Surf and Turf

<p>As the daughter of Cuban parents who immigrated to the United States in 1949 I was raised on the foods of their country.</p><p>But as I grew up and became a teenager my taste was satisfied by a daily cheeseburger and french fries. At the age of fifteen my mother would tell me it was time for me to learn how to cook because one day I would have a family and I would need to feed them some real food. I laughed it off and assured her that I would study and work hard and be able to afford someone to cook for me. She was right I did all the things I promised but once I did have a family I looked back to my roots to provide for them. I found I enjoyed cooking and not only the foods of my country on Thanksgiving Day but also the traditional Cuban foods of Noche Buena.</p><p>As the years have gone by my family has become more American than Cuban. Many in my family are losing the Spanish language yet they still love my cooking.</p><p>I have preserved in this book a few of my family's favorite recipes to ensure that my children grandchildren family and future generations I will never meet retain the food of their heritage.</p>