Dinner for Prostitutes? Recipe for Cuban-Style Rice

Cuban-Style Rice Recipe

When I was growing up, my Cuban grandmother always referred to this simple meal of fried eggs and rice as dinner for prostitutes.  I guess what she meant was that this was their dinner since it was inexpensive and was what they could afford.   I always found her comment amusing and since I didn’t care to eat fried eggs and rice, I never thought much of it.  As an adult, I have heard several other people of Cuban descent call it the same.  I laugh each time and remember my grandmother.

Recently, I reviewed a cookbook filled with recipes from Spain.  While browsing the cookbook, I found the famous fried eggs and rice by another name, “Cuban Style Rice.” I learned that this recipe is actually popular in the Canary Islands and Catalonia.  My grandfather, her husband, was from the Canary Islands, funny, right?

Here is the recipe. It is actually a substantial supper dish popular in many cultures.

I made this recipe the other night for my family.  It was a bit different from the regular fried eggs and rice.  I smiled as I prepared this dish because I knew my grandmother was smiling back down on me.

Try it for yourself.  Enjoy!

~Susi

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 1/2 cups of long grain rice

1 Tablespoon butter

4 large eggs

salt and paprika

Tomato Sauce (on the side)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 onion chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 12 oz can of tomatoes

4 thyme or oregano sprigs

ground black pepper

Directions

1.  Make the tomato sauce first.  Heat the oil in the pan, add the onion and garlic and fry gently, stirring until soft.  Stir in the tomatoes and thyme and oregano.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add the seasoning to taste.  Remove the herbs and keep warm.

2.  Cook your rice.  I used a rice cooker/steamer.  Follow your own rice guidelines.  Add the 2 whole garlic cloves to the rice.  Cook until rice is done and all liquid has been absorbed.

3.  Heat a pan with the olive oil and gently fry one chopped garlic clove,  Add the rice, stir, season well, then turn off the heat and cover the pan.

4.  Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and fry the eggs over a medium-high heat, until the edges turn golden.  Season to taste with salt and paprika.  Serve the rice surrounded by the tomato sauce and top with the fried egg.

A Delicious New Cab – Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon

I am all about trying new wines.  I love it when I receive a bottle of wine as a gift.  This past Christmas, I received several bottles of wine.  While some were my usual favorites, I did get some new and interesting varieties.

Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 was one of those new never tasted before wines.

I finally got around to that bottle and truly enjoyed it.

This wine was quite fabulous. Pour this dark ruby red into your wine glass and enjoy the perfect blend of flavors.  Your taste buds will be rewarded with hints of raspberry, oak, chocolate and spices. It was easy to pick out some of these distinctive flavors.  The wine was delicious and perfectly balanced.  This wine was smooth, full bodied and savory.  For me, it paired well with a nice steak.

Since I enjoyed this wine, I looked for it locally and was surprised that this delicious wine was also inexpensive.

If you are looking for a nice cab to go with your dinner tonight, check this Chilean wine out for yourself.

~Susi