Cuba is still in a state of crisis. People queue for hours on end just to get their daily rations, which consists of no more than some rice and beans. One can also get some pork, chicken, and vegetables if they have enough money to buy it.
But even with so little, Cuban families are able to make do because of the magic touch of the Cuban mothers and grandmothers who can make a delicious meal even with scarce ingredients.
“Cuban mothers and grandmothers have to become magicians. We find food where it isn’t.” This means rustling up ersatz ingredients at a moment’s notice. “If a dry wine isn’t available, OK, then I’ll use vinegar. If fresh tomatoes are too expensive, then I add a little sugar for sweetness. Often, we are out of oil so I use the fat that comes from the frying pork to then cook the beans or the rice in for more flavour. It becomes an experiment of sorts.”
Hector, who has been helping Maria stir the pot, is keen to tell me how much he likes his gran’s cooking. When we sit down to eat, I can see why. The pork is tender and the beans are packed with flavour. Maria is indeed a wizard in the kitchen.
(Image credit: Marc Averette/Wikimedia Commons)
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*cat gets in fight with dog*
*dog scratches cats face*
*dog chases cat back to house*
*door doesn't recognize cat's face*
*cat runs smack into door*
*dog eats cat*
Poor kitty! :'(
If it's such a problem, just leave her outside with her lunch.
No, i think the kitties will be fine.
;-)
I mentioned this story to a friend of mine a few years ago. He is a scientist with Dynetics Corp. (worked on the M.O.A.B project, he was very stressed during those 3 months) and was currently working on an independent target acquisition system for individual bomblets.
His immediate response was to consider what system he would use to tackle the problem. I was certain I would see a new dog door next time I visited his house.
(Boris, you are such an ubergeek!)