July 2019 Favourites List

This month I’m going to tell you about Cienfuegos, a city on the Bahia de Cienfuegos (Cienfuegos Bay) on the south coast of Cuba. Founded by a wealthy family, who gave the city its name, in 1819, it is positively a youngster of a city compared to Trinidad, Havana or Santiago.

The huge central square, the Parque Jose Marti, sets the tone for the city. Open and graceful, it is almost a double square! There are two squares which combine to make the imposing rectangle of the Parque. Strolling around the square, you can’t fail to be impressed by its grandeur. There is a Casa de Cultura in the square, where locals watch live music in a hidden courtyard, drink a cold beer and meet with friends. Or Bar Palatino, almost exactly across the Parque, a traditional Cuban bar with a terrace outside to enjoy the sunshine. The square was made a national monument in 1978 and a UNESCO as a site of important Cultural Patrimony in 2005.

It's a short taxi ride down to the coast, and I found a lovely little restaurant to have a slow and lazy lunch looking over the sea. You can’t spend all of your time travelling sightseeing, walking and taking photos. It is exhausting! So lunch at Camila’s Restaurant was a welcome break. 

Cienfuegos’ 19^th Century architecture is characterised by the main roads being wide boulevards, with grand villas on both sides. The houses here are painted in pastel shades, making them look very elegant. One of them has been converted into an old school Paladare (private restaurant), Las Mamparas, loved by locals for special occasions. Paladare Ache, in the side streets is a more contemporary Paladare with a beautiful garden, chunky rustic wood tables and a more modern take on Cuban food.

 

It’s a city which feels a little more relaxed than Havana, and has fewer tourists than Trinidad and feels a bit more like “real Cuba” than Vinales. Don’t forget to listen to some Beny More should you visit. He is Cienfuegos’ most famed musician, who could tackle many different genres of Cuban music with ease. Such was his versatility, he was given the title “El Barbero de Ritmo” or the Barbarian of Rhythm. It seems like a backhanded compliment, but it truly is not. You will find his statue on the main boulevard of town. 

I hope you enjoy my photos and my impressions of my trip.

My overview of my Cuba trip can be found here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2019/04/april-2019-favourites-list.html

Find out about Vinales in the countryside here: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2019/05/may-2019-favourites-list.html

I wrote about Trinidad de Cuba here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2019/06/june-2019-favourites-list.html
 

Food writing: 

Pubs are a quintessentially British drinking experience. They're not the same as wine bar, cocktail bars or other drinking establishments. What makes a great British Boozer? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/30/in-search-of-the-perfect-pub-great-british-boozer
 

An interview with food and recipe writer Felicity Cloake, by cookbook author Kerstin Rodgers at Ms Marmite Lover blog:

https://msmarmitelover.com/2019/07/an-interview-with-felicity-cloake.html

"Walking on the beaches looking at the peaches"! Do you know your peaches from your nectarines? https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/a27532525/peach-vs-nectarine-differences/

Kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, kefir, certain cheeses - what they have in common is fermentation. Some fermented food can help encourage good gut health. Find out more. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/fermented_foods

Recipes: 

Farro, grilled peach and pecan salad - an ancient grain with Summer fruits to make a seasonal salad which is vegetarian and vegan.

https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/vegan/farro-grilled-peach-and-pecan-salad/

Fancy a cheeky weekend cocktail? How about this toffee vodka? https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/toffee-vodka
   

Quick and Easy Spicy Garlic Chicken Pasta from Helen of Fuss Free Flavours: https://fussfreeflavours.com/quick-easy-spicy-black-pepper-and-garlic-chicken-spaghetti/
 

Diana Henry's South-East Asian tomato and mango salad recipe which turns any plain main course – fish, chicken, pork chops – into a flavoursome Eastern meal. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/recipes/south-east-asian-tomato-and-mango-salad/

Nigel Slater’s new potatoes with broad beans and butter sauce:

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jun/18/nigel-slater-new-potatoes-with-broad-beans-and-butter-sauce-recipe

 

Slow cooked Korean pork marinaded in miso, soy sauce, gochujang or Sriracha, sesame oil, and pepper, served in lettuce wraps:

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/easy/a34182/korean-pork-lettuce-wraps/
 

Black rice, watercress and pomegranate, a super salad with tahini dressing which is vegetarian and vegan:

https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/black-rice-super-salad/
 

Turkish greens on toast and Börek with feta, greens and dark molasses tahini. Turkish recipes from Anna Jones:

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jun/28/borek-pastries-tahini-fritters-greens-toast-turkish-recipes-anna-jones
 

Chicken, giant couscous and harissa broth. Use giant couscous, don't substitute. Buy the giant couscous pasta!

https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/healthy/chicken-giant-couscous-broth/
 

Vegan tofu 
summer rolls recipe with Hoi Sin sauce or sweet chilli sauce:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/recipes/vegan-tofu-summer-rolls-recipe/

TV:

Killing Eve (Season 2)

Glastonbury (at the BBC)
The Good Place (Season 1)

Music:

Stephen Duffy - I Love My Friends (2019 reissue)

Neil Young – After The Gold Rush

Buena Vista Social Club - Various Artists

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.

June 2019 Favourites List

This month I am continuing my series of posts about Cuba, focussing on Trinidad. Trinidad in the central province of Sancti Spiritus, is a colourful town full of picture perfect cobbled streets. Historically, people here were involved in the sugar industry, meaning sugar and rum products are part of the local heritage. The money which came in was spent building the beautiful mansions with their distinctive front grilles. It shouldn't surprise you that Trinidad is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, given protected status in 1988.

