The Three Guys From Miami run four popular websites (beginning in 1996) dedicated to Cuban culture and Miami travel. The Three Guys’ own history predates the Web. They became a team in 1981 and for many years they have been perfecting their Cuban recipes by cooking, and eating -- oh yes, a LOT of eating -- Cuban food. They have made several appearances on the Food Network and have published two best-selling Cuban cookbooks..
The Three Guys are on a mission: to preserve and promote Cuban culture! They provide Cuban cooking tips and advice for professional and amateur chefs all over the world. Their recipes have been included in several cookbooks, newspapers, and national magazines. They 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.
They are also the authors of two Miami Cuban cookbooks, "Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban" and "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban."
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 Cuban cookbook.
The Three Guys have also have received many recipes from the visitors to their website over the years.
Castillo says, "We must have received 20 different black bean recipes alone – everyone has their own family favorite."
"Of course, we usually add our own touches – we rarely make the same dish exactly the same way we did the last time!" Musibay adds.
Another major source of Cuban recipes 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.
The Three Guys have also done a lot of research on old original recipes from Spain – they form the bedrock of many Cuban dishes.
Their Caldo Gallego recipe for example, is based on several original recipes for this dish from Spain.
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 this great city.
"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."
"We show people how to enjoy the Cuban side of Miami with the best places to go, to shop, to eat, and have fun," Lindgren adds.
And what does the future hold for the Three Guys From Miami?
The trio is still working on a regular Cuban 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.
"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. "For example, I never dreamed I'd be on national television singing with Willy Chirino as I did in 2005."
"Who knows," says Castillo. "Whatever the future holds, we'll never stop dreaming."
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Three Guys from Miami!
Raúl Musibay is the heart and soul of iCuban.com. From it's earliest beginnings as a fishing site (Raúl's passion) to its emergence as one of the most popular Cuban sites on the web, Raúl has been the driving spirit behind our success.
"We've tried to capture a little of Raúl's personality on our webpages – his good-natured humor, his love of life, his hearty appetite for good food and a great party," Glenn says. "He is truly the guy whose spirit inspires us."
A native Cuban, Raúl came to the United States via Spain in 1980. As a full-time Miami resident, Raúl is known for his love of fishing, his great parties, and his mastery of the Cuban pig roast.
Like Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea, Raúl frequently braves the ocean waves in the Florida Keys with his small fishing boat. Just don't call him old. He insists that he gets a little better, but never older, every year. A somewhat reluctant chef, Raúl is the goodwill ambassador of the group. You'll find him at cooking classes and demonstrations "working the crowd," telling jokes, and making sure everyone is having a good time. Raúl and his wife Esther have two married children, Onel and Onix.
Glenn grew up in Minneapolis and first came to Miami in 1984. Here he fell in love with this tropical city with its friendly people and unique Cuban culture.
With more than 30 years in the writing business, Glenn is the driving force behind the website and the guy who actually writes the cookbooks.
"Many people are amazed to find out that the 'gringo' actually cooks all of these great Cuban dishes!" Glenn is a lifelong student of food and cooking. He also cooks Latin & Central American, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, French, German, Indian, and sometimes even "American" food.
"I'm still working on my Spanish," Glenn says. "Like the time I laughingly told Raul I used to be a Miami cop – I had been watching too many episodes of COPS! To prove it, I said what I thought was Spanish for 'Put your hands on top of your head!'
Raúl adds, "But what he really said in Spanish was: "'Put the monkeys on your head!' I laughed so hard I thought I would fall out of the boat!"
"I still get kidded a lot about that!"
A freelance food writer and avid cook by profession, Glenn documents the antics of the Three Guys, in books, magazines, and on the Internet. Although he spends a lot of time in Miami, Glenn and his wife Maureen live in Eagan, Minnesota. He has two daughters, Erin and Gabrielle, and a son, Dennis.
Jorge Castillo is a proud Marielito, one of the thousands of honest, hard-working Cubans who came to the United States in the Mariel Boatlift in 1980.
Although born and raised in Cayo la Rosa, Jorge left Miami after three months to live in Iowa, where he mastered the English language and learned to love corn on the cob, root beer, and Cookie's Barbecue Sauce.
In Iowa, he also met his future wife Mary and set in motion a series of fortunate events that would eventually result in the creation on the Three Guys From Miami. Jorge is now a full-time Miami resident.
Jorge is the artist of the group, at least when it comes to food. Unlike his two brothers-in-law, he has always had an eye for artistic food presentation.
"We hear from many people who miss their old Cuban recipe favorites, but live in parts of the country where finding Cuban food is impossible," Jorge says.
"It's also amazing how many people relied on their Abuela to cook Cuban food – and when Abuela dies, the recipes die with her. We help many Cubans get back in touch with their culture."
As they say, there are as many ways to cook Cuban food as there are Cubans in Havana.
"We tell people, 'this may not be the exact recipe that you remember, but try it and let us know how it turns out,'" Jorge says. "We know that at least one ingredient will be missing – that's the love that your mother or grandmother put into it. That added love is a key ingredient in the best recipes!"
Jorge has lived for the past 15 years in the West Kendall area of Miami with his wife Mary. They have two daughters, Mariel and Allison.
You've heard of the "Fifth Beatle?" Well, our nephew Neil is sometimes known as the "Fourth Guy from Miami!"
Nephew Neil represents the branch of the family that settled in New Jersey. From his home base in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Nephew Neil was our "go-to guy" for upper east coast restaurant reviews and photography.
Neil relocated to Tampa in 2004, so we now have a fulltime representative in Tampa, one of the oldest Cuban communities in the United States!
In the real world, Neil is a career figure in the banking industry at Bank of America in Clearwater.
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