A classic drink that brings back warm memories of Cuba in the 1950s.
The result is the most delicious chocolate milk you've ever had -- with a kick!
The drink brings back some wonderful memories of Cuba for Lourdes Antiga Price Gee of Charlotte, North Carolina. "My mother's help was off on Sunday after lunch, and we would go out to dinner as a family," she says. "Even when we were children, Mother would let us have a "doncellita."
Gee has fond memories of her mother and father and the life they had in Cuba.
"My mother was a lovely, beautiful, and elegant woman. She was a natural "flirt," but never self-conscious about it. She and my father were absolutely crazy about each other," Gee says.
After Gee had her own family, and people became more aware of the effects of alcohol, she began to wonder if her memory was accurate. "I said to her one day, 'Mami, how could you have given us an alcoholic drink when we were as young as eight or ten? I'm sure it made us very sleepy.'
"Her answer, with a really mischievous smile: 'That was the whole idea! Besides, it was like having chocolate.'"
Gee is quick to point out that she has never provided ANY alcoholic drinks to her own children.
"However, they might have missed something in not having a "doncellita," she adds. “ What a good story that memory has become in our family!"
- 4 ounces heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ounces dark Creme de Cacao
- Maraschino cherry
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Dissolve the sugar in the cream by slowly stirring in a measuring cup. Once most of the sugar has dissolved, continue stirring vigorously by hand until the cream thickens somewhat.
Pour dark Crème de Cacao in a liqueur glass.
Pour the sweetened heavy cream slowly down the side of the glass so that the cream floats on top.
Top the drink with a bright red maraschino cherry.
- Recipe from the book: "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban"
- Copyright 2006
- Smoked Anchovy
- Fillets from Cantabria
Many a pizza has been ruined by a bad anchovy!
A tender smoked anchovy is a joy on the tongue - the best ones seem to melt in your mouth. We especially enjoy Nardín Smoked Anchovies, crafted with skill by a family owned business in Spain. These hearty fish are harvested from the Cantabria Sea in the Bay of Biscay using sustainable fishing methods.
The process starts on the fishing boats where the freshly netted fish are packed in a mild refrigerated brine - using half the salt of a typical brining solution. Once ashore, Nardín carefully washes away the brine and hand fillets the anchovies. They then hand dry and smoke the anchovies with beech wood, a delicate and mildly sweet hardwood. They pack the anchovies in pure olive oil and the result is an anchovy that is not overly salty with a sublime, mild fish flavor.
The texture of this fish is far and away above that if a typical anchovy, which normally sits in a salty brine for months. The plump texture of these will remind you of delicately smoked salmon
We love to eat these anchovies on toasted and lightly buttered Cuban bread with piquillo peppers, chopped sweet onion, and a dash of oil and vinegar. Either that, or right out of the can!
Find out more about these delicious anchovies by clicking here.
- Spanish Cheese Sampler
Two slices each of Manchego Cheese, D.O. - Spain's famous sheep's milk cheese from La Mancha, and Roncal, D.O. - a sheep's milk cheese that is aged for a firm bite and sharp flavor.
This is also a great way to sample two Spanish cheeses and expand your palate!
Find out more about this two-cheese campler by clicking here.
Order by November 15, 2009 and save 10 PERCENT on your oder by clicking the photo link above and entering Coupon Code "icuban09" at checkout.
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With such a large slate to choose from, it may be surprising that many come here to enjoy simple Cuban comfort food: a ham croquette or two, an entrée of either masitas (chunks of pork) or picadillo (a type of Cuban hash), a side of moros y cristianos (a mix of black beans and white rice), and three plátanos maduros, silky sweet ripe plantain slices that have been sautéed in a pan until the natural sugars are caramelized to a golden hue.
The tourist crowd tends to stick with one of the combination plates, always a good bet and a pleasant introduction to the basic flavor notes of Cuban cuisine. The "classic" combination plate comes with ham croquettes, black beans, yuca, a Cuban tamal, lechón asado (roast pork), and picadillo brimming with onions, sweet peppers, and raisins. Boliche, the Cuban version of pot roast is served with thick, dark gravy, and is a cut above anything you will ever find in an American restaurant.
Versailles makes all their own bread and desserts in a bakery located right next door. A popular dessert choice is the unique turrón de jijona flan, light and eggy with the great nutty taste of Marcona almond turrones, a Spanish candy that is popular with Cubans at Christmas time. The crema catalana, the Cuban version of crème Brûlée, is a rich custard, with a crunchy, golden brown topping of caramelized sugar. The bakery is a freestanding operation, so you can come here just for dessert if you like, or to buy a box of Cuban pastries "para llevar" -- to go.
Open: Sunday through Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. | Friday and Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m.
- Price: Moderate
- Dress: Casual to dressy
- 3555 SW 8th Street
- Miami, Florida 33135
- 305-444-0240
- Dress: Casual to dressy
