Lights! Cameras! Cuisine!

Chapter 1 Dinner with Friends Easy to Prepare Meals for an Evening In Mambo Kings (US 1992) Directed by Arne Glimcher based on the book by Oscar Hijuelos, with Armande Assante, Antonio Banderas, Cathy Moriarty, and Desi Arnaz Jr. playing a stouter, less handsome, and blander version of his own father, Desi Arnaz Sr. The slimy, but nonetheless appealing, Assante and the knee bucklingly handsome Banderas are a pair of musical brothers who leave their native Cuba to make their fortune in America. This is a film about music, dancing, family, and love, not a food film. Which is not to say you don’t see the family enjoying some of their favorite Cuban dishes. Flan and Ricky Ricardo at the same meal? It’s almost too much! Mambo Kings is an ideal summertime film and menu. Throw a Mambo King dinner on a hot summer evening. Women should wear their brightest, sexiest summer dresses and high heeled sandals,ideally vintage 1950’s. Men can wear thin ties and snazzy sharkskin suits or simply floral shirts. Enjoy the movie and the meal and then turn on the CD, roll up the rug and dance! Use the soundtrack album or the Original Mambo Kings, Mambo Mania or any Tito Puente CD. The Menu Cuba Libres Mango Cooler Avocado in Cumin Lime Vinaigrette Cuban Three Citrus Pork Roast Black Beans and Rice Fried Plantains Cinnamon Flan Beer Cuba Libres 2 ounces Bacardi rum 2 ounces or more Coca Cola A twist of lime, if desired Ice Mango Coolers 1 cup mango pulp 2/3cup milk Sugar to taste Avocado Salad in Cumin Lime Vinaigrette 4 avocados, halved, pitted and peeled Juice of 2 limes, or more depending on size and juiciness 8 T olive oil 1t cumin, or more to taste Salt and pepper to taste 1. Place the avocado halves on their serving dish or dishes face down. 2. Blend the lime, cumin, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 3. Pour over the avocadoes and garnish with cilantro. Cuban Three Citrus Pork Roast 4 pounds of boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and tied by butcher 3 T fresh lemon juice 3 T fresh lime juice ½ cup fresh orange juice ½ cup sherry 2 T olive oil Combine the liquid ingredients. ½ t peppercorns 2 t cumin seeds 4 or more garlic cloves chopped or minced 2 t salt 1 t or more of oregano 1 cup sliced onions 1. Add the spices and the onions to the liquids. 2. Marinate the meat overnight. You can put it all in a plastic kitchen bag turning the bag occasionally as it sits in the refrigerator. 3. Preheat the oven to 325. 4. Place the pork in a roasting pan and cover it with the juices. 5. Roast for about 2 ½ hours. 6. Remove and let rest for fifteen minutes. 7. Carve. Serve with the onions and juices. It can also be served room temperature. Black Beans and Rice I’ve made this dish simple by including canned beans. 2 cans of prepared black beans 2 cups of rice, short grain, prepared 1 green pepper, chopped Ee