Thanks for the Sophia’s tip, smt. I live fairly close by and usually get my olives there, and make sure to pick up a quart of her amazing yogurt for my daughter-in-law. It’s one of her favorite things to eat. I’ll add the chick peas to my list for when I stop by.
1 Like
La Segunda does have the best Cuban bread hands down
Edited to add your Cuban sandwiches sound excellent. I have a weakness for a good Cuban
1 Like
I wish I could remember the name of the farm cooperative that is distributing [and am too lazy to walk to the pantry.] As you walk in, on the left are some cases with pasta. There are two cases against the wall, and then a third one is sticking out and facing you [the cooler is behind it.] These items are in the “sticking out” case; blue and white lettering, modest sized bags. Starts with an “A” well actually with an “a.”
I know just where you mean. Thanks so much!
I’ve spent the day in Liverpool, acting as an “expert” at a First World War family history event. I’ve returned to find dinner preparations well under way and no assistance from me is required. .
There’s to be a beef casserole, with chestnut mushrooms, mustard and horseradish. A Mary Berry recipe. Alongside, mashed carrot & swede and steamed “flower sprouts”.
To follow, Bourne’s Cheshire cheese, oatcakes (just made by Mrs H) & celery.
To finish, apple and blackberry pie (bought) & custard.
1 Like
I’m intrigued by Cuban pork. I keep seeing it here, but I have no idea what it is. Can you share? X
Kinda been too busy having fun & eating well to post - Thursday night was at the outstanding Lers Ros on Larkin: some of the most interesting Thai dishes I’ve had to date.
We split the legendary pork shoulder (2 orders, b/c it is that good), roasted duck larb, raw shrimp with garlic, ginger & chili, pork larb, som tam with raw crab, and fried tofu skin stuffed with crab, water chestnuts and pork. Oh my.
Last night was at Jai Yun, an incredible refined Chinese restaurant where the only choices are between several levels of prix fixe menus. We chose the “cheapest” one at $98, and the dishes just kept coming. Perhaps @mariacarmen will write up a review on the SF board - I was too busy stuffing my face to take pics or keep track. Lots of drinking at various dive bars ensued afterwards.
Still recovering from the last two nights, but already looking forward to tonight’s dinner at Lolinda’s in the Mission.
3 Likes
We came across the Cuban sandwich on our recent trip to Florida. It contains roast pork, ham and cheese.
Whilst in Miami, we did a food tour of Little Havana. Our guide said that the sandwich was almost certainly an American invention, the mixing of proteins like that not really being present in Cuban cuisine. It’s another of those American sandwiches where there is simply too much on the bread and the flavours fight each other, rather than complementing each other. The Cuban sandwich would be much improved if the ham and cheese was left off. (although it seems that Americans add bland cheese to just about every sandwich, so I understand that it’s pretty much a cultural necessity for it to be there).
Well, your guide was wrong. Here’s an explanation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_sandwich Sorry you’re getting such bad advice 
Gawd…I dream about the whole fried trout at Lers Ros (we’ve had good experiences at both the Larkin and Hayes Valley locales). Hubby and friends love the pork shoulder.
If I lived here, I would eat there once a week.
How long will you be there? We’re coming down next weekend. Too late?
We leave Monday noon. 2 more dinners & 1 more lunch 
Do you have anything nailed down yet? Too bad the crab season is delayed/cancelled.
Tonight, I made broccoli/cabbage slaw, Salisbury steak, and mashed potatoes. Hit the spot. Oh and btw, this is operagirl from CH. New site, new handle!
2 Likes
Ah, Wikipedia.
Another different version of the sandwich history which seems toi indicate, more realistically, that the sandwich in Cuba was just ham and cheese. That makes sense to me - America is the only country I visit regularly where sandwiches usually come loaded up with all sorts of disparate items.
That said, tryimg to establish the exact origin of a foodstuff so basic as a sandwich is a job only for those who believe that the Earl of Sandwich invented the sandwich.
Upcoming - smoked mackerel pie. A Nigel Slater recipe.
Smoked mackerel is flaked and mixed with creme fraiche, grain mustard, s & p, and chopped parsley. The recipe also includes chopped tarragon - but this is November, on my small cold island off the coast of Northern Europe - so there was none in the supermarket). That goes on to a sheet of puff pastry and is topped with another sheet. Egg washed and baked for 40 minutes. Alongside, a salad of red cabbage, carrot, onion and celery - dressing of cold pressed rapeseed oil & red wine vinegar.
1 Like
Cubans who came to the US and had the requisite ingredients on them. I can understand that someone from England, birthplace of the cheese sandwich?, would find things like Cubanos, Reubens, etc. a bit too wild and crazy for their palates
I’ve no idea whether Britain is the birthplace of the cheese sandwich,. I assume that wherever in the world bread and cheese have been made, people would have had the nous to eat them together. We’ve certainly made both in my immediate part of the country for a long time - the village had a baker in the 19th century and there was cheesemaking going on ten minutes walk away from where I live in the 18th century (cheesemaking then was very much a homemade affair).
I would entirely agree that I find many American sandwiches combinations to be too “wild and crazy” for my taste. The Cuban Sandwich isnt one of them - I found them quite bland, rather than “wild and crazy” ( but that’s American sandwich ham and cheese for you). As I suspect you know, European sandwiches tend to have far fewer ingredients on them - just a slice of ham (whether it be a cooked or dry cured one) between the bread, perhaps with a little mustard, salad garnish or, in British cheese sandwiches, a little chutney or pickle). Our tastes are to let an ingredient shine through, with minimal adornment, rather than the heavily loaded sandwiches that are generally on sale in America. Less is more, if you will.
FWIW, with the exception of the extremely pointless and tasteless cheese, the Reuben is an excellent sandwich. The beef and sauerkraut complement each other - and, you can taste both. I had a dolphin fish Reuben in Florida on our recent trip. It was fine although the kraut overpowered the delicate flavour of the fish somewhat.
By the by, our major national sandwich chain offers a single cheese sandwich. It uses a mature Cheddar with pickle, tomato & lettuce. Cheese doesnt feature on any of the other sandwiches it sells. Almost needless to say, the Subway outlets here as as bad as the Subway outlets in America. They seem to be popular with young people.
I guess since the US is a nation of immigrants we’ve embraced some more adventuresome flavors and combos. When we make burgers (usually pork) the typical toppings are grilled onions and mushrooms, avocado, lettuce, tomato and cheese(s). The other night I added some basil. Just another sandwich.
