

"Celebrate Cuban is a collectible cookbook, not only because of the amazing pictures tempting you at every turn of the page, but because of the writing style. I adore the way this book is written. The personality shines throughout and each recipe has comments from Glenn, Raúl and Jorge. There are also conversations between the three cooks and this introduces you to the cultural significance of each dish or gives you insight into why an ingredient is so popular." Rebecca Johnson, The Rebecca Review.

Spinach Empanadas

Filete Bistec Salteado

Pollo de la Plancha

Let's face it. For the last decade or two, you've been giving your mom the same old tired presents on her special day. Sure flowers are great, but the average mom gets enough flowers each year to open a small florist shop.

And candy? Isn't that really a case of you projecting your own twisted desires for sweets on poor mom, who when it comes to candy, has by now seen and eaten just about everything there is? Been there, done that!

Moms across the United States have a secret desire - they want to BREAK OUT of their everyday food rut and try something different. Your mom wants to kick up her heels, let her hair down, and take a walk on the WILD side!

That's right, our Cuban cookbook: "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban" is the perfect Mother's Day gift for your beloved mother. Pick up a last minute copy at your local bookseller (such as Barnes & Noble) or if you plan ahead, you can order one online.

Renowned glass blower Dale Chihuly has mounted another exhibit at the Fairchild Gardens. While strolling the grounds you can see these wonderful pieces of art scattered throughout the park.

Chihuly loves to mix monumental, organically shaped sculptural forms with beautiful landscaping. Botanical gardens have become a favorite place for his exhibits.

In Miami, the installations have proven to be extremely popular. Thousands of people have visited the Fairchild Gardens to see this wonderful event.

The exhibit runs through the end of May. Tickets are available through the Fairchild Gardens site. Stop in the gift shop on your way out and pick up a copy of one of our cookbooks!