Journey down any Cuban residential street at mealtime and one distinctive, hunger-inducing aroma lifts you up and carries you to the table: garlic.

This is not a one-clove-in-a-dish kind of place. Got a bulb of garlic? Use it. Please, don’t get me wrong; Cuban cooks know how to incorporate garlic into a recipe so it doesn’t smack you around. They know how to coax garlic into releasing it’s pungent flavor without asaulting the rest of the dish.

Toasting, roasting, sautéing and even frying, bring out garlic’s various nuances. Don’t forget: you want garlic’s flavor, but not the bite… like in this easy-to-prepare garlic shrimp recipe. A splash of vinegar, or lemon, brightens the dish just a bit.

Like visiting Cuba, this is a journey worth taking.

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Cuban Garlic Shrimp
(Camarones al Ajillo Cubanos)

prep: 10 minutes
cook:10 minutes

you’ll need…
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup minced onion
8 garlic cloves, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

let’s get to it…
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until softened but not brown.
Lower heat to medium low and add the shrimp. Sauté shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes or until barely pink.
Stir in the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Camarones al Ajillo at El Templete Restaurant in Havana

Here’s your ticket to Cuba: Mojo marinade.  (Pronounced, Mo-HO, not Mo-JOE!)

Mojito sauce, as it is called on the island, is bright and intriguing with strong, complex flavors… just like Cuba. Seville oranges, also known as bitter oranges, are the marinade’s “secret” ingredient.

These oranges grow everywhere across Cuba and the Caribbean (and in southern Spain!), but they’re often hard to find elsewhere. My recipe offers a great substitution.

Mojo’s citrus base pairs naturally with fish, shellfish, chicken, pork or vegetables. Heck, I even use it as a salad dressing because I love the tart taste. It also offers an unexpected twist for a grilling marinade.

I’ve included oil in this recipe, but if you’re marinating a pork roast, you really don’t need it… the pig’s got enough fat on its own! This recipe can be doubled. Or tripled.

So here’s your trip to Cuba… without packing a bag!

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Rolled Pork Roast Marinated in Mojo

Don’t throw out those last few pieces of leftover Thanksgiving Turkey… make some Turkey Cubano Sandwiches for everyone… or just for yourself!

I’ve been to Cuba and used to live in Miami so, believe me, I know the debate that rages over not only what makes a true Cubano Sandwich but how to make a Cubano Sandwich.

This much everyone agrees on: A Cubano Sandwich is not a Panini. It is pressed on a sandwich press called a plancha (which is similar to a Panini press but without the grooved edges). I’ve improvised a plancha over the years (see below). Don’t laugh. It really works. (But, yes, you can use a Panini maker). Regardless, what you want to end up with is a thin hot sandwich oozing with cheesy goodness.

This much is also true: The sandwich ingredients are roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, thinly sliced dill pickles and, of course, Cuban bread (which looks like French bread, but is slightly sweet). I can’t find Cuban bread where I live, and I’m too frazzled right now to make it, so I use French bread (but never a baguette) or a bolillo. I scoop out a little of the bread on the inside so it isn’t too “bready.” Oh, and I add a little mustard to my Cubano, even though purists will object.

Pretty easy, very delicious and the perfect way to wrap up the Thanksgiving holiday… finally!

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Homemade Plancha to press the Sandwich!