MIAMI HERALD

Dec. 09, 2004

Books for cooks and other food lovers

By KATHY MARTIN



Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban by Glenn Lindgren, Raul Musibay and
Jorge Castillo (Gibb Smith, $29.95).

You may recall reading about this winning trio in The Herald: a
Minnesota gringo and two Miami Cubans, related by marriage, who bond
through a shared love of Cuban culture and create a website to share
their passion with the world.

The downloadable cookbook they created for iCuban.com has grown into
an attractive hardcover book with handsome color photos and ``100
great Cuban recipes with a touch of Miami spice.''

With Colombian arepas and Nicaraguan tres leches in the mix, the title
might more accurately be ''Three Guys . . . Cook Miami,'' but there
are plenty of Cuban standards here, from picadillo and arroz con pollo
to rice pudding and flan. We even get the Elena Ruz, a turkey, cream
cheese and strawberry-jam sandwich named for the customer who ordered
it at a 1930s Havana restaurant.

Best of all, we get the good-natured byplay ('Jorge: `Someday we'd
like to have a sandwich named after us.' Raul: 'Probably something
with plenty of spice and a lot of tongue!' '') that makes these guys
such good company.

Recipe: Cuban meatballs (albondigas). next page.



CUBAN MEATBALLS (Albóndigas)

These nicely flavored meatballs were a hit in our house. I made them
about the size of a golf ball, not the ''small Volkswagen'' the Three
Guys suggest. I simply browned the meatballs rather than fully cooking
before adding them to the sauce. They were done and tender after 20
minutes of simmering. -- KATHY MARTIN

2 eggs

1 cup cracker crumbs (try Cuban or Club crackers)

¼ cup milk

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 teaspoon dry yellow mustard

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper

Flour for rolling

Olive oil for frying

SAUCE:

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

Olive oil for sautéing

4 garlic cloves, mashed

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

To make the meatballs, mix together the eggs, cracker crumbs, milk,
ground beef, mustard, cumin, salt, pepper, onion and bell pepper in a
large bowl. Use your hands -- no one's watching and believe us, it's
the only way! Form mixture into large balls. Roll in flour to lightly
coat and sauté in olive oil until cooked through.

To make the sauce, sauté onion and green pepper in olive oil in a
large saucepan or a Dutch oven until translucent. Add garlic during
the last 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar,
salt and tomato sauce. Add the cooked meatballs and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve hot over white rice. And, yes, if you're feeling Italian, you
can even serve this dish with pasta! Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: Adapted from Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban.

Per serving (based on 6): 386 calories (37 percent from fat), 15.8 g
fat (5.7 g saturated,6.9 g monounsaturated), 145.2 mg cholesterol,
29.4 g protein, 31.9 g carbohydrates, 3.2 g fiber, 1,479 mg sodium.


Copyright 2004 Miami Herald