ONCE UPON A TIME IN CUBA...
there was a woman, known to all in the island, for her great
beauty, her sensual dancing, her love for chickens, and her
Passion for cooking. Her name was Juana....Juana "la Cubana".
She was the direct descendant of a Spanish conquistador,
Gabriel de Aragon, who had brought his wife Carmen
de Bernal to live in the new colony...Gabriel and Carmen,
fell in love with Cuba. So much so that they disobeyed the
order of his Royal Highness King Ole Flamenco to return to
Spain. Gabriel and Carmen went inland and hid... never
to be seen again
Centuries later, their great- great- great- great- great-
great-great-great-great-great- granddaughter, Juana, was
born. She was a special child. She danced before she walked,
and chickens would follow her everywhere she went...
By the time she was a teenager, Juana, was known in her
town of Matanzas as the "Chicken whisperer"...
However, she grew into a mesmerizing woman, and a great
dancer. By the late 1930's she was the hottest attraction at
the Copa Cabana. She swayed her hips like the palm trees
in the beach during a hurricane. Men from all over the
world came to admire her talent ...and buy her chocolates.
But, she refused them all...Thus, becoming even more
desirable!
One of those men...was Ernest Hemingway. Yes, Juana,
was the real reason why he hung around Cuba drinking
mojitos and writing books...
He longed to kiss her juicy ruby red lips...and, as he
sipped his mojitos he would imagine Juana in all her
splendor dancing...dancing...dancing just for him!!!
Nevertheless, Juana was waiting ...and waiting....and waiting
on a special man to conquer not only her heart, but her
appetite for..."Ropa Vieja", a Cuban beef stew!!!
That was the key to her heart. Hemingway, not knowing
this, asked her out to dinner after her last show at the
Copa Cabana. She was always very hungry after dancing
and she accepted, hoping that he would take her to eat
Ropa Vieja...Instead...he took her to a very popular
restaurant called "The Fisherman and the Sea". Not Good.
She looked at the menu. Disappointed, she cried. The server,
a young man called Pepe, spoke to her in a soft voice that
sounded like Antonio Banderas'...
-"Miss Cubana, do you not see what your heart desires
in our menu?"
-"Ay chico, no I don't"!!!" she said sobbing.
-" Come with me Miss Cubana ...leave this old man, and I
will take you to my house where I have all the fixings for
Ropa Vieja!
Simmered flank steak until it's tender...onions...peppers...
garlic and bay leaf
I will first saute the garlic...
then add the onions and peppers...
and will let it play in the pan a little...
Then I will add the shredded beef...
and if you like...some roasted peppers...
Then I will finish it off with some tomato sauce!!!
How is that sounding? Then some red Spanish wine ...we could drink
some too....
I will let it simmer like my passion for you ...and I will serve
it to you with white rice and plantains!!!".
Juana got up from the table, and waived goodbye to
Hemingway as she ran away with Pepe...
The rest is history.When Juana tried Pepe's Ropa Vieja she
knew he was the one!!! After dinner she
smoked a cigar.....
.
and danced for Pepe..
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