The Cubans make utterly wonderful rum cocktails, which is no surprise given how many different rums are made here. One of Cuba's most celebrated cocktails, the Canchanchara, was invented here in Trinidad, using local brand Santera. You can visit La Canchanchara and sample the iconic cocktail, always served in a little terracotta tumbler. They're generous with the honey, so don't forget to give your drink a thorough stir. Enjoy the live music whilst you imbibe. 
 

Live music, La Canchanchara

If you are after a night of live music there are two places which will delight you, Casa Del Trova and Casa de la Musica. Cuban jazz is much loved, and you might find a few tracks from the Buena Vista Social Club artists like Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Amaro Portuondo thrown into the set list. If you want to do dance, go ahead. The venues even provide dancers to join in if you don't have someone to dance with. 

Casa de Trova

Trinidad's cobbled streets are worth wandering around and you will find lots of great Paladares to eat at. Paladares are privately run restaurants, which I would recommend over some of the government run establishments, which often have ingredient shortages and slow service. Comida Criolla is to be found on the menus. Mixing the ingredients and cooking techniques of Caribbean, African and Spanish food, it is comforting and flavourful. Some people are uncomplimentary about Cuban food, which is most unfair. Perhaps others reporting back on their Cuban adventures didn't really try to explore this cuisine, ordering within a comfort zone of plain grilled and fried foods? 

Bistro Trinidad

Bistro Trinidad is one of my recommendations.It is a beautiful old house, packed with antique furniture, making it full of atmosphere. We were very well looked after. And the seafood here is excellent (the coast is close by, meaning extra fresh produce). The lobster and prawns are the dishes to go for here. If you decide to eat upstairs al fresco, you will find a huge mango tree.

Comida Criolla at Bistro Trinidad

Trinidad is a popular town for tourists, so there is a growing number of trendy and contemporary bars, restaurants and cafes. La Radaccion is a converted newpaper office, an a great place to cool down and have either a cocktail or light bite. 

I hope you will enjoy this month's Favourites List. 
If you want to explore my other Cuban adventures, I wrote about Vinales here: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2019/05/may-2019-favourites-list.html
My overview of my trip is here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2019/04/april-2019-favourites-list.html

Food writing:

Coffee lovers can breathe a sigh of relief - coffee doesn't appear to harden the arteries: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jun/02/up-to-25-cups-of-coffee-a-day-safe-for-heart-health-study-finds

Summer is finally here, so if you're planning a picnic or BBQ, here are some award winning products you might want to get in: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/summer-taste-awards

Back to basics: how to make great stock: https://www.salon.com/2011/01/22/how_to_make_stock/

Recipes:

MiMi Aye has just had her second cook book "Mandalay" published. It is going to be one of the hottest cookbooks of 2019, bringing Burmese food to British kitchens. Here is her recipe for Ngar kyaw chet - fried fish curry:

https://foodism.co.uk/recipes/make-mimi-aye-fried-fish-curry/
 

Pete Fraser of What I Feed My Family blog shares his recipe for Swedish (ish!) meatballs, so you don't have to buy a freezer pack on your next trip to IKEA: https://whatifeedmyfamily.com/2019/06/11/swedishish-meatballs-with-cream-gravy
 Jacqueline Bellefontaine has this great salsa recipe for the upcoming Summer days.

https://www.recipesmadeeasy.co.uk/avocado-and-sweetcorn-salsa/


Just found this Miso Tofu Ramen soup as a potential diet day recipe. Him Indoors can have it, as it has 550 calories. I could reduce the amount of noodles and/or have half an egg to bring it within 500 calories.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/simple_miso_tofu_and_03158

Whether you are cooking for children or just yourself, these chicken recipes are full of flavour and colour! Claire Thomson's Chicken tinga and black bean tacos, Three-cup chicken, Chicken with almonds and garlic, Lemongrass chicken with green mango salad:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/may/25/four-favourites-claire-thomson-cooking-with-children-chicken-dinners-tacos-thai-garlic-lemongrass-mango 

Cookwitch food blog has this amazing Cypriot inspired bread pudding recipe, the perfect way of using up surplus bread. Avoiding food waste is one small way we can save money on food and do our bit for the environment.

http://cookwitch.blogspot.com/2019/05/cypriot-inspired-bread-pudding.html

I discovered Cava Sangria in Barcelona. Refreshing and fruity, it is more Summery than regular Sangria. Try it: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a576624/white-sangria/

Black pepper and strawberries is one of those flavour combinations which you would have thought doesn't work, but is a classic. Here's a black pepper, strawberry, goat's cheese and walnut salad to make:

http://www.arthurstreetkitchen.com/journal/2018/black-pepper-strawberries-with-goats-cheese-and-walnut-salad

We recently had National Fish and Chips Day! Here's how to make traditional beer battered cod with chips. Don't forget the Tartare sauce and mushy peas on the side, with a wedge of lemon!

http://www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/recipes/beer-battered-fish-chips

Jersey Royals are in season. I love them boiled and tossed in butter for a side dish. But here, May at Eat Cook Explore blog, has turned them into salad perfect for weekend lunch: https://www.eatcookexplore.com/ad-jersey-royals-new-potatoes-and-asparagus-salad/
 

TV:

Mum (Season 3)

Bowie at the BBC
Nigel Slater's Middle East

Film:

Denial

Music:

Kate Bush - The Hounds of Love

Stephen Duffy - I Love My Friends (2019 reissue)

Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.