Cuban mangoes

Improving Upon the New York Times' Most Popular Dessert Recipe -- with Mangoes

Improving Upon the New York Times' Most Popular Dessert Recipe -- with Mangoes

Living in Cuba, I don't enjoy reading recipes and cookbooks the way I used to. The list of ingredients often remind me of all the things we don't have in Cuba. But the New York Times recipe gave me inspiration instead...

Finding the Meaning of "Local" at the Cuban Farmer's Market

Finding the Meaning of "Local" at the Cuban Farmer's Market

I spend about five to six hours of my week buying food for my family, because in Cuba, there is no one-stop supermarket like Safeway or Whole Foods. Even daring to put the words "Whole Foods" and "Cuba" in the same sentence seems comical, or tragic ... or both...

The Perfect Mango Milkshake (and How to Make a Kids' Game Out of It)

The Perfect Mango Milkshake (and How to Make a Kids' Game Out of It)

For the first few months I was living in Cuba, I attempted to make this drink often but was tasting much better versions on the streets, from the international hotel near our house to the curbside kiosks that sell batidos by the glass for 3 Cuban pesos -- about 12 cents!