Dedicated to the memory of Manuela Ballesteros, 1910-1982

Cuba Cooks strives to promote greater cultural understanding by sharing traditional recipes and practices surrounding meals and foods from the island. Cuban cuisine is a distinctive fusion of tastes and textures from the Taino, Spanish, African, Chinese, French and the American cultures. That’s why anyone who has tasted Cuban food loves it!  

Yet, we also know traditional recipes and customs naturally undergo changes, especially as a result of Cubans living off the island. Change may take the form of a substitution or exclusion of an ingredient or a method in order to save time, money, or calories.  Or, change may involve the unexpected– like a side dish of black beans and rice on a Thanksgiving Day table.

Cuba Cooks recognizes the tenacity, skills, and care of home cooks who meet the daily demands of preparing nutritious, tasty meals for loved ones.  We celebrate their cooking because it is an essential role in the foundation of life, family, and the larger community.  Cuba Cooks gives a voice to these home cooks, mostly women, who may have talents rivaling those of professional chefs, but whose contribution is often taken for granted. 

A little food history, a manageable recipe, a little sampling or a feast.  These go a long way in strengthening our connections to our past, to our present, and equip all home cooks to take this knowledge into the future.

Copyright – 2021-  Cuba Cooks – All rights reserved